General Aim of the Lesson

This lesson begins an examination of concepts and processes related to working with three-way music notation found in a number of music settings. This notation is intended to accompany songs and music throughout music courses.

In this first series of exercises and activities learners are introduced to the separate but basically similar ways that each of the three notation systems, solfege, staff and Hindi notation present pitch, as scales. It is important for s to recognise commonalities but at the same time be aware that Solfege and Hindi notation can both function with a 'tonic' pitch that allows the pitch of the musical 'scale' to be moved. In solfege this is referred to as a 'fixed doh'. The same principle applies to the Hindi 'SA'.

The three ways of representing the SAGRAMA or western major scale follow:

The most difficult concept to establish here might well be that the staff notation scale does not have a fixed 'doh' or 'SA'.

Specific Behavioural Objectives

As a result of studying this unit learners should demonstrate
the knowledge and understanding that (cognitive and metacognitive)

•  The movement of pitch up and down in regular sequential patterns is termed, in Western music, a 'scale' or, in Hindi music, 'saptak '.
•  Music in Fiji, whether it is Fijian, Oceanic, Western or Indian in origin  may share common 'scale' or 'saptak' systems.
•  Both solfege, which is a notation with its roots in Methodist hymn tradition - and reputedly originating centuries ago from contact between European and classical Indian traditions, and Hindi SAGRAMA notation follow almost identical patterns and can be juxtaposed.
• Western staff notation is based on a different structure but is able to represent the same sounds as both Solfege and Hindi notation
•  In the music courses whenever it is possible music will be notated or written in all three systems at once.

the ability to (pyschomotor)

• Read the musical scale or saptak in all three notations.
• The ability to recognise and interpret symbols in any one of the three systems
• The capacity to sing a simple melodic line in any of the three systems

in their attitudes, (affective)

• Preparedness to work towards competence in practical application of the three notations in musical settings.

Work Requirements

Learners should undertake the following tasks

• Read and perform exercises and music notated in all three systems
• Recognise related symbols in any of the three systems

Teaching Aids and resource materials:

• Blackboard copy of the scale/saptak notated in all three systems AND
• Photocopies distributed to each : These will display the scale/saptak in all three systems and exercises and examples.

Lesson Steps

Focus Question

What are the ways in which music can be recorded?

Overview

When we need to retain or keep a piece of music we have learned we can do this simply by 'recording ' it in our short term memory. If we sing it often enough it will be transferred to our longterm memory. Children come to school already knowing many songs and musical games.

Stimulus:

• Recall a song you learned as a small child and share in singing it with others in the group.

Talk About:

• When did you last sing this song? 
• Why is it that you remember it so well?
• What happens if we forget a song?
• What are some other ways we can remind ourselves of how it sounds?

Shared Task:

Share in writing the words of a traditional song on newsprint or the blackboard.

Stimulus

The sounds of music can be recorded.  They can also be represented as written notation.

Talk About:

Contexts where written music is used

• How did solfege or tonic solfa come to be in regular use in music settings in Fiji? Where is it most commonly used?
• How did Western staff notation come to regular use in Fiji? In what settings in Fiji is it most commonly used?
• How did Hindi notation come to regular use in Fiji? In what settings in Fiji is it most commonly used?

Shared Task:

Look at the picture of the musical scale/saptak written in the three music notations in common use in Fiji. What does the first note in each look like? Describe it.

Now look at how the same scale might be written in Staff Notation.

In this case the scale begins on a note named 'C'.  This is where the Western Staff Notation differs from solfege and Hindi notation. In those the scale/saptak can be shifted up or down in pitch. In this way it is easy for a singer or musician to sing or play the scale/saptak at any pitch level, to suit their voice or instrument.
Because staff notation is written on and between the lines of a five note STAVE (or STAFF)  this means using a different range of sequenced pitch symbols.
So the scale/saptak above is correct for a song sung in the 'C' scale, starting on that first symbol, but it has to be changed to suit another song sung in the SAME SCALE sequence but higher or lower, like this one, for example:

 OR THIS:
Now sing each scale at pitch, in staff notation form, in Solfege and in Hindi.

Questions

• What is different, if anything, from system to system?
• What is the same?

Learner's Task

Complete each of the following five samples by adding the TWENTY solfege or Hindi notation symbol that is missing:

 Now draw the staff notation symbols that match the solfege or Hindi notation symbol above or below the stave.

Reflection

The teacher and learners talk around the following questions:

•    In many ways all three notation systems are similar. When we had to fill in the missing symbols which part was most difficult to complete?
•    What do you believe you will need to do to be able to handle each of the notations competently?

Lesson conclusion and evaluation

Assessment Point   

• Read and interpret pitch symbols in each of the three music notation systems
• Match missing notation symbol when other symbols are present.

Assessment Criteria

• Demonstrated competence in reading and interpreting pitch symbols in each of the three music notation systems
• Demonstrated competence in matching missing notation symbol when other symbols are present.

Evaluation

The teacher thinks about the following:

    * Did the learners generally enjoy the unit?
    * Did they achieve the learning outcomes?
    * Were the activities appropriate to this particular group?
    * Do I need to incorporate more language activities to help learners understand and talk about what they are doing?

Forward Planning

• Where do I go from here?
• How do I build on to what they have learned here?