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Melody: Change

Goal: To hear, sing, and play shifts in melodic content by both steps and leaps, up and down, while using four notes as a basis for shorter and longer melodic contours.

Out of Tempo

Speaking, singing, playing.

Beginning

  1. Teacher prompts, “Here are four notes. Change the first note by interval x (a step).”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher prompts, “Here are four notes. Change the second note by interval y (a leap).
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher prompts, “Here are four notes. Change the first and second notes by interval z - one changes upward, the other downward, (both by step, or both by leap, or one by step - the other by leap).”
  2. Students do so.

In Tempo

Teacher sets up a tempo, time signature, tonality, one or two notes are sung per measure at first. More rhythmic nuance can be added as students become comfortable with "change."

Singing and playing.

Beginning

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Here is a four note melody. When I say change, alter one of the notes upward by interval x. When I say change again, return to the original four notes.”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Here is a four note melody. When I say change, alter one of the notes downward by interval x. When I say change again, return to the original four notes.”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Here is a four note melody. When I say change, alter two of the notes upward and/or downward – your choice - by interval x. When I say change again, return to the original four notes.”
  2. Students do so.

The process continues until all students have participated and interval changes by both step and leap, upward and downward have been covered.