Lesson 3-1: Mode Mixture, Beat Divisions into 5 or More

Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Sight-read, improvise, and transcribe rhythms that subdivide into 5 or more (e.g. quintuplets, sextuplets, and septuplets).
Sight sing and improvise melodies that incorporate mode mixture over a given chord progression in major or minor.
Transcribe chord progressions, melodies, and outer voices in examples from the repertoire that use mode mixture.

Preparation for Class

Read:

Modal Mixture (Developing Musicianship Through Aural Skills, pp. 310–311) - Available online through the library
Other Divisions of the Beat (Developing Musicianship Through Aural Skills, pp. 331–332)

Watch

Try a few practice videos to get a feel for divisions into 5 or more.

Sight-Reading Practice with Quintuplets
(Sight-Reading, 5 mins)

5 Levels of Quintuplets Challenge
(Sight-Reading, 5 mins)

Sight-Reading Practice with Sextuplets
(Sight-Reading, 5 mins)

Sextuplet Rhythms with Dots
(Sight-Reading, 5 mins)

Practice with Sextuplets and Septuplets
(Sight Read Drums, 1 min)

Study Aids

Irregular Divisions in Simple Meter
(Source: Cleland & Dobrea-Grindahl, Developing Musicianship Through Aural Skills, p 382)

Irregular Divisions in Compound Meter
(Source: Cleland & Dobrea-Grindahl, Developing Musicianship Through Aural Skills, p 383)

Borrowed Triads & 7ths in Major & Minor
(Source: Open Music Theory)

Lesson Materials

Sight-Reading

Melodic Sight-Reading (Mode Mixture): Sight read melodies in the “Mode Mixture” section of the anthology. Additional melodies are linked below for extra practice.
- - Additional Melodies for Sight-Singing: Warmups (pitch patterns and chord arpeggiations), melodies, duets, and sing & play examples (from Developing Musicianship Through Aural Skills, pp. 353–360)
Rhythm Sight Reading (Beat Divisions of 5 or More): Read through rhythms in a few of the videos from the “Watch” section above with the sound muted, then work through examples in the anthology.
- - Additional Rhythms for Study: Developing Musicianship Through Aural Skills, pp. 333–338

Melody: Mode Mixture

Rhythm: Quintuplets, Sextuplets, Septuplets

Improvisation

Rhythmic Improvisation (Divisions into 5, 6, 7): Select a simple or compound time signature, then improvise a 1–4 bar rhythm that includes quintuplets, sextuplets, or septuplets. Use the rhythmic syllables specified by your instructor and conduct while you improvise. For additional practice, take turns doing call and response. Improvise one measure using a neutral syllable; the class responds by singing back (or transcribing) the rhythm with correct rhythmic syllables to ID the rhythm.
- - Find/make a backing track to improvise over. Backing tracks are readily available on YouTube (e.g. try searching “slow rock, backing track, 4/4” to find something like this.)
  - See also the rhythm improvisation exercises in Developing Musicianship on p. 338–339.
Melodic Improvisation (Mode Mixture): Improvise a melody over one of the following progressions or compose your own progression using mode mixture. For an extra added challenge, add a quintuplet, sextuplet, or septuplet into your improvisation.
- - Chord Player: E: | I | vi | iv | V7 | [Link]

F: | I V43 | I6 | iiø 65 | V7 | [Link]

- - Try the improvisation exercises in Developing Musicianship on p. 360.

Aural ID & Dictation

Theory/Aural Anthology: See examples incorporating mode mixture in the theory and aural anthologies for chord ID, chord dictation, and practice with transcription.
For additional practice examples, see also:
- - Paula Maust, Expanding the Music Theory Canon: Modal Mixture
  - Diverse Music Theory Examples: Modal Mixture
  - Open Music Theory Harmony Anthology: See the section “Mode Mixture”

Aural Anthology: Mode Mixture

Theory Anthology: Mode Mixture

NEXT STEP

Next Lesson: Neapolitan 6ths

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