Folk dance and the minor scale
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe some common features of European and Russian folk dance and can perform the melody of Korobeiniki.
Key learning points
- Many folk music traditions use music for dance, including for celebrations like marriages and harvest.
- Like most dance music, folk dance needs a clear pulse, suitable tempo and repeated rhythms.
- Korobeiniki is a Russian folk song often used for dancing, that was famously used for the video game Tetris.
- It includes four-bar phrases, dotted crotchets and it is based on a minor scale.
- The music repeats and uses repeat marks in the notation to show this.
Keywords
Minor scale - a set of seven notes in a minor key
Dotted crotchet - a note that lasts for one and half beats
Phrase - a short section of a melody, normally lasting 1, 2 or 4 bars
Repeat mark - a symbol at the end (and also often start) of a section that tells the performer to repeat it
Common misconception
Hand positions should only change at the start of new phrases.
This depends entirely on what notes are used. Sometimes, like in Korobeiniki, it is more useful to change hand position during a phrase. When doing this, we should always practise making it seamless, so there is no obvious change in sound.
Teacher tip
Korobeiniki, like many Russian and Eastern European folk dances is often performed with an accelerating tempo. Extend the practical task by challenging pupils to start very slowly, then gradually speed up, with the focus on keeping consistently accurate and fluent as the tempo increases.
Equipment
Keyboard instrument
Licence
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