HANDOUTS IN MUSIC EDUCATION 6

THIRD QUARTER

LESSON 2: MELODY

MELODY is a succession of pitches in rhythm. It is a series of tones arranged

in linear position. Melody has direction, rhythm, speed, and form. It may go up,
down, stay the same, or be repeated. It may move fast and slow. The pitches
or tones that make up a melody are represented by notes.
Let us review the notes on the staff. Each space and note on the staff can be
called using their letter names or so-fa syllables.

LETTER NAMES SO-FA SYLLABLES

C Do
B Ti
A La
G So
F Fa
E Mi
D Re
C Do

The Notes on the Piano

The Do that is placed in the middle of the piano is called the Middle Do or
Middle C. The keys on the right side of the Middle C play pitches that are high
and are most often played by the right hand. The keys on the left side play
pitches that are low and are most often played by the left hand.

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When written on the grand staff, high pitches are written on the G-Clef and low
pitches are written on the F-Clef. The C on the ledger line is the middle C.
Ledger lines are used for notes that are above or below the range of the staff.

Space Notes on the G-Clef or Treble Clef:

Line Notes on the G-Clef or Treble Clef:

The Bass Clef or F-Clef

The bass clef is also called F clef because it has two dots above and below the
fourth line. The bass clef is most often used by musicians who play instruments
that produce low notes. Some of these instruments are the piano, cello, double
bass, bassoon, and tuba.
Space Notes on the F-Clef or Bass Clef:

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All Cows Eat Grass is the popular mnemonic that can be used to memorize the
letter names of the space notes on the Bass Clef.
Line Notes on the F-Clef or Bass Clef:

Good Burritos Don’t Fall Apart is the popular mnemonic that can be used to
memorize the letter names of the line notes on the Bass Clef.
A. Experience
Activity 1: Odd One Out
All the notes in each number have the same pitch names in different octaves.
Identify and circle the letter of the unique note.
1. Note: A

A. C.

B. D.

2. Note: C

A. C.

B. D.

3. Note: E

A. C.

B. D.

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 4. Note: B
5.
A. C.

B. D.

6. Note: G

A. C.

B. D.

Activity 2: Identification
Draw the notes being asked on the staves. Use whole notes. Be mindful of the
clef used.

E(line) F(space) A(line) B(line) C(space)

F(line) D(line) E(space) G(line) B(space)

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Activity 3: Fill in the Blanks.
Identify the words formed by writing down the LETTERS NAMES of the following
notes. Complete the story below by filling in the blanks with the words formed by
the letter names.

1. 6.
_____________________ __________________

2. 7.
_____________________ __________________

3. 8.
_____________________ __________________

4. 9.
_____________________ ___________________

5. 10.
______________________ ___________________

1._____________ went to the 2.___________ to meet her best friend 3.____________,

whom she had not seen in a 4._____________ ever since they went to live in
another country. She wore her favorite 5.___________ jeans, and brought her
6.____________ 7.____________ that her 8.__________ gave her as a birthday
present. While she waited for Gab, she ordered a Breakfast 9.___________ Muffin
and a 10.___________ coffee. When Gab came, they chatted for hours and went
home with smiles on their faces.

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Activity 4: Notation
Transcribe the G Clef melodic line of the song “The Benedictine Hallmarks” to F
Clef. Label the notes using the letter names.

Transcription to F Clef:

MAJOR SCALES
These are the intervals of the notes on a major scale:
The C Major Scale

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The figure above shows the notes of the C Major Scale. Below is the C Major
Scale on the piano. A half step is the distance between two neighboring keys.
The distance from C to C# is a half-step. A whole step is equal to two half steps.
The distance from C to D is a whole-step. Watch and listen as the teacher plays
the scale on the virtual piano.

Try to play the C

Major Scale on the
melodica.

The F Major Scale

The F Major Scale starts and ends with the note F.

In the key of F, the note B is

flat because in a Major
scale, the interval between
the third and the fourth note
is a half-step. Notice that at
the beginning of the staff,
there is a flat sign on the
third line. This means that all
B in the key of F is flat.
The G Major Scale

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In the key of G, the note F is sharp
because in a Major scale, the
interval between the seventh
and the eighth note is a half-step.
Notice that at the beginning of
the staff, there is a sharp sign on
the fifth line. This means that all F
in the key of G is sharp.

FORM

Form is the organization or structure of a song or a piece of music. Form is created

when the different elements of music in a composition are arranged and
combined into sections. It is like looking at the totality of the piece.

When composers write a piece of music, they create a pattern or a theme

and make repetitions of it which may or may not have variations. Patterns and
repetitions are present in the tonal and rhythmic patterns of a piece. These make
the music more exciting to listen to. These patterns may be short and simple and
can be found in two to four measures.

Look at the notation of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

Using letters to represent each line, the first pattern of a musical form will
always be A. In this song, the line, “Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what
you are.” is A, which is written in four measures. The next line have a different
melody and a different rhythmic pattern from the first line. Therefore, this is a
different pattern that we will call B. The last line is the exact same repetition of
the first line, which we can then call A again. Therefore, the pattern of Twinkle
Twinkle Little Star is ABA.

In music, we can refer to each line of this song as a phrase. A phrase in

music is a unit of musical meter that has a complete musical sense of its own. It is

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a short musical idea. It is often described as like a sentence. If we take a few of
these phrases and put them together, we get a section. A section is often
described as like a paragraph.
What we did with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, which we can describe as just
one section or one paragraph, is just a small-scale version of form compared to
those used in much larger works where patterns can be long and can be found
in larger sections. Look at this notation of Amazing Grace.

There are four (4)

verses in this song,
and each verse or
section is sung in the
same melody and
rhythm. Therefore, we
can say that the form
of Amazing Grace is
AAAA. This is one of
the most common
forms in music. This
form is also called
Strophic.

Another common form in music is the Unitary Form. The song Happy
Birthday is an example of a song in Unitary Form. There are no second verses,
there are no repetitions and other variations to the song. It simply is just A.
Another common form in music is the Binary Form. The pattern of a piece
in this form is AB or AABB. That means that there are two different or contrasting
sections. The Folk song Paruparong Bukid is an example of a song written in
Binary form.
Paruparong Bukid
Paruparong bukid na lilipad-lipad
Sa gitna ng daan papaga-pagaspas
‘sang bara ang tapis
‘sang dangkal ang manggas
Ang saying de kola
‘sang pyesa ang sayad
May paynet pa sya, uy!
May suklay pa man din, uy!
Nagwas de ohetes and palalabasin
Haharap sa altar at mananalamin
At saka lalakad nang pakendeng-kendeng.
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 Another example of a song in Binary Form is Bayan Ko, a patriotic song
popularized by Freddie Aguilar.
Another common form in music is the Ternary Form. This has three parts which
can feature a theme (A), a contrasting section (B), and a repetition of the first
section, A (ABA). Ternary Form can also have three different parts or ABC.
An example of ABC is our national anthem, Lupang Hinirang. An example of a
song in ABA is the folk song Tinikling.
Tinikling

Kay saya-saya ng piknikan sa bukid

Ibon at halaman pawang umaawit
Kay sarap ng hangin, kay ganda ng langit
May tula at awit sa agos ng batis
Tayo’y magsayaw, umindak sa tugtugin
Mga palakpak ay isaliw
Ang lukso mo Neneng, dapat pagbutihin
Pag nagkamali’y maiipit ka man din
Kay saya-saya ng piknikan sa bukid
Ibon at halaman pawang umaawit
Kay sarap ng hangin, kay ganda ng langit
May tula at awit sa agos ng batis

When a theme (A) is alternated with contrasting melodies (B, C, D…) and
ends with a repeat of the initial music theme (A), then its form is Rondo. It can be
ABACA, ABACABA, ABACADA, etc. An example of a classical piece in Rondo
Form is Beethoven’s Fur Elise. Another example of a song in Rondo form is La
Raspa, a Mexican folk song. In a performance of La Raspa, the form is shown
through body movements. Each section is represented by different dance
steps.

Summary of common forms in Music:

Form Definition Form represented
by letters
Unitary One verse or one part only A
Strophic Many sections with repeating melody and rhythm AAA or AAAA…
Binary Two-part form of music with contrasting melodies AB or AABB
Ternary A three-part form
a. featuring a return of the initial music a. ABA
after a contrasting section or
b. three contrasting sections b. ABC

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 Rondo A sequential composition form with several distinct ABACA,
parts in which a music theme (A) is alternated with ABACABA,
contrasting sections (B, C, or D…) and ends with a ABACADA, etc.
repeat of the initial theme (A)

ENDINGS AND REPEAT SIGNS IN FORM

In the previous lesson, we learned that Form is the organization or structure of a

song or a piece of music. In musical notation, there are indications and marks
used related to show the structure of the piece.

Markings Meanings
Da Capo (D.C.) To repeat from the beginning

Da Capo al Fine (D.C. al Fine) To repeat from the beginning until you reach
the word Fine, which is usually marked with a
double or final bar

Dal Segno (D.S.) To go back to the spot where you see the

symbol and repeat from there

Dal Segno al Coda (D.S. al Coda)

To go back to the symbol and repeat

from there until your reach the Coda sign

Repeat signs To repeat the section between the two signs. If

there is only one repeat sign, it means to
repeat from the beginning until you reach the
repeat sign.

Ending 1, ending 2 This is usually paired with a repeat sign. It

means that the first ending is played the first
time. On the repeat, the first ending is skipped,
and the second ending is played and the
music continues from there.

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 Repeat signs and other symbols are used to save space and it is easier to
use these symbols than to write the notes all over again. These signs should not be
ignored when playing a piece of music because they make up the structure or
form of the music.
Look at this piece for Paruparong Bukid. This folk song is in Binary Form.
The A section begins with the phrase, “Paru-parong bukid na lilipad lipad” and
ends with the phrase, ang sayang dekola sang pyesta ang sayad”. While the B
section starts with the phrase, “May payneta pa siya” and ends with “at saka
lalakad nang pakendeng-kendeng.”

Each section is sung twice. A section repeats after the first ending on the 22nd
measure.

On the second repeat,

instead of ending on the
22nd measure, it asks you
to go to the second
ending, which is the 23rd
measure and continue
singing from there. You will
also be singing the B
section twice, and each
repeat has a different
ending.

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 A. Experience

Read and analyze the form of Tinikling.

_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________

PERFORMANCE TASK (30 pts)

Below are different variations of the song, Bahay Kubo. Read and analyze the
repeat signs that you will see.
A. Explain the form of the variation using the symbols in the music sheet.
B. Practice and perform them with your groups.

BAHAY KUBO VAR. I

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BAHAY KUBO VAR. II

BAHAY KUBO VAR. III

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Common Song Structures

When it comes to songwriting, pop songs largely follow the same structure, the
Verse-Chorus form. Although there are other structures that have become
popular in the past, the verse-chorus form has been proven to be the most
successful for decades for songwriters across genres. This form is used in pop songs,
rock music, and the blues.

Some popular 60’s songs that use this form are:

1. “That’ll Be the Day” by Buddy Holly
2. “Penny Lane” by the Beatles

The ABABCB Form

The ABABCB form is a variation of the Verse-Chorus form. This is the form that we
know today. It is composed of a Verse (A), Chorus (B), another verse with the
same melody as the first (A), a repetition of the Chorus (B), a Bridge (C), and a
final Chorus (B). Almost all of the pop songs that you know today are in this
form.
For the Performance Task, you will write your own Graduation Song that will
contain the different section of a pop song.

A. Intro – optional and usually just instrumental; like a beginning of a

film or a novel, the song introduction should catch the attention of the
listener. Its goal is to establish a rhythm, tempo, and melody of the
song.
B. Verse – The verses of a song are a chance to tell a story. Usually,
there are two verses in a song, so you can split the story into two and
think about how the second verse can develop from the first.
Remember that the Chorus has the same lyrics and melody each time,
so the verse is your chance to get your message across.
C. Pre-Chorus – optional but may heighten the impact of the Chorus. It
is another chance to experiment, to utilize different harmonies or break
patterns in the song.
D. Chorus – is the summary of what the entire song is all about. Usually,
the title of the song is taken from the chorus, and should be the
catchiest part of the song.
E. Bridge – This happens only once towards the end of the song. A
Bridge is usually a break in the pattern of the rhythm and melody of the
song.
F. Outro – an outro can be done many ways. This can be done by
repeating the last phrase of the chorus, this can also be done through
a short instrumental, or slowing down the last part of the chorus.

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In songwriting, you can apply the following rhyme schemes:
1. End Rhyme Schemes – the most common form of rhyming in songwriting.

Examples:

A. The Beatles – Let it Be

When I find myself in times of trouble

Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

B. Colplay – Viva La Vida

I used to rule the world

Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning, I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

2. Unexpected Rhyme Schemes – Some rhyme schemes are designed to

give listeners something unexpected.

Examples:

A. Coldplay – Fix You

When you try your best but you don’t succeed

When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can’t sleep
Stuck in reverse

B. Evanescence – My Immortal

When you cried I’d wipe away all of your tears,

When you’d scream I’d fight away all of your fears,
And I held your hand through all of these years,
But you still have all of me

3. Six Line Schemes – you can also make your lyrics more complex by
organizing them into lines of six.

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 Example:

Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah

I heard there was a secret chord

That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don’t really care for music, do ya?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth,
The minor fall and the major lift,
The baffled king composing Hallelujah.

4. Slant Rhymes – rhymes doesn’t necessarily need to be exact, or “true”

rhymes. Might, right, sight, and night are true rhymes. And while these are
still effective strategies, you can always use other words that sound similar,
even if they have different numbers of syllables, to give your lyrics more
dynamics and make it more interesting to listen to. One example of this is
“need”, “succeed”, and “sleep” from Coldplay’s Fix You.

5. Alliteration – or head rhyme involves the using multiple words that all
begin with the same letter or sound in one phrase or sentence.

Examples:

A. The Beatles – Let it Be

“Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.”

B. Ne-Yo – So Sick

“Said I’m so sick of love songs, so sad and slow.”

6. Internal Rhymes – are rhymes that occur within the same line of a verse.

Example:
Taylor Swift – A Place in this World

I’m alone, on my own, and that’s all I know

I’ll be strong, I’ll be wrong, oh but life goes on
I’m just a girl, trying to find a place in this world

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Having rhymes is not necessary on every part of your song, but it sure is a great
way to make your song pleasing to listen to. You can also make combinations if
these rhyme schemes.

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