Lesson video

Hello, everyone, it's me again, Mrs. Steele, and I'm here with a music lesson for you today.

In today's lesson, we're going to be learning about building texture with a melodic ostinato.

Here we go.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to accompany a major tonality song with a melodic ostinato.

Here are the keywords that we'll need in our learning together today.

Let's start with beat, the playing or showing of the steady pulse, like the ticking of a clock.

Texture, the combination of different layers of sounds.

Melodic ostinato, a repeating musical pattern that uses notes of differing pitch.

Accompaniment, a musical part that supports the main melody or chant.

And finally, major pentachord, the first five notes of the major scale, do, re, mi, fa, and so.

We know how important it is to warm up our minds, our voices, and our bodies before every music lesson.

This makes sure that we can sing safely, and it also helps develop our music and our singing skills too.

Join in with these warmups so that you are ready to make music.

(upbeat piano music) ♪ Ready, chickens ♪ ♪ One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight ♪ ♪ One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight ♪ ♪ One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight ♪ ♪ One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight ♪ ♪ One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four ♪ ♪ One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four ♪ ♪ One, two, one, two, one, two, one, two ♪ ♪ One, one, one, one, warm up chicken ♪ (upbeat piano music continues) ♪ Ready, chickens ♪ ♪ One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight ♪ ♪ One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight ♪ ♪ One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight ♪ ♪ One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight ♪ ♪ One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four ♪ ♪ One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four ♪ ♪ One, two, one, two, one, two, one, two ♪ ♪ One, one, one, one, warm up chicken ♪ (children clucking) <v ->Let's warm up all the muscles of our faces.

</v> Show me your happy face.

Show me your grumpy face.

Show me your big face.

Show me your small face.

Show me your silly face.

Show me your thinking face.

<v ->You ready?</v> (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music continues) <v ->Follow me.

</v> (singers vocalizing) (singers vocalizing) <v ->The great Greek grape growers grow great Greek grapes.

</v> <v ->These songs and games will help us to warm up further,</v> as they help us to use our bodies and our voices in all sorts of different ways.

Let's start by playing "Elevator." Watch the video and join in, then if you'd like to, you could press pause and play "Elevator" where you are.

Here it comes.

(upbeat piano music) ♪ Elevator, won't you take me one, three, five ♪ ♪ Elevator, won't you take me five, three, one ♪ ♪ Elevator, won't you take me one, three, five ♪ ♪ Elevator, won't you take me five, three, one ♪ ♪ Elevator, won't you take me one, three, five ♪ ♪ Elevator, won't you take me five, three, one ♪ ♪ Elevator, won't you take me one, three, five ♪ ♪ Elevator, won't you take me five, three, one ♪ (upbeat piano music) ♪ Elevator, won't you take me one, two, four, five ♪ ♪ Elevator, won't you take me five, four, two, one ♪ ♪ Elevator, won't you take me one, two, four, five ♪ ♪ Elevator, won't you take me five, four, two, one ♪ ♪ Elevator, won't you take me one, two, four, five ♪ ♪ Elevator, won't you take me five, four, two, one ♪ ♪ Elevator, won't you take me one, two, four, five ♪ ♪ Elevator, won't you take me five, four, two, one ♪ <v ->Now, join in with "Dipidu." Here comes the video.

</v> ♪ Good day, good day to you ♪ ♪ Good day, oh, Dipidu ♪ ♪ Good day, good day to you ♪ ♪ Good day, oh, Dipidu ♪ ♪ Dip, dip, Dipidu ♪ ♪ Dipidu, oh, Dipidu ♪ ♪ Dip, dip, dip, dip, Dipidu ♪ ♪ Dipidu, oh, Dipidu ♪ <v ->And finally, let's sing "Oh, When the Saints."</v> Here's the music for you.

(upbeat piano music) ♪ Oh, when the saints go marching in ♪ ♪ Oh, when the saints go marching in ♪ ♪ I want to be in the number ♪ ♪ When the saints go marching in ♪ ♪ Oh, when the saints go marching in ♪ ♪ Oh, when the saints go marching in ♪ ♪ I want to be in the number ♪ ♪ When the saints go marching in ♪ (upbeat piano music continues) <v ->Let's check that you're ready for music.

</v> Does your body feel relaxed? Is your throat warm? And is your mind good and alert? Excellent.

Let's keep going.

We are going to begin by practicing known major tonality folk songs.

The songs "Why shouldn't My Goose" and "Do You Know the Muffin Man" are partner songs This means we can sing them together in two groups at the same time.

Let's explore how this works.

Have a go at singing "Why Shouldn't My Goose," and as you do, listen to how it's layered over its partner song.

Tap the steady beat gently as you sing.

Here comes the music.

♪ Ready, steady, off we go ♪ ♪ Why shouldn't my goose ♪ ♪ Sing as well as your goose ♪ ♪ When I paid for my goose ♪ ♪ Twice as much as yours ♪ ♪ Why shouldn't my goose ♪ ♪ Do you know the muffin man ♪ ♪ Sing as well ♪ ♪ The muffin man ♪ ♪ As your goose ♪ ♪ The muffin man ♪ ♪ When I paid for my goose ♪ ♪ Do you know the muffin man ♪ ♪ Twice as much as yours ♪ ♪ Who lives on Drury Lane ♪ ♪ Why shouldn't my goose ♪ ♪ Yes, I know the muffin man ♪ ♪ Sing as well ♪ ♪ The muffin man ♪ ♪ As your goose ♪ ♪ The muffin man ♪ ♪ When I paid for my goose ♪ ♪ Yes, I know the muffin man ♪ ♪ Twice as much as yours ♪ ♪ Who lives on Drury Lane ♪ <v ->Now, let's try it the other way around.

</v> This time, sing "Do You Know the Muffin Man," and listen to how this song is layered with "Why Shouldn't My Goose.

Remember to tap the steady beat gently as you sing.

Here's the music.

♪ Ready, steady, off we go ♪ ♪ Why shouldn't my goose ♪ ♪ Sing as well as your goose ♪ ♪ When I paid for my goose ♪ ♪ Twice as much as yours ♪ ♪ Why shouldn't my goose ♪ ♪ Do you know the muffin man ♪ ♪ Sing as well ♪ ♪ The muffin man ♪ ♪ As your goose ♪ ♪ The muffin man ♪ ♪ When I paid for my goose ♪ ♪ Do you know the muffin man ♪ ♪ Twice as much as yours ♪ ♪ Who lives on Drury Lane ♪ ♪ Why shouldn't my goose ♪ ♪ Yes, I know the muffin man ♪ ♪ Sing as well ♪ ♪ The muffin man ♪ ♪ As your goose ♪ ♪ The muffin man ♪ ♪ When I paid for my goose ♪ ♪ Yes, I know the muffin man ♪ ♪ Twice as much as yours ♪ ♪ Who lives on Drury Lane ♪ <v ->When we sing partner songs like this,</v> we're adding layers and creating a thicker texture.

It's important to keep the steady sense of pulse to ensure we're singing and playing together.

Singing in a round is another way to create a thicker texture.

A song we already know, "Bele Mama," can be sung as a round.

Let's start by singing it in unison, keeping a steady pulse.

Here comes the music.

Join in.

(upbeat piano music) ♪ Bele mama, bele mama, eh ♪ ♪ Bele mama, bele mama, eh ♪ ♪ Bele mama, bele mama, bele mama, bele mama ♪ ♪ Bele mama, bele mama, eh ♪ <v ->Now that we've remembered how the song goes,</v> it's time for you to choose your challenge and sing "Bele Mama" as a round.

You can choose to sing it as a two-part round or go that step further and sing it as a four-part round.

You might even like to do both.

It's time to press pause and sing "Bele Mama" as a round, either in two parts or four parts, and you can choose whichever audio you need to help you with your challenge.

Let's listen to another song that we know already.

This one's called "Banaha (Si Si Si)." As you listen, can you notice how the texture thickens with each new entry? Can you hear when each new part comes in? Here comes the music.

Listen carefully.

(singer singing in foreign language) (singers singing in foreign language) (singers singing in foreign language) (singers singing in foreign language) (singers singing in foreign language) <v ->Let's listen again, and this time,</v> we'll join in singing part one.

As the other parts come in, hold onto your part confidently, but don't sing too loudly, as we need to hear how all the parts fit together.

Here comes the music.

You sing part one.

(singer singing in foreign language) (singers singing in foreign language) (singers singing in foreign language) (singers singing in foreign language) (singers singing in foreign language) When we sing in parts, like in "Banaha (Si Si Si)," we're adding layers and creating a thicker texture.

Adding a rhythmic ostinato is another way to create a thicker texture.

An ostinato is a repeated musical pattern.

It can be rhythmic or melodic.

It's time for a check-in with our learning so far.

Singing partner songs, in a round, in parts, or adding an ostinato are all ways of building.

Do you think it's A, dynamics, are they all ways of building texture, or are they all ways of building tonality? Press pause to decide your answer.

What do you think? Here it comes.

Singing partner songs, in a round, in parts, or adding an ostinato are always of building texture.

Well done if you remembered that.

Great understanding.

Here's another song we know already, "Senwa Dedende." As you listen, can you identify the rhythmic ostinato? Once you've spotted it, tap it gently as you listen.

Remember to feel the pulse, as this will make sure that we can all play in time together.

Here comes "Senwa Dedende." Can you identify and tap the rhythmic ostinato? ♪ Ready, steady, off we go ♪ (singer singing in foreign language) (singer singing in foreign language) Okay, got a big musical challenge ahead of us now.

We're going to split into two groups.

Group one are going to tap that rhythmic ostinato, and group two are going to sing the melody of "Senwa Dedende," then swap teams to play it again.

And your bonus challenge if you want to try something really tricky is can you have a go at singing "Senwa Dedende" and playing the rhythmic ostinato yourself at the same time? This is really tricky.

I'll have a quick practice.

(Mrs. Steele singing in foreign language) Oh, it was tricky.

I'll stay here and practice that.

You press pause, split into two groups, and play "Senwa Dedende." Have a go at the extra challenge if you'd like to.

You can use the audio button to help you with this.

I'll see you on the other side.

Hi again.

How did you get on? Did you notice that the rhythmic ostinato has the same rhythm as the lyrics, "Senwa Dedende?" I expect you did.

Holding that ostinato throughout the entire song can be tricky.

It's really important that you feel the steady pulse throughout as you play.

Did anybody have a go at the extra extra challenge and play the rhythmic ostinato and sing at the same time? This is really tricky and takes lots of practice.

It may take even more practice going forward.

If you'd like to give it a try or keep practicing, my top tip is it can be really helpful to play the ostinato first and get that feeling really secure before you add the singing on top.

Well done, everyone.

Great music making.

Let's carry on by adding a melodic ostinato layer.

We're now going to create a melodic ostinato to accompany our major tonality song, "Why Shouldn't My Goose." A melodic ostinato is a repeated musical pattern, but this one uses high and low pitches to create its pattern.

Listen carefully to this melodic ostinato.

Can you hear the notes moving between low, high, middle, and high in a pattern of four, like this? ♪ low, high, middle, high, low, high, middle, high ♪ <v ->Have a listen.

</v> (gentle music) When we're adding an accompaniment, such as a melodic ostinato, it's important that we think about balancing our sound.

It can be tempting to play loudly, but remember that the ostinato is accompanying the melody.

The accompaniment is usually quieter than the melody.

To create our melodic ostinato, we are going to use pitched percussion instruments and the notes do, mi, and so from the major pentachord.

For this song, do is F, mi is A, and so is going to be C.

Here's our melodic ostinato.

Watch this video of it being played.

(gentle music) Now, let's try Singing the "Solfege" and using our hand signs to learn this melodic ostinato.

Remember, it follows the steady beat.

Watch the video to see what that looks like, then practice it where you are, and you can use the audio button to help you with this or watch the video again as many times as you'd like.

Here comes the video, then press pause to try it yourselves.

♪ Do, so, mi, so, do, so, mi, so ♪ ♪ Do, so, mi, so, do, so, mi, so ♪ <v ->It's time for another check-in.

</v> Can you remember what a melodic ostinato is? Is it A, the five descending notes of the major pentachord, B, the constant, pitched sound that continues throughout a piece of music, or is it C, a repeated musical pattern? Press pause to choose.

Here comes the answer.

A melodic ostinato is a repeated musical pattern.

Well done, everyone.

It's big musical challenge time again.

For this one, you're first going to need to find do, mi, and so on your pitched percussion instrument, then practice playing the melodic ostinato slowly, keeping a steady beat.

You could sing the "Solfege" at the same time if this helps you.

Then practice playing the melodic ostinato as you listen to the recording of "Why Shouldn't My Goose," and if you get lost, remember to return to do each time.

Then when you are confident playing your ostinato as you listen to "Why Shouldn't My Goose," you can try singing the melody at the same time or perform it with a partner, with one of you singing and one of you playing the ostinato.

Let's have a look at the slide that you might need to do this.

Here it comes.

Here we go.

So first, find the notes for the melodic ostinato on your pitched percussion instrument, then practice it, singing the "Solfege" if it helps.

Then try playing it at the same time as listening to the song, then try putting it all together, and doing it at the same time or with a partner.

Press pause to try that big musical challenge now, and I'll see you soon.

Hi again.

Let's take a moment to think about how you did with that big musical challenge.

Listen to the recording again.

How does your playing compare? Did you remember the do, so, mi, so pattern? Could you play the ostinato in time to the steady beat neatly? And were you able to sing as you played? Well done if you did any or all of those things.

We've reached the end of our lesson together today, so let's take a moment to think about everything we've been learning.

We know that folk songs can be accompanied or unaccompanied, and an ostinato can be rhythmic or melodic.

We know that adding an ostinato underneath the song adds another layer of sound to the texture of the piece, and we know that we need to consider the dynamic balance when adding accompaniments to our songs.

Fantastic music making today, everyone.

I can't wait to see you again sometime soon.

Bye.