Anybody teaching Rod and Staff Music

[wellread]

Is anyone teaching Rod and Staff shape note music to their kids? Interested in your experience. Thanks!

 

DS: 6

DD: 6

[frugalmama]

:bigear:

[lotsofpumpkins]

We used it for 1st and 2nd grade, but decided to drop it after that. Instead, I use the theory books that go along with the dc's piano books. It just seems more consistent that way.

 

I have a strong music background, and yet I am not familiar at all with shaped notes (I noticed one of the hymnals at our church uses them). I have no idea what the point is. Yes, I could have figured it out and then taught it to my dc, but like I said, using books that go along with their piano lessons made more sense.

 

That being said, they did enjoy the R&S music worksheets, and did learn from them. :)

[wellread]

Thanks for reply. I don't know anything about shaped note either, except that the 4 shaped note (Sacred Harp) music is beautiful. The Rod &Staff music seems to be 7 shape note. Not sure how it compares with 4 shaped note.

 

The fact that the Rod and Staff is shaped note adds to my interest! Hoping to hear from others who used and taught this.

[SnMomof7]

We aren't using this, but we have some Mennonite friends who were taught to read music this way. Old Order Mennonites don't use (or own) musical instruments. Their hymnals are filled with shape-music note songs (7 shaped notes) and the course is designed to teach children to sing these songs on sight by reading the shaped notes. We have some Mennonite hymnals - the notes can be read by anyone who can read music (they still go up and down) but the shapes add another mnemonic element I suppose.

 

Just thought I'd add some more background information.

[Hunter]

I've used some of the CLE music in years past and recently. I think it is similar. In the past I attend an ultra conservative Mennonite church and we sang acappella with shaped notes. I've just messed around and mastered NOTHING. I'm interested in anything anyone posts on this subject.

 

Have you seen the Easy Fake Hymn book? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001F8GCGW/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0634010433&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1NZP7FMY2P7ZW49FFDS6

 

They are not shaped notes, but can be used after completing just the lower grade music. I forget which CLE workbook, but one of the very early ones.

[2_girls_mommy]

First of all, I am no musical expert and know nothing about the shaped notes. I know it is just about singing in their curriculum, not necessarily learning to read music for instruments.

 

We have used R&S music worksheets so far from grades 1-4/5 (the 4/5 grade is one book for 2 years) I have always used it to supplement our music program. We used it to practice singing and for learning about beginning to read music. Both of my kids now play piano and use regular music books for that. But I keep up the R&S. The 4/5 book goes into more than just the shapes that grades 1=3 does. It gets into muscles and how they work to sing. It gets much more into reading music, etc. It is somewhat redundant at this point, since my dd9 plays piano. But they are inexpensive enough to keep around and still do once in awhile. For my dd7 the 2nd grade books reinforces what she is learning in piano.

[Mom2Es]

(resurrecting old thread alert)

 

I do not read shape notes, but I have several friends who learned to read music that way. I know a couple of other people who don't know much about music at all, but they know enough about shape note singing to be helpful--for example, if there is a song with four-part harmony and the person's voice is suited to bass, they find a note in the melody that is the same shape, match it to one in the bass section, and then they know enough about intervals to wing it from there.

 

Since a few of the hymnals we use have the shape notes in them, I have been considering doing some of the R&S program so that my kids will be familiar with them. If anyone else has tried them and wants to chime in, that would be great.