Stepwise Major & Minor

Stepwise melodies in major and minor keys. Simple time only. Rhythms with beats, divisions, and subdivisions of the beat.

Warmups

1) Major Scale Round [Image File | MuseScore]

Directions: Sing the major scale round with a partner or with the class divided into halves. Practice the exercise in different keys.

2) Minor Scale Round [Image File | MuseScore]

Directions: Sing the major scale round with a partner or with the class divided into halves. Practice the exercise in different keys.

Suggested Exercises. Open the solfège ladder to use as a visual guide for the following exercises:

Point & Sing: Have a classmate or instructor point to steps on the ladder while the class sings the syllables.
Improvised Melodies: Make up a 3–5 note stepwise melody. Have your partner pick up on the melody by starting with the last note of your segment (e.g. Do-Re-Do-Ti-La, La-Sol-Fa-Mi, Mi-Fa-Mi-Re-Do, etc.)
Call & Response: Have a classmate or instructor improve a 3–5 note melody using the criteria above on a neutral vocal syllable ("Da") or played at the piano. Sing the melody back using solfège.

1) Anonymous, Carol (Bohemia) [Image File | MuseScore]

2) Canon for two voices. L.O. Emerson, Whither Through the Meadow? [Image File | MuseScore]

3) Béla Bartók, Mikrokosmos Vol. I, No. 2a (1939) [Image File | MuseScore | Youtube 0:22–0:42]

1) L. R. Lewis [Image File | MuseScore ]

2) Traditional Folksong, Denmark [Image File] [MuseScore] [PDF]

1) Béla Bartók, Mikrokosmos Vol. I, No. 2b (1939) [Image File | MuseScore | Youtube 0:42–1:02]

2) Béla Bartók, Mikrokosmos Vol. I, No. 3 (1939) [Image File | MuseScore | Youtube 1:04–1:35]

1) Klaus Badelt, “The Medallion Calls,” from the film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) [Image | MuseScore]

2) Juan del Encina, “Una sañosa porfía,” soprano part only, mm. 1–6 (ca. 1486) [Image | MuseScore | PDF]

1) Dua Lipa, “Levitating,” from Future Nostalgia (2020) [YouTube | MuseScore | Image ]

2) The Drifters, “Save the Last Dance for Me,” verse (mm. 5–13), from Save the Last Dance for Me (1960) [Image File] [MuseScore] [PDF]

David Newman, “Silly Solfege Song”
Audio & Lyrics here

Sight Singing Textbook (San Fransisco Conservatory), Stepwise Motion

Major only, whole/half/quarter rhythms
- - Small range: pp. 10–20
  - Wider octave range: pp. 34–36
Minor only, whole/half/quarter rhythms: p. 56 (nos. 1–4), 59 (nos. 1–2), 60 (no. 6)
- - Melodic minor: p. 62 (no. 1–2), p. 64 (no. 6)