Musical Guidelines for Appropriate Music Grades K-6
Research has shown that:
| RANGE: | The range of an average kindergartener is approximately the interval of a 6th i.e., either middle C to the A above, or D to B. The range grows by one note for each grade level, i.e., first graders have a range of about a 7th, second graders, an octave, and so on. Most of the notes in chosen songs should fall within these ranges. It is detrimental to the development of singing on pitch when children attempt to sing songs that are too high or too low. |
| INTERVALS AND MELODY: | Rapid melodic passages and wide intervals would not be appropriate for young children as they require more agility than the immature voice can accurately reproduce. Look for songs with mostly step-wise melodies and much repetition. |
| REPETITION: | The younger the child, the more repetition. Folk songs and traditional songs are wonderful. They have stood the test of time, having been passed on through the oral tradition. |
| TEXT: | The text should be appealing to the level and also have repetition. |
| INTENSITY LOUDNESS AND ENERGY LEVEL: | Children should be encouraged to sing in their “high” voice or head voice. Singing at too loud a volume forces children into their “lower” voice, or chest voice and is detrimental to vocal development and vocal health in general. |