Creating a 'Movable DO' clef for music instruction

• Dec 23, 2020 - 15:40

I'd like to use a strange clef, but it is useful for music instruction. It is called the "Movable do" clef, as used in Kodaly pedagogy. It is a very helpful tool in teaching beginning students sight reading/singing. They can use the "do" clef as a precursor to learning key signatures. It's much easier for the learner to simply see where 'do' is indicated as opposed to a key signature. Once the learner becomes accustomed to reading intervallic and movable do on the staff using the 'do' clef, introducing key signatures becomes MUCH easier for them!

I can see how it is complicated to implement because one must be able to move the 'movable do' clef to whatever line and space they like. Meaning, as a teacher I want to introduce and acclimate their eyes to reading in the key of F on the treble clef, I would put the 'do' clef on the first space. The learner would clearly see the spaces are DO, MI, SO, etc. They wouldn't be distracted or intimidated by extra visual information of key signatures.

Please see attached PDF for clear explanation and application.

Just think... this ONE feature could be used to teach thousands upon thousands of young music students to sight read from the staff!! It may seem like an obscure request, but the implications of this feature are broad and far reaching. Massive positive impact on the music world!

Thanks!!
-Martin

Attachment Size
Movable DO Clef.pdf 993.29 KB

Comments

I'm familair with the Kodaly system in general but not this clef in particular. If it's in common use, then the first step in getting it included in MuseScore would be to petitition the folks in charge of the SMuFL standard to add this symbol, so that all standard fonts will then include it. Then we can begin the work of figuring of figuring out what is needed to support it.

Meanwhile, it should be simple enough to add this symbol as a graphic to your own scores to create teaching materials like this.

I'm so glad you posted this, Martin. I vote yes on including it, too!

I have been wondering about this symbol. I encountered it in "The Book of Rounds" by Mary Taylor, and noticed that it indicated the tonic. However, while she called it the "moveable do" I couldn't find a reference to that prong symbol anywhere else until now. Attached are some pages from the book so you can see what I was seeing.

Now I'm going to make a graphic so I can use it – and also learn to insert graphics... :)

Attachment Size
Taylor movable do 1.png 112.39 KB
Taylor movable do 2.png 121.96 KB
Taylor movable do 3.png 126.56 KB

In reply to by little-island

@little-island
Please also note Marc Sabatella's suggestion in his earlier post in Dec 2020:
"... the first step in getting it included in MuseScore would be to petition the folks in charge of the SMuFL standard to add this symbol, so that all standard fonts will then include it."

Here is a link to the current SMuFL Clefs list, which apparently does not yet include the "movable DO clef":
https://www.smufl.org/version/latest/range/clefs/

You can find further information about SMuFL and the W3C Music Notation Community Group here:
https://www.smufl.org/contribute/
https://www.w3.org/community/music-notation/

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