Phases of Learning in Music: A Panacea for the Development of Musical Aptitude

Abstract

The ordinary procedure in teaching and learning music appears to be wasteful, considering that known laws as applied in other subjects in the social sciences and sciences are not applied to the subject of music. The teaching of musical notation, ear training and sight reading as well as singing could be vastly improved by the simple application of a few principles as obtained in other disciplines. To this end, the psychology of music presents a challenge and a service to teachers and students of music. This study emphasises the phases that lead to the acquisition of musical skills in children using principles proposed by Gordon and Gardner. Ten secondary schools were selected through a stratified random sampling procedure from five education districts. The study used a sample of selected male and female participants for each of the selected schools as proposed. The musical aptitude test was used in investigating the level of musical aptitude in both male and female respondents. The Chi-square statistical tool was used for this purpose. The implication of the findings is that knowledge of students’ musical aptitude would assist in the selection of musical materials, their content as well as the teaching strategies appropriate for each student.