Explain the expressive elements of music to your child and how those elements can change the way music sounds. Tempo, fast or slow, can create a mood. Dynamics, how loud or soft a note is, can promote specific feelings and emotions in listeners. Articulation, use of slurs, legato and other playing techniques, can make listeners think of images when they hear them. A group of notes played together quickly may bring to mind the image of a rabbit running through tall grass.
Play a piece of classical music, and have your child use crayons to mark the changes that occur during the song. Limit the colors to red for angry, blue for peaceful, black for frightening and yellow for happy. If you're teaching a class, compare the sheets of paper at the end of the piece to see the way your students perceived the music as it changed. Classical music is ideal for demonstrating the expressive elements of music because there is a lot of variation using these elements.
Make a list of vocabulary words that pertain to a specific piece of music. Have your students write down as many words as they can think of to describe a piece of music, using the expressive elements as a guide. Dynamics, for instance, may include words such as loud and soft. Tempo will include words such as fast and slow. Articulation may include words like smooth, short and choppy.
Play passages on a piano, guitar or electronic keyboard that emphasize one or more of the expressive elements of music. Have your child identify the elements used. This is an effective way to help train a child's ear musically and to encourage use of the expressive elements in a musical context.