Modal Melody

From Advancing Music Theory

Objectives[edit]

  • Students will be familiar with the characteristics of each diatonic mode.
  • Students will be able to analyze the mode of a melody.
  • Students will be able to write a melody in a specific mode.
  • Students will be familiar with the different minor scales and the reason for using them.

Resources[edit]

Class Activities[edit]

  • Discussion of each mode and its specific melodic characteristics (especially its color tones)
  • Improvisation and composition of melodies which highlight unique characteristics of a particular mode
  • Discussion of natural, harmonic and melodic minor
  • Using melodic minor to remove augmented seconds from a common practice period melody

Assignments[edit]

  • Writing minor and modal scales
  • Identifying key and mode of written and recorded music excerpts
  • Writing a melody in a particular mode
  • Properly inflecting ˆ6 and ˆ7 in a classical minor melody

Assessments[edit]

Notes[edit]