Overview of First Grade Music:
In first grade, we continue to learn how to listen to and audiate music. One of the techniques we use to develop audiation is listening to tonal and rhythm patterns and singing and chanting them in our minds, rather than with our voices. This simple exercise brings an awareness that there must be musical thought before musical performance. Another activity we use to develop audiation is playing "same and different" games. Children listen to two patterns and discriminate if the two patterns were same or different. We understand what something is by making comparisons and knowing what it is not.
We continue to develop our singing voices. We learn that in order to sing, we have to use our “head” voice (higher than our speaking voice) and coordinate our breathing with our singing. For some children, learning to sing is as easy as turning on a light switch, while for others, it may take months or years to learn to consistently sing in a head voice.
We continue to develop our concept of meter and beat. In first grade, we learn about macrobeat (downbeat) and microbeat (subdivision of the macrobeat). By audiating, moving to, and labeling the macro and microbeats in music, you child is able to discriminate whether music is duple (e.g. 4/4 time) or triple meter (e.g. 3/4 time).
We also begin to explore the “ingredients” of a melody. We learn that every melody has a tonality and a resting tone. By audiating the resting tone, you child is able to discriminate whether a song is in major or minor tonality.
Wow, this all sounds like a lot of hard work! Rest assured, we also have A LOT of FUN in music class! All of this learning takes place in a playful environment in which the student is actively making music in the classroom.
First Grade Curriculum Guide:
In first grade, we continue to learn how to listen to and audiate music. One of the techniques we use to develop audiation is listening to tonal and rhythm patterns and singing and chanting them in our minds, rather than with our voices. This simple exercise brings an awareness that there must be musical thought before musical performance. Another activity we use to develop audiation is playing "same and different" games. Children listen to two patterns and discriminate if the two patterns were same or different. We understand what something is by making comparisons and knowing what it is not.
We continue to develop our singing voices. We learn that in order to sing, we have to use our “head” voice (higher than our speaking voice) and coordinate our breathing with our singing. For some children, learning to sing is as easy as turning on a light switch, while for others, it may take months or years to learn to consistently sing in a head voice.
We continue to develop our concept of meter and beat. In first grade, we learn about macrobeat (downbeat) and microbeat (subdivision of the macrobeat). By audiating, moving to, and labeling the macro and microbeats in music, you child is able to discriminate whether music is duple (e.g. 4/4 time) or triple meter (e.g. 3/4 time).
We also begin to explore the “ingredients” of a melody. We learn that every melody has a tonality and a resting tone. By audiating the resting tone, you child is able to discriminate whether a song is in major or minor tonality.
Wow, this all sounds like a lot of hard work! Rest assured, we also have A LOT of FUN in music class! All of this learning takes place in a playful environment in which the student is actively making music in the classroom.
First Grade Curriculum Guide:
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