Episode #12 will give you two practice dictations that will require you to analyze the rhythm and melody.
Episode #12 will give you two practice dictations that will require you to analyze the rhythm and melody. The first one starts on A4 (2:17) and the second dictation starts on D5 (4:07). Finish the episode with a guided sight reading through a Russian folk song (7:00).
Question of the day: What is an example of a folk song that uses all major solfege syllables? (11:19)
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Hi and welcome to the APsolute Recap: Music Theory Edition. Today’s episode will recap Melodic and Rhythmic Dictation and Sight Reading.
Lets Zoom out:
We’re in Unit 1 & 2 - Music Fundamentals
Topics 1.1-1.8 and 2.1-2.5
Our Big ideas are pitch and rhythm
In this episode we will do two melodic and rhythmic dictations, each played four times. After which we will end with a guided sight reading example. These practice FRQs will push you to audiate, decode and transcribe.
Lets Zoom in:
By now you have got a pretty awesome bag of tricks to help you through sight reading and transcribing dictations. Use solfege, curwen hand signs, note names, rhythm syllables, counting, iconic notation, time signatures, the circle of fifths and now you can add interval song icons. Use your interval size and quality songs to help you determine tricky patterns. For example, if you hear a tritone then double check it by singing “Maria.”
Today’s practice dictation will be melodic and rhythmic. Depending on your strengths, you may want to use the first two listenings for jotting down the pitches with empty noteheads on the staff, the third listening to sketch the rhythm above the staff, and the last listening to double check your work. After each example you can put the rhythm on the note heads to blend the two ideas together. Make sure to listen for the patterns you hear, the mode, compound or simple rhythm, or solfege. There will be two examples, each played four times just as they will be for the exam.
The sheep are back! Here is example one for you to decode, starting with A4 notated in the treble clef. (sheep music 1)
Here is the second listening: (sheep music 1)
Here is the third listening: (sheep music 1)
Here is the fourth and final listening: (sheep music 1)
Example one was in F major, and the answer in solfege was: Mi do re mi la | sol fa mi ti, do | sol la ti do’ sol re do.
The time signature was 4/4, and if I were to count the rhythm it would be: 1 2 and 3 4, 1 and 2 and 3-4, 1 2 3 4, rest 2 3 4.
Here is example two for you to decode, starting with D5 notated in the treble clef. (sheep music 2)
Here is the second listening: (sheep music 2)
Here is the third listening: (sheep music 2)
Here is the fourth and final listening: (sheep music 2)
Example two was in D minor, and would be sung in solfege like this: la mi, la ti | do ti la sol fa sol | mi mi la la | mi re re mi la,
The time signature was 6/8, and the rhythm would be counted: 1-2 3 4-5 6 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 | 1-2 3 4-5 6 | 1 2 3 4 5-6
Remember, the sight reading skill will show up on the exam as a Sight
Singing FRQ. Make sure to look for the time signature, key
signature, melodic and rhythmic patterns. Mentally practice
counting the rhythm and singing the solfege separately.
I am going to show you how I might sing “Oh My Sweetheart” a Russian folk song, found on the international music score library project website, imslp.org. Full disclosure, I had not heard of this song before making this episode.
First, I am going to notice the treble clef, no key signature, the 5/4 time signature and some occasional B flat notes in the melody.
Since the song starts on an E and ends on an A, I am going to assume that the song is in A minor, because those notes are in the a minor tonic chord. The B flat can be explained by a relation to the mode A phrygian, or Neapolitan second chord explicitly shown in measure 27 with Bb D F and A. Although this explains the Bb, it is not necessary to know the “why” for sight reading. I would certainly want to auralize the B natural and B flat in my head before sight reading the whole song. Find melodic patterns and try to auralize the solfege without worrying too much about the rhythm yet.
I would then look for any rhythms that might be tricky. In measure 10, there is an eighth note and two sixteenth note rhythms. Which I might clap and count “2 and a”r Then I see a dotted quarter note and eighth note rhythm in measure 19 “1-and-2 and” Finally, I would clap and count measure 29 “ 1 2 and 3 and-4 and 5 and”
Here is how I would sing it with solfege.
(solfege singing)
Feel free to challenge yourself by trying to sight sing the other violin, viola, and cello parts. It would be great practice to sight read other clefs.
To recap……
When practicing dictation, listen for the key signature, time signature, mode, melodic and rhythmic patterns. Then, use any combination of knowledge of solfege, curwen hand signs, note names, rhythm syllables, counting, iconic notation, time signatures, the circle of fifths, interval size and interval quality.
Coming up next on the Apsolute RecAP Music Theory Edition: Triads and Chord Qualities
Today’s Question of the day is about solfege and major scale degrees.
Question: What is an example of a folk song that uses all major solfege syllables?