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Three metre-based instrumental activities for your rehearsals
Read on for ideas for how to use these metre-based activities in lessons, rehearsals or practical classes on instruments. These activities are adapted from singing-based versions available via the Music Teachers’ Digital Library (note, only accessible with a subscription). Metre Practice Activity: Inner Hearing Strong & Weak In this activity, inner hear strong or weak […]
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3 engaging practice activities for your music classroom
Read on for ideas for how to use these engaging practice activities along with links to some examples across several concepts, available via the Music Teachers’ Digital Library (note, these are only accessible with a subscription). The MTDL has a wealth of practice activities, detailed within concept strategies, but also setup as generic resources you […]
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Top 6 Tips for Kodály-Inspired Teaching: Rhythm Names
Rhythm Names, also known as time names, rhythm syllables etc, are functional rhythm! Rhythm names give a VERBAL rhythmic language that sounds correct when spoken. This means you are learning the SPELLING for rhythm so when you hear a rhythm you know how to SPELL (write/say) it. Rhythm syllables were developed so that students could have […]
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Analysis Series: Repetition & Transition
Read on for examples for teaching & practicing repetition & transition, along with links to some great activities, available via the Music Teachers’ Digital Library (note, some are free, but others are only accessible with a subscription). Repetition As the name suggests, this is where musical material (e.g. idea, phrase, section etc.) occurs more than […]
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Ways to gamify melody in your music classroom.
Melody and pitch is the cornerstone for a lot of what our students need to do aurally, and it fosters several skills at once. This means there’s a bunch of different ways we can approach practicing it in our Kodály-inspired spaces which increases the likelihood ALL of your students will have the time and means […]
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Top 6 Tips for Kodály-Inspired Teaching: Inner Hearing
“We should read music in the same way that an educated adult will read a book: in silence but imagining the sound.” ~Zoltan Kodály Inner hearing (or audiation) is the process of thinking sound. It is the ability to hear sounds when they do not exist out loud. In other words, inner hearing is the ability to “see […]
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Top 10 Videos for Clever Echo
In order for students to feel engaged with their learning, and understand whether they are progressing, they need immediate feedback. At the same time, teachers benefit from activities that allow instant assessment of student understanding. Thankfully, the aural Kodály-inspired approach of clever echo does both brilliantly. If you’re interested in investigating clever echo a little […]
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3 melody-based instrumental activities for your rehearsals
Read on for ideas for how to use these melody-based activities in lessons, rehearsals or practical classes on instruments. These activities are adapted from singing-based versions available via the Music Teachers’ Digital Library (note, only accessible with a subscription). Melodic Practice Activity: Forwards & Backwards Melody In this activity, students play the melody or passage […]
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3 simple song & canon activities for your music classroom
Read on for ideas for how to use these simple songs & canons along with links to some great activities, available via the Music Teachers’ Digital Library (note, some are free, but others are only accessible with a subscription). Speak Kind Words Let’s have a look at a new take on an old classic—Speak Kind […]
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Analysis Series: Contrast & Variation
Read on for examples for teaching & practicing contrast and variation, along with links to some great activities, available via the Music Teachers’ Digital Library (note, some are free, but others are only accessible with a subscription). Contrast Identified by the Victorian Curriculum & Assessment Authority (VCAA) as a compositional device, “contrast is achieved where […]
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Ways to gamify metre in your music classroom.
A real strength of the Kodály-inspired approach is that it is includes kinaesthetic, auditory, and visual learning modes in every aspect of teaching. This means there’s multiple ways to deliver concepts, broadening the learning opportunities for students who are more inclined to a particular approach. So, here’s a few suggestions for gamifying metre that demonstrate […]
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Top 10 Videos for Conducting
Conducting is something we often find in ensemble settings such as choirs, orchestras, bands and the like. It’s a way to communicate pulse, tempo and expressive intent through gesture. However, from a Kodály-inspired place, it’s an ideal way to practice and really know concepts like beat, metre and rhythm. You can unpack a little more […]
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3 rhythm-based instrumental activities for your rehearsals
Read on for ideas for how to use these rhythm-based activities in lessons, rehearsals or practical classes on instruments. These activities are adapted from singing-based versions available via the Music Teachers’ Digital Library (note, only accessible with a subscription). Rhythmic Practice Activity: Rhythm Clock In this activity, students perform rhythmic patterns according to the time […]
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Why Kodály-inspired teaching is vital for sequential music learning
When teaching sequential music learning, long term strategic planning is essential. The first step is deciding what should be included in your curriculum, then, determining the sequence in which these should be taught and when. Once the overall sequence has been determined, a teaching strategy is developed for each element or concept based on the […]
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Analysis Series: Character, Mood & Word Lists
As a language, music can speak to us on many levels. For example, emotionally, a piece of music may make us feel uplifted and joyous, and physically, this same piece of music may leave us feeling energised and motivated. We may recognise and understand a composer’s use of form, or be able to hear and […]
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Ways to gamify beat in your music classroom.
Beat is defined as a regular movement or sound. In music, the beat is a regular, repeated pulse that helps create tempo or speed in music. Really knowing beat can make all the difference for rhythm so don’t overlook the obvious and practice this concept regularly with all levels of students. So, here’s a few […]
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3 First Nations activities for your music classroom
Read on for ideas for how to use First Nations songs along with links to some great activities, available via the Music Teachers’ Digital Library (note, some are free, but others are only accessible with a subscription). Wirrumu (The Moon), is an Indigenous lullaby sung in Yolngu Matha languages (from northeast Arnhem Land) & English, […]
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Top 10 Videos for Time Signatures
One of the exciting things about music learning in general—but Kodály-inspired approaches in particular—is how integrated all of the concepts are. In order to really know rhythm, or stand a chance of transcribing rhythms or sightreading, you need a strong foundation in a variety of time signatures. Understanding how they work and becoming familiar with […]
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Top 10 music literacy tips to set up your school year!
Look, let’s be honest, returning to school for a new year feels a little bit like coming out of a deep festive-season-holiday hibernation. The thought of showing up on day one and having your entire music theory approach planned out for the year can be daunting. However, what you do on day one is actually […]
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3 Ways to Use Flashcards in Your Music Classroom
Flashcards have to be one of the most useful resources a teacher can have in their classroom! Use them to save you having to write on the board or let the kids use them to recognise – and match the visual symbols to – what they hear. Use them to play a game with, to […]
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Top 10 Videos for Scales & Key Signatures
The aim of the game here at DSMusic is sequential music literacy and really knowing. This means step-by-step teaching and learning of music aural and music theory concepts, followed by the practicing of these in a variety of ways. Scales and key signatures (tonality) are a vital part of any music literacy approach. They pop […]
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4 FREE compositional device resources for music performance analysis
Dive into the four compositional devices in the VCE Music Study Design – with tips and listening examples.
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Step-by-step tips for getting better at rhythmic dictation.
A question I often get asked by students – especially in the lead up to exams! – is how to do dictations. Here at DSMusic, we’re big on really knowing these concepts, whether it’s scales or intervals, or chords or rhythm. It’s important to remember that everything you’re doing in a music language space is […]
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Top 10 Videos for Chords, Chord Progressions & Cadences
Here at DSMusic, we understand that a lot of what we teach and learn in the music aural and theory space is connected. While this often means we can practice several musical concepts within the same activity, it can also make step one a little daunting. Concept-wise — chords, chord progressions and cadences definitely fit […]
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Top 6 Ways Solfa Can Help You With Music Performance
While we all know that becoming truly musically literate — which is the aim of the game here at DSMusic — lends itself quite well to improving our musicianship and theory skills, all that do re mi also actually applies to the practical side of things too. That’s right! Solfa isn’t just for when you’re […]