Unit 5-4: Blues Melody

Objectives

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

Demonstrate further proficiency in sight reading, improvising, and transcribing rhythms that incorporate the dotted 8th-16th-8th pattern in compound time.
Sight-read and improvise melodies that incorporate chromatic embellishing tones that include a leap over chord schemata introduced in Unit 3 and sight read melodies using the blues scale.
Transcribe examples that use the blues scale and recognize examples of "blue notes" in examples from the repertoire.

Preparation for Class

Explore

Jam on the Pentatonic Collection: Your computer keyboard transforms into a rock organ preset with the minor pentatonic collection. Jam on the James Brown "Think" track on aQwertyon.

Reference Aids:

Building the Major or Minor Pentatonic Scale (from KaitlinBove.com)

Build the major or minor scale, then subtract the 4th and 7th scale degrees:

Three scales are shown in standard musical notation, with corresponding whole (W) and half (H) step patterns indicated below each. The first scale is a C Major scale, labeled "C Major Scale." It includes the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. The pattern below is W W H W W W H. The second scale is a C Major scale with the 4th and 7th degrees omitted, labeled "C Major Scale -(4/7)." It includes the notes C, D, E, G, A, C. This demonstrates that omitting the 4th and 7th degrees of the major scale results in the third scale shown, which is the C Major pentatonic scale, labeled "C Major Pentatonic Scale." It includes the notes C, D, E, G, A, C. The pattern below is W W m3 W m3; m3 represents a minor third.

Compare the Minor Pentatonic to the Blues Scale
From Berklee, "From Minor Pentatonic Scale to the Blues Scale"

This shows the C Pentatonic scale ascending and descending: C, E-flat, F, G, B-flat, and descending: C, B-flat, G, F, E-flat, C.

This shows the C blues scale ascending and descending: C, E-flat, F, G-flat, G-natural, B-flat, and descending: C, B-flat, G, G-flat, F, E-flat, C.

The Standard 12-Bar Blues Progression
From Berklee, "From Minor Pentatonic Scale to the Blues Scale"

This image shows lead-sheet notation for a 12-bar blues progression in C. The progression is as follows: * Bars 1-4: I7 - C7 * Bars 5-6: IV7 - F7 * Bars 7-8: I7 - C7 * Bar 9: V7 - G7 * Bar 10: IV7 - F7 * Bars 11-12: I7 - C7

In-Class Activities

Improvisation

Rhythmic Improvisation (16ths in Compound with Dotted 8ths): Continued practice from Unit 5-3.
- - Rhythm Grid with Takadimi syllables
  - Rhythm Grid without rhythmic syllables
Melodic Improvisation (Chromatic Embellishing Tones): Improvise a melody using one of the schema and backing tracks introduced in Unit 3. Add chromatic embellishing tones that include a leap into your improvisation. Before you begin discuss strategies for incorporating these embellishments.
Improvisation with a Partner: Review the Open Music Theory activity introduced in Unit 3-2 with your knowledge of blues scales. Complete the activity during class or outside of class as part of an assignment. (PDF | MuseScore | Backing Track )

Sight Reading

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."
Melodic Sight-Reading: Sight read through the melodies in the section "Leaps/Skips to or from a Chromatic Note."
- - Before you begin sing through the chromatic scale using solfège. Discuss the different syllables associated with ascending or descending chromatic pitches and how this applies to melodies when sight-reading. (See the "References" section above for visual aids.)
Sight-Singing (Blues Melodies): Continue practice sight-reading melodies in the section "Blues Scales."
Rhythm Sight-Reading: Continue sight-reading rhythms in the section "Dotted 8th Notes."

Sight Singing: Chromatic Embellishing Tones

Sight Singing: Blues Melodies

Rhythms: Compound Subdivisions

Aural ID and Dictation

Transcription 1: "Hound Dog": Complete a transcription of the first 12 bars of Big Mama Thorton's original recording of "Hound Dog." See the Open Music Theory worksheet and materials here: PDF, MuseScore, worksheet playlist. (see p. 2)
Transcription 2: "Higher Ground": Complete a transcription of sections of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" as specified by your instructor. Listen for examples of "blues notes."
- - Instructor Note: See a copy of the score and notes in the Instructor Companion Site.
Aural Anthology (Blues Scales): See the section "Blues Scales" for additional examples for transcription or aural analysis.
Theory Anthology: See the subsections on these pages for additional examples for transcription or aural analysis.

Aural Anthology: Blues Scales

Theory Anthology: I, IV, V, and the Blues

Theory Anthology: Blues Scales & Melody

Assignment

Assignment 5-4

NEXT STEP

Next Lesson: Improvising Counter Melodies

Additional Practice

Auralia:
- Rhythm Dictation: Level 7c
- Rhythm Element Dictation: Level 4c
- Solfege ID: Levels 5b, 5c
- Two-Part Melodic Dictation: Levels 7a–c
Musition:
- Rhythm Tapping: Level 6b

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