How to Stay Sane in a Multi Ability Music Language Lesson.

AMuse Workshop Session

Outcome 3 – How to Stay Sane in a
Multi ability Music Language Lesson
Presented by Deborah Smith,
Trinity Grammar School,
February 2018

It’s All About the Planning

 Teach to same level, practice at different levels.

 Have students clearly grouped in levels – Unit 1 and Unit 3 can be obvious but actually
standards should be less obvious. (E.g. tell unit 1 kids sit on your right, unit 3 on your left
but within these groups make it less obvious e.g. put named worksheets on their desks
before they come in and ask them to sit in those seats).
 Where possible, allow students to choose which level they work at so they and take
control of the speed they improve at.

Transcription Examples:
• Rhythm transcriptions –
o all students – write out rhythm set
o advanced– whole exercise,
o middle level – just shorthand for whole plus notation for 1 – 2 bars
o beginners– just shorthand
• Melodic transcriptions –
o all students – write out transcription scale
o advanced student – whole exercise,
o middle level students – just solfa for whole plus notation for 1 – 2 bars
o beginning students – just solfa
• Harmonic transcriptions –
o all students – write out chart
o advanced student – whole exercise,
o middle level students – just bassline for whole plus full chords for cadence
o beginning students – just bassline

© Deborah Smith 2018 Page 1 www.dsmusic.com.au

 How to Stay Sane in a Multi Ability Music Language Lesson.

Theory Examples – making it easier:

• Rhythm – beginner /middle
o practice more while advanced students are completing exercises,
o set worksheets practicing the same skills but using simpler rhythmic elements,
o set “2 minute” compositions while advanced students are completing exercises,
which need to be performed (and then transcribed by students),
• Scales – beginner /middle
o practice more while advanced students are completing exercises,
o set worksheets practicing the same skills but using basic scales,
• Intervals – beginner /middle
o practice more while advanced students are completing exercises,
o set worksheets practicing the same skills but using basic scales,

Musicianship Practice Examples – making it harder:

• Example: Rhythmic sightreading

o Basic activity: Students read a rhythmic sightreading exercise in their heads in

rhythm names and tap the beat.
Read rhythmic sightreading exercise out loud in rhythm names while conducting
the beat. Repeat from memory.
o Extension activity level 1: Students tap the beat in one hand and the rhythm in
the other while reading the rhythm names aloud and in their heads.
o Extension activity level 2: Clap rhythms forwards then backwards.
o Extension activity level 3: Walk the beat, tap a chosen ostinato in one hand and
the rhythm in the other.
o Extension activity level 4: Walk the beat, clap a second sight reading exercise
simultaneously and read the rhythm names of the first.

o current one and perform for the class from memory.

© Deborah Smith 2018 Page 2 www.dsmusic.com.au

 How to Stay Sane in a Multi Ability Music Language Lesson.

• Example: Scale practice

o Basic activity: Students sing the do pentatonic scale in solfa, with handsigns,
and letter names in a chosen do, naming known intervals.

o Extension activity 1: Divide class in two, one group sing the scale notes and the
other group name the intervals in turn.

o Extension activity 2: Sing while clapping a chosen ostinato.

o Extension activity 3: Sing while clapping the rhythm of a known song.

• Example 2: Melodic Transcription

o Basic activity: Melodic dictation on the staff – rhythm given. Students sing the
tone set of the dictation and then sing and show the melodic contour of each
phrase (all on a neutral syllable such as "loo"). Students work out the solfa of the
melody they hear first above the staff (below the given rhythm) in solfa and
then write these notes onto the staff using the given rhythm in the given do.

o Extension activity level 1: Transpose this melody into other keys.

o Extension activity level 2: Practice inner hearing the melody until it is memorised
then sing for the class in solfa with handsigns once the dictation activity is
complete.

o Extension activity level 3: Write a rhythmic second part to the melody using only
known rhythms.

o Extension activity level 4: Write a second melodic part to the melody using only
the primary triads etc.

© Deborah Smith 2018 Page 3 www.dsmusic.com.au

 How to Stay Sane in a Multi Ability Music Language Lesson.

• Example 2: Singing chords

o Basic activity: Sing known triads and chords in solfa with handsigns and in letter names.

o Extension activity level 1: Divide the class into three groups and have one group sing
the tonic of each triad, one group sings the mediant and one group sings the
dominant as required. At the end of each exercise, all students sing their notes together
creating the triad.

o Extension activity level 2: Students sing a tonic (Major) triad on any given note played
by teacher. For example, the teacher plays a note which will be do and the class sings
a tonic triad from this note, ascending and descending in solfa with handsigns.

o Extension activity level 3: Students sing the triads labelling all the intervals found
between each pair of notes.

• Example 1: Singing basslines

o Basic activity: Read the following bassline from the board in solfa:

o Extension activity level 1: Sing the above bassline in letter names in various letter names.

o Extension activity level 2: Write the above bassline onto the bass clef staff in various
keys.

o Extension activity level 3: Students create their own basslines and write these in both
formats (with arrows and on the staff) and then sing them in solfa and letter names.

o Extension activity level 4: Students sing the full triads that can be created on each bass
note e.g. do mi so mi do I, Major etc.

© Deborah Smith 2018 Page 4 www.dsmusic.com.au

 How to Stay Sane in a Multi Ability Music Language Lesson.

Things you can do now:

1. “Like” the VCE Music Support Facebook page

2. Subscribe to the “Deborah Smith Music”

YouTube channel

3. Register your Level 3 book and sign up for the

newsletter at www.dsmusic.com.au

4. Email me on deborah@dsmusic.com.au for

further information on the VMPC

5. Don’t miss out on the VCE Intro to VCE Music

performance – aural and theory day on

March 18.

© Deborah Smith 2018 Page 5 www.dsmusic.com.au

 How to Stay Sane in a Multi Ability Music Language Lesson.

© Deborah Smith 2018 Page 6 www.dsmusic.com.au