In writing canons for children, my aim (apart from creating a fun experience of course) is to provide a small amount of material with maximum opportunity for repetition.In this way, the child can truly live into and feel the individual voice or motif which is essential in successful independence of the parts.

 

In most of these canons, there is a fair amount of repetition of the parts but I would recommend, for learning and practice purposes, adding some repeat barlines to direct the student, before the ending, back to the first instance of hands together. After all, the more repeats the merrier in establishing fluency!

And of course, always practice each individual cell or phrase, both separately and with hands together, overlapping first the similar phrases and then the contrasting ones.

 

The primary aim, above all, is to have fun with the music. If the anon is too hard for the child, it will become laboured and something of a mission to learn. In this case, put it away for a later date. When a student is able to manage the parts independently and bring them successfully together, enormous joy and fun an be experienced and this is ultimately what we want for our children in their learning.

 

Grading: Approx 1st - 2nd Grade AMEB/ANZCA

*Canoeing Down The Canon, Rollin' in the Canonfields and Canonblue Cruisin' are set for AMEB Grade 1 Syllabus

and also available in the AMEB Series 17 Grade 1 exam book.