Learning Activity

Composing a Simple Melody

Subject Area

Arts Education

Grade(s)

6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Overview

This activity moves the student past the recognition of melodic characteristics and toward the composition of melodies. In this activity, the student will use graphic representations to generate and draft a simple melodic idea and then transfer that idea into traditional music notation.

This activity was created as a result of the Arts COS Resource Development Summit.

Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 06-12 - Music

AE17.MU.TEE.N.2

Select and draft melodic and rhythmic ideas or motives that demonstrate understanding of thecharacteristics of music or texts studied in rehearsal.

Unpacked Content

UP:AE17.MU.TEE.N.2

Vocabulary

Choral
Rhythm
  • Measure
  • Bar line
  • Time signature
  • Simple meter
  • Common time
  • 2/4 time
  • Whole note/ rest
  • Half note/ rest
  • Quarter note/ rest
  • Eighth note/ rest
  • Tempo
Melody
  • Head voice/ chest voice
  • Staff
  • Clef (treble and bass)
  • Major key signature
  • Diatonic major scale
  • Tonic major arpeggio
  • Pitch
  • Stepwise motion
  • Skip motion
Harmony
  • Unison
  • 2-part singing
  • Vocal ostinati
  • Imitative harmony (canon, etc.)
Form
  • Phrase
  • Verse
  • Chorus
  • Section
  • AB
  • ABA
  • Repeat sign
Expression
  • Balance/ blend
  • Phrasing
  • Dynamics: pianissimo, piano, mezzo piano, mezzo forte, forte, fortissimo, crescendo, decrescendo, diminuendo
  • Uniform vowels
  • Fermata
Other
  • Sharps
  • Flats
  • Naturals
  • Diction
  • Posture
  • Performance etiquette
  • Correct breathing

Instrumental
Rhythm
  • Beat
  • Tempo
    • Adagio
    • Andante
    • Moderato
  • Counting System
  • Simple Meter
  • Time Signature
    • 4/4
    • Common
    • 2/4
    • 3/4
  • Barline
  • Measure/ Bar
  • Whole Note & Rest
  • Half Note & Rest
  • Quarter Note & Rest
  • Eighth Note & Rest
  • Dotted Half Note
  • Tie
  • Pick-up Note
  • Rudiment
Melody
  • Staff
  • Clef
    • Treble
    • Bass
    • Alto
  • Key Signature
  • Sharp
  • Flat
  • Natural
  • Accidental
  • Pitch
  • Range
  • Register
  • Middle Register
  • Tonality
  • Major
  • Diatonic
  • Chromatic
  • Scale
  • Arpeggio
  • Half-Step
  • Whole-Step
  • Stepwise Motion
  • Intervals
Harmony
  • Unison
  • Solo
  • Duet
  • Tutti
  • Chord
  • Progression
Form
  • Phrase
  • Repeats/ Repeat Sign
  • Double Bar Line
Expression
  • Dynamic
    • Piano
    • Mezzo Piano
    • Mezzo Forte
    • Forte
  • Articulation
    • Tonguing
    • Slurring
    • Accent
    • Legato
    • Staccato
    • Detaché
    • Pizzicato
  • Breath Mark
Other
  • Posture
  • Instrument Carriage
  • Instrument Assembly
  • Instrument Maintenance
  • Embouchure
  • Grip
  • Characteristic Tone Quality
  • Tone Color
  • Range
  • Timbre
  • Breathing
  • Support
  • Sustain
  • Release
  • Intonation
  • Balance

Essential Questions

EU: The creative ideas, concepts, and feelings that influence musicians' work emerge from a variety of sources.
EQ: How do musicians generate creative ideas?

Skills Examples

Choral
Performing
  • Read rhythmic notation aloud using a consistent system (e.g., counting, neutral syllables, etc.).
  • Read melodic notation aloud using a consistent system (e.g., numbers, solfege, etc.).
    • Creating
    • Improvise 4-8 beat rhythms using body percussion and call/ response.
    • Improvise 4-beat melodic patterns using visual stimuli and call/ response.
    • Collaborate to synthesize original compositions with peers using improvised elements.
      • Reading/ Writing
      • Create and share 8-16 measure unison rhythmic and melodic exercises using standard notation within teacher-provided guidelines.
        • Responding/ Evaluating
        • Identify thematic elements and repetition in notated music.
        • Identify challenging elements in notated music.

          • Instrumental
          Performing
          • Assemble, disassemble, and perform routine maintenance on the assigned instrument(s).
          • Hold the assigned instrument(s) with appropriate posture.
          • Using the proper embouchure, breath support, articulation, and release, produce a characteristic tone in the middle register at dynamic ranges between piano and forte (Winds).
          • Perform pizzicato, up and down bows with a detaché bow stroke with 2 to 4 slurred notes (Strings).
          • On a steady beat and at slow to medium tempi, clap, speak on neutral syllables, count aloud, and play on instruments given rhythmic patterns using whole, half, quarter, eighth notes and rests and dotted half notes in 4/4, common, 2/4, and 3/4 meters.
          • On a steady beat and at slow to medium, speak the letter names of and sing on pitch and/or using solfege melodic notation within a given range.
          • Play the concert Bb, Eb, and Ab scales with arpeggios (winds and percussion). Play a one octave concert C, G, D, and A scales with arpeggios (strings).
            • Play five-stroke roll, nine-stroke rolls, flam, single paradiddle, and flamacue rudiments (percussion). Play a one octave chromatic scale (winds and percussion).
          • Play alone and with others, music graded .5 to 1 and beginner to very easy.
          Creating
          • Complete unfinished compositions using standard music notation.
          • Improvise simple rhythmic and melodic patterns of 1-2 measures within given parameters.
          • Compose simple rhythmic and melodic patterns of 1-2 measures within given parameters using standard music notation.
          Reading/ Writing
          • Read given rhythmic notation using whole, half, quarter, eighth, and dotted half notes and rests in 4/4, common, 2/4, and 3/4 meters.
          • Read melodic notation within the middle register of the assigned instruments(s).
          • Identify by name and notate common musical elements (staff, clefs, rhythms, etc.).
          Responding/ Evaluating
          • Identify parts of the assigned instrument(s).
          • Listen to and identify intervals by ear.
          • Listen to and echo simple rhythmic and melodic patterns 1 to 2 measures in length using body percussion, the voice, and instruments.
          • Listen to and dictate simple rhythmic patterns 1 to 2 measures in length using whole, half, quarter, eighth, and dotted half notes and rests in 4/4, common, 2/4, and 3/4 meters.
          • Listen to and dictate simple melodic patterns 1 to 2 measures in length within a given range.
          • Listen to a variety of live and recorded music performed by self, peers, instructors, and professional soloists and ensembles.
          • Listen to live and recorded music from a variety of time periods and cultures, of varying styles, from various composers.
          • Recognize conducting patterns used in 4/4, common, 2/4, and 3/4 meters.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.

Phase

After/Explain/Elaborate
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

Students will 

  • use graphic representation to create and portray the ascending, descending, and repetitive features of a simple melody
  • acknowledge the presence of steps and skips within the melody
  • transfer the graphic representation of the melody into traditional notation

Activity Details

Opening Strategy

  • The students will open a blank document in Microsoft Word (or take out a blank sheet of paper).
  • From the Insert menu, the students will go to the Shapes sub menu and select the Freeform: Scribble line (second row, first selection on the left).
  • Students will practice inserting the Scribble line and manipulating it in their document.
  • The teacher will play a simple melody and the students will use the Scribble line to draw the contour of the melody (ascending, descending, or repeating).
  • From the Insert menu, the students will go to the Shapes sub menu and insert an oval shape into their blank document. (The student may need to adjust the size of the oval - smaller is better.)
  • The student will copy the shape and paste 15-20 duplicate shapes into the document. (Move the shapes to the bottom of the page so they are out of the way.)
  • The students will then move the oval shapes next to the Scribble line so that the oval shapes match the contour of the melody.

Core Strategy

  • The teacher will ask the students to think about creating their own four measure melody. Will the melody ascend, descend, repeat, or be a combination of these characteristics?
  • The student will begin the notation process of their melody by drawing the contour using the Scribble line. 
  • The students will then place ovals next to the line to approximate the same melodic contour. 
  • The teacher will ask the students to think about the rhythmic duration of the notes in their melody. Will the notes have a short duration, long duration, or combination of both? For their melody, students will use only quarter notes (short) and half notes (long).
  • The students will keep their ovals small to represent quarter notes and they will elongate the ovals to represent half notes.
  • Once the students have their ovals in place to represent melodic contour and rhythmic duration they will open the music notation software or obtain a blank sheet of staff paper from the teacher.
  • Based on their instrument or vocal range, the students will use the oval representations from the previous document to compose their melody. The contour and size of the ovals will determine the melodic direction and duration of the notes.

Closing Strategy

  • Students will discuss their melody with a partner and evaluate a) whether the student can provide evidence supporting his or her use of the composition process described in class (i.e. document with Scribble line and ovals and notated document), b) whether the notated melody matches the Scribble line and oval contour, and c) whether the melody is notated correctly (i.e. correct number of beats in each measure). 
  • Students will perform the melody on their instruments for the class.
Assessment Strategies

Assessment Strategies

Students will send their Word document and music notation to their teacher as email attachments, or hand in hard copies. 

Teachers will 

  • evaluate whether the student can provide evidence supporting his or her use of the composition process used in class (i.e. document with Scribble line and ovals and notated document)
  • evaluate whether the notated melody matches the Scribble line and oval contour
  • evaluate whether the melody is notated correctly (i.e. correct number of beats in each measure)
  • evaluate the students performance of the melody

Each criteria can be evaluated using Pass/Fail, a holistic rubric, or analytic rubric at the teacher's discretion.  

Variation Tips

In this activity, paper and pencils can be used if no similar software is available.

Background and Preparation

Background / Preparation

Materials for this lesson are

  • Computers, iPads, or blank paper 
  • Music notation software or blank staff paper 

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

mzelenak
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