Skip to main content

Teaching Music Theory to Preschoolers

Preschool music programs teach basic music theory.

Preschool students can begin to learn the basics of music theory provided you introduce the subject matter in a simple and fun manner. Over the course of a year, you can teach preschool children to count quarter, half and whole notes as well as read the basic notes of the musical scale in the treble clef. Learning music theory is a difficult task, so you should introduce the subject in a manner that provides hands-on practice.

Treble Clef


Teach the child to recognize the treble clef. Tell her that the treble clef holds all of the notes that are high in music. It looks like a stylized "G" with a curved tail and a loop that extends around the top lines of the staff. Start by giving her a worksheet that has a picture of a treble clef and then several dotted line examples that will help her draw her own treble clefs. Tell her to take her time and help her trace the treble clef on a sheet of paper to get a feel for it. You can even create a connect-the-dots game to help her learn to draw a treble clef.

Music Notes


Preschool students should start by learning the names of the treble clef. At first, only teach him the names of the spaces on the treble clef. Explain to him that the spaces of the treble clef spell the word face. Place a letter name on each space so that he can see what you are referring to. The bottom space will have an "F," then "A," "C," and finally "E" on the top space. Each week, take one letter away and ask him to identify the spaces on the treble clef. Follow the same process for the names of the lines.

Rhythm


Teach preschoolers about the quarter note first. Start a metronome and explain that every time she hears a click, she plays one quarter note. Tell her to stand up and walk around the room in time to the quarter note. Show her a picture of a quarter note so that she knows what it looks like. Then teach her about half and whole notes. With half notes, they will play on every other beat, with whole notes, they play on every fourth beat. Again, show them what these notes look like.

Music Bingo


Reinforce his knowledge by playing music bingo. Create a four-by-four grid that has a different quarter, half, and whole note music rhythms in each box. You can also create another grid just for the music notes. Place a small staff system with a different note in each box. When you call out a note or play a rhythm, ask him to find the matching item and place a token on top of his card. When he gets four in a row he wins the game.

Rhythm Game


Teach rhythms by clapping or using a drum to beat out a rhythm for the class. Ask the class to repeat the rhythm and then help them figure out how to notate the rhythm. Use very simple rhythms with nothing longer than four beats. As the students improve, divide them into teams to compete with each other. In the competition, you will have each team write down the rhythm you clap on the board. The first team to get the correct rhythm gets a point.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Why Claude Debussy Never Cared About Music Theory

  Claude Debussy was born on August 22, 1862. So, I felt writing a blog post to celebrate would be appropriate. Debussy was a revolutionary composer who challenged the conventions of Western music. He was influenced by the impressionist painters, the exotic sounds of gamelan music, and the symbolist poets. He created a musical language that was expressive, colorful, and atmospheric. One of the most remarkable aspects of Debussy's music is his use of harmony. He did not follow the rules of tonality and functional harmony that dominated the music of his time. Instead, he used modes, scales, chords, and parallel movements that created a sense of ambiguity and fluidity. He also experimented with timbre, texture, rhythm, and form to create musical images that evoked moods and emotions. Debussy's music can inspire us to think outside the box and explore new possibilities in our own compositions. We can learn from his innovative techniques and his artistic vision. We can also apprecia...

List of Musical Techniques and Their Meanings

Musical techniques are the building blocks of any basic music training. These techniques allow performers to improve their coordination and develop accuracy through repetitive daily exercises. Musical techniques progressively build upon previously learned techniques. Scales Scales form the basis for other musical techniques. Student may study major and minor scales as well as modern scales, such as the whole-tone and octatonic scales. A scale consists of patterns of half steps and whole steps. These whole steps and half-step arrangements will be different for each scale. Scales are musical techniques that can help a performer to play faster and more accurately, and make learning new pieces easier. Chords Chords require knowledge of major and minor scales. Chords come in several different forms that affect the sound. Triads consist of three notes spaced a third apart and classified as major, minor, augmented and diminished chords. Seventh chords build on triads and have an additional no...

Similarities of Classical and Baroque Music

Music has evolved through the centuries and undergone drastic changes. One of the most significant transitions was from the Baroque to the Classical period of music. In this paragraph, I will compare and contrast some of the main features of these two styles, such as ensembles, instrumentation, and counterpoint study. The Baroque and Classical periods of music have many similarities. While the style of music changed drastically, certain key elements remained the same between the two styles. Composers in the Classical period sought to simplify music and create clearly audible musical lines. In contrast, composers from the Baroque period were interested in creating complex and highly ornamented musical lines. The Baroque period occurs from approximately 1600 to 1750, and the Classical period extends from 1750 to 1820. Ensembles Ensembles are groups of musicians that perform together. Both the Baroque and the Classical period had similar types of ensembles, such as operas, orchestras, str...