Music Education Basics is a free online workshop for music educators in all types of settings.
This is Day 2 of our 5-day video and audio series.
If you’d like to watch the videos, you can sign up for free at learn.ashleydanyew.com. I’m sharing the audio version right here on the podcast so you can tune into the content here each day if that’s easier for you.
In this episode:
Today, we’re talking about what it means to develop language skills in music—namely, the importance of building a vocabulary of tonal and rhythm patterns, something you’ll hear me describe as the building blocks of music.
Tonal patterns are short, 2- to 5-note groups or phrases. Think of them like words: instead of reading and focusing on the individual letters that make up a word, our eye recognizes the group of letters together; we understand the letters within the context of the word. The same is true in music: instead of focusing on individual notes, we want to help our students learn to read groups of notes as meaningful patterns.
The goal is to understand the notes within the context of the music.
Rhythm patterns are the same: short, 2- to 4-beat groups or phrases. It’s important to recognize them as patterns vs. reading individual note values.
How do we help our students learn this and build a musical vocabulary? We can start by immersing them in musical experiences, like the way we learn language. Remember, listening and responding come before reading.
I share a few intentional ideas and some practical advice for putting this into practice in this lesson.
Looking for the workbook? You’ll find it inside the learning platform, ready to download. Sign up for free access >>
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Looking for more?
If this leaves you curious and ready to dive deeper into the study and practice of music teaching and learning, I’d love to invite you to join me in my signature program, The Art of Music Teaching & Learning.
Designed for music educators in all types of settings, this 8-week course will help you refine and cultivate your teaching skills by developing a deeper understanding of teaching and learning processes, learning goals and assessment, and creative curriculum design.
Inside, you’ll find a creative, practical approach to music teaching and learning, plus plenty of templates, worksheets, and related resources to prepare and equip you for the year ahead. Plus, two live group calls with me to ask questions and get more personalized coaching.
Enrollment opens on May 27! Learn more + get all the details.
I'd love to hear from you.
What questions do you have? Leave a comment below and let me know how I can help! 👇
