Different Tonalities and Meters

This week in class we sang Pussycat.  I told you that the most important part of this song was to sing it because it had a tonality that our ears are not used to.  Pussycat is in e phrygian.  If you are interested in understanding more about the structure of the phrygian scale I have added some information below.  I encourage you to click the play button under the notated scale, listen, and then try to sing the fifth note of the scale and then the first like we do when we clean the instruments up.  These are the two pitches from any song that will stick out the most to your child.  These will be the pitches you will most likely hear them sing first. 

Modern Phrygian mode

Modern Phrygian modal scale on E  Play (help·info).

In modern western music (from the 18th century onward), the Phrygian mode is related to the modern natural minor musical mode, also known as the Aeolian mode: the Phrygian scale differs in its second scale degree, which is a semitone lower than that of the Aeolian.

The following is the Phrygian mode starting on E, or E Phrygian, with corresponding tonal scale degrees illustrating how the modern major mode and natural minor mode can be altered to produce the Phrygian mode:

E Phrygian
Mode:  E  F  G  A  B  C  D  E
Major: 1 ♭2  ♭3 4  5 ♭6  ♭7 1
Minor: 1 ♭2  3  4  5  6  7  1

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This weeks dance!
Tip toe, kick, wiggle, and jump to French composer Jacques Offenbach's Can-Can.

Play along and dance to Kingdom Dance from the movie Tangled.
Did you notice in class that the meter changes in the middle of the song?  Did it feel like couldn't find the correct beat for a minute during the play along?  Around 1:12 the music changes from triple meter (1,2,3) to duple (1,2,3,4).  See if you can hear and feel the change at home.

Turn you day around with a Waltz and a Lullaby

It can't be said enough how important singing lullabies is.  The sound of your voice is soothing to your child.  (Even if you don't agree).  Singing lullabies to your child before bed helps them relax and fall asleep.  I encourage you to also sing tonal patterns after the lullaby.  Singing tonal patterns after a song gives your child an idea of the tonal structure of that song.  Give it a try the same way we do in class.  It may be simply singing the fifth and first notes of the key the song is in like we do in class.  Don't over think it if that doesn't make sense, just try it.

Below is a link to the New York Philharmonic playing Arirang in Korea.  Arirang is a traditional Korean folk song.  We have sung it as our lullaby in class for the past two weeks.  It is a beautiful song.  It also introduces your child to lovely Asian tonalities.
Play the video while your child is playing something else in the room.  They will enjoy listening even if they are not actively involved in watching the orchestra play.
If they are watching, point out what instruments you see in the orchestra while you listen.  Try conducting like the conductor.  Pretend you are playing the harp, violin, flute and other instruments you identify.




For our dance this week we waltzed!  I love waltzing with my children in my arms.  My favorite memories of when my oldest daughter was a baby was waltzing around her room with her and seeing her smile, laugh, and enjoy the movement of the music together.  She still loves it when I pick her up and waltz, but we also enjoy holding hands to dance through the kitchen together.  If you hit that 5:00 fussy hour and don't know what to do, try waltzing!
Here is the waltz from this week for some inspiration.

Welcome to Winter!

Music Together classes in Lake Wylie were fantastic this week!  I'm so glad to see both familiar and new faces in class.  Thank you for being engaged in the musical activities we are doing in class.  The more involved the adults are in the class the better all of the children will learn.

Some tips to make the most of class:

*Sing, dance, and make sure you're playing instruments too!

*Let your children be free in class as long as they are safe.  You do not have to force them to do the activities.  The only big rules are no running, and be nice to others and the instruments.  Some children will wonder around and come back while others will sit still and watch.  As long as the adults in the room are engaged in class they will all learn!

*Please bring extended family!  Grandmas, Grandpas, Aunts, Uncles, that lady next door that your child calls Grandma.  Children learn best from the adults they are closest to.  Your child will learn much much more from experiencing music with family than they will from me.  I am just here to guide the class, pass out the instruments, and point out the awesome musical achievements your children are making.  Music class would not work without all of the wonderful adult involvement.  

*Invite a friend.  If you have a friend that would like to try a free class please invite them.  If they sign up you get a discount on your next session!

Thank you all for trying the little musical experiment we did in class.  Below is the link to the video it came from.  While I did not execute it anywhere near as well as Bobby McFerrin does, it was still fun to try.  It definitely worked better in some classes than others.  I think that had to do with where it was placed in class and the need to be watching children at the same time as watching me and singing.  Either way it is a neat insight into how the human brain works.

Our dance this week was Greg and Steve's version of the Chicken Dance

Our play along was Old Joe Clark (The tune Clap Your Hands comes from)
There are many versions of this classic song.  I encourage you to check them out on iTunes or Amazon.
The version used in class was a bonus track from the Rambling Boy CD.

Here is a fun version you can play along with at home!

Lastly, this weekend the Charlotte Symphony is having a Lollipops concert.  Their Lollipops concerts were created specifically for children.  At 10:00 there is an orchestra petting zoo, drum circles, instrument making, and coloring.  The concert begins at 11:00 and is a fabulous way to introduce children of all ages to the orchestra while not having to worry about them being a wiggly or leaving for the potty!  This concert will feature, "Beethoven's iconic Fifth Symphony theme with a modern twist along side other orchestral favorites like Rossini's William Tell Overture and Brahms' Hungarian Dance."  Click the links below to check out Project Trio, who will be the guest artist for the concert, more information about the Lollipops concerts, and some of the music you will be hearing!

A fun old cartoon that includes William Tells Overture
 If you watch Little Einsteins with your child you may recognize the Hungarian Dance from there!