Lesson
2
A. Students will be able to understand the definition of direct octave and direct fifth.
B.
Students
will be able to read the written music example of direct octaves.
C.
Students
will be able to hear the teacher play the example on the piano.
D.
Students
will be able to understand the definition of voice leading.
E.
Students
will be able to read, copy, and understand Bach’s Rules for Melody
Writing. Students will be able to read
and hear music examples for some of these rules.
F.
Students
will be able to read, copy, and understand Piston’s Rules of Thumb for Root
Position Voice Leading. Students will
be able to read and hear music examples for these rules.
A. Teacher defines direct octave and direct fifth for the class.
1.
Direct
octave ŕ the outer voices move by
similar motion into an octave AND the soprano is moving by skip. If the soprano moves by step, if is not a
direct octave. Direct fifths work the
same way, only with different intervals.
B.
Teacher
defines voice leading for the class and has them copy it.
1.
Voice
leading ŕ the ways in which chords
are produced by the movement of individual lines.
C.
Teacher
lists Bach’s Rules for Melody Writing and has students copy them.
1.
Melody
notes should be in the chord (some exceptions).
2.
Use
conjunct (step-wise) motion.
3.
Rules
for using leaps in the melody
a.
Avoid
dissonant intervals (tritone, 7th)
b.
Avoid
augmented intervals, especially in the soprano
c.
Avoid
leaps larger than an octave
d.
Leaps
larger than a P4 must be approached and left in the direction opposite the
leap.
e.
If
you follow step-wise motion by a leap in the same direction, leave in the
opposite direction.
f.
Consecutive
leaps should outline a triad.
4.
Melodies
should have a clear focal point. The
boundaries of each phrase should be hit only one time per phrase.
5.
Tendency
tones ŕ scale degree 7 must go to
1. However, if 1 goes to 7 first, then
7 can go to 6.
6.
Voice
parts should stay in SATB order and should not cross. The “zone” created by each voice part lasts through the beat
after it leaves, so the voice part below it must wait to cross into that range.
D.
Teacher
lists Piston’s Rules of Thumb for Root Position Voice Leading and has students
copy them.
1.
If
there are common tones between chords, keep them and move the remaining voice
parts to the nearest available position.
a.
Root
movement by a third has two common tones.
b.
Root
movement by a fifth or fourth has one common tone.
2.
If
there are no common tones, move the upper three voices in the direction
opposite the bass.
a.
Root
movement by a second or a seventh has no common tones.
1.
Chalk
board and chalk
2.
Piano
1. Teacher asks students questions about what they learned during class.
2.
Teacher
reviews what was learned in the previous class to prepare them for a quiz.