How do You Teach Melody Without Recorders or Singing??

Think-Outside-the-Box Strategies for Teaching Melody

So here we are yet again, facing another school year full of challenges, one of which is that many of us will not be able to sing with our kiddos OR play recorder.  Yet, we still have standards to meet and curriculum to teach.  Probably the biggest challenge we face is teaching anything related to melody without being able to sing or play recorders with our students.  Fear not teacher!  I’ve got you!

Your best move is to think outside the box.  I mean really outside the box!  Here are five simple strategies to help you teach melody and still keep your students engaged:

1. ORFF Instruments are your friend!  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always loved using my ORFF instruments, but this year, they will be getting quite the workout! Here’s how:
   • Basic melody skills –
     • Show a flashcard that says “HI” or “LOW” and instruct students to play on the high or low keys (I find that even some of my 5th graders get confused about the high and low keys).
     • Have a student director walk on tip toes and reach for the sky while students play the rhythm they’re walking on the high keys and get down really low while students play on the low keys (this idea is a take off on Artie Almeida’s Mallet Madness activities).   If you don’t own this book yet, it is an absolute MUST!
     • Show a flashcard line that goes from high to low or low to high and instruct students to play a walking beat or glissando up or down (another skill that even my 5th graders are still working on)
     • Have a student director start high and get low or vice versa (you get the idea)
     • Show 1-note flashcards and instruct students to read the note and play it on their xylo or glock (I ask them to figure out the letter name of the note.  I do not worry about which C or G they play)
     • Show notes going up or down the scale and instruct students to play a measure of quarter notes going up or down. (in this case they don’t need to actually read the music.  I just want to be sure they know that when notes go up the scale, they should play from down to up).
     • Show basic melodies and instruct students to read and play them (one measure at a time works really well)
   • Squiggle lines –
     • Show a squiggle line going up or down, and instruct students to play appropriately
     • Show a squiggle line going straight across and instruct students to play appropriately
     • Show a squiggle line that goes up and then down and instruct students to play appropriately
     • You get the idea!
2. Melody Movement!  Even in normal times, I love to use movement when I’m teaching melody.  Here’s what this looks like:
   • Listen and Move –
     • Play a melody, and instruct students to move the melody (ie. the melody goes up, and students rise from low to high)
     • Play a piece of music that goes from low to high or vice versa.  Students should move like the music sounds.
     • Play a piece of music that is mostly low sounds, and instruct students to move in ways that look low during the low parts.  Need an example?  How about Vaughn Williams Concerto for Bass Tuba and Orchestra!
     • The same type of activity can be done with music that is primarily high. Viva Italia Fantasy for Flute-Piccolo on themes and Rossini and Verdi.
     • How about highs and lows in the same piece?  Do you know a great piece for this?  Let’s have a discussion about some good pieces for this!  Join the discussion in my Facebook community!
   • Manipulatives –
     • Use scarves to reflect the how high or low the music sounds
     • Use bouncy balls
       • Toss your bouncy ball in the air to the high steady beats
       • Bounce your bouncy ball on the ground to a low steady beat
     • Ribbons
       • Spin them in the air for high sounds
       • Puddle them on the ground for low sounds
3. Draw to the music!  This time, your students get to do the squiggles or drawings.  Here are some thoughts about this type of activity:
   • • Play some music on your keyboard, and let your students draw the melody they hear in squiggles
     • Play some high music or low music and let your students draw something they think of that makes a high or low sound
     • Let a student director draw a squiggle or picture, and you play it on your piano
     • Let a student director draw and the other students play it on their pitched instruments

These are just a few outside-of-the-box thoughts. I know it’s challenging to teach melody when you can’t sing or play recorders, but now that your creative juices are flowing, I’ll bet you can think of some other great ideas!  Be sure to share your ideas in our Facebook community.  (See the link above)!