Recorder Karate Idea Bank

Music reading is often quite difficult for some students. In my opinion, some people perceive the written notation in rather faulty ways, so it's really important to first lay the groundwork in preparation for reading. Here is what I do to teach recorders to fifth grade and up:

Before I have kids attempt to read absolute pitches and realize these pitches on an instrument, I make sure they have been reading basic rhythmic notation. I use Rockin' Rhythm Raps for this purpose. For my classes, reading rhythms is a regular ongoing part of our warm-up/lesson routine.

Then, along with presenting the staff as a part of my prep sessions, I provide students with experiences in manipulating the music alphabet. This has been critical in setting them up for success, and I would never leave this out. Here are some activities I do:

First I make a set of music ABC cards for every student. Then on the first day, I pass out the cards and ask them simply to begin with "A" and lay the cards out in front of them (on the floor) in alphabetical order left to right. This is a snake. Then we transfer this to building a tower from bottom to top beginning with "A" again:

G

F

E

D

C

B

A

This assimilates the ascending pattern of steps on the staff. The cards are then picked up and shuffled. I then ask them to make another tower but beginning on a different letter. We keep doing this to secure any uncertainty with ascending step-wise movement, especially when they get to G and have to continue with A, etc.

I immediately transfer this to the actual staff and ascending intervals of a 2nd. This year I happen to use the song "Music Alone Shall Live" from Music K-8, Vol. 7, No. 1 for them to sing and identify the ascending patterns of 2nds in the score.

OK, from here we begin to create towers of ascending step-wise movement. 3rds in the same manner as above. We used the song "Michael Row The Boat Ashore" from Hootie Kazoo's Rockin' Rhythm Band.

Finally, we create a few descending alphabet snakes and towers. This is often a challenge.

Now, after these types of activities, we'll play a game called "Show Me." The kids hold their cards in a hand. I'll call out a starting pitch followed by a direction, i.e. "C up a 2nd." The kids look for the card that would be up a 2nd from C. I say, "Show me," and they all hold up their card. We do this for both ascending/descending step-wise movement in intervals of 2nds and 3rds, and even repeated pitches (D repeat). Eventually I'll challenge them with 4ths and 5ths too.

This allows them to manipulate the music alphabet and prepares them for the way the pitches are often patterned in actual notated music on the staff.

After we've gotten started with the recorder and our first BAG pitches, I follow the following method of preparing the kids to read a given piece. Here's my approach:

1. In warm-ups, I will lead them in echoing various patterns of pitches that they will encounter in the pieces to be played that day.
2. Other warm-ups are these same short patterns but where I write the letter names on the board, i.e., GGEEA, GGGEEA, etc. (or whatever they'll be encountering). While they're not actually reading the notation yet, they are experiencing the patterns in their fingering. I often call this "fingering calisthenics."

For direct preparation for a piece, we will:

1. Listen and "recorder tap" the rhythm of the notes. Here they gently tap the head of the recorder into their palm as they listen.
2. Listen and finger-practice along. Here they place the mouthpiece into their chin and finger the notes with the CD.
3. Finger-practice to isolate and drill away any tricky spots.
4. Listen, finger, and whisper the notes.
5. Listen, finger, and think the notes.
6. Play along.

In a particular piece, I will often have the students mark patterns that repeat by circling them in the score in a certain color (i.e., red circles). I do this on a transparency also. First, we'll listen and play only what's been circled. Then, I'll have them mark other patterns with different shapes and a different color (i.e., blue squares). Next, they'll listen and play only the blue squares. Sometimes I divide the class into half playing the circles, half playing the squares, and then switch. Finally, we'll play everything.

Following this in a subsequent session, we'll review in a like manner and isolate difficult spots as needed.