Year 7

How can you compose a countermelody?

Year 7

How can you compose a countermelody?

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. In this lesson, we will explore countermelodies by listening to and performing 'Swing low, sweet chariot' before composing a countermelody for it.

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5 Questions

Q1.
Balanced melodies usually have...
A 4 bar question and an 8 bar answer.
Different bar lengths for the question and answer.
Correct answer: The same bar lengths for the question and answer.
Q2.
Which musical period favoured balanced phrases?
20th Century
Correct answer: Classical
Contemporary
Q3.
Which is the most common phrase length?
15 bars
Correct answer: 4 bars
7 bars
Q4.
When composing a melody, which pitch should your question end on?
Correct answer: Dominant
Subdominant
Tonic
Q5.
When composing a melody, which pitch should your answer end on?
Dominant
Subdominant
Correct answer: Tonic

5 Questions

Q1.
What is a countermelody?
Correct answer: A secondary melody that complements or supports the main melody
The main melody in a piece of music
Two melodies
Q2.
Finish the sentence, 'A countermelody is played...'
After the main melody
Correct answer: At the same time as the main melody
Before the main melody
Q3.
Which scale did we use to perform 'Swing low'
A major pentatonic scale
Correct answer: F major pentatonic scale
G major pentatonic scale
Q4.
What did 'Swing low' end on?
Dominant
Subdominant
Correct answer: Tonic
Q5.
Where did we play our countermelodies on the keyboard so they could be heard with the main melody?
Correct answer: The left hand side of the keyboard
The middle of the keyboard
The right hand side of the keyboard