Submitted by Gretchen Taylor, Illinois
Idea posted January 8, 2003
Today, I actually presented minor tonality to my 1-5ths. Here's what happened...
First, I wrote my solfège ladder in a Left-Right diagonal, beginning with La up to La. Usually the kids see my ladder beginning with Do up to Do.
Then, I simply led them in some solfège echo singing on La Ti Do, Do Ti La, La Mi La, La Ti Do Re Mi, etc. And I tried to make my voice softer, darker, and spookier.
I asked them if the solfège warm-ups sounded a little different to them today, to which several responded, "Yes, sadder and a little scary." WOW! Some even noticed my solfège ladder being out of order. I showed them how it really wasn't out of order, but that it was just starting on the La pitch. We even sang the entire ladder (using the natural form of the minor scale).
Then I simply explained that the solfège pitches we usually warm up with have a bright, happy sound called Major (I played some pentascales in Major and asked them to raise their eyebrows high and smile). Then I played some in minor and asked them to scowl, and called them minor, and explained that the Major solfège ladders begin on Do, but all the minor ones begin on La.
Finally, I had them close their eyes and listen while I played various major and minor pentascales. If they sounded major, they were to raise their eyebrows/smile. If minor, scowl. Nearly everyone identified all of them correctly. It was neat.
This of course led beautifully into my introducing them to some songs that use minor pitches... and thus we began our Halloween unit. It was neat how it all flowed.