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Melody: Arithmetic

Goal: To use arithmetic to improvise four (or more) note combinations (and focus can be on larger intervals of sixths, sevenths, and octaves using major, minor, whole tone, and pentatonic scales).

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.

Addition

Beginning

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Using scale x, choose three notes and add one note, upward, downward, or repeating.”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Using scale x, choose three notes and add two notes, upward, downward, or repeating.”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Using scale x, choose three notes and add three notes, upward, downward, or repeating.”
  2. Students do so.

Subtraction

Beginning

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Here is a melody with six notes. Remove the repeating note.”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Here is a melody with six notes. Remove one leap and one step.”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Here is a melody with six notes. Remove one leap and one step.”
  2. Students do so.

Multiplication

Beginning

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Repeat this melody of three notes four times.”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Repeat this melody of four notes three times.”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Repeat this melody of five notes three times.”
  2. Students do so.

Division

Beginning

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Here is a melody of four notes from a major or minor scale. Divide them into to two groups of two notes that are different from the way I am playing them.”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Here is a melody of four notes from a whole tone scale. Divide them into to two groups of two notes that are different from the way I am playing them.”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Here is a pentatonic scale. Divide it into groups of two notes that are different from the way I am playing them.”
  2. Students do so.