Melody: Landscaping
Goal: To set up melodic improvisations with focus on neighbor tones, passing tones, and voice exchanges.
Out of Tempo
All Levels
“Out of Tempo” exercises are not presented separately in Ear Training III and Ear Training IV improvisations. Should any exercise prove difficult performed in tempo, out of tempo versions of the materials in Ear Training III and Ear Training IV can be modeled on Ear Training I and Ear Training II approaches to out of tempo improvisations.
In Tempo
Teacher sets up a tempo, time signature, tonality, and rhythms.
Phrases can be four to thirty-two measures in length depending on the student’s ability.
Start with one note per measure and add different rhythms as students become more comfortable with the exercise. For more confident students, use non-repeating notes and rhythm patterns.
Students sing one, two, three, or four notes per measure.
Speaking, singing, playing.
Refer to the Melody Smorgasbord for ideas.
Beginning
- Using an electronic keyboard or other sustaining instrument, teacher plays all the notes of scale x with a basic pulse and prompts, “Sing or play a lower or upper neighbor-tone melody.” For example: C, B, C or C, D, C.
- Students do so.
Intermediate
- Using an electronic keyboard or other sustaining instrument, teacher plays all the notes of scale x with a basic pulse and prompts, “Sing or play a passing tone melody up or down.” For example: C, D, E or E, D, C.
- Students do so.
Advanced
- Using an electronic keyboard or other sustaining instrument, teacher plays all the notes of scale x with a basic pulse and prompts, “Sing or play a voice exchange melody up and down.” For example: C, E then E, C.
- Students do so.
More Advanced
Students sing combinations of neighbor and passing tones, and voice exchanges.
The process can be expanded to include both diatonic and chromatic versions of all the melodies.