The same plan should be followed in the general musical education of the
child.

As every child possesses a voice, but does not in every case learn an
instrument, it is clear that the fundamental training in music must be
given through the use of the voice. The first step will consist in
learning how to sing at sight and how to take down easy melodies from
dictation. Parallel with this work the child should be taught to
extemporize melodies, and to sing them.

Quite little children will take pleasure in completing a musical phrase
of which the first few bars have been given them. The procedure will be
as follows:

1. The teacher writes two bars in C major, [2/4] time, on the
blackboard.

2. The class sings it through twice, first using the Sol-fa names for
the notes, then singing to _lah_.

3. Volunteers are then asked for to complete the phrase by adding
another two bars. The more musical children in the class will at once
respond, and their efforts will stir the ambition of the others. It will
soon be a question of taking the children in turn, a few at each
lesson--so eager will they be to 'express themselves' in melody.

It is important not to be too critical of these early efforts. The
great thing is to get the children un-self-conscious--variety of melodic
outline and of rhythm will follow quickly enough.