2.2.1 Melodic Motion.pptx

Melodic Motion

High School Music Theory

Lesson Overview

Learners Can:

• define terms related to melodic contour and tonality
• use music notation and aural skills to identify melodic contour
• relate intervals to motion and melodic contour
• determine the importance of melodic contour
• practice melodic dictation

Vocabulary

conjunct motion, disjunct motion, stepwise motion, skipping motions, leaping motion, melodic contour, tonality, half step, interval quality, major interval, minor interval, octave, perfect interval, scale, tritone

Elements of Music

• The elements of music come together to create unique sounds

• Melody can be shaped in a variety of ways to impact the piece of music
• Melody is a sequence of single music notes that are purposefully placed according to rhythm and pitch.
• Every melody is a unique combination of musical intervals and rhythms.

Tonality

• Tonality is the organization of music based upon a central pitch

• Using the concepts of tonality, you have learned to read and categorized musical compositions based on their key and tonic pitch

Melodic Contour

• Melodic contour is the way a melody moves by intervals from one pitch to the next. It is the way a melody is set in motion.
• There are two types of motion that are used to describe melodic contour:

• stepwise motion (conjunct)
• skipping or leaping motion (disjunct)

Conjunct Motion

• Another name for stepwise motion

• This means conjunct motion moves by major or minor seconds

• Scales move in conjunct motion

• Conjunct motion is described to have scalar movement because of this

Stepwise Motion

Disjunct Motion - Skips

• Disjunct motion is motion between intervals of a pitch sequence that skips or leaps

• Disjunct motion moves by larger intervals

• Disjunct motion is described to have intervallic movement

• In skipping motion, intervals move by thirds

• This means the letter name pitch between two notes is skipped.

Skipping Motion

Disjunct Motion - Leaps

• Another type of disjunct motion is leaping motion

• In leaping motion, intervals move by fourths or more

Leaping Motion

Match the term to its definition

motion between intervals of a pitch sequence that is stepwise

Melodic contour

motion between intervals of a pitch sequence that skips or leaps

Conjunct motion

the way a melody moves by interval from one pitch to the next

Disjunct motion

Circle the types of motion that are disjunct

Stepwise

Leaping

Skipping

Match the interval to the type of motion it creates

Stepwise

Skipping

Leaping

Parallel

Octave

Second

Fourth

Sixth

Fifth

Seventh

Third

Unison

Melodic Motion in "Eine kleine Nachtmusik"

Melodic Dictation Practice

Composing with Stepwise

• There are only a few suggestions to follow when composing with stepwise motion.
• Aim to end the musical phrase on the tonic.
• You can move stepwise between any of the pitches
• Resolve the seventh scale degree up to the tonic using stepwise motion, especially at the end of the musical phrase.
• You can also resolve the second scale degree downward to the tonic to conclude the phrase.

Compose a Measure in Stepwise Motion

Composing with Skipping

• Skips occur when major or minor thirds are used as melodic intervals

• Skips are commonly used when composing melodies

• They occur on stacked lines or spaces

Compose a Measure with Skipping Motion

Composing with Leaping

• Leaps are not as commonly used in melodies

• Since they are a larger distance apart, it can cause the melody to sound disjointed if there are too many leaps

• Leaps occur with fourths, fifths, sixths, and sevenths.

Compose a Measure with Leaping Motion

Rules for Disjunct

• Rules for Composing Melodies with Skips and Leaps

• Use more stepwise motion than skipping or leaping motion

• Every skip or leap should be followed by stepwise motion.

Star the melody with the BEST use of a skip or leap

Compose a four-measure C MAJOR melody using the melodic motion rules you learned in this lesson. Draw your composition in the sketchpad below. Include the following: Clef (Treble or bass), Time Signature (2/4, 3/4, or 4/4), Notes of the C Major scale, One skip and one leap, Stepwise motion, Measures, rhythms, and barlines

Summary

In today's lesson, you:

• defined terms related to melodic contour and tonality
• used music notation and aural skills to identify melodic contour
• related intervals to motion and melodic contour
• determined the importance of melodic contour
• practiced melodic dictation