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Triads: Landscaping

Goal: To set up the improvisation using triads in inverted positions, major, minor, augmented, and diminished (with focus on using whole tone and pentatonic scales to create triads).

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 Triad Smorgasbord for ideas.

Beginning

  1. Using an electric keyboard or sustaining sound, the teacher plays all notes of a whole tone or pentatonic scale at the same with a basic pulse and prompts, “Create triads from scale x in root position and sing them along with my accompaniment.” For example, the teacher sustains the sounds of a whole-tone scale and the student sings the triad – "Doe, Mi, Sol#."
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Using an electric keyboard or sustaining sound, the teacher plays all notes of a scale at the same at prompts, “Create triads from scale x in first or second inversion and sing them along with my accompaniment.” For example, the teacher sustains the sounds of a whole-tone scale and the student sings four non-repeating notes – "Mi, Sol#, Doe."
  2. Students do so

Advanced

  1. Using an electric keyboard or sustaining sound, the teacher plays all notes of a scale at the same time and prompts, “Create triads from scale x in all three triad positions and sing them along with my accompaniment. Build your triads on all available notes.”
  2. Students do so.