Teaching music vocabulary for the elements of music is an essential component of music education, enabling students to communicate effectively and understand the intricacies of musical concepts. As music teachers, it’s our responsibility to teach our middle school and general music students with the necessary music term names and definitions.
Read on to find out 15 simple and effective strategies to make mastering music vocabulary an enjoyable and enriching experience for your students.
What are the Elements of Music?
The Elements of Music are the building blocks that are used to create a piece of music. These 8 Elements of Music, when combined in certain ways, can make the listener hear or feel different emotions or sensations.
As a musician, understanding the Elements of Music provides several benefits to becoming an even better musician.
The 8 Elements of Music are, in alphabetical order:
- Dynamics
- Harmony
- Melody
- Rhythm
- Structure
- Texture
- Timbre
- Tonality
5 Reasons Why Music Vocabulary is Important
There are many reasons why it is important for your music students to have a clear understanding of music vocabulary. The main reason is that having a clear understanding of music vocabulary empowers music students to communicate effectively, analyze and interpret music more deeply, comprehend music theory, read and comprehend sheet music accurately, as well as it helps to foster a lifelong learning and adaptability in their musical pursuits beyond the music classroom.
Effective Communication
Having a thorough and extensive music vocabulary helps to serve as a common language among musicians. When music students have a clear understanding of music terms, they can effectively communicate their ideas, interpretations, and musical intentions with fellow musicians, instructors, or conductors. This promotes efficient rehearsals, performances, and collaborations.
Musical Analysis and Interpretation
Understanding music vocabulary allows students to analyze and interpret musical compositions more deeply. It enables them to identify different musical elements within a piece, such as the melody, harmony, rhythm, or structure. This knowledge enhances their ability to appreciate and express the nuances and artistic intentions of the music they are playing or studying.
Music Theory Comprehension
Music vocabulary is closely tied to music theory. By having a strong grasp of musical terms and symbols, students can better comprehend the theoretical concepts underlying music, such as scales, chords, intervals, or key signatures. This understanding lays a solid foundation for further musical learning and development.
Reading and Comprehending Sheet Music
Music notation relies heavily on music vocabulary. Familiarity with terms like dynamics, articulation, or tempo markings enables students to read and interpret sheet music accurately. It allows them to understand the specific instructions and indications given by the composer, facilitating a more faithful and expressive rendition of the music.
Lifelong Learning and Adaptability
The elements of music vocabulary is not limited to a specific genre or time period. By acquiring a broad range of music terms, students develop a versatile skill set that allows them to explore and appreciate various musical styles and genres throughout their musical journey. It also equips them with the ability to adapt to new musical experiences and continue their musical growth beyond the music classroom.
The Benefits of Music Vocabulary Beyond the music Classroom
Having a solid understanding of music vocabulary brings forth numerous advantages that extend beyond the confines of the music classroom. Extensive research conducted worldwide has consistently highlighted the positive impact of music education on students. As music teachers, we recognize that the knowledge we impart to our students fosters their overall development and enhances their academic performance across all subjects.
By delving into music vocabulary, students engage in a multidimensional learning experience that enhances their cognitive abilities and nurtures a well-rounded skill set. Studies have shown that musical training improves skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and pattern recognition, which are transferable to various academic disciplines. Consequently, students who actively learn and play music exhibit heightened academic performance across their entire curriculum.
Moreover, music education promotes creativity, self-expression, and emotional intelligence. When students understand music vocabulary, they become proficient in articulating their musical ideas and emotions. This ability to effectively communicate and connect with others translates beyond the realm of music, empowering students in their personal and social interactions.
The impact of music education extends far beyond the confines of the music classroom. It equips students with a comprehensive set of skills that enhance their academic performance, foster creativity, and develop their social and emotional intelligence. By nurturing a strong grasp of music vocabulary, we empower our students to thrive in various areas of their academic journey and become well-rounded individuals capable of excelling in all subjects.
Strategies to Teach Music Vocabulary
Teaching music vocabulary should never be an “added” part of your music lesson. Teaching music vocabulary, just like teaching reading to a student, should be embedded into each lesson and should provide your music students with multiple ways to engage with the music vocabulary being studied.
The 15 music vocabulary teaching strategies, fall under these six main methods –
- Explicit Instruction
- Implicit Learning
- Mnemonic Techniques
- Vocabulary in Context
- Visualization
- Grouping
Here are links to 2 articles that provides more in depth information about these methods
Explicit Instruction Music Vocabulary Strategies
Explicit instruction refers to a systematic and structured teaching approach that clearly and directly conveys information or skills to learners. It involves explicitly stating the learning objectives, breaking down complex concepts into manageable steps, providing clear demonstrations or explanations, and offering guided practice and feedback. The emphasis is on explicitly teaching specific knowledge or skills, ensuring learners understand and master them through direct instruction.
To teach music vocabulary in an explicit way means to use direct instruction to teach each music term that you want your students to know and understand. This could be done in several ways, but the important thing is to provide your students with several opportunities to engage with the music vocabulary.
- Writing definitions
- Researching definitions
- Matching terms to definitions
To make it easier for you to do this with your students, the Elements of Music Definition Bundle has a wide variety of activities that you can use to explicitly teach your students the music vocabulary you want them to know.
Link to the Elements of Music Definition Bundle here
You might also want to read this blog post that has 3 different ways to use the music vocabulary cards, use the link here to find out more.
Music Vocabulary and Implicit Learning
Implicit learning refers to the acquisition of knowledge or skills without conscious awareness or deliberate instruction. It occurs through exposure to patterns, regularities, or experiences in the environment, which are gradually internalized and learned implicitly. Unlike explicit learning, which involves conscious effort and intentional instruction, implicit learning happens implicitly, often through observation, repetition, or unconscious processing. The acquired knowledge or skills are typically applied automatically, without explicit awareness of the underlying rules or principles.
As music teachers, we know that our students learn music terminology and vocabulary the best through experience. And as music teachers, we probably find that implicit learning for our students is a more natural way for them to learn. As our student’s progress as musicians on their instruments, the pieces they learn gradually get more difficult, and along the way our students learn and “pick up” music vocabulary and terms in they music that they are performing or studying.
A few ways to further our student’s vocabulary through implicit learning is to simply ask questions! These questions can be used for a student performing a piece of music, composing a piece of music or even listening to a piece of music. Some basic questions you might want to ask about each of the elements of music are –
- Dynamics – how loud should be playing this piece/part/section?
- Harmony – can you describe or show me a section of the music that uses harmony?
- Melody – what instrument/s is performing the melody?
- Rhythm – what is the time signature of the music? What is the tempo of the music?
- Structure – can you show me the different sections in the music?
- Texture – can you describe the overall density of the texture in this music?
- Timbre – can you describe the methods of sound production, or any performance techniques in this piece for your instrument?
- Tonality – what is the overall tonality of the music? Is it pleasant sounding, unpleasant, in a major or minor key?
Music Vocabulary Mnemonic Techniques
Mnemonic techniques are memory aids or strategies that help individuals remember and retrieve information more effectively. These techniques often involve using patterns, associations, or visual imagery to link new information to pre-existing knowledge or easily remembered cues. By creating mental associations or organizing information in a memorable way, mnemonic techniques can enhance the encoding and retrieval processes, making it easier to recall information when needed.
As music teachers, we all use mnemonic devices to learn the notes on the treble or bass staff, but our students can also use these devices for each of the Elements of Music.
Try getting your music students to create their own mnemonics for the music vocabulary you are studying. When they create their own, they will remember it better!
Examples of mnemonic techniques include-
- Acronyms
- Visualization
- Rhymes
- Creating vivid mental images.
Music Vocabulary in Context
Teaching music vocabulary in context refers to an instructional approach that focuses on introducing and learning new words within meaningful and authentic contexts. Instead of teaching isolated vocabulary words in a vacuum, this approach emphasizes presenting words in sentences, passages, or real-life situations where their meaning and usage can be understood and applied.
By providing students with contextual clues, such as surrounding words, phrases, or the overall context of a text, teaching vocabulary in context helps learners grasp the meaning of words and their nuances, as well as develop a deeper understanding of how words function within a specific context. This approach promotes more effective and lasting vocabulary acquisition and retention compared to rote memorization or isolated word drills.
Rather than bombarding your music students with abstract definitions, bring music terms to life by providing real-life examples and practical applications through listening or performing. Show them how these terms are used in different musical contexts and encourage them to identify and understand their significance.
Visualization in Music Vocabulary
Visualization in vocabulary refers to the process of creating mental images or visual representations to aid in understanding and remembering new words or concepts. It involves using one’s imagination to vividly picture the meaning of a word or associate it with a concrete image or scene.
By engaging the visual senses, visualization enhances memory and cognitive processing, making it easier to recall and comprehend vocabulary. Visualizing words can involve creating mental pictures, drawing diagrams, or using visual aids such as charts, illustrations, or videos. The goal is to harness the power of visual imagery to enhance vocabulary acquisition and retention.
To use visualization in your music classroom, using visual aids such as posters, charts, or flashcards can be invaluable tools for helping students visualize and remember music terms. Create visually appealing materials that represent the terms and their meanings, enabling students to make connections between the words and their corresponding visuals.
There are several simple activities to help your music students visualize the music vocabulary that they are learning. There are 2 lesson ideas below, and they can be done without any printing, just give your students paper, pens, and colored markers to let their creativity flow.
- Word, Definition, Image – for this simple give your students the music term and definition, they copy that out and then they draw an image that will help them remember the term
- K.I.M.S. Strategy – This is another easy one to do with your students and requires very little from you the teacher. K.I.M. stands for Keyword, Information OR Image, Memory clue and Sentence or Statement. You can watch this short video here that explains this lesson idea
To make using visualization easy for you, there are a few products you might like listed below
- Music Memory Terms Cards Bundle– there are instructions on how to use these included in the resource, and they will be a lifelong tool that you will use year after year
- Music Terms Bundle – these are colorful and visual music terms that already have the term definition and an image to help your students remember the music vocabulary. Try using as a word wall, or print them 4 to a page and use as flashcards
- Music Terms Definition Bundle – there’s a wide variety of activities included, but the One-Pagers are a fun and visual way to help your students remember their music vocabulary.
Grouping
Grouping vocabulary refers to the process of categorizing or organizing words into meaningful clusters or groups based on their shared characteristics, themes, or relationships. It involves identifying similarities, connections, or patterns among words and grouping them together to facilitate understanding and retention. By organizing vocabulary into groups, learners can see the relationships between words, which aids in building connections and associations. Grouping vocabulary can be done based on various criteria such as semantic relationships, word families, parts of speech, or thematic categories. This approach helps learners make sense of vocabulary more effectively and enables them to learn and remember words in a more organized and structured manner.
An easy way to group music vocabulary with your students is through each of the 8 elements of music and by using Mind Maps.
Using the mind maps is best done when you use other hands-on manipulatives like the Music Term Cards. With these 2 resources, try some of the following lesson ideas-
- Group all the terms for the element of music being studied onto a mind map. Try putting your students in small groups and have them work together to add each term to where they think it is best placed on the mind map
- Use the mind map with the term cards as part of a listening activity. As the students listen, they add the different terms to the appropriate place on the mind map
- Use the mind map and terms as a way to map the performance of another student or on a video.
- Use the mind maps and terms to analyze a composition
- Use the mind maps and terms to plan performances or compositions
Mastering music vocabulary doesn’t have to be a daunting task for middle school and general music students. By implementing these simple strategies, you can create a vibrant and engaging learning environment where students can confidently navigate the world of music terminology. Remember to adapt these strategies to suit your students’ needs and make the learning process enjoyable, interactive, and meaningful. Empower your students with a solid foundation in music vocabulary and watch as their understanding and appreciation of music soar to new heights.
Until next time
Happy Teaching
Julia from Jooya