The supervision of the teaching of music in the elementary grades

Kathryn M Potter, University of Texas at El Paso

Abstract

The fact that syllables of one kind and another have been used for the study of music since the time of the earliest formation of the scales by the Greeks in 500 B. C., does not prove that they should still be used, nor does it prove that they should not be used.For the purpose of teaching children to read music, syllables are used extensively in this country, but apparently in many instances, the practice has proved un- satisfactory. Pupils do not learn to read well; college students can not read music at sight; pupils in the inter- mediate grades, as well as the teachers dislike to use syllables; when they learn them they seem to be doomed to singing them as preparation for every song they learn thereafter. Reaction to this situation has led to experimentation in reading music without the aid of syllables. Apparently a plan is not yet developed to the point where it can be adopted completely by either grade or music teachers, Al- though many are combining numbers and syllables, it be- hooves us to use some adequate method until such time as we can scientifically find a new approach.

Subject Area

Music education|Educational administration

Recommended Citation

Potter, Kathryn M, "The supervision of the teaching of music in the elementary grades" (1950). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAIEP00068.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAIEP00068

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