Music Curriculum : What we learn
All students learn the same elements of music, but the level of learning changes greatly from one grade to the next with first grade being a general overview of the topic and progressing toward a more complete understanding in the 5th grade. These musical ideas continue to be built upon with even more compleas students move into middle school, high school and beyond.
The topics covered in music class include: Rhythm, Tempo, Meter, Symbols, Microphone Use, Stage Presence, Performance, Solfege, Pitch, Intervals,Melody, Style, Dynamics, Major/Minor, Form, Instruments and Keyboard Layout. Rhythm: Music notes arranged in a series of long and short sounds and silences are called rhythm. We learn that a whole note gets 4 counts, a half note gets 2 counts a quarter note gets 1 count and a quarter rest gets 1 count of silence. We learn to read and clap 4 count patterns of quarter notes that we call "TA" and quarter rests that we call "Shh". We also learn to read groups of 2 eighth note patterns that we call "Ti, Ti". Rhythm: How long or short is the music and silence. Quarter Note = 1 Half Note = 2 Whole Note = 4 Eighth Note = ½ Ritmo: Cuan larga o corta es la nota musical y el silencio Negra = 1 Blanca = 2 Redonda = 4 Corchea =1/2 Tempo: The speed of music is called tempo. We learn that music can be fast or slow. We sing songs and change the tempo making them fast or slow. Tempo: Speed Allegro= fast Lento = slow Tempo : Velocidad Alegro = rápido Lento = lento Meter: Music is organized into groups of strong and weak beats. We learn to move with a focus on beats grouped in 2 and groups of 3. Meter: Grouping of strong beats Set of 2 Set of 3 Compás: Agrupación de ritmos fuertes Grupo de 2 Grupo de 3 Symbols: Music is read using music symbols. Each symbol is like a secret code to tell us how music should sound. We learn the basic rhythmic symbols listed above as well as treble clef, staff, p for soft and f for loud. Symbols: signs to tell about the music Dynamics – loud (f) or soft (p) Rhythm – long or short Pitch – high or low Tempo – fast or slow Símbolos: signos para identificar la música Dinámica – ruidoso (f) o suave (p) Ritmo – largo o corto Tono – alto o bajo Tempo – rápido o lento Microphone Use: Microphones are special equipment used to make sound louder. Microphones are fragile and must be treated carefully. We learn to speak slowly, and clearly when talking into a microphone. We discuss the proper distance and angle to use the microphone. Everyone has several opportunities to speak or sing into the microphones. Microphones: make sound louder Speak slow Hold close Micrófonos: reproduce el sonido más fuerte Hablar despacio Sostener cerca Stage Presence: Stage presence means the way a person acts when they are on stage. We talk about how important it is to listen, face forward and pay attention when performing on stage. Stage Presence: how you act on stage Listen Participate Smile Presencia en el escenario: Como comportarse en un escenario Escuchar Participar Sonreír Solfege:l Solfege is a system for reading music using the syllables do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do. (Yes, like in the Sound of Music) We learn to read and sing the sol, mi, and la. We also learn the hand signals for those specific pitches as well as how to recognize those pitches on the treble clef staff. Solfege: system for reading pitches (high and low) A different word for each note Do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do. Solfeo: sistema para interpretar los tonos (altos y bajos) Una palabra diferente por cada nota Do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, do. Pitch: Music is composed of sounds called notes which are labeled using the letters of the alphabet. We learn that the notes use the letters A,B,C,D,E,F,G. We also look and see that if a note is placed high on the staff it sounds high and if a note is placed low on a staff it sounds low. We also learn to identify notes as line or space notes. Pitch: How high or low Each pitch has a different name A,B,C,D, E, F, G then back to A Written on a Staff (5 lines/4 spaces) Tono: Cuán alto o bajo Cada tono tiene una letra diferente A, B, C, D, E, F, G luego devuelta a la A escrito en un pentagrama (5 líneas/4 espacios) Interval: An interval is the distance between two notes. We learn that two notes can be/sound the same or different. Interval: Distance between 2 notes Same Step Skip Intervalo: la distancia entre 2 notas Igual Paso Saltar Melody: Music notes arranged into a series of pitches are called melody. The melody of a song is the part you would hum to let someone know what the song is. We learn to listen to a song played on the piano or sung with no words and then be able to hear what song it is by listening to the melody. Melody: Tune The part you hum to know the song Melodía: Tonada La parte que tarareas para identificar la canción Performance: Performance is an important element of music it is the way we share our music with others. We learn to perform for our classmates, for our teacher and for our parents, family and friends. Performance: Concert Singing or playing for others Interpretación: concierto Cantar o tocar para los demás Style: Music can be categorized into different styles. Each style has characteristics that make it sound different from another style. We listen to music from several different styles and discuss some of the ways they are the same or different. Style: What kind of music it is Folk Classical Rock Jazz Estilo: El tipo de música Folclórica Clásica Rock Jazz Dynamics: Dynamics is the word to describe how loud or soft music is. We learn that p stands for "piano" which means soft and that f stands for "forte" which means loud. We sing and create music that is soft and loud. Dynamics: Loud or Soft p= soft f= loud Matiz Dinámico: Débil o fuerte p= débil f= fuerte Major/Minor: Music tonality can be described as "happy" - Major or "sad/scary" - Minor. We listen to music and decide if it sounds mostly happy or sad/scary. Major / minor: Tonality or Feel of music Major = bright, happy minor = sad, scary Mayor/menor: Tonalidad o sensación de la música Mayor = positivo, feliz Menor = triste, escalofriante Form: Music is made up of sections that may sound the same or different which is called form. We listen to music that has the form AB and ABA. Form: How music is organized A, AB, ABA or ABACA Forma: como se organiza la música A, AB, ABA o ABACA Instruments : Instruments are grouped in families. We learn that there are 4 main types of instruments: string, woodwind, brass and percussion. We listen to and see samples of instruments from each of the 4 families. Instruments: 4 kinds of instruments grouped in families String Woodwind Brass Percussion Instrumentos: 4 tipos de instrumentos agrupados en familias Cuerdas Instrumentos de vientos de madera Metales Percusión Keyboard Layout: The way a piano keyboard is organized is in sets of black and white keys. The black keys are grouped in patterns of 2 and 3. We learn where the high notes are and where the low notes are. We also learn how to find the note "D"...it is between the set of 2 black notes. We say that "D" is the doggie with the 2 black ears. We also learn to find and play the notes C,D,E,F,G as well as a C major chord and a C minor chord. Keyboard Layout: How the piano is organized Sets of 2 and 3 black notes and white notes D is between the set of 2 black notes La distribución del teclado: Como el piano está organizado Grupos de 2 y 3 notas negras y notas blancas D esta en medio del grupo de 2 notas negras. Review: We spend the remainder of the year reviewing and re-teaching the curriculum presented earlier. Music is an ongoing effort. We never fully master any of the subjects, but continue to learn more and more about each of the topics we study. Third grade is the first year that all students take the district-wide music test covering the curriculum presented in the previous months. This test takes place each year in April. Review: Remember what we have learned Keep learning and asking questions 3rd/4th/5th Test over year of music in April Repaso: Recuerda lo que hemos aprendido 3ro, 4to y 5to grados examen anual en abril |