Teaching Group Piano Whole Notes

[dblomd]

I am a junior music education major. I am taking a teaching music class. They havn't really given any dirrection in how to teach topics so I need help with coming up with somthing. We will be using the Faber method book. I will be teaching whole notes and the song Old MacDonald Had a Song. I have to have one visual and a game and I have seven minutes to teach it. Any ideas would help.

[mcdiddy1]

Are you supposed to teach whole notes using Old Mac Donald had a song or are you supposed to teach Old Mac Donald and then whole notes? 

Who are you teaching this to? What age are they and what do they already know about music? What materials do you have available?

One idea that pops to my mind is if they understand quarter-notes, draw a quarter of a piece and ask them how many quarters it would take to create a whole? Then draw four quarter pieces in a row with plus signs and have them clap the rhythm. Then show them when you put them together you call it a whole note and have them clap and hold to four.

If you are teaching Old Mac Donald it is important to know what level you are teaching. Kindergarden and first grade would do well by learning it by rote and singing the tune before playing it. Older students would do better by having a visual of the key board and you pointing the keys on the pictures while singing the notes. Students with musical experience can easily just  read the notation and you may teach using echo patterns. There is lots of way to teach it but you want to consider your audience, prior knowledge and make a decision and follow through.

[dblomd]

I will be teaching 2nd graders. They already know quarter and half notes. I'm doing peer teaching. I was give a page out of a book to teach with I really have no other information about it. I don't even know if it's by rote or not. The song is using black keys only. Thanks for the idea with quarters. That's a cool idea.

[lukebar]

The Faber's have a wonderful site which features a teaching guide as well as video demonstrations of teaching various concepts and songs. For instance, if you visit this page

https://pianoadventures.com/guide/22-23_old_macdonald_had_a_song.html

you get a list of the important concepts and some ideas for activities you can use in teaching Old MacDonald Had a Song.

It seems like an unusual piece to use to teach the whole note. I might have them sing it, first clapping the BEAT (not rhythm) as quarter notes, then as half notes, and finally as whole notes. Doing this on rhythm instruments would be even more fun for a group. You could also divide them into groups, some keeping the beat as quarters, some as halves, some as wholes. Put them all on different rhythm instruments and you have a little impromptu rhythm ensemble. Activities like this make teaching beginning concepts so much more enjoyable in a group setting, in my opinion.

[cjp_piano]

I like Lukebar's suggestions. Definitely do something where they use their bodies and  move around. clapping/tapping stead beat, then doubling it to half notes, then doubling it to whole notes. Have them copy you so they can see how to move. I always make sure to exaggerate so that the whole notes are really big! In other words, your arms are making huge circles because it takes 4 beats to come back to the clap or tap. But then when you do quarters, it's a smaller circle.

Then everyone can sing the song but just show the whole notes with a big circle. You could even have different things for different rhythms:

quarter = snap
half = tap on lap
whole = big circle clap

Old MacDonald would go:

snap snap snap snap snap snap tap
snap snap snap snap BIG

or whatever =)