A favorite of ESOL Spanish students, De Colores represents the traditional sounds of the hispanic community. Learning the Spanish gives English students a chance to appreciate the difficulty in learning unfamiliar words, just as the ESOL students face everyday. Due to the length of the song, and the added dimension of foreign language, it is advised that the instruction be presented in small segments, perhaps three days, reviewing the KNOWN before moving to the next step.
Identify the musical signs using the music only format.
"How many beats per measure?"
tied notes = plus signs in math, "How many total beats will each tied note receive?"
repeat signs = "This one means to COME BACK, this one means to GO BACK"
first and second endings
"How many total measures are in the song?"
Count the BEATS: stopping to identify repeated phrases and tricky areas (dotted quarter followed by eight).
Chant RHYTHM: holding ties notes for complete value.
Chant PITCHES: identify repeated sections, the second phrase is a whole step lower than the first, first ending ends on third, second ends on tonic, lowered seventh in measure 32.
Sing PITCHES: Harmony is for enrichment or skill level, divide class and work separately, then together.
Chant TEXT: stopping to give meaning to the foreign words.
PERFORMANCE SKILLS:
Use of dynamics to add expression: crescendo and decrescendo for tied notes, repeated text or phrases use of alternating dynamics (P/F).
Emphasize the 3/4 by making 1 stronger, thus a driving momentum.
KEYBOARD SKILLS
The melody primarily moves in steps, giving opportunity to transfer note letter reading to finger placement on the piano, thus, no letter names are given for the notes. Students are reminded to move to the next finger, up/down as notes move by steps o the staff. As skills improve, the harmony can be taught, or cooperatively played by a friend.
