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Edexcel Areas of Study - Ternary Form

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A possible first GCSE lesson with Year 10

Ah vous dirai-je, maman

NOTE: I have not had time to convert the musical examples to a format and size which can be inserted on this web page.  However, they are present in the files you can download.

Quick revision questions!

1) Circle the first Treble Clef. Name one other kind of clef. ___________________

2) Circle the number of beats in each bar. 4 8 16

3) Which of these notes does the tune use? Quaver Crotchet Minim Semibreve

4) What is the key of the music?
A major, A minor, B major, B minor, C major or C minor

5) How many different notes does the tune use? ________

6) The tunes uses mostly steps. How big is the leap (interval) which occurs three times?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 or 8

7) If the tune were played by a recorder alone
what word would describe the texture? ______________________

8) What is the plan of the music? AAA ABC ABA AABA

9) Add dynamic markings to show the following:
Bar 1 = soft: Line 2 gets louder and reaches moderately loud by bar 7 beat 1, then it
gets softer until it is very soft by the final bar of the tune.

10) Write out the 3rd line an octave lower on the stave below.
IMAGE TO GO HERE

It is possible to add harmony to the tune using only 3 chords, know as the Primary Triads.
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In C major the Primary Triads I, IV and V are C, F and G. Each line of the tune is a phrase. In the last bar of each line (or phrase) there are two chords. This chord progression is called a cadence. Here G to C (V to I) is a PERFECT cadence and C to G (I to V) is an IMPERFECT cadence. A perfect cadence is like a full stop but and imperfect cadence is like a comma, you cannot end a piece with one.

It is, of course, possible to use many more chords than 3 to produce harmony.
IMAGE TO GO HERE

You should be able to play the tune! Pick either the easy or difficult harmony above and try to add the chords to the tune (if you are using a keyboard) or get a partner to do it for you.

Really, you only need a couple of notes to produce 'harmony' although a two part texture may sound more like counterpoint. Look at the first example of the tune with a bass line (which shows off a bit) and then try to create your own bass part, but make it an easier one! If you are stuck you can continue the given opening in example 2.

Example 1: A two part texture, a bass line added to the tune.
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Example 2: Use this if you cannot think what to do. Keep it simple!
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Work in two treble clefs if you prefer.

Finally, for homework, compose a tune to fit with the word of "Twinkle, twinkle little star", although you can use a slightly different rhythm is you like. (See example 3). Decide what key you want to be in. Don't forget to have a middle section.

Example 3: A tune to fit "Twinkle, twinkle".
IMAGE TO GO HERE

 

Summary

At the end of this unit you will have met or revised the following vocabulary:

You should be able to do the following:

 

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