The purpose of this study was to find out the preferred songs within the music textbook 1 of mental retarded students in elementary school course and to analyze musical characteristics of the songs students preferred.
The results of this study were as follows:
1. The time of the preferred songs were 4/4 mostly.
2. The tonality of the preferred songs were C major and F major mostly.
3. The forms of the preferred songs were one part form and binary form mostly.
4. The most frequencies of vocal range of the preferred songs was c'- c".
5. The most frequencies of maximum leap interval of the preferred songs was 4.
6. The most frequencies of materials of song lyrics of the preferred songs were animal and body.
7. The characteristics of the preferred words within song were repetitive words, expression of body, mimetic words.
8. The characteristics of the preferred rhythms were repetitive type, type of note-rest-note-rest and the rhythms such as ..... aroused exciting, pleasure and/or tensions according to words of songs.
9. The characteristics of the preferred melodies within loved song were closely connected with song lyrics and rhythms of the songs. The preferred melodies, rhythms and words within loved song formed a trinity.