Register And Scale

Translating musical phenomena into verbal language can be tricky. Most adults are familiar with the use of the words high and low as applied to musical pitch. Specifically, these words refer to the frequency of the musical tone: higher tones have a more frequent wavelength than lower tones. When physicalizing these concepts, we take advantage of the spatial meanings of high and low, which refer to points in space. While adults may take this type of synesthesia (mapping one sense onto another) for granted, these concepts may be beyond the immediate intellectual grasp of young children. In the Dalcroze classroom, physical experiences can draw their attention to this elemental musical phenomenon. Almost immediately, they usually demonstrate awareness of high and low by making gestures that are physically high or low.

To further encourage this kind of perception, we might go apple picking. As they walk around the apple orchard, accented sounds in the upper register of the piano ask them to “pick” an apple from way up high in the tree. Accents in the lower register ask them to scoop apples up from the ground. This focuses their awareness on the general registers of the piano: high, middle and low.

We can then branch out from these large categories of pitch. From day one, we stand up as I sing the scale. Eventually, even if they are lying on the ground, I can simply play a harmonized scale and they will stand up.

For the minor scale, I enjoy using a poem called “The Little Man Who Wasn’t There,” set to the natural minor scale, as a way to apply the idea of scale to a dramatic situation. As the melody slowly ascends the minor scale (this is the version I sing; there are also old swing band renditions of this poem), a mystery unfolds.

For older children, we can dip our toes into scales other than major and minor. Using the xylophone, they are asked to choose a starting note other than C and climb up eight steps (as the song does). Each new starting point provides a different scale, known as a mode. If I accompany them on the piano, they can get a real taste of Lydian (F to F on the white notes) or Dorian (D to D on the white notes). Each one has a very different feeling, and I like to give children an aural experience of them, even if they are not quite ready to grasp the music theory. As they play up the new scale on the xylophone, the class shows the man “climbing up the stairs.”

• As I was walking
  • up the stairs I
    • met a man who
      • was not there. He
        • wasn’t there a-
          • gain today I
            • wish I wish he’d
              • go away…

(repeat descending…)