We have been learning about how to keep rhythm by throwing a ball to one another in a circle to a metronome and counting at the same time. The first few times, the rhythm started to be out towards the end of the circle but we finally got it after a good few times. We tried this in various different speeds also.
Then we looked at how to sight sing in the key of C and would sing...
Rae-Do, Fa-Me, La-So, Ti-Do up the scale.
We did listening exercises and listened to different rhythms, writing our answers down on a piece of manuscript which was then marked by our class mates.
27/09/13
Today we went over singing Rae-Do, Fa-Me, La-So, Ti-Do and we were tested by our teacher who would randomly say a note and we would have to remember the note was sung. We also learned about which words were Active notes, meaning when a note wanted to move onto another one and Resting notes which mean the note is comfortable.
We also done more listening exercises which would include listening to rhythms and listening out for the time signature, if the rhythm was Legato or Staccato, what bar the note changed and if the last note was higher or lower that the start note. We were then given homework to complete which was to make up a four bar rhythm for the melody of Rae-Do, Fa-Me, La-So, Ti-Do.
04/10/13
In today's class we started by standing up and all clapping, tapping and clicking our fingers to a structured rhythm to a metronome which was difficult at the start when the structure was messy but we managed to get it in the end. We then looked at a few homework pieces and clapped out the rhythm to a metronome as a class and then when we had the rhythm we then sung it out to Rae-Do,Fa-Me,La-So,Ti-Do. Lastly we were made to re-do the listening test as there were low marks in the tests done last week.
Today we got tested on rhythm and intervals which were Minor 2nd, Major 2nd, Minor 3rd, Major 3rd, Perfect 4th, and Perfect 5th. I got my intervals right but i am struggling with my rhythm.
Today in class we worked on rhythms and as a class clapped out a piece of music. This involved being in a circle and each person having a bar to clap out. This would mean we all had to be following the piece of music closely and know when our time to clap arrived. If one person messed up, it would mess up the whole bar and someone would have to come in at the right time again to keep the rhythm going.
We also worked on singing Sol-fa mixed up which would allow us to know the pitch of each individual word.
Today we listened to 3 different music types : Industrial, Harpsichord and Gregorian chant.
First of all, we discussed the structures of the songs which includes The Intro, Verse, Chorus, Bridge and Outro/Coda. We then had to listen out for the different instruments used and how many voices there were. Often in songs there is an instrument making a 'Drone' sound and we had to point out which instrument that was.
We listened to Across The Universe covered by Laibach. This song was very enchanting and was made up of many instruments compared to the original.
We also listened to We're Not Gonna Take It covered by Bif Naked.
Note: A song made up of verses and chorus's is called Strophic.
Today we talked about Musical Textures meaning the different elements/layers that make a musical composition. There are different terms used to describe the different elements which include Monophonic: a single sound/melody, Polyphonic: Lot's/many voices and harmonies, Heterophonic: 2 sounds. A melody being sung and then another one being sung in a different pitch over the top. Homophonic: A single melody line of chords.
Over the past few weeks we have been taking tests on Intervals, Cadence's and change in a piece of music in pitch and rhythm.
We have now been taken over by a new teacher called Scott Hannah. In this lesson we got into groups of 4 and each group had to create a chord structure starting on C and then a melody line and rhythm.
Today we listened to one of the chord structures from the previous week. We had the piece played repeatedly and has to transcribe it. I feel i am good at point out the notes being played and not so good at the rhythm.
Then we looked at how to sight sing in the key of C and would sing...
Rae-Do, Fa-Me, La-So, Ti-Do up the scale.
We did listening exercises and listened to different rhythms, writing our answers down on a piece of manuscript which was then marked by our class mates.
27/09/13
Today we went over singing Rae-Do, Fa-Me, La-So, Ti-Do and we were tested by our teacher who would randomly say a note and we would have to remember the note was sung. We also learned about which words were Active notes, meaning when a note wanted to move onto another one and Resting notes which mean the note is comfortable.
We also done more listening exercises which would include listening to rhythms and listening out for the time signature, if the rhythm was Legato or Staccato, what bar the note changed and if the last note was higher or lower that the start note. We were then given homework to complete which was to make up a four bar rhythm for the melody of Rae-Do, Fa-Me, La-So, Ti-Do.
04/10/13
In today's class we started by standing up and all clapping, tapping and clicking our fingers to a structured rhythm to a metronome which was difficult at the start when the structure was messy but we managed to get it in the end. We then looked at a few homework pieces and clapped out the rhythm to a metronome as a class and then when we had the rhythm we then sung it out to Rae-Do,Fa-Me,La-So,Ti-Do. Lastly we were made to re-do the listening test as there were low marks in the tests done last week.
Today we got tested on rhythm and intervals which were Minor 2nd, Major 2nd, Minor 3rd, Major 3rd, Perfect 4th, and Perfect 5th. I got my intervals right but i am struggling with my rhythm.
Today in class we worked on rhythms and as a class clapped out a piece of music. This involved being in a circle and each person having a bar to clap out. This would mean we all had to be following the piece of music closely and know when our time to clap arrived. If one person messed up, it would mess up the whole bar and someone would have to come in at the right time again to keep the rhythm going.
We also worked on singing Sol-fa mixed up which would allow us to know the pitch of each individual word.
Today we listened to 3 different music types : Industrial, Harpsichord and Gregorian chant.
First of all, we discussed the structures of the songs which includes The Intro, Verse, Chorus, Bridge and Outro/Coda. We then had to listen out for the different instruments used and how many voices there were. Often in songs there is an instrument making a 'Drone' sound and we had to point out which instrument that was.
We listened to Across The Universe covered by Laibach. This song was very enchanting and was made up of many instruments compared to the original.
We also listened to We're Not Gonna Take It covered by Bif Naked.
Note: A song made up of verses and chorus's is called Strophic.
Today we talked about Musical Textures meaning the different elements/layers that make a musical composition. There are different terms used to describe the different elements which include Monophonic: a single sound/melody, Polyphonic: Lot's/many voices and harmonies, Heterophonic: 2 sounds. A melody being sung and then another one being sung in a different pitch over the top. Homophonic: A single melody line of chords.
Over the past few weeks we have been taking tests on Intervals, Cadence's and change in a piece of music in pitch and rhythm.
We have now been taken over by a new teacher called Scott Hannah. In this lesson we got into groups of 4 and each group had to create a chord structure starting on C and then a melody line and rhythm.
Today we listened to one of the chord structures from the previous week. We had the piece played repeatedly and has to transcribe it. I feel i am good at point out the notes being played and not so good at the rhythm.
aural perception assignment 1
Nobody Knows You When Your Down and Out - Bessie Smith
For this assignment I have chosen to look at my own band, covering Nobody Knows You When Your Down and Out by Bessie Smith.
1. This piece of music is Strophic as it has a 4 bar introduction, 4 bar verse x 2, 8 bar chorus x 2 and a 4 bar outro. This song also has the common ‘swing’ which comes from Jazz, giving it groove. I think the structure of the verses and chorus’s is unusual as the two verses come first and then the two choruses’.
2. The time signature for this piece is 4/4, simple time, and the tempo is very slow. In the first verse in the 3rd bar the bass does a small walk down which gives the song a ‘turning’ feel as if the verse is being rounded off. It also gives the song a bit of a lift.
3. This piece is Homophonic, being a melody with chords underneath. There is not a lot of dynamics with the instruments as the chords progression is played the same way the whole way through but on the chorus’s the way the song is sung changes which gives the song more interest and a change of feel.
4. This piece is played in C Major. The chord progression is Tonic, 3rd, 6fth, 2nd, 6fth, 2nd, 4th, Tonic, 6fth, 2nd, 5th. The piece has no modulations, as the chord progression is the same the whole way through. The song also ends on a perfect cadence.
aural perception assignment 2
Help - The Beatles
1. This piece of music is Strophic as it has a 4 bar introduction, 8 bar verse x 3, 8 bar chorus x 3. The song starts with the 3 vocals, being most dominant, 2 guitars, 1 bass and minimalistic drums. This song is unusual because in the introduction of the song, the chord progression played in the chorus is played for the intro but with a different structure and different words.
2. This song is played in 4/4 which is simple time. In the introduction and 3rd verse, the tempo is slowed right down making a dynamic drop in the song and then in the 4th bar of the verse the song get's lifted again with the instrumentations. There is also a drastic rhythm change at these points of the song with the guitars changing from constant strumming to one stroke strums, letting the chord triads ring out. Also, there is an interesting guitar lick which joins the choruses and verses together, which runs down in semiquavers making the lick fast paced, giving an energetic feel.
3. In the verses there are harmonies that are a major 3rd down. For the first two bars of each verse, there's a harmony that comes in a beat before the main vocals, holding for 2 beats. The harmony then comes in again on the second beat in the second and fourth bar, going back to a beat before on the 5th bar and then both vocals coming together on the first beat in the 7th bar. This structure then repeats itself for the rest of the 4 bars in the verse. There aren't many intervals sung in the verses with the biggest interval being a major 3rd since the vocals are either sung on the same note or moving step wise. This makes the song very mellow during the verses and allows a bigger impact on the choruses.
4. The key was moved up a tone when covered by my band making the key change from an A to a B Major. The chords for the introduction and the chorus are the same which are C#m, A, F# and B. The chords for the verse are B, D#m, G#m, E, A, and B. In the key signature for B there is an A# but in this song the A# get's flattened to an A. This song has no modulations and ends on an imperfect cadence.
1. This piece of music is Strophic as it has a 4 bar introduction, 8 bar verse x 3, 8 bar chorus x 3. The song starts with the 3 vocals, being most dominant, 2 guitars, 1 bass and minimalistic drums. This song is unusual because in the introduction of the song, the chord progression played in the chorus is played for the intro but with a different structure and different words.
2. This song is played in 4/4 which is simple time. In the introduction and 3rd verse, the tempo is slowed right down making a dynamic drop in the song and then in the 4th bar of the verse the song get's lifted again with the instrumentations. There is also a drastic rhythm change at these points of the song with the guitars changing from constant strumming to one stroke strums, letting the chord triads ring out. Also, there is an interesting guitar lick which joins the choruses and verses together, which runs down in semiquavers making the lick fast paced, giving an energetic feel.
3. In the verses there are harmonies that are a major 3rd down. For the first two bars of each verse, there's a harmony that comes in a beat before the main vocals, holding for 2 beats. The harmony then comes in again on the second beat in the second and fourth bar, going back to a beat before on the 5th bar and then both vocals coming together on the first beat in the 7th bar. This structure then repeats itself for the rest of the 4 bars in the verse. There aren't many intervals sung in the verses with the biggest interval being a major 3rd since the vocals are either sung on the same note or moving step wise. This makes the song very mellow during the verses and allows a bigger impact on the choruses.
4. The key was moved up a tone when covered by my band making the key change from an A to a B Major. The chords for the introduction and the chorus are the same which are C#m, A, F# and B. The chords for the verse are B, D#m, G#m, E, A, and B. In the key signature for B there is an A# but in this song the A# get's flattened to an A. This song has no modulations and ends on an imperfect cadence.