Friday, June 29, 2012

Primary 5: Unit 2_Melody Composition

Listen to the song below. This is the original song that Best Friend is based on. This song is about a soldier from Ukraine who left his loved ones to fight for his country.  Identify the melodic variation methods used.

This one was performed by the Red Army:


Minka uses the Balalaika (a Russian instrument with 3 strings). Find out more about this instrument online , eg, the image, the sound/ video clips. 

You should have learn about Binary and Ternary Form when you are in Primary 3 or 4 using the First Step. 
This is a quick revision:

The words Binary and Ternary simply mean two and three and refers to music which is in two or three distinct sections. If you hum the tune to Twinkle, twinkle little star in your head (this is calledinternalising the music) you should be able to distinguish the three sections. If we were to give each section a letter, it would look like this:

A Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.
B Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky.
A Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.
So music in ternary form is can also be called ABA form, whereas binary form is simply AB


Is theSingapore's national anthem in ABA form or AB form?

Primary 5: Unit 1_ Prelude, Interlude and Finale

Listen to the Birdcather's Song (recorder). In  a piece of music, the beginning is called the prelude, while the end is called the "finale". the additional section of music inserted between the prelude and the finale is called the interlude.

Do the worksheet on your textbook, page 4-5.

Listen to the Trout. This is an art-song . An art-song is a song written for only 1 singer and is accompanied by a musical instrument, usally a piano.  Art-song are different from other types of songs because the lyrics are considered more poetic or elegant, while the music is composed to enhance the beauty and meaning of the lyrics. The most famous composer of art-songs was Franz Schubert. Please do a google search to find out more about him and his music.

This one shows you the song in it's original language and the translation in EL.



This one shows you the same piece by a Soprano (lady, high pitch)
Try to recognise repeated and altered rhythms or pitch in this song.



This one shows you the same piece by a Baritone (most common male voice, between tenor and bass)


Try to play The Trout with your recorder, it is fun!


This is the Donkey Riding by a children choir. Try to identify the main melody and the variation in each section of the song.