Creating and improvising contrasting ostinati
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can create and develop contrasting ostinati, including through the use of retrograding.
Key learning points
- When creating melodic ideas, improvising using a scale is a useful technique to try out different ideas.
- We can create variety by changing the pitch of our ostinati, though still using the notes of the Dm pentatonic scale.
- Retrograding is reversing the order of notes. This is another technique that we can use to develop our melodic ideas.
Keywords
Improvise - If you improvise you make something up on the spot.
Pitch - Pitch is how high or low the sound is.
Retrograde - If you retrograde a melody it reverses the order of the notes.
Common misconception
Using the same rhythm in different ostinati creates effective contrast.
Using different rhythms in your ostinati is important for creating contrast. If they use the same rhythm, they will inevitably sound very similar. Try coming up with some interesting rhythm by clapping, then play them using notes on the keyboard.
Teacher tip
Retrograding is an interesting tool for thinking about using the same notes in a different way. In this part of the lesson, encourage pupils to explore different ways of using the same notes beyond pure retrograding. Can you use the same four pitches but in a faster or slower rhythm, for example?
Equipment
A DAW or other suitable compositional tool or instrument
Licence
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