6. Melody Melody is the most important part of the composition. Also known as the tone, the voice, or line. Do you know how to differentiate the melody from the accompaniment?
9. Activity Let’s write a four-bar rhythm! Now you have done that, let’s write a melody to the rhythm.
10. Harmony What is harmony? Harmony is the accompaniment that compliments the melody.
11. Let’s talk about Form. Q: What is Form? A: Form is the basic structure of the piece. Think about what music you like to listen to. Is it pop, rock, jazz or something else? Each genre will have a different form, making them easily recognizable.
12. What’s the point? Why bother with learning what form is? Knowing what form enhances the music listening experience. Being able to ‘see the big picture’ makes it more interesting! Knowing what form your music is in also enhances your performance of the piece. Important!
13. Fine, I have to learn this then. What forms are there? Letters can be used to label the form of any piece of music, from the simplest to the most complex. Each major section of the music is labelled with a letter; for example, the first section is the A section. If the second section (or third or fourth) is exactly the same as the first, it is also labelled A. If it is very much like the A section, but with some important differences, it can be labelled A' (pronounced "A prime"). The first major section of the piece that is very different from A is labelled B, and other sections that are like it can be labelled B, B', B'', and so on. Sections that are not like A or B are labelled C, and so on.
14. Now it’s your turn. Find a song you like, and find the sheet music. You can do this by looking it up on google with the search terms “download sheet music” along with the song name. Print it out and figure out where the sections are. What form is it in?
