@The Arts Unit Creative Classes

Stage 5 – extension activities

Comparing musical interpretations

Student music resource developed by The Arts Unit

Years 9 and 10 music

What will I learn?

You will:

  • explore the role of structure in a strong melody

  • analyse the components which make a melody successful

  • compare three different interpretations of the same melody

  • perform your own composition and 'Autumn Leaves'.

1. Explore

Listen to James Morrison play the melody of 'Autumn Leaves'.

Autumn Leaves

Duration: 00:42

Sing or play along with the Autumn Leaves melody as demonstrated by James Morrison.

See if you can work it out just by listening.

Try to play the melody of Autumn Leaves on an instrument of your choice. Use the original version to assist you. This is good aural and memory training. If you have any problems, sheet music is available online.


2. Analyse

Listen to James Morrison – Autumn Leaves.

Complete the worksheet to analyse the musical features of the melody.

James Morrison - ‘Autumn Leaves’ analysis

Key music terms defined

  • Musical contour refers is the movement from one note to another, either a step up or down by one note or a leap up or down by multiple notes.

  • Musical phrasing is the sequencing of notes for expression, similar to a phrase when speaking.

  • Music range refers to the distance between the highest and lowest pitch.

  • An ostinato refers to the regular repetition of a music phrase.

  • A motif is a recurring short music phrase throughout a piece with thematic importance.

  • A sequence is the repeated phrase transposed to a new pitch.

  • Imitation in music is the repetition of the melody in a different voice or instrument.

  • Ornamentation is when the melody is embellished, either through the addition of notes or the adaptation of the rhythm.

3. Compare

Listen to the following 3 interpretations of Autumn Leaves:

  • 'Autumn Leaves' – Nat King Cole (00:00-02:38)

  • 'Autumn Leaves' – Cannonball Adderley and Miles David (00:51-02:01)

  • 'Autumn Leaves' – Chet Baker and Paul Desmond (00:00-00:44)

1. Autumn Leaves – performed by Nat King Cole

Duration: 02:38

2. Autumn Leaves – performed by Cannonball Adderley and Miles David

Duration: 10:59

3. Autumn Leaves – performed by Chet Baker and Paul Desmond

Duration: 07:08

  • What style of music would each of the 3 versions fall into?

  • How has the voice or instrument chosen affected the performance of this theme?

  • Describe the expressive techniques evident in these performances. For example, rubato, glissando, ornamentation, syncopation and so on.

You might like to refer to your responses from the James Morrison comparison table above to comment on the elements of melody that may have been altered.

Share your responses with your teacher.

4. Compose

Compose a harmony to go with your melody from Lesson 2.

Tips:

  • Think about your story's context from Lesson 1 – will it be a happy story? A sad story? An exciting story?

  • Think about how tempo and rhythm can affect your interpretation.

  • Your harmony could be chords, or a single line.

You may compose it using voices or instruments of your choice, or use music software or an app on your device.

Optional: notate your melody on manuscript paper or use music notation software on your device.


Extra extension task!

Create 2 different harmonic accompaniments for your melody to explore interpretations of a melody in further detail.

5. Perform

Record a performance of your composition.

Use your instrument, sing or use playback in your music software or app.

Well done!

You have completed this @The Arts Unit Creative Class.

We hope you're very happy with your completed melody composition – maybe you could write some more!

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