Estimated reading time 3 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Do you dread teaching some of your students to play accents? Maybe I can help. Read more to learn about color coding musical accents while taking concepts from shape notes.
We will approach accents differently than other types of articulations. It is not just about using color to make the accents pop off the page. Using shapes creates a guide for when to play louder. Consequently, for accents we take our example from shape notes.
This article uses musical terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.
Shape Notes
Mobile users: for best results reading the music, tilt your screen 90o to the right.
Invented in the late 18th century, shape notes get their name from the different forms of the note heads. Each note has its own distinctive shape. The shapes represent the different solfege syllables.
The triangle always represents Do, the cup shape always represents Re, and the diamond shape always represents Mi. The shape always goes with a particular syllable even when in a different key. The shapes make sight singing music visual and intuitive.
The Shape Note Advantage & Color Coding Musical Accents
In his research study, George H. Kyme found, “The results of the post instruction test reveal that the experimental groups [shape notes] were superior to the control groups [standard notation] in each of the four paired situations.” Like with color, shapes make the notes visual and concrete. This shows the shape note’s big advantage, making notes easier to read. Color coding the musical accents just adds extra oomf to the shape note advantage.
Color Coding Musical Accents & the Shape Note Advantage Applied to Accents
Put red squares around each counting number that needs to be accented in the guitar music. The accent symbol (the little arrow) also serves this function. However, traditional accent symbols draw the eye away from the counting numbers.
Conversely, the squares sit right over the counting numbers, making it easier for a student to execute the accents, because the student’s eye stays on the counting numbers.
It does not matter which color you use for color coding the musical accents. Tell the students to clap louder when they get to the counting numbers with the red boxes around them. Once the students can comfortably clap the rhythm, they can work on playing the example with accents.
Notice that the chord symbols (the letters and numbers above the staff) have also been color coded to speed reaction time.
The Shape Note Advantage Applied to Other Elements of the Score
Other features of the score benefit from this treatment. If a guitar student has a problem with a tricky lick that has a lot of bends, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and vibrato, make a diagram with a lot of little pictograms symbolizing each action the student needs to take.
Use a different color for each action. Then, arrange the actions in the order they appear in the score. For those teachers who work with autistic and other special needs students, it works much like a picture schedule.
Color Coding the Musical Accents & Other Features of the Score
Color code the musical accents and any other feature of the score a student struggles with. Most guitar students also struggle with alternate picking whether LD, ADD, ASD, special needs, or typical leaner.
By now you will have noticed that most of the methods of preparing the score have relied on visual strategies. This is where the “sensory” comes in with the “multisensory strategies.” When creating your own multisensory teaching tools, use the five senses to create concrete examples that LD students can intuitively grasp. (Smell and taste aren’t very helpful for music, though.)
© 2020 Geoffrey Keith
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