Hi! I'm Amy M. Burns, the creative mind behind amymburns.com and the author of "Using Technology with Elementary Music Approaches." By day, I bring music to life as an elementary educator at Far Hills Country Day School. During the evenings, I take on the role of Community Coordinator at Midnight Music and also work as an Elementary Music Consultant at MusicFirst.

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Music Theory Basics

Last week's #techtiptuesday highlighted the Supplementary's Tab Musical Elements and Theory Animations, focusing on Animated Musical Elements. This week's focus is on Music Theory Basics, where you will find concise animated videos explaining key music theory concepts:

• The Staff

• Time Signatures

• Time Signatures, Bars, and Barlines

• Quarter Notes

• Quarter Note Rests

• Half Notes

• Half Note Rests

• Whole Notes

These animations are short and suitable for students of all ages. For example, after watching the staff video, students will easily recall that the staff is "a ladder of five lines" when asked outside the classroom.

How would I use these in a classroom?

Classroom Usage Ideas:

Substitute: Utilize these videos when a substitute teacher is in charge. For younger elementary students, they can watch the videos and then complete coloring sheets to reinforce their learning. They can take these sheets home to share with parents or showcase them on platforms like Seesaw.

Stations: Incorporate the videos into a music station where students can reflect on the content of one or two videos. They can also engage in coloring activities related to the video content and share their work on Seesaw or similar platforms.

Integration into Teaching Approach: If you are using a Kodály approach, you could look through the database of Kodály songs offered in the Supplementary Tab. If you are preparing the students to learn about the quarter rest, you could look for songs that have that element in them. I find the song “Round and Round”. I go to the Kodály Supplementary Song Tab and look in the song index to find the song. I would then prepare to introduce the quarter rest by reviewing the pitches sml. I would then sing the song as they tapped the steady beat in their laps. I would do this a few times, each time changing how we tap the steady beat so that they hear the song a few times before they learn to sing it. In the presentation portion, I would echo-sing the song 2 measures at a time; then 4 measures at a time; then the entire song. I would then show the video of the quarter rest. Afterward, I would show them the music and ask them if they can find the quarter rest. We would then sing the song with a movement to show for the rest. For example, we step to the beat while we circle to the right. When the rest occurs, we will stop. We would then step to the beat while we circle to the left. When the rest occurs again, we will stop. We could then expand it to have two concentric circles, or add a parachute where we add a stuffie in the middle that goes up in the air on the quarter rest. The goal is to learn and perform the quarter rest in the best way that works for your students in your teaching scenario. 

This is just a glimpse of the resources available in the Supplementary tab. Stay tuned for more MFE tech tips on #TechTipTuesday next week as we continue exploring MFE together!

Resources:

#techtiptuesday MFE playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO2UG241-fB5gvd-38w5B9OYFkiwGgLhZ

MFE Deep Dice Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO2UG241-fB6Ghg2abkM1PvcB-j1TySq-

Coming Soon!