The class should be accustomed to write phrases which do not necessarily begin on the first beat of the bar.  The handwriting, exact position of accidentals, &c., should be carefully watched.  With young children it is well to use manuscript books which have the lines ruled very widely apart—­a little child’s hand soon gets cramped if it is made to write in an ordinary manuscript book.

When a class can take down simple melodies correctly it is time to begin two-part work.  As a preliminary, get a child to play middle C on the piano, then to combine with it each of the notes of the scale of C major in turn.  The class will decide which of these two-part chords are pleasant to listen to.  Opinion is generally unanimous in favour of the third, sixth, and octave, which will therefore be the basis of the first exercises in two-part dictation.

Plenty of practice should be given in isolated examples of these chords, in more than one key, before the class attempts to combine time with tune.  When they are ready for this, the work should begin with very simple phrases, with plenty of repetition to enable them to be quickly memorized.  A later stage introduces the use of passing notes.  It is better to play the exercise through first without these, and when it has been written and corrected, to play it again, inserting the passing notes.

Before a class has finished the major keys it should be ready for the dictation of three-part chords.  As the children are accustomed to the sound of the chord of the third on all degrees of the scale, it will be a natural experiment to play a particular combination of thirds, thus arriving at the triad.  After this has been played on all degrees of the scale, the class should be asked to decide which of these chords it will be well to get to know first.  They will remember that the first three keys in which they learnt to sing were C, G, and F major, and will therefore suggest that the tonic, dominant, and subdominant chords should be chosen.

At this stage it should be pointed out that all the notes of the scale are contained in one or other of these chords.  This is a seed which, if well planted, will suggest the first principles of harmonizing melodies later.

We must now work at the three chords carefully.  Begin by making the class sing them in arpeggio, and in a definite rhythm, so as to get precision.  Each chord should be sung once very slowly, so as to get the notes correctly, and absolutely in tune; then twice more quickly, so as to get the feeling of harmony.  This step is invaluable in its later results—­a child will often be heard to sing different chords in arpeggio, when in doubt as to the chords to use in harmonizing a melody.

When the three primary chords are known the others may be added, together with the dominant seventh and the inversions, in all keys.  This last step must not be hurried.  The average class rarely finishes three-part chords in less than a year, and unless plenty of time is given difficulties will crop up later, when four-part chords are begun.