Friday, January 7, 2011

the musical staff

The musical staff is made up of five lines and four spaces.  Notes can be placed on any of these lines or spaces including the space below line 1 and above line 5.  Use your staff and notes (pennies) to represent the line and space notes as indicated in the picture.

When notating stepwise motion on the staff you will alternate between lines and spaces.  When the motion is not stepwise it is skipping. Here is what the notes look like for "Hot Cross Buns" . Sing the song as you touch the notes.  Notice that the notes move up and down with your voice.  See if you can find the only place in the song that does not move stepwise. 

Now try "Little Drops of Water".  Can you identify the stepwise motion and the skips? 

Practice singing "Frere Jacques".  Tap the steady beat on one leg and the rhythm (what you are singing) on the other leg.  It takes a little practice.  Don't try this while you are driving.  It would definitely be considered distracted driving.