None of my students ever get the interval of a minor sixth wrong on the ear test portion of the exams. Ever.
Forget the sappy Love Story tune. So not appealing to anyone under the age of 40. Maybe even 50.
Forget The Entertainer. By the time you have aurally subtracted the pick-up notes, a bit of it is lost. Melodically it belongs to a major chord. It doesn’t compute as being minor.
I use the standard “My Bonnie lies over the ocean” to teach the major sixth. If they don’t already know the song, they learn it really quickly. Words and all. I play it with all the happy major chords underneath. My off-music keyboard skills aren’t so weak that I can’t do this.
Then – the bombshell. I tell the student that Bonnie didn’t make it over the ocean. She’s dead. In the ocean. I harmonize the melody with minor chords instead (chords I and IV). And overdo the whole thing facially.
The students are generally stunned at this point. I think they don’t believe I would say something like that. And then they start laughing.
Some have come back after exams and told me they couldn’t help laughing when they heard that one come up in the ear tests.
We’ve won.
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Image: Acqua Di Fiori
Related articles
- Introduction to Music, Part 9 (Intervals & Chords) (jamesgilbertmusic.wordpress.com)
hahaha…. thats a cute one! (I wouldn’t have expected it either!)
and that’s what works! Thanks Suzanne.
Love this. Makes me want to take up piano with you.
(I’m all hung up on the emotional qualities of scales. I don’t know why.)
Thank you Diana! The emotional qualities is what it’s all about – most people just don’t realize that.
This is hilarious! And wonderful!
Thanks Leia!
Reblogged this on Melody Music Studios and commented:
We love how music teachers always come up with innovative ways to teach basic concepts…
Love it!
LaDona, this is just too good! Not only the funny aspect, but the first 2 paragraphs are so truthful too! I’ll use this one! Thanks for sharing!
You’re most welcome!
Right back at you