Unit 5-2: Suspensions & Motives

Objectives

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

Describe strategies for incorporating suspensions into melodic improvisation.
Improvise melodies that incorporate suspensions over chord schemata introduced in Unit 3 and sight read melodies that incorporate 16th note subdivisions.
Transcribe the chords and melody for a song excerpt that incorporates suspensions and other embellishing tones, and label those tones by type as a passing tone (P), neighbor tone (N), appoggiatura (A), escape tone (E), or suspension (S).
Sight read, improvise, and transcribe rhythms that incorporate 16th note subdivisions in compound time.

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

Handouts

Examples of Neighbor (N) and Passing Tones (P)
Source: Timothy Rolls (Theory II: Non-Chord Tones)

Different Examples of Suspensions
Source: Timothy Rolls (Theory II: Non-Chord Tones)

Rhythmic Improvisation Subdivisions in Compound Time: Select a time signature (6/8, 9/8, or 12/8), then improvise rhythms using the rhythm grid below. 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 the rhythm with correct rhythmic syllables.
- - Rhythm Grid with Takadimi syllables
  - Rhythm Grid without rhythmic syllables
  - Looped Grooves in Compound Time from Pop Repertoire (by Trevor de Clercq)
Melodic Improvisation (Suspensions): Improvise a melody using one of the schema and backing tracks introduced in Unit 3. Add suspensions, retardations, and repeated melodic or rhythmic motives into your improvisation. Before you begin, discuss strategies for finding good places to add suspensions into your melody.

Sight-Singing (Skips in IV and V): Continue practice sight reading melodies in all sections, focusing on melodies that incorporate compound subdivisions.
Rhythm Sight-Reading: Sight-read rhythms in the section "16th Notes: No Dotted 8th."
- - Warm up with the preparatory exercise "Second Division of the Beat in Compound Meter" from Cleland & Dobrea-Grindahl, Developing Musicianship through Aural Skills.
  - Try performing the rhythms over the top of a rhythmic backing track in compound time. (From Trevor de Clercq's Index of Rhythm Grooves)

Sight Singing: Skips with 7 and 2

Sight Singing: Skips with 4 and 6

Rhythms: Compound Subdivisions

Theory Anthology: Listen to melodies in the sections "Suspensions and Retardations." Transcribe the chords (using Roman numerals and chord symbols), melody, and label all non-chord tones by type as a passing tone (P), neighbor tone (N), appoggiatura (A), escape tone (E), suspension (S), or retardations (R).
Score Transcription: Listen to Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." Identify examples of suspensions and retardations.
- - Instructor Note: See the score and notes in the Instructor Companion Site.

Theory Anthology: Suspensions and Retardations

Assignment 5-2

Next Lesson: Chromatic Embellishing Tones

Auralia:
- Pop Chord Progressions: Level 8e
- Rhythm Dictation: Levels 7a, 7b
- Rhythm Element Dictation: Levels 4a, 4b
Musition:
- Rhythm Tapping: Level 6a

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