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Intervals: Call and Response



Goal: To focus on intervals of sixths, sevenths, and octaves using major, minor, whole tone, and pentatonic scales using social activities.


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 or three notes per measure.

Speaking, singing, playing.

Refer to the Intervals Smorgasbord for ideas.

Beginning

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “I sing a sixth up and you repeat it and then sing a different sixth up.”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. A student sets up as above and prompts, “I sing a sixth down and you repeat it and then sing a different sixth down.”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher or a student sets up as above and prompts, “I sing these intervals and you sing them in a different order and or direction.” For example, sixth up, seventh down, octave up becomes octave down, seventh up, sixth down.
  2. Students repeat the process one at a time until all in the class have participated.