ABSTRACT
To a certain extent instrumentalists can feign their understanding of tonality simply because it is possible to produce a tone if one places fingers in the proper place and blows, bows, or strikes the instrument properly. With rhythm, it is important to hear patterns in relation to a pulse and a meter. After some practice students will have little trouble hearing the pitch center. Eventually, students should improvise their own melodies—first with familiar melodic words, and later with variations on those words Students commonly resist singing in band and orchestra. Sound–to–symbol philosophies value incorporating songs and melodies into regular activities, as that is crucial for developing awareness and understanding of music’s language. Once tunes are learned by ear, the next step is to figure out the melody and bass line on instruments. The goal here is to strengthen students’ ability to audiate melodic and harmonic material.
