The effects of singing and solmization training on the musical achievement of beginning fifth-grade instrumental students.

Abstract

The main problem of this study was to determine whether beginning elementary instrumental students who engaged in singing and solmization as part of their instrumental class activities developed greater aural, performance, and music reading skills than instrumental students who did not receive this training. An ancillary problem was to investigate relationships between vocal accuracy and selected aspects of instrumental student achievement, and vocal accuracy and musical aptitude. Ninety-two beginning fifth-grade b and students from four elementary schools served as subjects for the study. Intact b and classes were r and omly assigned to either the experimental or control groups. During the fourteen-week study, subjects in the experimental group sang (1) rhythmic patterns on a single concert pitch using rhythmic syllables, (2) melodic patterns from instrumental songs using solmization syllables (movable-do), and (3) instrumental songs with lyrics. Students in the control group chanted rhythmic patterns using rhythmic syllables and performed melodic patterns and instrumental songs exclusively on their instruments. Other than these differences, instruction was identical. Five music achievement tests were used to determine the effects of instruction. A measure of vocal accuracy was administered as a pre- and posttest. Tests measuring melodic ear-to-h and coordination, melodic aural-visual discrimination, instrumental performance, and instrumental sight-reading skills were administered at the completion of the study. Analyses of the data indicated there were no significant differences between the control group and the experimental group means on any of the achievement tests. However, significant, positive correlations were found between vocal accuracy scores and measures of melodic ear-to-h and coordination, melodic aural-visual discrimination, instrumental performance, and musical aptitude. It was concluded that (1) vocal accuracy is significantly related to melodic ear-to-h and coordination, melodic aural-visual discrimination, instrumental performance skills, and musical aptitude; and (2) that the singing and solmization treatment applied in this study neither aided nor hindered the development of students' vocal accuracy, melodic ear-to-h and coordination, melodic aural-visual discrimination, instrumental performance, or instrumental sight-reading skills.