Download Study Guide Kindergarten Quarter 1 Please work with your son and

Study Guide Kindergarten
Quarter 1
1. Please work with your son and daughter on different environmental sounds
such as a train, siren, water running, etc.
2. Please work with your son and daughter on the four voices: Whisper voice,
Talking voice, Shouting voice, and singing voice.
Study Guide First Grade
Quarter 1
1. Please work with your son child on the difference between a pitched
instrument and an unpitched instrument.
A. Pitched Instrument: A percussion instrument used to produce multiple
pitches (As Mrs. Isaacs’ says “You can sing along with it because it has a
pitch or a melody”). For example a piano or xylophone.
B. Unpitched Instrument: A percussion instrument that does not produce
multiple pitches. (As Mrs. Isaacs’ says “You can’t sing along with it
because it has no pitch”). For example, a drum, tambourine, woodblock,
triangle or maracas.
2. Please work with your child on the definition Tempo and Dynamics.
A. Tempo: The speed of the piece (how fast, medium or slow the music is).
B. Dynamics: The volume of the piece (how loud, medium or soft the music
is).
Study Guide Second Grade
Quarter 1
1. Please work with your child on the differences between an adult male voice,
an adult female voice and a child’s voice.
A. You can go to the iTunes store and type in “Old Man River” for an adult
male voice.
B. You can go to the iTunes store and type in “Let It Go” by Idina Menzel for
an adult female voice.
C. You can go to the iTunes store and type in “Children’s Chorus” and click
on “When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again” for a child’s voice.
2. Please work with your child on Tempo and Dynamics
A. Tempo: The speed of a piece (how fast, medium or slow the music is).
B. Dynamics: The volume of a piece (how loud, medium or soft the music
is).
3. Please work with your child on how music is celebrated in different cultures.
A. Singing “Happy Birthday” is sung to celebrate a birthday.
B. The “Star Spangled Banner” is used to instill national pride.
C. The song “Happy” by Pharrell is used to create a feeling of happiness
Study Guide for Third Grade
Quarter 1
1. Please work with your child on the definitions of Tempo and Dynamics and
form.
A. Tempo: The speed of a piece of music (how fast, medium or slow the
music is. Some tempo markings could be Allegro, Andante or Largo
B. Dynamics: The volume of a piece of music (how loud, medium or soft the
music is. Some dynamic markings could be “p” for piano or soft or “f” for
forte or loud.
C. Form: The pattern or structure of a piece of music. Some patterns could
be ABA, or ABAB (as in poetry)
Study Guide Fourth Grade
Quarter 1
1. Please work with your child on the following definitions:
A. Tempo: The speed of a piece (how fast, medium or slow the music is).
B. Dynamics: The volume of a piece (how loud, medium or soft the music
is).
C. Intonation: When musicians sing their music on pitch.
D. Diction: To sing the words clearly.
E. Form: The pattern or the structure of a piece of music (ABABACA). This
definition can also be connected to poetry.
F. Melody: The tune of a piece of music. A series of pitches made to create
an agreeable arrangement of sounds.
G. Variation: Taking the original sound of a piece of music and changing
certain elements of that music (for example; changing the melody, tempo,
dynamics, harmony, instrumentation) to change the original sound (One
piece of music we studied was Aaron Copland’s “Variations on a Shaker
Melody”).
2. Please work with your child on how music relates to other subjects.
A. How music relates to math. A question could read: Which of the
following equals half of a whole note? The answer would be “Half Note.”
B. What makes a violin sound higher in pitch from a string bass? The answer
would be “Strings are shorter so they vibrate faster.”
3. Please work with your child on both legal and illegal ways to get a new song
on their computer.
A. A legal way would be to purchase the song from iTunes
B. An illegal way would be to borrow a CD from a friend and download that
CD on to your computer.
Fifth Grade Study Guide
Quarter 1
4. Please work with your child on the following definitions:
A. Tempo: The speed of a piece (how fast, medium or slow the music is).
B. Dynamics: The volume of a piece (how loud, medium or soft the music
is).
C. Intonation: When musicians sing their music on pitch.
D. Diction: To sing the words clearly.
E. Form: The pattern or the structure of a piece of music (ABABACA). This
definition can also be connected to poetry.
F. Melody: The tune of a piece of music. A series of pitches made to create
an agreeable arrangement of sounds.
G. Variation: Taking the original sound of a piece of music and changing
certain elements of that music (for example; changing the melody, tempo,
dynamics, harmony, instrumentation) to change the original sound.
(Aaron Copland’s “Variation on a Shaker Melody”).
H. Syncopation: A temporary displacement of the meter (eqeqq Short
long short long long). Syncopation is widely used in Jazz music.
3. Please work with your child on why composers write music (many times this
question will be accompanied by either a score or a sound clip).
A. Why did Ray Charles write the song “50 Nifty United States?” The answer
would be “To express feelings of national pride”
B. Why did Pharrell write the song “Happy?” The answer would be “To
express feelings of happiness.”
C. Why did Beethovan write the piece “Symphony no. 5?” The answer
would be “To express feelings of frustration.”
4. Please work with your child on the melodic direction they are hearing. Students
will listen to a series of four pitches or more and they will need to determine with
direction the melody is going. For example if I sing the pitches D, C, B, A that means
the melody is going downward. If I sing A, B, C, D, then the melody is going upward.
The students will see the notes on the staff and will choose the staff that has the
correct direction. You could practice this in the car while listening to any song on
the radio or just sing to them or they could sing pitches to you and you would ask
your child which direction did you sing.