Submitted by Rhonda Schilling, Madison, Wisconsin
Idea posted March 24, 2005
Most children have an association with high/loud as well as low/soft. Here are some things I do to try to help kids distinguish them.
HIGH/LOW
I play high, middle, and low notes on the piano. The students show it with their body, by stretching high, stretching somewhere in the middle, and squatting low or even lying down. When I play the examples, I make sure that some low are loud and some high are soft.
I play high, low, high on the xylophones, and then every student practices. Later I ask them to play high (and see if they can), and then low (and see if they can). Adding middle notes sometimes helps with distinguishing the difference.
PIANO/FORTE
I have the symbols and words of piano and forte on 8" x 11.5" paper that I have laminated. The former features "P for piano" and a picture of a tiny mouse playing a violin. The latter features "F for forte" and a picture of a lion roaring. I show them the card, and the students say the word, piano or forte, in the correct manner, softly or loudly. They just love FORTE!
When teaching crescendo, I am careful to only raise my voice louder instead of louder AND higher. It is actually very difficult to do when just saying the word "crescendo." In addition, I hold my hands together, and make a crescendo mark in the air with my hands as we say the word, and the students copy me. The song "Stranger Danger" from Music K-8, Vol. 10, No. 4 is GREAT for teaching crescendo. I do the opposite to teach decrescendo.
When we use drums, I show them the conducting symbols for loud, soft, crescendo, and decrescendo as we practice performing the correct term. You can also do this example with the xylophone: "Play me a high and soft note," or "Play me a low and loud note."