Year 10 - Music
Melody in Greek folk music
Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern music
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Unit Summary
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Lesson Summary
You will learn to identify the typical features of melody in Greek folk music and perform them in Thalassaki Mou.
Key Notes
- The bouzouki has a characteristic playing style that uses slides and tremolo.
- Instrumental and vocal melodies are often harmonised with thirds.
- Melodies in Greek folk music are mostly conjunct and use ornamentation.
- The vocal melodies are often conjunct and melismatic, like in Thalassaki Mou.
Vocabulary To Learn
- third: an interval of two tones or three semitones
- slide: when a performer moves seamlessly between two pitches
- tremolo: a rapid repetition of a note or notes
- melismatic: a melody in which many notes are sung for just one syllable of a word
- conjunct: when notes move by step, they do not leap
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- The bouzouki sounds the same as a guitar.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
The bouzouki has a characteristic playing style that uses slides and tremolo. Instrumental and vocal melodies are often harmonised with thirds.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'third'
an interval of two tones or three semitones.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: The bouzouki sounds the same as a guitar. Correction: The bouzouki has very specific techniques that give it its characteristic sound. These include use of tremolo, slides and thirds. Although these can be used on the guitar, they are not as common as on the bouzouki.
More Lessons In This Unit
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