MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Teacher Education

Human Movement and Arts Education

COURSE CODE: BCAEd 106a

COURSE TITLE: Principle and Practice – Music Pedagogy 1 (Teaching Methods in Music for K to 6)
TOPIC: UNIT IV- METHODS AND TECHNIQUES IN TEACHING MUSIC
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INTRODUCTION

An education method or technique is a teaching approach based on a philosophy or set of principles; a

pedagogy distinct from a well-established procedure; time-tested; and activities are worthy endeavor to be
engaged in by learners.

The teacher’s knowledge in choosing an appropriate method and technique for a certain topic is crucial to
effectively transfer the musical concepts to learners. Results of empirical studies showed that the music teacher’s
knowledge in this aspect of instruction has a direct relationship with learners’ achievement in music education.
Effort, classroom environment brought about by a higher ability self-concept are some factors of a Functional music
pedagogy (FMP) which the music teacher uses in bringing her class to a productive music experience.

This unit introduces the most well-known music teaching methods used in music education. It familiarizes pre-
service teachers with the philosophy and principles of each method, its unique pedagogy, and training.

It is expected that BCAEd Third Year students will be able to:

1). acquaint oneself with the different methods and techniques of teaching music;
2). choose an appropriate teaching technique on a particular lesson; and
3). demonstrate one teaching method or technique.

WARM-UP
What teaching method or technique that you are familiar with? Tell something about it.

❖ EXPRESSING MUSICAL CONCEPTS THROUGH MOVEMENT: THE DALCROZE APPROACH

Emile Jacques-Dalcroze (1865-1950), a well-known Swiss educator and a pioneer of music teaching based this
approach on the premise that rhythm is the primary element of music. This consists of three parts: eurythmics
(rhythmic movement), solfege (ear training), and improvisation. This approach develops the whole child’s physical
and muscular control, mental awareness, social consciousness, and emotional health.

Eurhythmic Concepts:
1. The use of large muscle groups ensure a clearer realization of rhythmic experiences than the use of extremities
-hands clapping and feet tapping.
2. Individual power to control movements in related activities is developed especially regarding instrumental skills,
where coordination is difficult and specialized.
3. Bodily movement acts as a reference for the interpretation of rhythmic symbols.
4. Develop habits of listening as learners engage in the process of what they hear with what they do.
5. Body, mind, and emotion is integrated in rhythmic expression.
6. The freedom of expression is a key principle in eurhythmics which stimulates the creative impulse in every realm
of musical learning.
Prepared by: Nariza T. Tamayo, PhD
for BCAEd 106a/1st Sem/2021-2022
CTE address:
Castro Ave., Laoag City, 2900 Ilocos Norte, Philippines
 cte@mmsu.edu.ph  (077) 600-2014 www.mmsu.edu.ph
 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
Human Movement and Arts Education

Suggestions for Presenting the Dalcroze Ideas

Concept: Beat/Meter
Beat – regularly recurring pulse
Meter – grouping beats according to accents

Suggestions for Lessons

1. Feeling the beat: Set a pendulum (or metronome) in motion. Have hem say the word “swing” as they move to it.
Vary the speed. Add something as simple as a finger cymbal or 2-pitches on a xylophone for each swing. Use
familiar music with a strong beat, and encourage learners to speak, chant, swing, their arms, and move their
whole body to the beat.
2. Feeling meter: Use balls for developing coordination and discovering a feeling of beat. Individually or with a
partner, have them bounce a ball on the accent and then catch it. As they say “One” on the accented beat, they
will feel the groupings of 2s or 3s.
> > > >
Duple – “Bounce, catch” - 1 2 1 2 Triple – “Bounce, catch, hold” – 1 2 3 1 2 3

Concept: Fast, Slow, Getting Faster, Getting Slower

Suggestions for Lessons: Grades K-3
1. Download and play “The Little Shepherd” from the The Children’s Corner Suite by Debussy. Ask learners to
respond with small and larger movements of hands, arms, and bodies as the music varies from slow to fast.
Explore other types of physical expression, such as walking fast and then slow to fast and then slowly as the music
changes. Use fingers to do walking or running over the desktop.
2. Download and play “Little Train of the Caipira” by Villalobos Ask learners to sit in a circle. Pass a large yarn ball
to the right when the music gets faster and to the left when the music gets slower. Try similar experiences with
the following pieces: “Tortoises” from Carnival of the Animals (Slow) and Rimsky-Korsarov, “Flight of the
Bumblebee” (fast).
Grades 4 – 6
1. Dramatize the opening train scene from the musical The Music Man. Learners should illustrate through their
movements a train starting slowly, becoming fast, and then slowing down.
2. Many musical compositions use tempo to express a mood, idea, or feeling. Encourage learners to improvise free,
creative movements as expressions of slow, fast, or slow-fast-slow, using the following pieces:
Chopin, “Fantaisie-Impromptu” (fast-slow-fast)
Tchaikovsky, “Arabian Dance” (slow)
Prokofiev, Sonata no.7 (fast)

Concept: Dynamics
Movement experiences should include quiet, slow movements, sudden and gradual changes in energy levels.
Suggestions for Lessons: Grades K-3
1. Ask learners to draw a big circle when the sound is loud and a small circle when the sound is soft. Play an echo
game with movements as the response.
2. Download and listen to the song “Frosty the Snowman.” Discuss how the music gets softer when expressing the
words but he waved good-bye. Have learners pretend to be snowmen and melt to the ground as the music gets
softer.

Prepared by: Nariza T. Tamayo, PhD

for BCAEd 106a/1st Sem/2021-2022
CTE address:
Castro Ave., Laoag City, 2900 Ilocos Norte, Philippines
 cte@mmsu.edu.ph  (077) 600-2014 www.mmsu.edu.ph
 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
Human Movement and Arts Education

Suggestions for Lessons: Grades 4-6

1. Download and play portions of Beethoven’s “The Storm” from Symphony no. 6 (Pastorale). Have them decide
how to move in their own space in way that they show more energy as the storm intensifies and less energy as
the storm recedes. Follow up this activity with a discussion about how they decided on the amount of energy to
use, when to change it, and what in the music cause to change (dynamics: loud/soft/accents).
Concept: Rhythm Patterns
When long and short sounds are put together and then repeated, the result is rhythm pattern.
Suggestions for Lessons: Grades K-3
1. To prepare learners for rhythmic patterns, have them walk, run, take giant steps, or “swim,” swim, skip, gallop
to improvised music played on the drum, piano, or other instrument. When improvising for basic rhythmic
movement, the “walk” is a quarter note, the “running” is eight notes, the “swims” are half notes, and the “skip”
and “gallop” are dotted rhythms fitting within a quarter beat.
Assign rhythm values to the movements as follows
Walk = Swim = little one = One little =

Running = Skip or Gallop = Dou – ble- trou – ble =

❖ INTERPRETING IDEAS THROUGH MOVEMENT

Abstract Interpretative Movement

“I’m Gonna Sing When the Spirit Says Sing”
Activity: Stretching, crossing arms, clapping
Grades: 4 – 6
Concepts: Rhythm: beat, accent, melodic rhythm

Suggestions for lessons

1. Sing the song
2. Create movements that follow the text
I’m gonna Hands and arms in ready position
sing Both hands and arms in ready position
spirit Both hands cross chest
o-bey Clap
Lord Both hands and arms outstretched in front, palms up
Prepared by: Nariza T. Tamayo, PhD
for BCAEd 106a/1st Sem/2021-2022
CTE address:
Castro Ave., Laoag City, 2900 Ilocos Norte, Philippines
 cte@mmsu.edu.ph  (077) 600-2014 www.mmsu.edu.ph
 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
Human Movement and Arts Education

3. Chart the movements to stick figures to help the learners remember them.

PROCEDURES OF THE DIFFERENT METHODS/ TECHNIQUES

I. Whole or Entire Song Method. This is suitable for every short song. It can also be used to good advantages
to songs with continuous melodic flow, where pauses are not easy to make because of continuity.
Procedure:
1. Teacher sings the entire song with the correct pitch, tempo, interpretation, and clear direction; pupils
follow.
2. Teacher helps children understand the meaning of the song.
3. Teacher sings the song two or more times; adding some interest in the song each time; pupils follow.
4. Pupils sing the entire song.

II. Part or Phrase Method. It is used for not only very short songs. It involves imitation or note learning.
Procedure:
1. Teacher sings the whole song once or twice.
2. Teacher explains the meaning of the song.
3. Teacher sings the first phrase, children repeat. Sings the second phrase, children repeat; the rest of the
phrase is taught in the same way.
4. Teacher sings two phrases at a time; children repeat them.
5. Teacher sings the whole song; children sing after her.

III. Analytic Method. This is a short-cut method for higher grades. This is good for songs of repeated phrases.
This method is used when the children have in their hands the music score of the song or the words of the
song.
Procedure:
1. Teacher singS the whole song with the music score.
2. She calls for analysis of the key, time signature, note/rest value, number of phrases, and other musical
elements to music reading.
3. Teacher sings the whole song and children sings with her.

IV. Rote-Note Learning

Procedure:
1. Sing or play the song
2. Pupils listen and follow her by reading silently the words and notes in the music books.
3. For the rest of the procedure to complete the learning of the song, it utilizes the analytic method and the
phrase method employing note reading.

V. Kodaly Method (Zoltan Kodaly, Hungarian)

Procedure:
1. Teacher sings the whole song or presents a musical piece
2. Discuss the musical material of the song
3. Clap the rhythmic patterns.
4. Recite the notes using rhythm duration syllables
5. Sing the sol-fa with the hand signals.
6. Sing the sol-fa using the music ladder.
7. Sing the sol-fa syllables of the song.
8. Sing the whole song with words.
Prepared by: Nariza T. Tamayo, PhD
for BCAEd 106a/1st Sem/2021-2022
CTE address:
Castro Ave., Laoag City, 2900 Ilocos Norte, Philippines
 cte@mmsu.edu.ph  (077) 600-2014 www.mmsu.edu.ph
 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
Human Movement and Arts Education

9. Sing the song and do the stepping of the beat, clapping the rhythmic patterns, bending the knee for the
Accent

VI. Orff Method (Carl Orff, German). A combination of music, language, and movement.
Procedure:
1. Recite the speech pattern
2. Sing the song together.
3. Transfer the rhythmic patterns to percussion instruments.
4. Transfer the rhythmic patterns to body movements like patchen, clapping, stepping, etc.
5. Transfer the rhythmic patterns to the melodic instruments.
6. Sing the song, clap the rhythmic pattern, do the movements, and play the percussion instruments.

WRAP-UP ACTIVITY

Go over the topic given you for lesson planning. Determine the most appropriate method or technique that
you can use in teaching this. Support your answer by a maximum of 50 words only.

ASSESSMENT
A long exam about the unit will be posted in the mVLE.

Prepared by: Nariza T. Tamayo, PhD

for BCAEd 106a/1st Sem/2021-2022
CTE address:
Castro Ave., Laoag City, 2900 Ilocos Norte, Philippines
 cte@mmsu.edu.ph  (077) 600-2014 www.mmsu.edu.ph