Embedded Files
Objectives
Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Sing and transcribe melodies that utilize the diatonic modes and blues scales.
Aurally identify modes in static musical textures.
Sight read and aurally recognize rhythms in compound time incorporating 8th note rests.
Preparation for Class
Preparation for Class
Read:
Read:
Review reading from Theory & Practice 1 (as needed):
"Introduction to Diatonic Modes" (OMT).
"Diatonic Modes" (OMT)
Watch
Watch
Microtonal Blues Scales
Panos Charalampidis (11 mins)
Guitarist Panos Charalampidis explains contemporary theories on blues scales, emphasizing "pitch zones" over the discrete pitches that we're familiar with in Western equal temperament.
Explore
Explore
Singing with Modes: Check out one of the interactive tools below to practice singing along with each mode. Sing with the keyboard until you're able to sing accurately without it, then try improvising a few melodies in that mode.
Notio keyboard: Click the "Scale" button to change the scale. The "Keyboard" button will expand your keyboard. Change the scale's starting note, by clicking on the "Root" button.
ToneGym: This tool includes chords and extensions for each scale in an interactive keyboard format.
Test yourself: See how you do identifying the modes you just sang! Here's the drill. For extra practice, try singing back the scale before identifying it.
Octatonic vs. Whole Tone: Try out the same two sites above and practice singing along with the whole tone and octatonic scales.
Pre-Class Assignment
Pre-Class Assignment
Auralia:
Review: Rhythm tapping in compound time & tuning
Identification of mode and symmetrical scale types in musical examples
In-Class Activities
In-Class Activities
Discussion
Discussion
Blues on the Piano: Panos Charalampidis describes how blues scales are more of a series of "pitch zones" than discrete pitches like in the equal tempered system. However, all of the blues heads sung in class today were composed at the piano using the equal tempered scale. How do these melodies approximate the idea of "pitch zones" without having the ability to bend the tuning?
Activities
Activities
Practice Blues Grooves: Try singing along or sight-reading the grooves in these scaffolded exercises by Ethan Hein: "Don't Sweat It," "In your Soul," and "The Down Stroke."
Singing Blues Heads
Sing through a few Blues "heads" from composers such as Mary Lou Williams, Sonny Rollins, and Neal Hefti. (See the melody Anthology link below).
How does the pitch material of these heads relate to diatonic modes and pentatonic sets, and what makes them different?
Identifying Modes in Steve Reich's "Different Trains" (1988)
This piece features a series of pre-recorded interviews accompanied by strings. Take a few minutes to read about the piece here.
Each section of interviews is undergirded by a different diatonic mode played by the strings.
Identify each of those modes on the handout provided here.
Repertoire for Practice
Repertoire for Practice
Sight Reading:
Rhythm: Adding 8th note rests in compound time.
Melody: Modal melodies and blues scales.
Want to learn more?
Want to learn more?
If you're interested in blues tonality and how it relates to diatonic modes, here's a great video by Adam Neely exploring the tonality in Jimi Hendrix's classic "Hey Joe."
Additional Optional Practice
Additional Optional Practice
Musition:
Drum Styles: Level 4
Rhythm Tapping: Level 2b, 2c
Auralia:
Rhythm Element Dictation: Level 1b
Rhythm Dictation: Levels 3b, 3c
Scales: Level 3a–3c
Tonality: Level 2
Non-Western & Folk Melody: Levels 4a–7c
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