Children's and adolescents’ harmonisation of a tonal melody

Although several cross-sectional age-related studies of harmonic perception in children have been performed, studies of harmonisation are very few. In the present study, the ability of school-aged children and adolescents to add chords to an ongoing tonal melody is investigated. Age-related development of harmonic features, chord rhythm and types of harmonisation are analysed. Six to fifteen-year-old participants (N=44) harmonised a C-major tonal melody. Four keys of the synthesiser, each producing a whole major triad (C, D, F and G), were used in real-time chord production. The frequency of chord I as the final chord, distribution of chords in strong metrical positions and number of period…

The development of rhythm at the age of 6–11 years: non-pitch rhythmic improvisation

In the statistical and transcriptional analyses reported in this exploratory study, original rhythms of 6–11-year-old children (N = 36) were examined. The hypotheses were based on a new model of musical development, and tested empirically using non-pitch rhythmic improvisation in a MIDI-environment. Several representational types were found in cluster analysis. The types are comparable to those found in earlier studies of rhythm. A dimensional conflict appeared between grouping and metre, and was solved in the last substage (10–11 years). Age was found to be a significant factor in the development of the hierarchy of form, the amount of different rhythm patterns, the metrical hierarchy, as …

Monta polkua musiikkiin : tonaalisen musiikin perusrakenteiden kehittyminen musiikin tuottamis- ja improvisaatiotehtävissä ikävuosina 6-11

Pirkko Paananen selvittää musiikkikasvatuksen väitöskirjatyössään, kuinka 6-11-vuotiaat lapset hahmottavat tonaalisen musiikin perusrakenteita improvisoidessaan omia rytmejään ja melodioitaan, lyödessään ’tahtia’ erilaisiin rytmijaksoihin ja soinnuttaessaan lyhyen melodian kuulonvaraisesti neljää sointuvaihtoehtoa käyttäen.6-11-vuotiaiden lasten improvisaatioista ja tuotoksista löytyi useita tuottamistyyppejä, jotka liittyivät tarkkaavuuden kohdistumiseen eri rakenteisiin musiikissa. Tyypit edustivat kehitystasonsa perusteella kolmea osavaihetta, osana kouluikään sijoittuvaa, ns. dimensionaalista kehitysvaihetta (n. 5-11-v), jolloin musiikillisessa tietämyksessä kehittyvät musiikillisen tap…

Melodic improvisation at the age of 6–11 years: Development of pitch and rhythm

The keyboard melodic improvisations of 6–11-year-old children (N = 36) were explored for age-related development and representational types of production. The hypotheses were founded on a model of musical development by the present author. The participants heard a 24-bar ABA-formed piano-bass-percussion- accompaniment. Section A was tonal and section B was modal, lacking the tonic. Age was a significant factor in the development of the tonal hierarchy. The 6–7-year-old children's general emphasis was on the first five tones of the diatonic scale. The 8–9-year-old children preferred tones present in both sections (event hierarchical orientation). In the 10–11-year-old children's products, t…

Lapsen älyllinen kehitys ja musiikin keksiminen

Towards new social dimensions for children's music making - JamMo as a collaborative and communal M-learning environment

Children’s collaborative music making has recently gained a lot of interest in the field of musical development and learning. Mobile learning (M-learning) is a relatively new field of educational research and so far there has been only few studies about children’s musical collaboration with mobile devices. Current knowledge of children’s social development forms a basis for communicational design of the ubiquitous learning environment. In the present study, which is a part of EU FP7 UMSIC research project, a software JamMo (Jamming mobile) will be designed for the Nokia N810 Internet tablet. In this paper, we report on the communal features of JamMo, which are specified to Jammo’s different…