Part I:
- (5 pt.) Song #1: Old Mac Donald. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1nLh_p4Mcc
A music phrase or stanza, which is similar to a sentence in grammar, is labeled by letters. The first phrase or the verse, in music, is phrase, A, the next and contrasting phrase is labeled, “phrase B”. Normally, phrase A returns after phrase B is sung or played. Every Phrase, A, or stanza A, in the song, “Old Mac Donald”, ends on E.I.E.I.O: The form of this song is typical to most “pop” songs where one hears phrase A then phrase A again followed by phrase B then phrase A just once. The AABA Phrase grouping repeats again and again until the song is over. A, melody is then repeated. Phrase B begins with the words, “with a quack, quack here” or whatever animal it might be. Then the (A) phrase returns. This happens throughout the song. It is easy to follow along. Don’t just be a typical “lazy ear” listener and get hung up on the lyrics. Keep in mind that most pop songs throughout our American pop music history contain the same form of AABA. PS, instrumental works use the same format as well, but often in a larger display. Copy and paste to browser. Answer this: What was your learning curve of successfully being able to hear the two parts, A and B?
- (10 pt.) https://www.dropbox.com/s/z11kw3i9b25e6su/Review%20of%20scales%20and%20phrase%20form.mp4?dl=0 Review of scales and how they help create harmony in Western culture music then at timestamp 3:34 review of phrase form: Answer this: How did this video strengthen your learning curve concerning scales and phrases? Be sure to provide timestamp examples for both parts.
- (10 pt.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__VQX2Xn7tI We’ve only just begun song form: Clearly there are two distinctly different parts in this piece, A and B repeated several times. The first phrase A vocal begins at timestamp 0:14 to about 0:36. The repeat of phrase A begins at 0:37 to 1:03. Phrase B, the contrasting phrase, begins at timestamp 1:04 to 1:27. Answer this: Describe thedifference in mood, melody, dynamics, timbre, and tempo between Part A and Part B:
- (5 Pt.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGU_4-5RaxU Heart of Glass Blondie: The A phrase or the A also known as a stanza runs from timestamp 0:18 to 0:25 and again 0:26 to 0:33. Phrase A is heard again two more times before the one minute mark. The (B) phrase begins at timestamp 1:00 to 1:16. One might argue that it is in two parts, but we will consider it just one part B from 1:00 to 1:16. The A phrase comes back at 1:25, Answer this: which phrase, A or B is being played at 2:01 by the instruments?
- (10 pt.) Critical Listening adventure: Here is the song, All I ask of You, from “Phantom of the Opera” which is not an “opera”.
Copy and paste to browser. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy1lWiHHHFY
Phrase A and B are given to you by way of timestamps: Become familiar with the melody of each, not the voice singing it, as they do switch.
Phrase A begins at counter number 0:15 to 0:33 with the male voice singing the phrase: What to listen for: The melody for phrase A begins with a step down then back to the first note then step up with note repeated followed by a big leap down and so on. Phrase A melody repeats from 0:33-0:50
Phrase B begins at 0:52-1:11 with female voice singing. What to listen for: The lyrics begin with, “Then say you love me”, as the first note leaps a large interval upward to the second note. Phrase B repeats from 1:12 -1:35 but is a little longer. (Not all sentences contain the same number of words).
Answer this: Identifying and label the phrase as A or B to the timestamps provided below: but be careful not to just associate the phrases with the voices. Become familiar with the actual melodies of each phrase. Include the timestamp with your answer;
Timestamp: 0:33-0:50
1:52 to 2:06 with female voice
2:07 to 2:24 male voice
2:47 – 3:03 female voice
3:30 played by the Orchestra and joined by vocals at the end.
Now let’s use an ostinato rhythm: Ostinato is when one part plays the same exact rhythm on the same exact pitches over and over. It’s used by most societies in Music. The African “Bell Pattern” was an Ostinato. Another great example is this piece by Chopin, pronounced, (Show-pan).https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_iI1J0bALE Watch and listen from timestamp 3:17 to 4:25 as the left hand play the ostinato while the right hand-part plays the actual music. (As a side note, the Nazis outlawed the playing of Chopin’s music in Poland.) This was another example of cancel culture rampant in history.
3. (5 pt.) Answer this: What was the most challenging part hearing and watching the pianist play Chopin?
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