As you experience Task 5, you will discover and explore the use of repetition and contrast in creating melody. Listeners crave both unity and variety in the music they hear-you have probably experienced this yourself. You might enjoy a song with a catchy chorus (or hook), but if that's all there is to the song, over and over and over and over, you may tire of it quickly. On the other hand, if a song has no melodic repetition at all, it is sometimes difficult to follow. We as listeners like to be able both to predict what we will hear and be surprised by new material. What is the exact balance? No One Knows. Well, actually, research has been done exploring this topic. You can Google it. When beginning as composers, it is helpful to decide on a structure within which you will stay in creating your melody. What do I mean by structure? Well, neighbor, join my friends and I for lunch (video embedded below), and let's see what we can discover....
How did you feel about the prospect of a sandwich made only of bread? Would you have preferred the sandwich with meat and cheese? How about the Dagwood sandwich? You may even like different sandwiches at different times. It is much the same with melody. Use the WheelDecide embedded below to practice your understanding of form. You may use sandwich materials, colored crayons, pets, or anything else you have around your current habitat that can be used to represent Same and Different. You will need at least three Sames, and at least three Differents. If you don't want to get up, or you are stuck in the parking lot of your sibling's dance class, you may use a pencil and draw shapes. But find a way to experience this exercise kinetically. Oh! Do jumping jacks for A, burpees for B, crawl for C, and duck for D. If you need an idea. Spin the wheel, and create the given form! Repeat this several times, and complete this to tell me how you represented each of the given sections.
Let's check for understanding. Using an internet connected mobile device or computer, join in this Kahoot game. Listen to the entire clip (except the Storm Trooper and Mountain King, you only have to give those about a minute) and see how you do identifying the proper form. If you can't get the Kahoot game to work (and I would love it if you would do this regardless), go to the Padlet on the Community page and add a link to one of the songs you are currently enjoying. As you post your link, comment on what you think the form of the song probably is. Look on the Padlet for the example I posted.
You're ready to create a melody! Go to your account at Noteflight.com and create a 2-measure ditty to serve as the "A" section for your melody. For purposes of this activity, try to avoid melodic leaps (keep the notes relatively close together on the y-axis, up and down on the staff). Your melody will feel more self-contained if you begin and end on the same note. You don't have to like it, it doesn't need to be brilliant. You're just trying to get started. Unless you are still struggling with Noteflight itself, throwing this little ditty together should only take about 5 or 6 minutes. Go! Title it "A", and complete this form to let me know you've done it.
Excellent! Now let's make the melody longer. Download and print this Form In Music worksheet to use as a guide in designing the structure you would like for your melody to follow. Using Noteflight.com, follow the structure you designed and create your melody. Create at least 8 measures. For now, use the form you have chosen as the Title (AABA for instance). If you like, you may change the title to something less mundane later. Remember, with this exercise you are simply demonstrating your understanding of basic forms in music. You can show your inner Stravinsky later. Let me know here when you finish your composition.