Memorable Melodies

OBJECTIVE: Students will explore what makes a melody memorable and discover how composers create variations on a theme to express new ideas and emotions.

SUMMARY: Melodies are at the heart of music—they are the part we remember, sing, and recognize. In Appalachian Spring, Aaron Copland used the Shaker tune “Simple Gifts” to create one of the most recognizable melodies in American music. Students will learn to sing the melody, listen to how Copland transformed it through variations, and create their own variations to understand how melody and expression work together to capture the listener’s imagination.

GRADES: 4 - 8

DISCIPLINES & ARTISTIC PROCESS: ELA & Music / Responding, Creating, & Connecting

VOCABULARY: articulation, dynamics, imagination, instrumentation, melody, mood, rhythm, tempo, theme, variation

INTRODUCE: AARON COPLAND & AN AMERICAN SOUND

Aaron Copland is sometimes called the “Dean of American Music” because of the big impact he had on other composers and the way he created a sound that feels uniquely American. His music often makes people think of wide-open spaces, adventure, and hope. Copland wrote many kinds of music—ballets, symphonies, film scores, and songs—and is especially remembered for writing simple, beautiful, and memorable melodies. Born in Brooklyn to parents who came from Russia, Copland was influenced by many different sounds: his Jewish heritage, the jazz he heard in Harlem, folk music from America, and music he discovered while traveling the world.

Play the Shaker Melody, "Simple Gifts," and sing along.
(By Joseph Brackett, 1848, a Shaker from Maine, U.S.)

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free

'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gained,

To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed,

To turn, turn will be our delight,

Till by turning, turning we come 'round right.

Now listen to an excerpt of Copland's Appalachian Spring Suite and as a class, discuss what you hear.
🎵Appalachian Spring Suite
- Raise your hand when you hear "Simple Gifts." Why do you think composers sometimes use folk tunes in their music?
- Does the melody move by steps or leaps? What do you notice about the rhythms?
- How does the melody change throughout the piece?
- What do you hear in Copland's music that makes it sound "American?" What musical elements give it that distinct sound (e.g. melodic shape, harmonies, instrumentation, etc.)?
- What images come to mind when you hear this music?
- What emotions and ideas do you think are being expressed?

EXPLORE: THEME & VARIATION

Listen again to Appalachian Spring Suite
🎵Appalachian Spring Suite
- Explore how Copland altered elements of the “Simple Gifts” melody through a set of five variations on the theme. Variations are composed of a repeated melody with altered musical elements. Use this worksheet as a listening guide and add in other variations that you hear.

Theme and Variation Listening Guide.pdf

My Theme and Variation.pdf

CREATE: COMPOSE YOUR OWN VARIATIONS

Select a short melody and compose three new variations that represent different styles or moods.
The original melody or theme can be something from a class song, a favorite tune, or an original composition. Use the student worksheet to document your choices.
- - What musical elements will you use to alter or vary the melody (for example: tempo, dynamics, note duration, instruments, articulation).
  - What styles or moods are represented in your variations? How is that reflected in your musical choices?

*Note: you may choose to compose variations together as a class or divide students into small groups to experiment with different melodies and sounds.

REFLECT

As a class, discuss the experience of listening to, singing, and creating melodies. Then, have students journal about their experience, using these prompts and their music vocabulary.
- What makes a melody memorable? (e.g. easy to sing, repetition, clear rhythms, emotional connection)
- Why might a composer create variations on a melody? (e.g. to keep the music interesting; to show new emotions; to tell a story in different ways)
- How did changing the melody change its mood or feeling?

Cultural Connections

Learn more about Aaron Copland, his life, and works through the Library of Congress' Aaron Copland Digital Collection.

Visit the Kennedy Center to learn more about Copland's ballet, Appalachian Spring, and the unique collaboration with choreographer Martha Graham that contributed to this timeless and celebrated American masterpieces.

Learn more about The Shakers through this PBS Learning Media resource and Ken Burns documentary.

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