Lesson video

Hi everyone.

I'm Ms Boyd and I'll be your music teacher today.

In this lesson we are going to learn about conjunct melodies.

In this lesson you will learn how to recognise a conjunct melody.

You'll have a go at performing a conjunct melody, and you'll get the opportunity to compose using a conjunct melody.

But before we get started, should we begin with a Hello Song? ♪ Off we go ♪ ♪ Hello, hello ♪ ♪ It's good to see you ♪ ♪ Hello, hello ♪ ♪ It's good to see you ♪ ♪ I must say ♪ ♪ You've made my day ♪ ♪ Hello, hello, hello.

♪ So what is a conjunct melody? Melody is a musical pattern.

There are different types of melodies and melodies can be used in loads of different ways.

In songs, the main tune of the song is the melody but sometimes in storytelling, the melody represents a character.

Now we can change what the melody does to make us think and feel in a different way.

Conjunct just means going up and down in order of pitch.

Have a listen to this conjunct melody.

Did you hear that those notes were going up the musical ladder in quite an ordered way? ♪ Do, do, do, do, do.

♪ Now that kind of melody is always quite interesting 'cause it makes us think something's coming, something's about to happen.

Have a listen to the same melody backwards.

What does that make you think? Yeah.

Like, something's happened, now I'm sad.

There are loads of different moods you can create but a conjunct melody often is used as a musical device when we're telling stories.

In films and cartoons composers use musical devices, such as conjunct melody to play with our emotions and to tell us part of the story.

A bit later we are going to explore a story using a conjunct melody.

But before that let's practise a bit more listening.

Have a listen to this melody.

Is it conjunct or is it not? What do you think? I know it's quite tricky at first to figure out if the melody's conjunct or not.

The rule is does it go up in steps? Or does it go down in steps? Have another listen to this melody.

That first part of the melody, ♪ Do, do, do, do, do ♪ It leaped didn't it, it jumped in notes.

It didn't necessarily go up the steps per se.

You had this, there were a few gaps in between the notes.

Quite a musical leap.

So it's not conjunct at all.

Have a listen to this example.

What do you think? That's right, that was conjunct.

It was going downwards, but it was going in steps, wasn't it? ♪ Do, do, do, do, do.

♪ Have another listen.

So that was a conjunct melody.

Great work.

Let's try another example.

What do you think? Right, that wasn't conjunct either was it? It was a nice musical pattern but it was moving all over the place, which meant it was not conjunct at all.

So remember, the golden rule is that a conjunct melody goes up or down in tiny steps.

Now for our performance challenge.

For this activity we are going to create a story.

Have a look at my friend on the screen.

What is he doing? That's right.

From this picture, we can see that this person is going up the stairs.

Have a listen to how we can use a conjunct melody in this story to show that this man is going up the stairs.

Did that sound like he was walking up the stairs? Have another listen.

That conjunct melody going upwards in pitch really did sound like the man was walking up those stairs, wasn't it? Great.

Now, we're going to have a go again.

Let's imagine that this guy is coming down the stairs but we are going to sing a downwards conjunct melody.

Are you ready? ♪ Off we go ♪ ♪ Do, do, do, do, do ♪ Let's add some words to that.

We're going to sing "walking down the stairs" in a conjunct melody.

So have a listen to this.

♪ Off I go ♪ ♪ Walking down the stairs ♪ Did you hear that? Our conjunct melody really did represent what we think the man was doing.

Now let's add another musical pattern.

Let's imagine that the man goes up the stairs and then he forgets something and has to go back down.

So we're going to sing "walking up the stairs, walking down the stairs" and we're going to use a conjunct melody to get us there and back.

Are you ready? ♪ Off I go ♪ ♪ Walking up the stairs ♪ ♪ Walking down the stairs ♪ Your turn, try and join me.

♪ Off we go ♪ ♪ Walking up the stairs ♪ ♪ Walking downs the stairs ♪ Good job, do that again.

♪ Off we go ♪ ♪ Walking up the stairs ♪ ♪ Walking down the stairs ♪ Great work and great singing everyone.

Now, for your third activity today I would like you to pause this video.

You have a composing task.

I would like you to have a think about how else a conjunct melody can be used in a story.

I want you to think about what might happen in that next part of the story.

What does the man do? Does he fall over? Does he drop his suitcase? I would like you to draw or sketch what you think might happen next.

And while you're drawing and sketching I would like you to sing a conjunct melody to match the picture.

Feel free to rewind this video and have a look at the picture that we've used or listen to the examples of conjunct melodies that I shared.

Take your time with this one.

I want to see a great musical story.

Welcome back.

How did you get on? Make sure that you find an adult in your home and perform your composition to them.

Teach them all about conjunct melodies.

This is the end of our lesson now, but you've covered so much.

You've learned how to recognise a conjunct melody.

You've had a go at performing a conjunct melody.

and you've just composed using a conjunct melody.

Great work.

But before we go, we have to say goodbye properly with our Goodbye Song.

Are you ready? ♪ Off we go ♪ ♪ Goodbye, goodbye ♪ ♪ It's time to go now ♪ ♪ Goodbye, goodbye ♪ ♪ It's time to go now ♪ ♪ I must say ♪ ♪ You've made my day ♪ ♪ Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye ♪ If you'd like to share some of the music we've made together today, feel free to ask your parent or carer to share your work on social media.