Using A Differentiated Rhythmic And Melodic Notation System For Special Learners In All Musical Settings, Brian Wagner

Using A Differentiated Rhythmic And Melodic Notation System For Special Learners In All Musical Settings

Brian Wagner NYC Department of Education bwagner921@gmail.com

One of the challenges that music teachers encounter is that many students do not automatically connect with traditional music literacy. While music contains many different types of symbols, images, shapes, letters, and languages - this can be a problem for some students. Many types of learners, including special and typical learners, might have a hard time connecting with the new language of symbols.

Music literacy is a crucial and important part of the music curriculum. This includes: general/core music, instrumental, and choral settings. Moreover, reading music connects to skills that are developed in ELA, such as: reading, writing, discrimination, analyzing, and tracing.

Special learners can consist of students who: receive special education services, are classified as gifted and talented, are labeled at-risk, or receive ENL (English as a new language) services. Additionally, many students might enter the classroom with an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) or a 504 plan.

Basic Strategies For Special Learners

There are three important words that need to be mentioned when discussing special learners. These three words are: adaptation, modification, and differentiation. Adaptation refers to, “instructional tools and materials used to accommodate children based on their learning needs.” Modification refer to, “adaptations used with different curricular goals in mind in order for the child to achieve at the highest possible level.” Lastly, differentiation refers to, “considering the variant needs of students.” (Hammel and Hourigan, 2011).

For some students, less information is more. Some students need time to process information that might be given to them. A solution would be to incorporate task analysis. Task analysis refers to a “system for breaking down a task hierarchically into basic skills and sub-skills.” (Woolfolk, 2004). By taking chunks out of the music, students are allowed the opportunity to process less information.

“Since making music is a form of sensory input, it is important to understand your student and what causes him or her to struggle with sensory issues.” (Hourigan and Hourigan, 2009). One resource that can be utilized is using a Pocket Chart with flashcards. Different types of rhythmic/melodic flashcards can be created and placed within the Pocket Chart. For students who need less information, the cards can be taken out so they have less to process. (Fig. 1) shows an example of a Pocket Chart with rhythmic flash cards. (Fig. 1)

Many students learn through incorporating different types of modalities. The four types of learning modalities include: auditory (listening), visual (looking), kinesthetic (moving), and tactile (touching). While auditory and visual modalities are already common in the music classroom, incorporating kinesthetic activities and tactile materials might help build stronger foundations. Additionally, having students using tactile materials to feel a specific concept (ex: soft, rough, short, long), will help build a stronger foundation as well.

Lastly, incorporating various types of entry points for all students is important. All types of learners experience the world and sensory information in different ways. “Adapt the goals or outcome expectations for the student, while using the same materials for all students. Success for one student might be playing on the beat, while success for other students might be to master a more difficult syncopated rhythm.” (Adamer, 2001).

Wagner Approach To Rhythmic Literacy

As mentioned above, not all students will immediately connect with the icons and symbols that represent traditional music notation. These icons and symbols, such as: notes, rests, articulations,

etc. – might not have any recognizable connection in the students’ world. Nevertheless, through several of the strategies listed above, all students can have an entry point at which to be able to read music. A four-leveled system of rhythmic notation is possible to allow all students to be successful rhythmic readers.

Before notation is even shown, the first musical skill that should be introduced is steady beat. Steady beat can be learned and internalized through various ways, such as: playing on non-pitched percussion instruments, movement games, and body percussion. Nevertheless, steady beat can be the primary introduction to introducing musical notation. While students are showcasing steady beat in a variety of ways, two icons can be introduced to represent this.

A green Go sign, and a red Stop sign are the perfect representations to begin rhythmic notation. Go and Stop are two icons that are cross-cultural, are represented in students’ day-to-day life, and can easily be related to from real-life experiences. Moreover, Go can represent a sound of something, while Stop can represent a sound of nothing. Music can be written just utilizing a Go and Stop sign. For example: students will clap one time on each Go sign, and say “shh” or make a quiet hand gesture, when they see the Stop sign. This is Level One of Rhythmic Notation.

Afterwards, teachers can replace the Go sign with iconic images. These images can represent specific actions the students should be able to do. For example: a clap sign means clap one time; a stomp sign means stomp one time; a hand drum sign means tap the drum one time. Similar to using Go and Stop, students are now using iconic images to communicate when to make a sound, while still utilizing the Stop sign when there is a sound of silence. By incorporating more iconic images, more words or actions are being incorporated into the musical vocabulary. This is Level Two of Rhythmic Notation.

Once students have mastered this, the quarter note and quarter rest can be introduced. Nevertheless, the quarter note can be colored green, while the quarter rest is colored red. By doing this, the original colors from Go and Stop are immediately connected into the notation values. Music can now be written using green quarter notes, and red quarter rests. As mentioned earlier, utilizing flashcards in a Pocket Chart is a simple, yet non-overstimulating, way of introducing this. This is Level Three of Rhythmic Notation.

Lastly, once students have mastered this, traditional black-andwhite notation can be introduced. This would represent Level Four of Rhythmic Notation. Through this four-leveled system, students are able to begin with a basic foundation (Go and Stop), and work up through scaffolded levels to traditional notation. Nevertheless, for many special learners, color-coded notation might be the strategy where they can find the most success. In this case, different rhythmic values can be introduced using new colors. For example: eighth notes can be blue, sixteenth notes can be purple, half notes can be orange, etc.

By using this differentiated system, all students are allowed to have an opportunity for success. Some students might plateau at Level Two, while some students might reach Level Four. By providing entry points into each level, students are allowed the opportunity to be successful. As mentioned earlier, some students might only be able to speak the rhythms, while other students can play the rhythms. Each of these entry points allows an opportunity for stu(Fig. 2)

Wagner Approach To Melodic Literacy

Similar to rhythmic notation, some students might find it challenging to read melodic notation. Melodic notation takes the note values found in rhythmic notation; however, now different pitches are applied. Students need to apply previous knowledge in order to be able to read, sing, and play melodic notation. Moreover, students are expected to understand the concept of melodic contour, such as recognizing when melodies go high and low. “With a corresponding association, letters are to syllables as dots are to musical notes. Prereading skills of following the rhythmic pulse of words in a song can be combined with ear training for steps and skills in a scale as well as for numerical drills.” (Sobol, 2008).

Nevertheless, there are basic strategies that can be incorporated to help make melodic notation easier to connect with. As mentioned earlier, movement can be utilized to help students locate where the high and low sounds are found. Students can incorporate dancing scarves, or ribbon wands, to trace the melodic contour found in music. By using kinesthetic movement, students will incorporate muscle memory of the music, which will eventually translate to notation. In addition, students can use color-coding as well. While colors might be the foundational tool in Rhythmic Notation, they can be developed additionally in Melodic Notation. A four-leveled system of Melodic Notation can be incorporated to allow students to be successful.

In a traditional major melodic scale, there are eight pitches (from low do to high do). Moreover, we can connect the colors of the rainbow to go along with the different pitches. For example: do can always be red, mi can always be yellow, sol can always be blue. In addition, incorporating solfege syllables and Curwen hand signs can reinforce each pitch and its location around one-another.

For students who are at the emergent level, just utilizing colors can allow students to make music. Melodic notation can simply be written using colored circles, with the solfege syllable written inside. In this example, students simply have to match the color to the pitch found on their instrument. Moreover, matching colors or objects might be a skill that is listed on the students’ IEP. Music is now being utilized as another way for a student to work on their basic skills.

When matching pitches, students can use: Boom Whackers®, resonator bells, and ChromaNote Handbells™. Additionally, colored circles can be taped over keyboards, pianos, or Orff xylophones. This would represent Level One of Melodic Notation.

For students who are able to read rhythmic notation, a combined approach can be introduced for students who are ready for Level Two of Melodic Notation. A simple melody can be written using the rainbow schemed approach, with the solfege syllables written below. Moreover, the outside of each rhythmic value can still incorporate the original Rhythmic Notation colors, to help students discriminate between each rhythmic value.

Once students have an understanding where the different pitches are located on the staff and their instrument, Level Three would simply take the colors away. In this example, students would be reading black and white melodic notation with the solfege syllables written below. Lastly, Level Four would be to take the solfege syllables away. In this example, students are now reading traditional melodic notation.

As with Rhythmic Notation, this is a differentiated system in which students first apply a foundational baseline, which is where students are connecting colors with pitches. Gradually, students will take skills learned from Rhythmic Notation and apply it to Melodic Notation, through the use of color-coding and solfege syllables. Gradually, as students move up the levels, they will take some aspect away to allow more independence. As mentioned earlier, some students might only plateau at a certain level. Nevertheless, through differentiation and adaptation, you are allowing each student to be able to be successful. (Fig. 3) shows an example of the Four-Leveled Melodic Notation System.

(Fig. 3)

Conclusion

Special learners are a valued member of every learning environment. Special learners include: students who receive special education services; students who are gifted and talented, students who are classified as at-risk; or ENL. Moreover, all types of learners are found in the music classroom, including: general/core music, instrumental, and choral settings.

As teaching students to read music is a large aspect of all musical settings, new strategies need to be approached in order to allow all types of learners to be successful. Differentiation, adaptation, and modification are three words that can allow all types of learners to have the chance to read music. Through incorporating multiple modalities (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile), new ways to approach music literacy can be found. “This step-by-step, audio-visual-tactilekinesthetic approach to learning musical notation establishes a relationship between musical sound discrimination and the tonality of speech in song and literacy.” (Sobol, 2008)

Two such examples are the Four-Leveled Rhythmic Notation System, and the Four-Leveled Melodic Notation System. In both examples, a variety of ways can be introduced to allow student success when reading music. Through incorporating color-coding, iconic images, and visual connections, all students can find an entry point into music notation, which will allow them to leave the music room with higher success than beforehand.

References Adamer, M. S. (January, 2001) “Meeting Special Needs in Music

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Hammel, A. J. & Hourigan, R. M. (2011). Teaching Music to

Students with Special Needs: A Label Free Approach. New York,

NY: Oxford University Press, 79, 127 & 171.

Hourigan, R. & Hourigan, A. (September, 2009) “Teaching Music to Children with Autism: Understandings and Perspectives,” in

Music Educators Journal, 96, 44.

Sobol, E.S. (2008). An Attitude and Approach for Teaching

Music to Special Learners, 2nd Edition. Lanham, MD: Rowan;

Littlefield Education in partnership with the National

Association of Music Education, 35 & 41.

Woolfolk, A. (2004). Educational Psychology, 9th Edition. Boston,

MA: Pearson Education, Inc., 212.