How Do You Teach Form In Music To Young Children?
One of the most important aspects of early music appreciation and education is the understanding of musical form. While the concepts of structure within music may seem like complicated ideas for children to gain a mastery of, basics of formal analysis can be presented to children using techniques and examples on their level. Doing so is an excellent way to enhance the listening experience for young musicians while preparing them for more complex types of analysis in years to come. Explain the basic concepts of form. Tell the children that sometimes, a song or piece of music gets divided into different pieces and that some of those pieces sound the same or similar to each other. Teach them verse/chorus structure using a classic American popular or folk song. (A highly repetitive song like “Home On The Range” is an excellent example.) If the child is old enough to read, show him a printout or projection of the lyrics, so he can see how the different sections are organized. Explain letter
