Sound Shape

valentine-card

Sound Shape Valentine

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Inspired by my student’s adorable Valentine card, I decided to make a “sound shape” Valentine for her.

As I mentioned in my previous blog discussion about Sound Shape, learning to see the shape of sound helps the student to

  • Recognize different patterns

  • Read in larger chuck instead of individual note

  • Foster the ability to analyze and process more information

  • Build sightreading skill

Some Fun Sound Shape Activities:

1. Name the Shape

Encourage the student to imagine what the shape looks like and give the sound shape a name.

Connecting the dot: Draw line between each note. Does this look like the roof of the house?

The big picture: My student thinks this looks like a doggie

2. Trip around the hand

Randomly choose a sound shape by rolling dice and take the sound shape on a trip around the hand.

Let’s use the “Roof Sound Shape” as an example, here is the trip summary

  • start on right hand finger 1
  • step up to finger 2
  • step down to finger 1

This is another trip summary for the “Tall Roof”

  • start on right hand finger 1
  • skip up to finger 3
  • skip down to finger 1

3. Finger Number Bingo

Identify the sound shape just by the finger numbers.

RH 121 – Roof Sound Shape

RH 343 – Roof Sound Shape

LH 434 – Roof Sound Shape

Once the student becomes familiar with the numbers, play a Finger Number Bingo game.

4. Do-Re-Mi Sing and Sign

Sing and hand-sign the solfege of each sound shape.

5. Music Alphabet Bingo

Identify the sound shape by matching the music alphabet.

CDC – Roof Sound Shape

GAG – Roof Sound Shape

BCB – Roof Sound Shape

Play a Bingo game.

Sound Shape V

Sound Shape

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In the previous blog, I wrote about how “Directional Reading” revolutionized the way I read music and the importance of the landmark (guideposts) notes. Today I would like to explore the building blocks of the music- the “Sound Shape.”

After learning the guideposts, the next step is to identify patterns (for example: steps and skips) and how the patterns relate to the guideposts.  Good sight-readers possess the ability to quickly recognize shape and pattern, and simultaneously translate those shapes into hand movements on the piano.  To help my students read music fluently, they need to be able to “see” the shape of the sound.

Step 1: Sound Shape Flashcard

Download the pre-reading step and skip card from Susan Paradis’ website  http://www.susanparadis.com/catalog/SP702/preview.pdf

Step 2: “Hear” the Sound Shape

            Teacher picks two cards and plays the sound shape for the student. Ask student to identify the right card.

Step 3: “See” the Sound Shape

            Look at the sound shape and see if it’s going up, down or stay the same, also see if there are steps or skips. Can you think of interesting names for the shape? For example, this shape is an eye-brow

This shape looks like letter V (smushed). Imagine how the letter V looks differently with skips.

This is zigzag

Let your imagination soar….What do you think Christmas Tree shape looks like on music?

Step 4: “Feel” the Sound Shape

            Play the sound shape by moving the fingers in the air, then play on the piano.

Another great resource is the iPad flashcard by Jennifer Fink

Take a look at this youtube clip –

Beethoven 5th Symphony, 1st mvt. (“fisheye”), Do you see Sound Shape?