MAPSDraw the Musical Line
Summary
Develop a concept of pitch through tangible perception by tracing the rise and fall of the music with the finger
Procedures
- 1
The teacher draws three different melodic contours on the board and guides students in describing how each contour rises and falls (e.g., “It starts high and moves lower,” “It has large rises and falls,” or “It looks like a small hill”).
- 2
The teacher tells students that they will hear three different melodies and asks them to guess which “melody picture” matches each one.
- 3
The teacher plays the three musical excerpts, and students share their answers.
- 4
The teacher first guides students in tracing several melodic contours in the air with their fingers, then plays the music and invites students to trace the contours as they listen.
- 5
The teacher improvises several new melodies by singing or playing the piano, and students create new “pictures” in the air in response.
Variations
1. Transfer the role of improvisational singing or playing—originally assigned to the teacher in Step 5—to the students;
2. Reverse the "listen-then-draw" sequence: students "draw" the melody first, and the teacher provides a similar melody;
3. Incorporate specific pieces currently being studied in class.
Activity Preparation
1. Blackboard/whiteboard/paper: For displaying the visualized melody
2. Audio/instrument: Teacher plays the melody
Activity Sources
- Source Type:
- Learned from a teacher
- Source:
- Adapted from a course from Zhejiang Conservatory of Music: Introduction to School Music Education and Teaching Methods (Curriculum & Pedagogy); Instructor: Yang Yang.
- Adaptation Notes:
- In the original classroom activity, the instructor used finger movements to help students perceive changes in pitch.
MAPS teaching activities may come from a variety of sources, including original contributions by the MAPS team, online resources, published materials, activities learned from teachers, activities shared by colleagues, traditional teaching practices, and other sources. When a source can be reasonably identified, we make every effort to acknowledge it on the relevant activity page or in the accompanying reference information.
Some content may be organized, translated, structured, or adapted by the MAPS team for specific teaching contexts. Such editorial or instructional adaptation does not mean that MAPS claims ownership of the underlying third-party material. Rights to third-party content remain with the original authors, publishers, or other lawful rights holders.
If you are an author, copyright holder, or authorized representative and have questions or concerns regarding the source, attribution, or use of any content, please contact us:
Email: musicactivityps@gmail.com
Draw the Musical Line
Summary
Develop a concept of pitch through tangible perception by tracing the rise and fall of the music with the finger
Procedures
- 1
The teacher draws three different melodic contours on the board and guides students in describing how each contour rises and falls (e.g., “It starts high and moves lower,” “It has large rises and falls,” or “It looks like a small hill”).
- 2
The teacher tells students that they will hear three different melodies and asks them to guess which “melody picture” matches each one.
- 3
The teacher plays the three musical excerpts, and students share their answers.
- 4
The teacher first guides students in tracing several melodic contours in the air with their fingers, then plays the music and invites students to trace the contours as they listen.
- 5
The teacher improvises several new melodies by singing or playing the piano, and students create new “pictures” in the air in response.
Variations
1. Transfer the role of improvisational singing or playing—originally assigned to the teacher in Step 5—to the students;
2. Reverse the "listen-then-draw" sequence: students "draw" the melody first, and the teacher provides a similar melody;
3. Incorporate specific pieces currently being studied in class.
Activity Preparation
1. Blackboard/whiteboard/paper: For displaying the visualized melody
2. Audio/instrument: Teacher plays the melody
Activity Sources
- Source Type:
- Learned from a teacher
- Source:
- Adapted from a course from Zhejiang Conservatory of Music: Introduction to School Music Education and Teaching Methods (Curriculum & Pedagogy); Instructor: Yang Yang.
- Adaptation Notes:
- In the original classroom activity, the instructor used finger movements to help students perceive changes in pitch.
MAPS teaching activities may come from a variety of sources, including original contributions by the MAPS team, online resources, published materials, activities learned from teachers, activities shared by colleagues, traditional teaching practices, and other sources. When a source can be reasonably identified, we make every effort to acknowledge it on the relevant activity page or in the accompanying reference information.
Some content may be organized, translated, structured, or adapted by the MAPS team for specific teaching contexts. Such editorial or instructional adaptation does not mean that MAPS claims ownership of the underlying third-party material. Rights to third-party content remain with the original authors, publishers, or other lawful rights holders.
If you are an author, copyright holder, or authorized representative and have questions or concerns regarding the source, attribution, or use of any content, please contact us:
Email: musicactivityps@gmail.com
