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The Weaving of Tone Harmonies

Music making with a child


Wingkantele and
Children´s Lyre

The two instrument
are especially suited for small
children. Children readily love
the form and tone of these instruments.
They are well and robustly built
and so may confidently be given
into the hands of children, they may
then freely experiment and play
tones or melodies, stroking or
plucking the strings. The instrument
may be taken into the child's arm
like a doll and instruction
is neither necessary nor even
helpful, for the tone harmonies
themselves will encourage the child.

Stories create wonder

Short stories may
encourage imaginative creativity.
So for instance winged tones may
dance ever lighter heavenward,
lower tones descend or even fall to
earth, tones might visit and whisper
to the child as friends and so on. In
the hands of an adult these simple
instruments may engender wonder
and encourage attentive listening.
The happenings in bedtime stories
might be underscored or
accompanied by such music.
Because these instruments are
tuned pentatonically no tone
sequence will be unharmonious.
No particular music or playing
technique is required
Any
sequence of
tones played
up or downward,
fast or slow, loud
or faint, with
particular rhythms
or emphases will
always be
harmonious. lt will
encourage the
child who at that
age still lives
strongly in
imitation, it will
enliven balanced
musical mobility of
soul within a living
wholeness of
harmonious
relationship. This is
a wholesome
counterbalance to
the increasing
noise and
mechanical
technical influences
of our modern
environment upon
the small child,
threatening a
balanced develop-
ment in those early
tender years.

Music making easy

Commensurate with
the stage of
development of the
child these two
instruments can be
tuned in two
different tone
ranges. The so
called pentatonic
mood of the fifth
(d-e-g-a-b-d-e etc.)
can be played in
any variation at a
higher or a lower
longer resounding
range and will
always result in
harmony. The
swinging hovering
character of tone
intermingling in the
sequences is
already a musical
experience, it may
be added to or
enhanced by
humming or singing
based on one of the
vowel sounds.
Different passages
of a story may be
introduced or
concluded with this
kind of music. There
are boundless
imaginative and
creative possibilities.
two childs who are playing the Lyre
Two or more
playing together
may enccourage
one another by one
providing a question-like
tone sequence,
answered or extended
by the other, so
developing musical
motifs and melodies
in the round between
them.
Picture Shared listening
to the playing of
others can have formative
importance. intermingling
of tones can become a satisfying
musical experience.

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