We’re back with the second episode of our YouTube series Ski-hill Graph Pedagogy Meter Fundamentals, based on the innovative music teaching method by Andrea M. Calilhanna. This episode dives into a key question: What is a Ski-hill Graph?
📺 Watch now on YouTube:
👉 What is a Ski-hill Graph? | Ski-hill Graph Pedagogy – Episode 2
🎿 Video 2: What Is a Ski-hill Graph?
In this video, Andrea explains how the Ski-hill Graph differs from conventional time signature notation and why it’s such a powerful tool for understanding musical meter.
She discusses:
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🎼 The Origins of the Ski-hill Graph: Inspired by Yale professor Richard Cohn’s meter theory in the 1990s, the ski-hill graph provides a visual representation of pulse relationships in music.
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🧠 Beyond Time Signatures: Traditional notation often falls short of expressing the full experience of rhythm. Ski-hill graphs expand on this by showing duple (2:1) and triple (3:1) pulse relationships.
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🟠 Visual Learning: Each graph uses nodes and lines to represent pulse fractions and their relationships, helping students of all levels—ages 4 to adult—grasp timing and expression more intuitively.
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🌍 Inclusive of Global Music: This method also addresses underrepresented musical styles, such as additive meters found in global traditions, giving educators a flexible tool for teaching diverse repertoires.
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📱 Tech Integration: The video includes a look at Stereom Metronome, an Android app in beta that supports ski-hill graph visualization both in class and at home.
💡 Why This Matters for Music Educators and Students
Andrea’s ski-hill graph pedagogy helps solve the limitations of traditional time signatures. It emphasizes listening, student agency, and cognitive development, offering a more complete way to teach meter fundamentals.
Students report:
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⏱️ Improved timing
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🎶 Better musical expression
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💪 Greater confidence
🔜 Coming Next
In Video 3, Andrea will introduce her three-step “Clap, Tap, and Map” method, designed to help students internalize pulse and expression using the ski-hill graph.
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Join us on this journey into a more effective, research-based way to teach meter. Whether you’re a music teacher, student, or enthusiast, this series will change how you see rhythm forever.
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Ski-hill Graph Pedagogy Meter Fundamentals
