Grade+2

__ Overview of Second Grade Music __
We are still developing those our audiation skills! By second grade, we have an amazing musical vocabulary and command of solfege. Now the real work begins. We begin to guide students to apply what they know about music (familiar) to new songs and chants (unfamiliar). This is done by making generalizations. If I sing a pattern to you without solfege, can you sing translate the pattern back to me with solfege? If I sing a pattern to you without solfege, can you tell me if the pattern is tonic or dominant? We continue to develop our improvisation skills through “jam sessions.” We’re moving beyond simple patterns and into musical thought. If I begin a song, can you end the song for me? (And do it in the same tonality, meter, tempo, style that I presented? This is called context.) We’re beginning to understand that improvisation is making music in the moment within a given context.

By second grade, most children will have command of their singing voices. We reinforce healthy singing habits by talking about posture (how to sit/stand while singing) and breath control.

Most children understand how to audiate macro and microbeats within a given meter. We reinforce those skills be asking students to generalize (without teacher guidance) while listening to new music. We also begin to explore rhythmic improvisation. Improvisation is creating music in real time with specified guidelines (duple/triple meter).

We continue discussing what makes a melody. We audiate and identify the resting tone and tonality within each song we sing. We also learn that melodies may begin or end on the resting tone, are organized into phrases, and have patterns that may repeat. We put all of this information into application by creating our own melodies.

We also continue to reinforce and practice what we know about harmony. We identify chord changes within song and accompany our songs. In addition, we begin to use tone instruments to accompany our songs. We learn basic instrument technique and how to play chord roots on the instruments.