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2.4 Melody

Creative Arts and Sports · Grade 8 · 10 lessons in the design

What this covers

  • Question and answer phrases in a melody
  • Extending a melody by exact repetition and varied repetition
  • Four-bar melodies in G major and 3/4 time; intervals not exceeding a perfect/major 4th
  • Phrase marks; performing simple pieces in G major
  • Kenyan call-and-response folk melody as a model for question and answer

What you will be able to do

  • describe methods of creating a melody
  • compose a 2-bar answering phrase to a given 2-bar opening phrase
  • compose a 4-bar melody in G major
  • perform simple pieces of music in G major
  • value the use of melody in Creative Arts and Sports

Key questions

“How can a melody be extended to make it interesting?”

Lessons

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  1. Melody in G major and 3/4
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    A Grade 8 melody uses G major pitches and 3/4 grouping; sing the scale, then a tiny tune that starts on d, m or s.
  2. Question and answer phrases
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    A question phrase sounds unfinished; an answer replies and usually ends on G; two plus two bars make four.
  3. Kenyan call and response as melody shape
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Call-and-response folk singing models question and answer; use the shape in G major without stealing sacred songs.
  4. Exact repetition
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Exact repetition copies a phrase so the melody grows by saying the same thing again; useful, but can feel static.
  5. Varied repetition
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Varied repetition keeps the idea but changes a pitch, rhythm or ending so the four-bar melody becomes more interesting.
  6. Intervals not beyond a 4th
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Keep melodic leaps within a 2nd, 3rd or 4th in G major so the line stays singable.
  7. Compose a 2-bar answering phrase
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Write an original 2-bar answer in G major 3/4 to a given 2-bar opening, using small intervals and a close on d.
  8. A four-bar G major melody with phrase marks
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Notate a complete 4-bar melody in G major and 3/4 with question, answer, small intervals and phrase marks.
  9. Sight-sing a given G major piece
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Sight-sing a short given melody in G major and 3/4, using phrase marks and a count-in, before performing your own composition.
  10. Perform and value melody in G major
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Perform the 4-bar G major pieces, give kind feedback, and say why melody matters in Creative Arts and Sports.