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1.2 Melody in Minor Keys

Music and Dance · Grade 11 · 7 lessons in the design

What this covers

  • Concept of the minor scale: natural, harmonic and melodic
  • Minor scales of A, E, B, D, G, C and F sharp
  • Staff notation on the treble and bass staves
  • Melodic devices: retrograde, sequence and modulation
  • Composing 12-bar melodies

What you will be able to do

  • explain the concept of the minor scale in music
  • construct minor scales on a staff
  • describe melodic devices used in melody writing
  • compose a 12-bar melody in ABA structure
  • compose a 12-bar melody incorporating melodic devices
  • appreciate melodies created in minor keys

Key questions

“How do minor keys influence mood in different genres of music?”

Lessons

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  1. The minor key and its mood
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Explain the concept of the minor scale and how it differs from the major scale.
  2. The natural minor scale
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Build the natural minor scale on the staff and sing it for aural discrimination.
  3. The harmonic minor scale
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Build the harmonic minor scale and explain the raised seventh.
  4. The melodic minor scale
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Build the melodic minor scale, raising the sixth and seventh going up.
  5. Minor scales in different keys
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Construct minor scales of A, E, B, D, G, C and F sharp and link them to their relative majors.
  6. Melodic devices
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Identify and describe retrograde, sequence and modulation in melody writing.
  7. Composing a 12-bar melody in ABA
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Compose a 12-bar melody in ABA structure incorporating melodic devices.