An Examination of the Tonalities and Meters in st 21 -Century Elementary Music Textbooks BEYOND MAJOR AND MINOR by Diane M. Lange There is a rich history of songs tonalities. Publishers of kindergarten and throughout the world in tonalities other first grade music series might benefit Expanding Musical than➤ major and meters other than duple. music education by providing more of a For example,Example: in Doug Nichol’s Grade I’d Like to 1 variety of literature in their books” Experiences Through Roller Skate on the Moon there are twenty- (DeYarman, 1971, p. 57). Considering seven selections➤ of163 songs. songs Out of those total DeYarman’s recommendations in the early Varied Tonalities twenty-seven songs, there are twenty songs 1970’s, have publishers incorporated a in major, five songs in minor and two wider variety of literature in modern day Diane M. Lange songs in Mixolydian. ➤ With 87% regards Major to textbooks? Have textbook publishers meter, there are twenty songs in duple, changed their anthologies to afford four in triple, one in an unusual meter students opportunities to hear and perform Elementary music textbooks have (5/8), and one multi-➤metric7% (where Minor the in tonalities other than major and meters been published for several generations and meter shifted from duple to triple meter). other than duple? have adapted with development of the Whereas, in Richard Johnston’s Folk Therefore, the purpose of this ever-changing world. Hawthorne (1997) Songs North America ➤Sings,5% out ofPentatonic 413 research was to determine what tonalities found in a review of second-grade songs there are fifty-five songs in and meters are prevalent in elementary textbooks that there was an increase of Aeolian/minor, forty-two songs in Dorian, music textbooks published thus far in the multicultural songs from 1974 to 1995; two songs in Phrygian, two songs in 21st century. Specifically, the problems of Heather Nelson Shouldice however, the textbook was still dominated Lydian, and twenty-two songs in this study were: with songs from Western Europe and Mixolydian. Plus, there are approximately North Lange,America. D. Hawthorne M. (2009). did not An examination of the tonalities(i) andHow oftenmeters were differentin tonalities Eastern Michigan University seventy songs in meters other than duple (Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, and investigate if there were changes in because some of the songs notated in 6/8 21st-century elementary music textbooks. The GIML Audea,Mixolydian) 14(2), found 7-10. in the major tonality or meter of those songs over the could be felt as triple or duple meter. [email protected] twenty-one years. DeYarman (1971) textbook series for grades 1 – 5? These collections are a small sample found that textbooks in the late 1960s of the folk songs found in North America (ii) How often were different meters consisted of primarily major tonality and however; there are still hundreds of other (meters other than duple and triple) duple meter. Several decades later, has songs (either published or unpublished) found in the major textbook series for 1 there been a change in the textbooks and is that represent the musical2 culture of the grades 1 – 5? the musical culture in the United States United States and beyond. But is this rich (iii) Were there tonality and meter primarily centered on major tonality and and vast musical culture represented in duple meter? st differences amongst the grade levels elementary music textbooks for the 21 (grades 1 – 5) within the major For musical understanding, a wide century? variety of tonalities (modes) and meters textbook series? In 1971 DeYarman, from an analysis should be presented and taught to children of song content in leading elementary Method in music classrooms. Gordon (2004) states music textbooks of the late 1960s, found “MAJOR-ISH” FAMILY “MINOR-ISH” FAMILY that childrenWARNING! learn what something is by Two major textbook series, Making that a small percentage of songs were in making comparisons. He contends that it tonalities other than major and meters Music (2006) published by Silver Burdett ➤ is imperative that various tonalities and other than duple. In fact, after analysis of and Spotlight on Music (2006) published ➤ Minor metersRather be heard and than sung by beginning children so the to song learn/audiate content of several elementary tonalities by McGrawthrough-Hill, were examined to determine what tonalities and meters were Major they hear differences. He believes that music textbooks DeYarman (1971) stated presented to children in American culture “hearingtheoretical difference is far explanation,more important that FIRSTDiscovering Musicgive Together, students Book 1, an opportunity to: and society. Each grade of the two major ➤ than hearing sameness, and exposing published by Follett in 1966, included no ➤Mixolydian Aeolian children➤ to different patterns, tonalities, modal or non-tonal songs and only four textbook series (grades one through five) and metersListen will provide to songsthem with in theminor tonalitysongs. Metrically this textbook did was examined to determine the tonality opportunities for making comparisons” not include any songs in unusual meter. and meter of each piece. Data for each ➤ (Gordon,➤ 2004,Audiate p. 9). tonal contextHe further (“home”/resting investigated other textbooks tone) grade of book the were tonality organized in lists of title ➤ Dorian Children are capable of performing (including those published by Prentice- of the song, author(s), tonality, and meter. Lydian Discrepancies were listed as a comment songs in tonalities other than major and Hall and Silver Burdett) and discovered meters➤ other than duple. In a study that they produced similar results in when appropriate. For example, ➤ conducted Singby Dittemore songs (1968) in he foundthe tonality sometimes a textbook cataloged a song Phrygian content to the Follett reviews. Then th that children were able to perform DeYarman conducted an experimental with the 7 lowered via accidental melodies➤ firstLearn in minor, to followed audiate by major, harmonicstudy with kindergarten progression and first gradein thethroughout tonality as a piece in major tonality. In and then Dorian; and were able to perform children to determine their capabilities of the spreadsheet it was cataloged as rhythms in duple meter followed by triple performing songs in other tonalities and Mixolydian with a comment that the textbook series listed it as major. The and ➤mixedImprovise meter. Since inhis thestudy tonalitymeters. He recommended that “literature same was true for the time signature 6/8. consisted of children in grades one through which is generally available in current six, one would deduce that music kindergarten and first grade song A song or chant notated in 6/8 time could ➤ be felt in duple or triple meter depending textbooks Learnconsist of toa large label amount the of tonalityanthologies is andneither challengingits main nor doesharmonic functions songs in minor, major and Dorian, and it offer enough in variety of meters and upon the tempo and character of the song’s melodic rhythm. meters➤ primarily in duple and triple. tonalities Read/write notation in the tonality Page 7 * The GIML Audea * Fall 2009 ???Locrian??? ➤ THEN develop theoretical understanding of the tonality! 3 4 MIXOLYDIAN TONALITY MAJOR TONALITY ➤ Composed Song: “Seasons Round” ➤ Folk Song: “Molly Ban” (Irish) ➤ Pop Tune? “Uptight” (Stevie Wonder) “Royals” (Lorde) “Sweet Child of Mine” (GnR) “Born This Way (Lady Gaga) 5 6 LYDIAN TONALITY MINOR TONALITY ➤ Composed Song: “These Are My Two Hands” ➤ Folk Song: “W Murowanej Piwnicy” (Polish) ➤ Pop Tune? “The Simpsons” theme song (sort of…) “Hey Jealousy” (not really…) 7 8 AEOLIAN TONALITY DORIAN TONALITY ➤ Composed Song: ➤ Composed Song: “Good-bye” “Dorian Swing” ➤ Folk Song: ➤ Folk Song: “Wayfaring Stranger” “The Flower of Hsin-Jang” ➤ Pop Tune? ➤ Pop Tune? “Somebody That I Used to Know” “Stayin’ Alive” (Bee Gees) (Gotye) “Mad World” (Andrews/Jules) “Shape of You” (Ed Sheeran) “Radioactive” (Imagine Dragons) 9 10 PHRYGIAN TONALITY WARNING! Rather than beginning to learn tonalities through theoretical explanation, FIRST give students an opportunity to: ➤ Listen to songs in the tonality ➤ Audiate tonal context (“home”/resting tone) of the tonality ➤ Composed Song: “Whisper a Secret” ➤ Sing songs in the tonality ➤ Folk Song: ➤ Learn to audiate harmonic progression in the tonality “Numi Numi” ➤ Improvise in the tonality ➤ Pop Tune? ➤ “Hot in Herre” (Nelly) Learn to label the tonality and its main harmonic functions “Gin & Juice” (Snoop Dogg) ➤ Read/write notation in the tonality ➤ THEN develop theoretical understanding of the tonality! 11 12 DO RE LOCRIAN TONALITY MI SO Tonality ➤ Composed Song: “Heather” ➤ Folk Song: “Dust to Dust” (John Kirkpatrick) TI ➤ Pop Tune? LA “Started from the Bottom”? (Drake) LA FA 13 14 PRACTICE IDENTIFYING TONALITY? ➤ Find “home!” ➤ “Major-ish” or “minor-ish”? ➤ Subtonic or leading tone? Tonality ➤ Other characteristic tones? (“Sequence of tones” as a tool!) ➤ 6th scale degree? Tonality of “Yorktown?” ➤ 4th scale degree? ➤ 2nd scale degree? Heather Nelson Shouldice [email protected] 15 16.