Pitch Exploration

What should you do if you're working with a child who struggles to match pitch, or like many students, someone who feels hesitant to sing in front of others? Vocal Shape Cards are a great tool to help solve these problems and get kids to explore pitch in a fun, comfortable way.

What you'll find in this blog post:

• Where to find pitch exploration cards
• How to use these cards
• Key benefits of this pitch activity

Where do I get cards for pitch exploration?

You can find lots of good options online if you search either "vocal shape cards" or "vocal exploration cards". Many of my favorite sets have come from Teacher Pay Teacher. This set below is found in the Morning Basket Music curriculum.

But the good news is - whether you're short on time or just don't feel like printing something - these cards are also super easy to make! You don't have to be an amazing artist to draw various shapes/lines on a blank piece of paper. I have used my own handmade version before and they work just as well.

How do I use vocal shape cards?

Once you've got a set of cards to use and you're ready to help your students explore pitch, I recommend a three step process:

1. I do
2. We do
3. You do

The parent/teacher should model how to make the sounds on each card first. Choose a neutral syllable to sing, "ooooh" or "doooo" works well. You will model for the kids how to make your voice go up or down, and whether the sounds should be smooth and connected, versus separated.

*One important thing to keep in mind: always point from left to right on each card. This helps to reinforce the idea that we read music the same way we read words and sentences - from left to right.

After your students have a chance to hear the pitch sounds, have them join in with you. Depending of the size of the group you're teaching, you'll want to give individual kids a turn to demonstrate the sounds on each card. This helps to check for understanding and see how well they can match pitch.

Here's what helps with stage fright...

I could tell countless stories about students I've taught who were way too shy to ever volunteer for a solo, but I asked them to demonstrate a vocal shape card and it worked like magic!

Why does this activity work so well? It really does just feel like a game. Once students understand how the activity works, I will give them a challenge. "I want you to sing this next card in your head but don't sing it out loud yet."

Kids are usually so eager to demonstrate and prove to me that they can get the sounds right; they almost forget that they're actually singing!

Key benefits of pitch exploration cards

• These cards are easy to find and easy to make. (You can also find seasonal or themed cards to match something else you might be studying.)
• It's a quick, easy activity that helps students practice making high and low sounds. It also helps with audiation (hear it in your head before you sing it out loud).
• Students are much more comfortable practicing their singing voices when it just feels like a game. Vocal shape cards can remove a lot of the hesitation for shy kids.

If you'd like to see how I demonstrate pitch exploration with kids, check out this YouTube video from Morning Basket Music.