Music, Toddlers, and Smooth vs. Bumpy

Parenting Tip:  Play with legato and staccato sounds!

Why?

'Staccato' and 'legato' are musical terms that define a particular articulation of playing or singing music.  Legato is smooth & connected.  Staccato is detached & short.  In Kindermusik class, we offer children a multi-sensory experience to help them understand the concepts of staccato and legato.  Children are hearing the difference between staccato and legato, by playing instruments, feeling the difference by moving in short & long ways,  and seeing the difference by watching others play & move.  A multi-sensory environment, like this one, makes for deep engagement and robust learning, for your child.

 

How?

Lead Through that Sugar and Tea!  Watch the video for movement ideas, then start the song & dance, together.  Can you find 'short' movements to add?  How about 'long' movements? 

Find a scarf, kleenex, or washcloth, and do the Five Little Peas rhyme.  Remember how we tossed our scarves into the air on the 'POP' part?  For fun, have your voice follow the scarf, as it floats downward, on a long 'ooooh' vowel.  

Make your own shaker/scraper, and explore ways to make long & short sounds, with your child.

 

Want to Learn More?

On our blog - Learn Six Ways Kindermusik prepares your child for formal music lessons.  A rich musical vocabulary begins with an experiential knowledge of the words that help us describe music and express ourselves musically - including staccato & legato! 

Kindermusik 7-year Continuum:

In Kindermusik baby classes, we notice and move babies to long & short sounds.  For Kindermusik toddlers, children imitate adults as we move to contrasting 'smooth' and 'bumpy' music.  We use the terms 'legato' (long/smooth) and 'staccato' (short/bumpy) sparingly now, in preparation for the move to Kindermusik preschool classes.  In preschool, children learn those musical terms (along with many others), and decide which movements & instruments best represent those different sounds.  As big kids in Young Child classes, younger elementary students put their knowledge of 'staccato' & 'legato' into practice, as they play instruments and read notes on the staff.