Unit 4-1: Review of Phrase Structure

Objectives

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

Sight read, improvise, and transcribe rhythms that incorporate beat note values other than quarter notes in simple time (e.g. 2/2, 4/16, 3/8)
Describe strategies for "call-and-response" in improvisation and performance and improvise a melody that uses these strategies.
Improvise a melody using one of the schemata introduced in Unit 3 that incorporate a 2-part, 3-part, or 4-part SRDC structure.
Aurally identify different types of phrase structure in examples from the repertoire, including sentences, periods, and 2-part, 3-part, and 4-part SRDC structure.

Preparation for Class

Read:

Read the following selections from Chenette's Foundations of Aural Skills:

Reference Aids

Comparison of Simple Time Signatures
(Source: Sarah Louden)

The image is a chart illustrating examples of simple and compound time signatures, grouped by their meter types: duple, triple, and quadruple. The chart is split into two main sections labeled 'Simple' and 'Compound,' each of which contains various time signatures. Each time signature is displayed with corresponding note patterns that show how beats are divided in these meters. Simple Time: Duple (2 beats per measure): 2/2: Shows two half notes, each subdivided into two quarter notes. 2/4: Two quarter notes, each subdivided into two eighth notes. 2/8: Two eighth notes, each subdivided into two sixteenth notes. Triple (3 beats per measure): 3/2: Three half notes, each subdivided into two quarter notes. 3/4: Three quarter notes, each subdivided into two eighth notes. 3/8: Three eighth notes, each subdivided into two sixteenth notes. Quadruple (4 beats per measure): 4/2: Four half notes, each subdivided into two quarter notes. 4/4: Four quarter notes, each subdivided into two eighth notes. 4/8: Four eighth notes, each subdivided into two sixteenth notes. Compound Time: Duple (2 beats per measure, each divided into three): 6/4: Two dotted half notes, each subdivided into three quarter notes. 6/8: Two dotted quarter notes, each subdivided into three eighth notes. 6/16: Two dotted eighth notes, each subdivided into three sixteenth notes. Triple (3 beats per measure, each divided into three): 9/4: Three dotted half notes, each subdivided into three quarter notes. 9/8: Three dotted quarter notes, each subdivided into three eighth notes. 9/16: Three dotted eighth notes, each subdivided into three sixteenth notes. Quadruple (4 beats per measure, each divided into three): 12/4: Four dotted half notes, each subdivided into three quarter notes. 12/8: Four dotted quarter notes, each subdivided into three eighth notes. 12/16: Four dotted eighth notes, each subdivided into three sixteenth notes.

Sentence Structure Diagram and Musical Example
Image Sources: Top Image: Elliott Hauser, "The Sentence." Bottom image: Forest & Santa, "A Taxonomy of Sentence Structures"

This is a diagram of a sentence phrase structure. The top bracket reads “sentence”. The next two brackets are divided equally under the top bracket. They read left to right: “presentation” and “continuation”. The next two brackets are divided equally under the presentation bracket. They read “BI” and “BI” which stands for Basic Idea. After the second BI, between the Presentation and Continuation, there is “no cadence” labeled. At the end of the continuation, there are three cadence options: PAC, HC, or IAC. Under all the brackets is a horizontal line divided into 8 parts equally, representing a standard number of measures for this phrase structure.

This is a sentence phrase structure shown in John Williams’s There from Superman. The first two measures show the basic idea, the next two measures show this repeated, the next measure shows the development, and then last two show the cadential idea. This ends with and IAC (Vsus-I).

Period Structure Diagram and Musical Example
Images: Top Image: "Diagram of a Typical Period," Bottom Image: Two parallel periods in Greensleeves. Both from "Period (Music)" in Wikipedia.

This is a diagram of a period phrase structure. The top bracket reads “period”. The next two brackets are divided equally under the top bracket. They read left to right: “phrase 1” and “phrase 2”. At the end of the phrase 1, there are two cadence options: HC or IAC (incomplete). At the end of the phrase 2, there are two cadence options: IAC or PAC (complete).

This is the first 16 bars of Greensleeves. There are two 8-bar phrases which make two periods. Together, these make what's called a "double-period". The first phrase is broken up into phrase a, which ends with a half-cadence in measure 4, and phrase a’ which ends with an Authentic-cadence in measure 8. The second phrase is broken up into phrase b, which ends with a half-cadence in measure 12, and phrase b’ which ends with an Authentic-cadence in measure 16.

In-Class Activities

Improvisation

Call & Response: Work through the "call and response" activity introduced in the reading.
Improvising Phrase Structure: Continue practice with the chord schemata introduced in Unit 3, but improvise your melodies in phrase groups that incorporate sentences, 2-part, 3-part, and 4-part SRDC structures over the progressions. Review these phrase structures before you begin and discuss strategies for improvisation. Flip back to previous lessons for backing tracks to use during your improvisation.

Sight Reading

Sight-Singing (Skips in IV and V): Sight read the melodies in the section "Other Time Signatures" on both pages.
Rhythm Sight-Reading (Cut Time): Sight-read rhythms in all sections.
Rhythm Sight-Reading (Other Beat Units): Sight-read rhythms in the sections on "Simple Meters."

Sight Singing: Skips with 7 and 2

Sight Singing: Skips with 4 and 6

Rhythms: Cut Time

Rhythms: Other Beat Units

Aural ID and Dictation

Aural Anthology: Listen and identify phrase structures in the sections "Periods & Sentences: Longer Examples" and "2-Part, 3-Part, and 4-Part Phrase Structures in Popular Music." Listen and identify phrase structure and call-and-response in "12-Bar Blues."
Theory Anthology: For additional examples for use identifying phrase structure, see the sections "Periods & Sentences" and "2-Part, 3-Part, and 4-Part Phrase Structures in Popular Music."

Aural Anthology: Phrase & Form

Theory Anthology Sections:

Sentences

Periods

2, 3, 4-Part Phrases in Pop

Assignment

Assignment 4-1

NEXT STEP

Next Lesson: AABA and Strophic

Additional Practice

Auralia:
- Phrase Structure & Form: Levels 1–2
- Pop Chord Progressions: Level 8b
- Rhythm Dictation: Levels 9a, 9b
Musition:
- Rhythm Tapping: Levels 7–8b

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