Pentatonic
Music
Collection
For examples of familiar melodies in the pentatonic mode, click here.
It is believed by many theorists that a beginning music student profits by instruction which is limited to these five tones of the scale.
Some piano teachers have beginners play in the pentatonic mode of F#, in which do, re, mi, so and la fall on the five black keys.
This Website is therefore dedicated to assisting music teachers, classroom teachers, recreational leaders, and other persons involved in music education.
Every effort was made to find materials which help serve such needs.
BEGINNERS Songs using a small range Activities involving pitch only Activities involving rhythm only |
GROSS MOTOR ACTIVITY Action songs: songs which are sung while making motions, but standing in the same place Singing games played in a circle Singing games not played in a circle |
DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS Afro-American songs Native American songs Spanish songs Korean songs |
CONTRAPUNTAL Quodlibets: two or more songs which could be sung simultaneously Ostinato: songs or compositions in which one voice repeats a figure throughout Rounds |
DIFFERENT PURPOSES Dialogue Songs Pantomime songs Christmas Seasonal Secular pattern songs: songs in which only one or a few words change in each stanza Piggyback songs: new lyrics to familiar melodies |
COMPOSED MUSIC FOR THE CLASSROOM TEACHER Classroom vocal Operatic excerpts Popular songs Listening: compositions requiring professional performers, but which could serve for listening purposes |
COMPOSED MUSIC FOR THE INSTRUMENTAL TEACHER String Compositions Woodwind and Brass Compositions Piano Compositions--Instructional Piano Compositions--Advanced Recorder Music Folk Song Arrangements: Instrumental compositions based on folk songs |
RELIGIOUS SONGS Sacred pattern songs: songs in which only one or a few words change in each stanza Family songs: songs in which only the words "father," "mother," "sister," "brother," "preacher," "elder," and "deacon" change in each stanza Hymns About Heaven Biblical songs: songs about particular Bible stories |
OFF THE BEATEN PATH Song analysis Fun activities Picture books: easy children's books which are not necessarily written for music instruction, but could be applied for that purpose Bird songs: those which are playable on the recorder or pre-recorder have been selected. Ring Cycle motifs: selection of pentatonic motifs from Das Rheingold, Die Walkure, Siegfried, and Gotterdammerung Musical dice games: chance music as a student composition exercise Bugle calls: can be applied for a wide variety of purposes Spoken intonation: speech patterns which could be applied for purposes of music instruction |
BIBLIOGRAPHY Bibliography: full listings for references given on the above Web pages |
Another convenient source of pentatonic folk song material, as well as more advanced folk song material, is the American Folk Song Collection.
If you know the title of a folk song which you are looking for--pentatonic or otherwise--but do not know where it can be found, you can consult the Folk Song Index.
If you know only the title of a source for a song which you are looking for--or for that matter, any other material--but need complete documentation, or would like to find that source in a nearby library, you can consult the Worldcat Index.
To search for a word or group of words within this site,
use this search engine: To view my own compositions, enter my name (Robertson, T.) in the search field.
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If you have any comments, questions, orsuggested additions to the collection,
or if you are a composer or arranger who would like to get recognized,
send me a message.
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