Study Guides

Unit Summary

The song guides cover a diverse selection of songs, designed to develop vocal technique, musical expression and ensemble skills, and building confidence and musical literacy. They can be broken down across multiple lessons and intergrated into the sequence, but can also be taught as full lessons.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to sing Wild Mountain Thyme in three part harmony with changing vocal textures.

Key Notes

• Changing vocal textures adds interest to a song.
• Harmony that has its own distinct melodic shape and rhythm, and often slightly different words, creates a countermelody.
• When we sing in harmony, we should be aware of the overall balance of the sound so that the melody is always clear.
• We can use dynamics to help us create an expressive performance.

Vocabulary To Learn

• texture: the layers of instrumental or vocal sounds and how they fit together
• range: the difference between the highest and lowest notes in a melody line
• countermelody: harmony that has its own distinct melodic shape and rhythm, creating a second melody
• vocal register: the higher or lower parts of your singing voice
• balance: how each part is matched against another to ensure that no one part overwhelms the others

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• When singing in harmony, the highest part is often sung the loudest, even when the melody is lower.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Learning Pompeii extended melody in unison and simple harmony Study Guide
• Learning Pompeii harmony parts and creating a performance Study Guide
• Learning Wild Mountain Thyme in 2 part harmony Study Guide