A Failed Experiment?

Is there such a thing as a failed experiment or is it just that we don't like our ideas to be proven wrong?

After all my students telling me that the new level in the game was too hard for them I decided that we would try it as a group. I thought that if one person played D on their violin whilst the rest of us sang together up the scale to the note the game was playing we would be able to get through the level as a team effort. I had a willing volunteer to play D and another willing volunteer to play the game, but they all refused to sing with me! They were too shy. The girl playing the game wouldn't listen to me singing no matter how many times I told her to wait before answering the question and listen to how many notes I sang. She just wanted to answer as quickly as possible with wild guesses. In the end they each had a go at being the one controlling the game but the results were the same - no one wanted to sing and they wouldn't listen to me singing before they answered the questions. So my idea that this would be a great way of playing the game as a team didn't work.

I have never spent time teaching my students how to recognise intervals in a methodical way like they were preparing for ABRSM aural tests. We have covered some intervals from time to time in lessons when talking about intonation but I thought today's activity would be a good introduction to thinking about it in a more systematic way. After everyone had had a go at the game I went to the keyboard and played them some intervals and tried to explain how to recognise them. They seemed to understand that the major 7th and major 2nd made a clashing sound but I need to find some local songs that start with the various intervals, that is how I learnt to recognise them as a kid. Twinkle Twinkle is a famous kid's song here so perfect 5th is sorted, but My bonnie lies over the ocean and the British Grenadiers are obviously not well known in this part of the world!

The new level of the game I mentioned in my previous post should also help with this. I'm not sure if I will test it next week or not as we have a concert on Wednesday and playing the game takes up a lot of lesson time and I think we need all the time to make sure the pieces ready for the concert.

Anyway this activity wasn't really a failed experiment but rather an indication that I need to spend time teaching my students to recognise intervals and to plan this into their lessons rather than just randomly covering it if it comes to mind.