Lesson video

Hi there, everybody.

Welcome to today's lesson on composing a countermelody.

This is from our "Singing Together Unit: How Songs Unite Us.

" I'm Mr. Croughan, and today I'll be guiding you through as you compose your own countermelodies to songs, and we'll be building towards a performance at the end.

Are we ready?

Let's get started.

So the outcome of this lesson is for you to compose and perform songs in harmony as part of a choir, creating one pleasing, united sound.

Let's begin by looking at today's keywords.

They are countermelody.

Countermelody is a second melody that plays at the same time as the main melody.

Harmony, that combination of two or more notes played or sung together, creating a pleasing sound.

Texture, texture is the combination of different layers of sounds.

And then a live performance, this is a work presented to an audience in real time.

And audience, these are a group of people gathered to listen to and watch a live performance.

We know just how important it is to warm up and especially if we're going to perform, we want our bodies, our minds, and our voices to be ready so that we can sing and perform safely and do really well.

So I would like you to follow these warmups.

Here they come.

<v ->Before we sing, we are going to warm up our whole body,</v> particularly our neck and our shoulders.

First of all, we're going to move our neck gently round and round like a figure of eight on its side.

Imagine you have got a pencil on the end of your nose and you're trying to draw a figure of eight on its side.

Now, gently bend your neck to one side, maybe feel the stretch along here.

And gently bend it the other way.

Now we're gonna do some shoulder rolls.

Roll your shoulders forward and up and back and round.

Let's do that a couple of times.

Can you do it the other way?

Go up and forward and down and back.

Let's do that a couple of times.

Now let's take one arm over our head to the side and stretch.

And let's do it the other way.

Finally, let's scrunch our shoulders up to our ears and let go.

And scrunch and let go.

And scrunch and let go.

Last time, scrunch and let go.

Now, let's warm up our face.

Imagine you are chewing some bubble gum.

What flavor is your bubble gum?

Mine is cherry.

I'm going to unwrap my bubble gum, pop it in my mouth and have a good chew.

Why don't you join in?

Let's do some big chews and some little chews.

Oh, my bubble gum got stuck behind my teeth.

I need to use my tongue to get it out.

That's enough chewing now.

I'm going to take it out and put it behind my ear for another day.

Join in with this breathing warmup.

We're going to draw a square in the air with our finger as we do it.

First we're going to breathe in for four beats, hold our breath for four beats, breathe out for four beats, and hold our breath for four beats.

Are you ready?

Well done.

Listen to this tongue twister.

If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?

Now you join in.

If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?

<v ->Marvelous, well done.

</v> Hope we're feeling a bit more warm and stretched and focused.

There are on the screen three more warmups for you to follow.

We have "Elevator, won't you take me?

1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

" "My dog, he can do the Can Can.

" And "Oliver Cromwell.

" There's a video and a backing track to support each of those.

So I'd like you to pause here, work through those, and I'll see you when you're done.

So if your minds are now warmed up, you're a bit more focused, your body's had a chance for a stretch, we've warmed our voices up safely, then we are all ready to make some music.

There are two learning cycles in today's lesson.

The first one where we're going to compose that countermelody, and then the second one performing for an audience.

Let's begin with our compositions of a countermelody.

To begin, I would like you to find your composed melody to "Many Voices.

" And if you don't have one, there is an example one on the screen that you can use.

You are going to need your starting notes.

We know that our composed melodies and indeed this one is comprised of three notes.

They are ♪ So, mi, do ♪ they are the three notes that we use.

This one on the screen starts with ♪ Mi ♪ So that would be the starting note there.

So wherever your composed melodies starts, you are either gonna begin with ♪ So or mi or do ♪ I'd like you to pause here and sing and practice your composition through.

Off you go.

Super duper, well done.

Now then, what is this word we're using today, countermelody?

Let's break it up.

Counter from the Latin contra meaning against.

And then melody, a combination of notes to make a memorable tune.

So together it's a second melody that plays against or alongside the main melody.

That's what we're composing.

Now we can build texture into our "Many Voices" song by adding a countermelody.

Jacob says, "Adding a countermelody will create harmony.

" Yes it will.

Sam says, "We know do, mi, and so work great together, so let's use these to create our countermelody.

" Boom, that's exactly what we're going to be doing.

I would like you to pause here.

Now we know our three notes are ♪ So, mi, and do ♪ And I would like you to sing by reading those two bars that are on your screen.

Pause here and do that, singing that together now.

Off you go.

Well done, folks.

Now I'd like you to pause again and try this one.

Remember we've got ♪ So, mi, and do ♪ Which note does this one start off because that's gonna be your first note?

Pause here and sing this together, off you go.

Now, what do you think makes this countermelody effective?

What is it you think perhaps, maybe something we've talked about before, makes this countermelody effective?

Quick pause, quick class discussion and come back just in a minute.

Off you go.

So looking at it carefully, you may have said something like, "It's nicely balanced like a mirror image," because it ascends ♪ Do, mi, so, so ♪ And then it comes down.

♪ So, mi, do, do ♪ It goes up and then it comes down.

I'd like you to now try this one.

This countermelody repeats each note twice as it ascends and then it comes that back down to that do at the end.

Off you go.

So now we've had a few examples.

It's your turn to create and compose your countermelody.

This is gonna help you add texture and harmony to the song.

Your starting notes.

You've got ♪ So, mi, do ♪ Up to you how you do this.

There's no wrong answer.

All you are doing is creating those two bars of many voices sing together using ♪ So, mi, do ♪ ♪ Off you go ♪ Great, really well done.

Now's the time to practice this countermelody, this class composition.

Or you can use one of the other example countermelodies.

And you're gonna use that to add a harmony line to the melody for "Many Voices," which may also be your own composition.

So this is gonna create a thicker texture.

To begin with sing the solfege, so sing ♪ So, mi, do ♪ And use those hand signals.

♪ So, mi, and do ♪ to make sure that you are confident with those notes.

Before you try the words just singing the so, mi, and do.

Then when you feel confident at that point, you'll be able to combine it with the melody.

So at this point what happens is you divide into two groups.

One group sings the main melody.

You can read it if you've got your copy and one group sings the countermelody.

And hurrah, harmony and texture shall occur.

So decide when you start that countermelody.

Do you repeat that like a melodic ostinato all the way through?

Is it just a little bit that you have it on just at certain times?

Does it come back in?

That's up to you.

And then there's a backing track there to help you to help keep you in tune and keep you on time.

Work through those steps, and I'll see you when you're done.

Fantastic, that is really great stuff.

Let's have a little reflect on where we're at so far.

Were there any pinch points where it was tricky to sing successfully in harmony?

And if there were, just isolate that bit, just practice that bit, maybe just those two notes together.

You sing that note, I'll sing that note.

Does it work?

And the the more confident we feel, the more the song will flow.

Then we're thinking if our sound was balanced.

So can we hear the main melody and the countermelody clearly without one trying to sort of outdo the other.

And then do you know the structure confidently?

So did you decide, oh, the countermelody's starting here and then it's going here or whatever, so that everyone begins and stops singing confidently.

Check through that if you'd like, you can have another go, and then we're going to move on.

This lesson cycle is about performing for an audience.

Now it's time for us to prepare and perform all of the songs we've learned this term, and we get to decide our playlist and set it all up ready for a performance.

Now a live performance can be really powerful, a really powerful experience, but why?

It's often more immersive for that live audience than than listening to a recording.

And this is because a live performance creates a shared experience.

It provides unity and connection for all of those audience members.

But why?

Sofia begins by saying, "Well, this is social bonding.

" Absolutely right.

Attending those live performances can give us an overwhelming sense of wellbeing and belonging.

And Jacob adds, "Yeah, and that's because the hormones being released in our brain when we listen to music together give us that feeling.

" Now we're more attentive as well and our emotions are impacted even more when we're listening to live music as opposed to a recording.

And it's partly because there's interaction between the musicians on stage and then the audience and then as well as between the members of the audience themselves.

If you think about times when you've been in an audience experiencing a live performance.

It might be at school or in public or at a concert or a festival or any kind of event where you've heard live music, just have a pause and a think, what do you remember of that experience?

Have a very quick share in your class.

Off you go.

Nice, now an audience wants to be engaged in our performance.

That's what they've paid their money for that ticket to do.

So we need to think about how is it we're gonna perform and what sort of effect would we like to have on the audience.

We know that the way in which we sing and the mood that we carry through our songs and our tunes can really affect an audience in different ways.

Sofia says, "I want the audience to feel completely involved.

" So yes, audiences can be part of the performance.

They could be invited to sing key phrases or response or maybe you've seen when there's a big crowd singing, that everyone joins in with that really popular, well-known chorus.

They could be taught a melodic ostinato to sing throughout.

So they're adding another layer of texture and get to be a part of the performance in that way.

Or they could be invited to clap along at key moments.

The songs that you have to perform are "Let us Sing Together.

" That's your two part round.

"Nanuma," now that could be a two or a four part round, up to you.

"Sorida," two part round.

Or you can have that melodic ostinato running underneath.

And then "Many Voices," which you worked on just earlier with your countermelody that you've composed.

If you'd like to make your performance bigger, you can add in "My Dog, he can do the Can Can.

" That's a great one to get everyone joining in with.

"Oliver Cromwell," you've got "Elevator," "As I was Walking Down by the Lake," and "Double This, Double That" as a unison or a round.

So you've got plenty to choose from.

So select the songs that you're gonna perform and then think about your set list.

What order are you putting them in?

What song is gonna go first?

What song is a really secure, strong song, sounds great, the audience feel really relaxed and already enjoying your performance?

And then which song will be at the end?

Remember that's the last thing they're going to hear.

What do you want to them to remember and carry away with them?

Are they going out humming that tune?

And then decide if there's some audience participation that could feature in your performance.

So, for example, is there a bit of a song you're gonna teach the audience that they can join in with?

Or is there any actions that they can join in with?

That sort of thing, okay?

So pause here, decide on your set list and audience interaction, and I'll see you when you've done that.

Brilliant, so it's now time to perform to an audience.

So it could be that you're going to perform right now because another class is going to come in and watch, or you're going into the hall, or perhaps you're gonna save this for an assembly or a time when you might invite people from home in.

However you're doing it, this is how we're going to perform.

I would like to you to consider where are you going to stand so you can all be heard.

You want to be seen.

Is it gonna look neat from an audience's point of view?

Are you standing confidently?

And then think about who is singing each harmony part, so everyone is secure in that.

Is there someone who's going to conduct each song in the performance?

Perhaps they're beating the steady pulse to keep you in time.

Perhaps they're helping you know when to start and stop some of the singing if it's a melodic ostinato running or a countermelody that doesn't happen for all of the song.

Thinking about your posture, your feet are slightly apart, hands are by your sides and your posture is correct.

So it's gonna help with safe singing and help you look pretty confident and great too.

And then how do you make your audience feel completely involved in that live performance?

Most of all, smile, enjoy it, and they will too.

Very best of luck, break a leg, and I'll see you when you're done.

Fantastic, amazing round of applause.

Absolutely super duper, you are great.

So let's get some feedback from your audience.

Ask them, "How did that live performance make you feel?

" Let's get some real honest answers.

Did they feel joyful and engaged in the the joining in bit?

Did they feel like really engaged together as an audience?

Was there a particular song that made them feel perhaps connected, involved, gave them this overall sense of really good wellbeing perhaps?

And ask them, "Was that live performance impactful to them?

" And ask why.

Now there might be other questions you might wish to ask too.

These are really great things to ask a live audience, and it will show you and prove to you just how wonderful and important your live performances are.

Off you go.

Brilliant work, everybody.

That is all we have time for for this lesson and indeed this unit.

So a recap on our learning.

Adding a countermelody is a way of creating harmony and building texture into our music and songs.

Do, mi, and so work really well together when we're building harmonies.

We can remember that.

Live performances engage an audience and connect with their emotions more readily than recorded music does.

And live performances can help audiences feel that sense of wellbeing and belonging.

You've been fantastic.

I'll look forward to seeing you again soon.

All the best.

Bye for now.