Developing Hearing Skills in Music Classes

This material is suitable for young children and adults.

In these classes, we focus on developing auditory imagination and memory.
The world around us is filled with various sounds. Familiar objects can produce surprising “voices.” Children explore the world of objects through interaction with them. Kids play with pots and listen to the sound of clattering lids. Playing with water is a particular passion: any dish, pot, jar, or bottle may come into play. Little ones pour water into different containers, deriving immense pleasure from it. They listen to the sound of water flowing, noting the noise produced when pouring from one vessel to another. Through this, children explore the world, requiring space for imagination.

Often, kids create a noisy orchestra in the kitchen. They love banging on pots and pans, and for them, this orchestra is a real experiment. Every pot or container produces a different sound. They can tap with a spoon or a wooden spatula, or tap on a frying pan lid. Kids notice the varying sounds: some are muffled, others are loud and resonant. It’s not just kitchen utensils that attract children; regular paper also captures their interest. They can tear it into small pieces, crinkle it, and rustle it. During these activities, the child hears different sounds as well. You can tell children that the rustling of paper resembles the sound of fallen leaves in the forest. In their minds, children compose a musical picture from sounds.

From a young age, we begin developing their inner ear—the ability to hear musical material without an actual sound. The ability to mentally hum a note, phrase, or melody is a sign of a musician’s inner hearing. Developing hearing occurs in parallel with the development of musical memory.

Game: “Who Hid the Tambourine?”

This game is played with a group of children. They pass the tambourine to each other while music plays. When the music stops, the leader (blindfolded) must guess, based on the sound, who has the instrument.
A bell can also be used for this game. Children move around the room, ringing the bell. The blindfolded child must find them by sound. The child should pick out the tambourine’s timbre from the overall sound of the instruments.

Game: “Clap Your Hands”

Children learn to feel the tempo of the music. We ask the kids to clap along. Castanets are perfect for this game: one click of the instrument, one clap of the hands. The tempo of the music can be sped up. We create a sense of emotional comfort during the music sessions. The child should be interested—where there is interest, there will be positive emotions.

Game: “Exercise”

We stand opposite the children, holding a tambourine in one hand and a bell in the other. If the bell rings, they march in place; if the tambourine sounds, they walk around the room. Gradually, we remove the visual cues and ask the children to orient themselves by sound. These music lessons develop the child’s emotional sphere and help reduce psychological tension. It’s important to switch activities during the lessons to keep the kids engaged.

Game: “Orchestra”

The children take musical instruments. We create a story. If the tambourine sounds, a bear is walking, and the child playing the tambourine imitates the bear’s walk. If the castanets sound, it’s a bunny hopping. Children learn to shift their focus and change their actions based on the sound of the instruments. We can ask the children to make some instruments play loudly while others play softly. For example, the shakers can sound very quiet, as the children act out a turtle on the seashore.

During the sessions, we explore the timbre and dynamic capabilities of the instruments with the children. We teach them to listen and to hear.