Study Guides

Unit Summary

This unit explores the different sounds and feelings associated with major and minor tonality explicitly. The pupils sing a variety of songs, some in a major key and some in a minor key. They use pitched percussion instruments to add different accompaniments to these.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to follow the melodic shape of major tonality folk songs, singing and signing the major pentachord and framing this with a drone accompaniment.

Key Notes

• When we sing, we string together a series of high and low notes to create a melody.
• Hand signs help us identify the shape of a melody, if it is ascending or descending, moving in step or in leaps.
• The major pentachord is the first five notes of the major scale: do, re, mi, fa, so.
• Songs with a major tonality are organised around the central note, do.
• We can add a drone to accompany folk songs.

Vocabulary To Learn

• tonality: the organisation of notes around a central note, the tonic, which helps to shape the music's sound and character
• melodic shape: up and down movement of pitches in music
• major pentachord: the first five notes of the major scale: do, re, mi, fa, so
• Solfège: a system of naming pitches so we can recognise patterns by ear, e.g. so mi do
• drone: a constant, pitched sound that continues throughout a piece of music

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• All major songs are happy. All minor songs are sad.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Building texture with a melodic ostinato Study Guide
• Building texture with a minor accompaniment Study Guide
• Folk songs and the minor pentachord Study Guide
• Layering accompaniments under major and minor folk songs Study Guide
• Major and minor tonality folk songs Study Guide