Modern

Preschool
Music
Emphasizing music education and connection,
over music entertainment.

T.H. Shipman
 Table of Contents 1/2

Introduction 1

Table of Contents 2
Welcome 4
How to use this Curriculum 5
Curriculum Overview 6
Course Materials 7
Reviewing 8
Game Cards & References 9
Technical Prep 10
Important Tips 11
Distinguishing Major & Minor 12

Unit 1: Vibration, Connection and

Fundamental Musical Ideas 14

Lesson 1. Distinguishing sounds (Percussion)) 15

Lesson 2. Notes & Harmony (The Guitar) 20
Lesson 3. Scales (The Keyboard) 24
Lesson 4. Major & Minor 28
Lesson 5. Connecting Through Sound (Drumsticks) 32
Lesson 6. Making Expression Cards for Ear Training 37
Lesson 7. Correlating Size & Pitch (Conducting) 40
Lesson 8. Gravity in the Major Scale (Xylophone) 45
Lesson 9. Bass Range 49
Lesson 10. Everything Vibrates 53
Lesson 11. Unit 1 Review 58

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 Table of Contents 2/2

UNIT 2: Rhythm & Meter 62

Lesson 12. Playing with the Number 4 63

Lesson 13. The #4 as a Pattern 67
Lesson 14. Establishing the Count 72
Lesson 15. Rhythm 76
Lesson 16. Feeling & Counting Rhythm 81
Lesson 17. Nature Expresses Rhythm (Tempo) 85
Lesson 18. Feeling Vibrations 90
Lesson 19. Unit 2 Review 94

UNIT 3: Song Parts 98

Lesson 20. Melody and Lyrics 99

Lesson 21. Song Parts 104
Lesson 22. Putting Together the Pie 109
Lesson 23. The Minor Scale 113
Lesson 24. Feelings in Chords 118
Lesson 25. Half Steps 122
Lesson 26. Unit 3 Review 125

Course Review 128

Game Cards 132

Glossary 149

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 Welcome

This method teaches themes in Western Music to 4 year old pre-K students and up,
focusing on vibration, ear training, song structure and rhythm. Over 160 activities balance
the intellectual concepts that give us the tools to understand and compose, with the
relationship that lets us create and connect.

To teach this curriculum successfully, follow the cumulative lesson plans throughout the year.
They will guide you in relating musical ideas with parts of the natural world children are
already familiar with.

The goal is for all students -- those who are considered “musical” and those who are not --
to develop a connection to music and vibration as a meaningful part of a full life.

The result at the end of the year is the student’s relationship to music -- knowledge,
comprehension and listening skills – are profoundly changed.

Substitution of instruments according to the teacher or classes’ parameters

does not impact the lessons! Emphasis is placed on ear training, and overarching principles
rather than on specific instruments, so replacing drums with large buckets, or ukulele for
guitar, does not affect transmission of principles.

Almost anyone with just a limited amount of experience playing music can teach
this curriculum!

To teach this curriculum, you must be able to:

● play major and minor chords on the guitar and keyboard

● play one major and minor scale on those instruments
● play a basic drum beat while counting to 4
● play basic childrens’ songs

You’ll need to inflect silliness and exuberance, and be flexible enough to read the class
and improvise. We want connection with everything. This curriculum is filled with playing,
theory, dancing, listening, watching, ear training, singing, feeling, card games, visual aides,
counting meter, and instrument practice.

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 Curriculum Overview

Objectives: ● Develop intuitive connection with music

● Develop connection to one another through music
● Develop a relationship with vibration
● Establish major-minor, and explore feelings in harmony
● Ear train
● Establish a relationship to rhythm as something you can feel, and
is all around us
● Instill the 4 count as a fundamental pattern for counting music
● Understand the elements of Western Songs
● Differentiate and perceive instruments, notes, chords, melody,
lyrics, bass, and a scale’s’ tendency toward resolution

Concepts: Hearing, Feeling, & Vibration

● The ear is able to distinguish sounds
● Making sound connects us to each other
● Feeling rhythm connects to our bodies
● Everything we hear is vibration

Chords

● Notes come together to make chords

● Different feelings can be expressed with major and minor chords

Scales

● Notes in music go up and down by steps

● The smallest step is a half step
● Scales are a sequence of notes ordered lowest to highest
● Scales can be major or minor
● Scales resolve at the top and the bottom

Rhythm

● Music is made up of patterns

● A rhythm is a pattern of sounds
● We can establish rhythm by counting together
● Rhythm is expressed in nature

Bass

● Big things make a low sound, little things make a high sound
● Your body can feel bass vibrations

Song Parts

● Melody is what results when we sing emotions

● Chords compliment melody
● Lyrics and music can be combined to make songs

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Lesson 1 Distinguishing Sounds
(Percussion) 1/5

CONCEPTS
● The ear is able to distinguish sounds

● Making sound connects us to each other

OBJECTIVES
● Class introduction & your class rules

● Begin distinguishing sounds, and learning how to listen

● Implementing the bell as a classroom management tool

● Begin developing an intuitive connection with music

MATERIALS VOCAB & TERMS

Use, demonstrate, and repeat
these terms throughout the lesson.

● Shakers
● Bells ● Drum
● Drumroll
● Large drum
● Percussion
● Drumsticks ● Shaker
● Cymbals ● Drumsticks
● Device with speakers ● Bells
● Cymbal

Unit 1, Lesson 1 15
Lesson 1 Distinguishing Sounds
(Percussion) 2/5

Important notes before teaching this lesson:

1. Your excitement, flexibility and reiteration will be your success
in this course.

Review What to Focus On

● There is no material from previous

classes to review.

Unit 1, Lesson 1 16
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Lesson 1 Distinguishing Sounds
(Percussion) 3/5

1.1 Introduction
● Greet class and state class rules.
● Sing a greeting song with class.

1.2 Defining Percussion

● Explain the percussion family of instruments: anything we hit that makes noise is percussion.
● Demonstrate percussion principles by having students:

- Drum on the floor with their hands

- Clap their hands
- Tap their heads
- Stomp their feet
- Tap their bellies

You may choose to allow students to take turns leading the class

● Explain how to drumroll: drumming continually and fast

● Lead students to drumroll with their hands on the floor together

1.3 The Bell

● Introduce the bell, and ask the class why the bell is in the percussion family?
Answer: Because we hit it to produce sound.

● Have students lie down and close their eyes while listening to you play the bell.
● Guide the students to focus on how long it takes the sound to fade away after the bell is
struck, imagining it as something you can see, fading off into the distance. Repeat, and have
students listen as long as they can, putting both hands in the air once they can no longer
hear it.

● Give each student a chance to play the bell.

● Explain that in music class, the sound of the bell reminds us to be quiet, and listen.

Unit 1, Lesson 1 17
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Lesson 1 Distinguishing Sounds
(Percussion) 4/5

1.4 Shakers

● Explain that shakers are percussion because the little beads inside bounce around when
shaken, producing a sound when they hit the sides of the shaker.

Demonstrate by clasping your hands above your head to form a circle with your arms. Move
your head from right to left, imagining that your head is the bead that bounces around
between your arms.

● Pass out shakers to all students. Direct them to shake fast, slow, hard and soft. Students may
take turns being the leader, deciding whether to go fast, slow, hard or soft.

1.5 The Cymbal

● Demonstrate how the cymbals are played by hitting them together and then pulling them
back apart.

Remember to bounce the cymbals off of each other. Don’t just hit them together and leave
them closed.

● Prompt class to listen to how long it takes for the sound to fade away.

● Pass around a pair of cymbals for each student to play. Collect cymbals when done.

1.6 The Drums

● Introduce drums, and ask what family they belong to. They are in the percussion family
because we hit them to make sound.

● Explain and demonstrate that it can be played with hands or drum sticks.

● Sing a simple song while playing drums, so students may relate to the sound of the drums.

1.7 Distinguish Percussion Sounds

● Hide instruments from view and have the class guess which instrument you are playing.
Repeat to increase accuracy. As you play each instrument, ask students which instrument
family it belongs to. Percussion!

● As the class becomes more familiar with the instruments, add more instruments to the game.

Unit 1, Lesson 1 18
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Lesson 1 Distinguishing Sounds
(Percussion) 5/5

1.8 Freeze Dance

● Play the drums, and students “freeze” when the music stops.

When activity is complete, use the bell to signal returning to their places.

1.9
Listening to Drums of the World

● Perform or play audio examples of drumming from around the world

● Encourage the students to experience moving their bodies to varied types of rhythms

1.10 Everybody Plays

● Invite each student to come up and play drums with their hands in the following ways:

-hit the drum

-left hand only
-right hand only
-both hands
-drumroll

1.11 Recap
● Define percussion
● Identify shakers
● Identify bell, what it means when you strike it: We’re listening!
● Identify cymbals
● Identify drums

Unit 1, Lesson 1 19