What's Music initiation and why it's ideal for children
Before choosing an instrument, children can learn music by playing. We tell you what's musical initiation, how's a class and what pedagogy they inspire.
Music initiation is an initial stage of training, thought especially for children 3 to 7 years old, where you learn music through play: you can sing and move the body, you can explore minor percussion instruments and you can develop your ear before focusing on a single instrument.
His goal isn't to form little concertists but to build a base of rhythm, listening and taste for music that will make anything that comes after easier and more enjoyable.
To sum up
- The musical initiation is to learn music by playing: rhythm, singing, movement, listening and exploration of simple instruments.
- It usually targets children 3 to 7 years old, but each process can be adapted to the age and maturity of each child.
- It develops pulse, ear, co-ordination, care and expression, skills that then facilitate an instrument's learning.
- It relies on pedagogy such as those of Dalcroze, Orff, Kodály, Suzuki and Willems, that put the experience before the theory.
- The passage to an instrument arrives as a child shows sustained interest and has the physical and care maturity to work with.
What's Music Initiation
Instead of starting with the score or an instrument's technique, the child lives with his or her whole body: his or her singing and dancing and his or her hands and listening to his or her listening with care. The theory comes after his or her with his or her best sense and with his or her best and best best best best best best best best.
Throughout this process, the child works:
- The pulse and rhythm: feel the time of music and move with it.
- Heard: To distinguish acute and serious sounds, strong and soft, fast and slow.
- Voice and tuning: singing simple songs and repeating short melodies.
- Coordination and motor: play, walk, clap and stop in time.
- Attention and memory: follow slogans, remember songs and sequences.
- Expression and confidence: to invent, improvise and show what you have learned.
What a musical initiation class looks like
Activities are short and varied, because care at this age is also. Each teacher adapts class but a typical session can be seen as:
- I say hi: a song that sets the start and gives the child his or her safety.
- Pulse play with movement: walk to the rhythm of music, stop when stop, leap onto accents.
- I sing: children's and traditional songs, echo games in which the child repeats what teacher sings.
- Instrument exploration: maracas, keys, panda, triangles or drums to follow rhythms and create effects.
- Actively listen: To recognize if a sound is sharp or serious, if the music goes fast or slow, or what instrument's ringing.
- Close: a farewell song or a small moment to show what's been learned.
Instruments that usually appear
The minor percussion are leading because they responded at once and did not require complex technique. With children a little bigger, about 6, [sweet flute]](/clases/flauta-dulce) It's usually the first melodic instrument: it's light and accessible and helps connect fingers, air and reading. Some processes also include sheets such as xylophones or metallophones.
The pedagogy that inspire her
The musical initiation is nourished by several pedagogical currents of the twentieth century that share an idea: first we live music and then we name them.
- Dalcroze: The Swiss musician and pedagogo Émile Jaques-Dalcroze developed the rhythmic, with his body as his first instrument. Walking, balancing or jumping with his music helps to internalize his pulse, accent and frying.
- Orff: German composer Carl Orff created, with his co-workers, Orff-Schulwerk, that links word, singing, movement, body percussion and plate instruments with plenty of space for improvisation.
- Kodály: inspired by the ideas of the Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodály, this approach puts his voice at the centre with traditional songs, relative solphis and sign with his hands to represent his notes.
- Suzuki: The Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki propose to learn an instrument as you learn his mother tongue: listening to a great deal, mimicking, repeating and with his family. He was born with his violin and today applying to other instruments.
- Willems: The pedagogue Edgar Willems, born in Belgium and established in Switzerland, gave priority to ear education and to the relationship between music and child's life, before reading and technique.
In practice, many teachers combine resources from different currents depending on their age, personality and interests, rather than following a single method at the foot of their letter.
Why it's ideal for children
At 3, 4 or 5 years old children learn by playing, mimicking and moving. Music initiation respects that natural way of learning, rather than asking them to have a quiet and prolonged concentration with an instrument that isn't currently at their disposal.
- It forms the ear and sense of rhythm at the stage at which the child is more open to exploring sounds.
- It builds a base that makes any later instrument easier.
- Avoid frustration to start an instrument earlier.
- It strengthens care, listening and the ability to follow slogans.
- It gives a space to express and gain confidence.
- It creates a taste for music, and that's what's keeping up long-term learning.
When to move to an instrument
That's an exact date. That indicates that your child can be ready:
- He called for a concrete instrument in a sustained manner, and that was something more than a week.
- He takes his pulse with ease and repeats short melodies.
- It can keep an eye on a guided activity for a while.
- Your hands and body suit the instrument or a small version.
Many children move between the ages of 5 and 7 to [piano]](/clases/piano) or [violin]](/clases/violin)and they exist in versions adapted to their size and others are waiting a little more for guitar or wind. Check our guide to [ages by instrument]](/blog/a-que-edad-empezar-a-estudiar-musica) and, if you're between two options, this comparison of [piano or guitar]](/blog/piano-o-guitarra-primer-instrumento).
How to come with from home
- Sing together in the car, in the kitchen or before sleep.
- Listen to varied music: childish, classical, pop and also Colombian rhythms such as cumbia, bambuco or currulao.
- Dancer and play stop while the music stops.
- manufacture homemade instruments with bottles, seeds or boxes.
- Ask her what she's learned at class and ask her to teach you.
In A medio tono there are teachers of musical initiation accompanying children at home classes in and around Bogotá or virtual, depending on the availability of each teacher.
Frequently asked questions
How old can you have a musical initiation?
The usual thing is to start with about 3 years old, when a child can have his or her play and simple slogans. Before that age, music at home, sung and danced with his or her family, is best stimulation.
Do musical initiation work in virtual classes?
It can work, especially with children from 5 years old and with an adult accompanying class. With the youngest, direct contact from a class at home usually better holds care and play.
Do my son have to have an instrument to start with?
It's not necessary. It's enough with some minor percussion tools, such as maracas or a pandretta or even homemade tools. Teacher guides you if at some point you have to get one.
What if my son's very shy or very restless?
The two things are normal at this age. A good kind of initiation gives the child restless spaces to move and shy time to observe before participating. With patience, music often becomes a place comfortable for both.