Combining Wade In The Water with other spirituals
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can sing Wade In The Water with changing polyphonic textures.
Key learning points
- When songs are based on similar harmonic patterns, they can often be combined as partner songs.
- A polyphonic texture means each layer of harmony has a distinct melody that moves at different times.
- When we perform using more complex polyphonic textures, we need to pay close attention to balance.
- We need to listen carefully to the other parts and adjust our dynamics so that every line can be heard clearly.
Keywords
Polyphonic - each layer of harmony has a distinct melody that moves at different times
Anacrusis - the opening note or notes of a phrase which starts before the first beat of the bar (also called a pickup)
Balance - how each part is matched against another to ensure that no one part overwhelms the others
Blue note - a note sung at a lower pitch than the standard note in the scale to give an emotional, blues like effect
Common misconception
When singing different melodies on top of each other, sometimes singers "compete" to see which is the loudest!
The aim is to create a blended sound where all the melodies are audible.
Teacher tip
The audio recordings are at the lower octave. Parts can be sung at either octave to suit pupils' voices. For smaller groups, some parts can be ommitted; a two or three part arrangement works well too.
Licence
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