Rote Songs

Good musicianship is the foundation for all quality instrumental music. As teachers, we need to consider how to challenge our students to continue to grow and develop both as musicians and technicians. Some potential ideas to try include:

1. Use Your Own Knowledge. Some of the richest melodic resources teachers have for beginning players are found in their own knowledge and the knowledge that students bring to the classroom. As beginning players learn their instruments they initially need melodies with limited pitch content. Greater skills increase the possibilities of songs. As an initial step, make as comprehensive list as you can of 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-note melodies. Try to do this without referencing other texts or working with other people. You might be surprised at how many you know!

 

2. Rote Songs. Choose one of the melodies you identified and teach it and its bass line as a rote song to others. Depending on the number of people in your course, work in groups or as a full class. In this exercise, most of your colleagues will know your melody, but practice all of the steps to gain experience in this type of teaching.
   1. Teach the rote song through a whole-part-whole sequence. Remember to sing for students and not with students. Their performance is your time to assess their learning. It is your role as teacher to provide specific feedback, both positive and critical, to students at the completion of their performance.
      1. Sing the entire song to the class at least twice.
      2. Sing the first phrase. At its completion, give a breath indication and have the class sing it back. Repeat this if you hear students who were not accurate.
      3. Sing the second phrase and have the class sing it back. Repeat until accurate.
      4. Sing the first two phrases together and have the class sing it back. Repeat until accurate.
      5. Continue to teach individual phrases and combine them together in longer sequences until the class can sing the entire song.
      6. Remember to assess during each step and provide appropriate feedback.
   2. Teach the bass line to the song in the same fashion:
      1. Sing the bass line to the entire song at least twice.
      2. Teach phrases, combining them as you go.
      3. Continue until the class can sing the entire bass line.
      4. Split the class so one half sing the bass line and one half sings the melody.
      5. Remember to assess during each step and provide appropriate feedback.
   3. Teach harmony parts to the song in the same fashion, remembering to assess and provide feedback at each step.
   4. Variation. Change the tonality or meter of the song. Re-teach the song to the class. How does this simple change affect students’ response? In what ways does this challenge you as the teacher and your students?