Making a Paper Pattern to Identify Scales and Chords

I have used a variety of method to teach chord and scale construction. The big concept is how to create visual method that students can manipulate and use to display how the internal patterns can be moved to make the scales and chords. A variety of graphics have been produced to help with this process and an attempt to explain how to use them will be given.

If you print out the A to G pattern and then connect two segments together you will have the start of the process. The big factor will be to print out each graphic in such a way that the little square segments are all the exact same size. These were originally produce by using paint and then copying each segment so that when pasted they would all be the same size. The letters, sharps, flats etc. were printed in a word processor in a large font and then the print screen function was used to place those into paint and then copied back into the paint that was being used to make the paper strips.

Once you have a paper length that goes through two octaves from A to A to A you can then make a variety of paper models that can be moved along the double octave segment and then will point directly to the proper notes (if everything is made correctly) to indicate the notes in chords and scales. The different graphics will give you some of the different patterns. (Note: These graphics may not match up now in size from graphic to graphic so you might take the graphic and paste it into word, then format it with text wrap to "in front of text" so you can move the graphic easily and then use the sizing handles to adjust the sizes as needed.

I work with a lot of pre-teachers that are required to have some knowledge of music theory and many can not play anything except the radio. They have a fear of teaching music because they do not play any instrument. In reality they can still do quite a lot in bringing music into the classroom. There are many great CD's with music appropriate for different grade levels and even for specific subject areas. I love the way the "Animaniacs" have created songs about the Planets, the Presidents, and The Countries of The World.

There are now some great roll out piano keyboards that could easily be used in a classroom The concept of a paper method of display was developed out of paper piano keyboards that I have seen, the new roll out keyboards actually play music so they are even better. If you should need more information about how to use these paper strip patterns let me know, they should be fairly self evident.