production through performance
music technology curriculum
5.2 lesson plan // one voice melody
objective
Students will be able to play and record a one voice melody that uses smooth voice leading and melodic rhythm.
Resources
Voice Leading →
Assessment
5.2 Project Rubric →
Preparation
Read the Voice Leading page.
Play through a chord progression using inversions and make one voice louder than the others.
Have the class sing that voice while you play the progression.
Play that note with a class created melodic rhythm to make a one voice melody.
process
Write a chord progression, identify the roman numerals, indicate the letter name and quality of the chords, and invert the triads to maintain smooth voice leading on the chord progression organizer.
Create a chord part with a pads + punches, ostinato or riff rhythmic role.
Compose a melodic rhythm with syncopation, repetition, and space.
Use the notes from one of the voices (bottom, middle, or top) as the pitch for each measure.
Write a drum groove with either eighth or sixteenth note subdivision.
Create a bass line using one of the three bass/kick relationships that has octave jumps and leading tones that follow the chord progression. CHECK STUDENT ANSWERS
Record four measures of the drum, bass, and chord parts as separate tracks in Soundtrap at student selected tempo.
Add a synth track and choose an appropriate sound for the song.
Record a performance of the one voice melody, trim the clip, quantize the attacks, and snap the releases to the correct subdivision.
Remediation
Supply the repetition letters for the melodic rhythm.
Choose a slower tempo.
Allow students to use the organizer and recording from project 4.3 or 4.4 as their drums, bass, and chords.
Enrichment
Open the project up to 16th note and/or 8th note triplet subdivisions.
Add a second four measure phrase of bass, drums, and chords with a new melody that is connected with a drum fill.