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Dynamics: Change

Goal: To hear, sing, and play getting louder and getting softer. Teacher and students use the prompt “change."

Out of Tempo

Using words.

Beginning

  1. Teacher chooses a multi-syllable unfamiliar word: “indefatigable,” for example.
  2. Teacher prompts, “Speak the syllables of this word from softer to louder.”
  3. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher chooses a multi-syllable unfamiliar word: “indefatigable,” for example.
  2. Teacher prompts, “Speak the six syllables of this word from louder to softer.”
  3. Students do so.

Advanced

Teacher chooses an entire sentence.

  1. Teacher prompts, “When I say change, switch speaking the word or syllable from softer to louder, louder to softer.”
  2. A student speaks the sentence.
  3. Teacher prompts, “Change.”
  4. Students alter the dynamics.

In Tempo

Speaking, singing. Could be done playing, with the syllables of a word becoming ‘rhythms’ at an instrument.

Teacher sets up a tempo, time signature, tonality, word, lyric, or sentence.

Beginning

  1. Teacher sets up music that starts softly and gets louder.
  2. Students repeat.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher sets up music that starts loudly and gets softer.
  2. Students repeat.

Advanced

  1. Teacher sets up music that fluctuates between soft to loud, and loud to soft.
  2. Students repeat.