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Title:  Musical Alphabet

Submitted By:  James Berry, North Conway, NH

Objective:  Students will become familiar with the musical alphabet and be able to distinguish it from the normal alphabet

National Standards Covered: Reading and notating music (5)

Materials: 

- Several Musical Letters Copied from the Musical Letter Handout (download here)

- Optional Xylophone

Procedure:

1.  Begin by explaining that just as letters make up words that we say, letters also make up the notes that we sing.  Perhaps use a xylophone to demonstrate this.

2.  Explain that in the musical alphabet, we don’t have as many letters to remember as in the normal alphabet.

3.  Each letter on the handout has a picture associated with that letter to help kids remember.  Go over each of the letters and explain that after G, there is no H and music, and that we go back to A.

4.  Hand out a cut out letter to each student in your class and tell them you will be constructing a musical snake.

5.  Begin by asking who has an A to begin the musical snake, and ask which student has a B and so on.  Make sure the letters are sequential and switch direction.  This procedure reinforces the sequential musical alphabet and that A always follows after G.

6.  If you are successful above, challenge the students even further by not leading them in the order.  Have them put the letters down themselves, without interrupting.  See below for an even greater challenge.

Assessment / Extension:

Have students break into groups of 3-4 and hand them each piles of letters.  Have them race to build the fastest musical snake in their groups and even make it more challenging by having them start on C, or another note in the middle of the musical alphabet. 

Download in Microsoft Word Format