This blog post doesn't contain as much thought as I would like it to. Instead of questioning and comparing, I'm simply going to talk about an idea I came up with for a lesson plan.
When we were making models out of balloons, paper, and other materials, I realized how difficult it was for me to think of a way to do something similar in a music classroom. Most of the examples I came up seemed to stretch so far that they might actually take away from the lesson. However, I was determined to think of something that I would use... so I kept thinking about it like a madwoman.
My conclusion: I could use models to demonstrate the concept of intervals in music theory (measuring the distances between pitches).
I spent the last two summers working as a performer, camp counselor and teacher's assistant at a Fine Arts Camp in Michigan. One of my several (awesome) job duties was assisting with the music theory class. I don't remember much about learning my scales and about chords, but the teacher I worked with taught intervals first because it was the best way to teach the students how to build scales. Once they do that, they can use the scale degrees (Do, Re, Mi, etc.) to learn chords. Even when learning types of chords, one needs to address the intervals between the chord tones to understand the chord qualities.
Major Triad: A simple, major triad is Do Mi Sol - The first, third and fifth of a major key. The chord has two intervals (between Do and Mi and between Mi and Sol). It is major because it has the Major Third on the bottom and a minor third on top. A minor triad has a minor third on bottom and a Major Third on top.
If I had blocks that were labeled and of different heights (and probably colors), we could discuss building triads and I could stack the blocks to demonstrate.
As triads would only use two blocks, it wouldn't really be worth it. However, once we get into seventh chords, which are built with stacked thirds of various qualities, I think the blocks would help students a lot to grasp the concept.
I'm still not completely sure if this is something I would do. I think - if anything - I'd have them using measured pieces of paper instead of blocks. It also depends on the ages and musical background of the students. (If they know piano or read music fairly fluently, they may not need the extra example).
- Sarah Ruby Keene
P.S. I started this event last year called "USU Chamber Day," which brought around 40 high school kids to campus for workshops and master-classes. I'm doing it again this year (on April 13) and am leading a couple of the workshops, including the theory workshop. During the "theory tournament" at the end of the workshop, I may experiment with these "blocks" by asking them to arrange the major and minor thirds into a specific quality of chord. I think it would make a good bonus question because - even if they are musically advanced enough to spell out the chord with pitch names, this activity would force them to think of the concept in a more simple, dissecting way.
