HOW TO TEACH A SONG

Choose a song that you like. If you dont like it, chances are that the children
wont like it either.
Know the song by memory or be able to sing it with just a quick glance at the
score or word sheet.
Dont worry if singing is not your strongest gift. However, you do need to be able
to sing in tune, with the correct beat and rhythm.
In most cases, perform the song for the children in its final form, or play a
recording. Give the students something to listen for in the song to promote active
listening.
If you sing the song without an accompaniment, dont forget to give a vocal and
rhythmic prompt One two ready sing on the starting pitch of the song.
Listen to the children sing the song in its final form. If you hear any problems,
reteach that part of the song.
Remember to include previously learned song material in future lessons, as this is
how you will develop a repertoire of songs with your students.

15 WAYS TO TEACH A SONG

1.

Perhaps the quickest way to teach a song is by echoing phrases. First have the
children listen to the song in its final form. Break down the song into short
phrases. Instruct the students to Echo me, or repeat after me. Sing the first
phrase while children echo that phrase without missing a beat in between.
You may have to point to yourself when you are singing and to the class when
you want them to echo you. Make sure that you are starting the phrase on the
same pitch that you expect them to sing in their final performance. After
proceeding through the song, repeat the song again, having the students echo
longer phrases or 2 phrases combined. If there are pitch or word problems, stop
and address them. When they know the song by echo, try singing it in its entirety
or with an accompaniment. When you use this method, it is an excellent
opportunity for children to practice matching pitches, an important skill in vocal
reproduction.
2. Another way to teach a song is by chiming in. In this method, children listen to
the song a number of times and join in as they learn each part, each in their own
time frame. You may have to give a number of different listening prompts each
time you repeat the song to keep the song fresh.
3. Give the students many (at least 10) opportunities to hear the song. Use the
song in different ways over several class periods. Move to it, ask questions about
the song content or melodic line, play instruments to it, or play it as children enter
or leave the room. Then ask children to sing with you. After that many
repetitions, children will know the song and be able to sing it in tune with the
correct rhythm and words.
4. If the song has a phrase or series of words thats repeated, begin by teaching that
line. Repeat the song and have the children sing the repeated lines. Ask questions

Cathy Seipel, Spring 2014

about the rest of the song content and gradually add other lines. Add one part at a
time each repetition of the song.
5. If the song is in verse/refrain form, teach the refrain first. The teacher sings the
verses (or use a recording) and the children sing only the refrain. Ask questions
about each verse to focus listening and add verses one at a time. Each class
period, work on a new section or a new verse to provide many opportunities for
children to listen to the song and keep the song fresh.
6. Find phrases which are alike. Children listen to you sing the song and find
matching phrases. Teach alike phrases first. Or, find phrases which may have the
same words but a different melody. Or same melody with different words. Teach
those phrases first and then add the others.
7. Use questions. Ask children to count how many times a particular word occurs.
Then sing again to check if they were correct. Ask them to find which word has
the higest/lowest note, which words were louder/softer, faster/slower, or which
words rhyme. Ask questions about the song content (What does the dog do in this
song?). Ask children how the song makes them feel and discuss. Which part is
happy, sad,scary?
8. Learn to speak the words with a beat in rhythm while children pat the beat on
their laps. Add the melody after the words are strong.
9. Use movement with the song, actions, sign language, or fingerplays. This can be
fun and particularly effective if you teach the movement or actions first with no
singing and ask children to then join in with the actions as you sing the song or as
they hear a recording. Or you can add the actions as you learn the words. This
helps them remember sequences of words.
10. Sing from a word sheet or a vocal score.
11. Sing from a picture chart in grades K and 1.
12. Put on board or pass out word or picture strips of the song. As the song is sung,
children hold up or put up on the board the parts of the song in the correct order.
You can do the same thing with the rhythm of the song written out in rhythmic
notation.
13. Sing the song using solfege. Add the words after students can sing and sign the
pitches.
14. Use disappearing visuals. Put the words or pictures on the board or smartboard.
Teach the song with the words or pictures in place. After the students can sing it
reasonably well, erase a word/picture and try again. Continue to erase
words/pictures until there are none left. A variation on this is to have children
think the word that has been erased instead of singing that word out loud. As
more words are erased, they have to internalize more and more of the song. It is
particularly fun and challenging when there are only a few words left. This
activitiy helps children work on music memory.
15. Write only the key words in each phrase on the board. Discuss the meaning of
each and learn the melody around the key words.
Cathy Seipel Elementary Music Specialist

Cathy Seipel, Spring 2014