NOTATION AND READINGThe greatest difficulties of rhythm or intonation tend to disappear
automatically if we concentrate directly on the sense of rhythm, appre-
ciation of tone, or vocal difficulties. On the other hand, development
is inhibited if the pupil is overwhelmed with names, notation signs and
rules of theory. For this reason, it must be absolutely clear that free
reproduction, without troubling about names and notation, should
always come before any attempt to read music. No rhythmic or melody
pattern should therefore be presented in written form unless the pupil
is capable of remembering it orally, recognizing it and reproducing
it faultlessly.
As soon as reading begins, everything must be sacrificed to continu-
ity and the principle of not stopping to discover how a symbol is to
be interpreted must be accepted. Reading, especially the reading of
music, must be based on purely sensory training. The main principles
are, briefly, to develop muscular habits, to associate them in the simp-
lest possible form, and to secure a reaction so instantaneous as to be
almost a reflex.
Hitherto, children have been introduced to musical notation in such
a way that they have been unable to associate it with music itself, with
the actual living sounds. The value of the note is a part of a whole,
representing one of the members of the rhythmic body (pattern); if
separated from that body, it loses its life and, if it is then to be iden-
tified, it must be measured and given a name. Why should it be pre-
sented to the child inert? Why should he be required to remember its
name, to measure it and, finally, to try to combine a collection of these
dead things into a living whole?
Primitive peoples named animals by the sounds they made, by a pro-
cess of direct association,without troublingto findothernames for them.
Why should not the different items in the rhythmic pattern be presented
as a whole? Without concerning themselves with analysis and the
identification of note-values by name, children very soon associate the
‘picture’ (visual rhythm) with the components of the rhythm itself.
The vitality of the rhythm gives life to the ‘picture’ so that it is
quickly implanted in the memory and, when it comes up again, is
immediately interpreted. Dull and inartistic reproduction of note-
values in perfect time but without any feeling of rhythm will give
place to a lively and essentially educative interpretation. (The import-
ance of this complete ‘picture’ in training children to acquire a quick
general idea of a piece of music will also be appreciated.)