Grade 10 - Structure (Elements of Melody)

It is expected that students will create, listen to, and perform music, demonstrating understanding of expressive and physical properties of melody.

It is expected that students will:

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Students create variations of a known melody with the intent of changing the mood of the piece. Students improvise variations of a known melody. Students create a melody for a poem.
Students analyse melodies for transformational devices (e.g., inversion, sequence, modulation). Practise using computer technology to execute similar transformations.
Analyse melodies for patterns and describe how the patterns affect expressive phrasing. To demonstrate expressive phrasing, students perform a phrase of music using melodic patterns in the phrase.
Interview local amateur or professional composers (e.g., symphony, college or university, commercial jingle writers, band leaders, choir directors, music teachers), asking what inspires their writing. Ask what characteristics of melody are most commonly used for the type of work they do. Students use their journals to record what they have learned and how they will apply this information to their own compositions.
Students create a glossary of intervals, giving descriptions and examples of the use of each, such as a familiar melody that starts with a specified interval (e.g., m3 = O Canada).
Students sight-sing a melody using solfège syllables.
Students identify and analyse (in writing or orally) the use of intervals in their music repertoire.

Have students describe their improvisations of familiar melodies. To what extent do they use correct terminology to describe melodic patterns?
Ask students to perform a piece for the class. Students should explain their choice of phrasing based on their understanding of melodic contour. Listen to their responses to see if they:
- understand that melodic lines form musical sentences
- breathe in appropriate places
- can state why certain points are considered phrase endings
Have students listen to audiotapes of partners' solo performances. Ask them to critique the performance and make suggestions for improvement. Observe students as they give feedback to others to see the extent to which they identify areas that require improvement and suggest solutions and strategies for fixing problem areas.
Have students match the in-tune pitch of an instrument played by the leader. To what extent can they quickly match pitch and explain what they did to achieve it?