Simple little ear training exercises like this one can be integrated into your lessons in just a few minutes, and they can make a big difference.
In this quick clip, we’re working on melody playbacks. I always ask my student to pick do when we do these, and then I help them to find re and mi from there.
I then simply play short phrases for them to repeat. It’s easy to make these harder or easier so that my students can be successful. There can be a big range of ability with students’ aural ability who are otherwise at the same level.
This student is a beginner but is exceptionally good at aural skills. (I’ve even wondered for a moment if he had absolute pitch, but it’s actually just very good relative pitch. Very, very good relative pitch.)
Don’t worry if your student doesn’t catch on this quickly. Little doses of ear training will improve their skills over time.
What are quick clips?
Colourful Keys Quick Clips are all about giving you a taste of what my lessons are actually like – in action.
I certainly don’t claim to be an expert, and I don’t have all the answers. I just know how much seeing real teaching with real students has helped me to grow and improve as a teacher.
Let me know what you think!
I hope you enjoyed this Colourful Keys Quick Clip. If you have any thoughts or questions, be sure to ask them in the Vibrant Music Studio Teachers group on Facebook or in the comments here, and do make sure to subscribe to my emails and YouTube channel to get notified when a new quick clip is published.
If you want more and extended clips of my teaching, be sure to check out the Vibrant Music Teaching library. There’s tons more like this as well as a whole library of teaching games to boot.
Love this quick clip! It DOES help so much to see another teacher in action. I’m adding this to my lesson plans immediately. Thx for sharing your expertise!
Love this! This past academic year, I started doing solfege activities like this with my 1st & 2nd year students. They stand on my giant floor staff (big enough for kids’ feet to fit between the lines), choose a line or space to be Do (like you, Do changes from week to week), and then I sing short solfege patterns for them to echo and step on the correct lines & spaces while singing. I’ve been following Edwin Gordon’s tonal pattern sequence. Once they’re comfortable with the patterns, I have them do melodic dictation with a smaller floor staff (made from poster board) and cardboard note heads. So far, I’m still singing the solfege syllables, but I’m planning to transition away from that and just sing a neutral syllable next year. I HATED melodic dictation in college, but these 6, 7, and 8 year olds think it’s fun!
What a great activity! I’m integrating something quite similar into the VMT solfa plans that I’m doing next year but I love the addition of stepping on the floor staff.