Happy Friday! Continue Work on the following:

• Listening Portfolio #4 assigned yesterday, due today
• Year 1 Chord Progressions and adding melodies (for performance next week)
• Year 2 Recordings (to be wrapped up next week)
• Studying for Quiz Monday, below

REMINDER History Quiz on Monday, April 30

 

Know eras and definitions for the following terms:

 

Medieval

• lute
• neumes
• plainchant
• modal
• Pope Gregory
• monophonic
• parralel chant
• secular
• sacred

Renaissance

• madrigal
• motet
• Palestrina
• Josquin des Prez
• mass
• word painting
• polyphonic

Baroque

• opera
• oratorio
• harpischord
• Bach
• Handel
• Vivaldi
• chorale
• concerto
• fugue

 

NOTE: History Quiz on Monday, April 30

Know eras and definitions for the following terms:

Medieval

• lute
• neumes
• plainchant
• modal
• Pope Gregory
• monophonic
• parralel chant
• secular
• sacred

Renaissance

• madrigal
• motet
• Palestrina
• Josquin des Prez
• mass
• word painting
• polyphonic

Baroque

• opera
• oratorio
• harpischord
• Bach
• Handel
• Vivaldi
• chorale
• concerto
• fugue

This week:

Monday
- complete last week's Reading on Baroque/Classical era

 Year One:

• play the I-vi-IV-ii7-V-V7-I progression for Ms. Simmons
• work on your own progression using these chords and show it to Ms. Simmons when complete

Year Two recording: JJZ

Tuesday
- lesson on Baroque era
- continue tasks above
Year Two recording: JJZ

Wednesday
Year One:

• lesson on adding melody to chords
• work on adding melody to your own chord progression

Year Two recording: DGNK



Thursday
- Listening Portfolio #4 (Baroque/Classical) assigned, due Friday
- continue work on tasks above
Year Two recording: DGNK


Friday
- complete Listening Portfolio #4
- Year One: complete your chord progression and melody for Monday, April 30

Your tasks for today:

• complete the modal compositions if you haven't already (first year)
• complete your recording proposals if you haven't already (second year)
• complete the listening portfolio due today

If you've finished all the above, consult the following web resources as pre-reading for your next compositions:

- Four Part Harmony

- Principles of Four Part Writing

- Four Part Writing Handout

And here's a song I like by a Canadian band called the Great Lake Swimmers.

Today we will continue our theory explorations and receive a new package of keyboard material. You will be asked to play Keyboard Task #3 from this package by Friday April 13.

A few deadline reminders:
Reading Response #3 on Medieval & Renaissance Eras was due Thursday April 5 (last week).
Modal Composition is due Wednesday April 11 (tomorrow).
Any work you'd like considered for mid-term marks by NOON tomorrow (Wednesday April 11).

Next Creation Assignment: Playing With Modes

A lot of musicians in jazz and/or rock use MODAL scales to inform their soloing. Modes were also the basis for most music written before the 1500s, as we'll learn today.

First: visit the Introduction to Scales and Modes Website. Here you'll find info about the different modes/scales and how they related to the major scales we have studied. Listen to the modes and the example pieces and find one you like.

Next: start a new piece in Garage Band. You are going to create a modal chant using the features of chants that we discuss in class, and your own choice of mode. The chant should be:

• monophonic or polyphonic
• at least 12 bars long
• "a cappella" - ie. use organ or vocal sounds
• "flowing" rhythmic style
• using "home notes" at start/end
• at least two parts (melody and drone) and more if you want

Due emailed to Ms. Simmons by Wednesday, April 11.

For an additional 5 bonus marks (or 0.5 on your final), email Ms. Simmons the name of a popular piece of music that uses modes.

Happy modal explorations!