Making and enjoying music

Hello, and welcome to today's lesson entitled "Making and enjoying music". My name is Mr. Norris. I'm gonna take you through today as we look at a few different ways that we can think about music and make music together. Let's get started. Our outcome for today's lesson is, "I can use the elements of music to describe music and can perform a song to a pulse." And some key words. The first is pitch. This is how high or low a note is. Tempo. How fast or slow the music is. Dynamics. How loud or soft the music is. Rhythm, which is a pattern of sounds. And then pulse, which is the steady feel of the beat. So we're gonna be using all these terms as we're going. The first part of today's lesson is entitled, "Discussing music." What do you think it means to make music? Do you think these are examples? Pause my video while you have a think or a discussion. So there are lots of different ways for us to make and enjoy music. This could include performing, singing, composing, improvising, conducting, and there are probably other ones as well. Listening to music is also a way that we all engage with it, although we might not think of that as really an active process sometimes. To engage with new music and music that we know, it helps to understand more about what we are listening to. We can use the elements of music to help us discuss and appreciate the music we are listening to. Three of the most important elements are pitch, which is how high or low a note is. Tempo, which is how fast or slow the music is. And dynamics, which is how loud or soft the music is. So these are three key elements that we can think about when we're describing music. Let's take a look at these three clips of performing. I'd like you to think about how are pitch, dynamics, and tempo used in these clips. I'd then like you to have a think about which clip matches which graphic score. So try and match up the clip to the graphic score we can see on the screen. Here's our first one. (trombone plays Beethoven's "Ode to Joy") Here's the second clip. (trombone plays smooth jazzy melody) And here's the third clip. (trombone plays energetic melody) Now I'd like you to pause my video, have a think about how the pitch, dynamics, and tempo were used in those, and then to match up each video to the correct graphic score that matches it closest. Pause my video now. So the first video was that bottom graphic score. The second one was the top one. And then video three was the middle one. We're gonna look at each of these now, in a bit closer detail. So for the first one, you might have said that the pitch is quite high. The dynamics are fairly quiet and stay the same throughout. And the tempo is quite consistent and steady. So we're thinking about all three of those elements to describe that. On the second one, you might have said the pitch is quite low to start, high at the end, and it is quite jumpy overall. It moves around a lot. The tempo's quite steady, and the dynamics are quiet throughout. And then for the third one, you might have said the pitch is more varied. It repeats the same notes in places, and then gradually gets lower and ends really low-pitched. The dynamics get louder in bursts, and the tempo starts fast and gets slower. So in all three of those clips there, we've described pitch, dynamics, and tempo. Let's check your understanding. Finish this sentence. "Pitch means. ." Is it how high or low the music is? How loud or soft the music is? Or how fast or slow the music is? I'll give you a few seconds. And the correct answer is, it's how high or low the music is. How high or low particular sounds or notes are. Do the same for tempo. I'll give you a few seconds. And the correct answer here is, tempo means how fast or slow the music is. Well done if you got that. And then finish off with dynamics. Which one is the correct answer? And the correct answer here, then, is how loud or soft the music is. How loud or quiet. For task A, I'd like you to watch this performance. The musical idea is played twice, but it's slightly different the second time. For question one, describe how the pitch, dynamics, and tempo are different between the first and the second versions of the musical idea. Then I'd like you to draw a graphic score to represent the music that you can hear. So think about how you can represent it using lines and dots, for example. Let's have a look at the video. (trombone plays dramatic melody) Now, pause my video while you're finishing off both questions. Okay, let's go through this one. So we could have said that the pitch is high to start, and then lower to finish. The dynamics are louder to start, but quieter towards the end. And the tempo is faster to start, and slower to finish. So well done if you identified those three changes. For question two, take a look at this graphic score. How does it represent the music? I'll give you a few seconds to think of a few ways it does. So you might have picked up on a few points here. The lines start high and move lower, which shows the shape of the pitch. The lines in the second half are thinner, to show that the music is quieter. And the music gets slower towards the end, which makes the notes longer, and the last line is really long to show this. Now I'd like you to pause my video and have a think about how your graphic score represents the music as well. The second part of today's lesson is focused on the elements of music in more detail. There are other words that we can use to describe the pitch in a piece of music, as well as high and low. I'd like you to listen again to this clip. Does the pitch move by steps, or is it quite jumpy? And does it cover a small or a wide range of notes? So we're thinking more than just high and low here, in a bit more detail about the pitch. Let's have a look. (trombone plays dramatic melody) So hopefully you picked up that the pitch moves mainly by step. So it has small steps between the pitches. And this example has quite a wide range, so it has lots of different notes that are used. We're gonna listen to three clips now, short clips, where I want you to focus in on the pitch. And here we're looking to describe the pitch in more detail than just high or low. So thinking about the way the notes are moving, and the patterns that are being used. Let's have a listen to this first one. I'd like you to focus in on the percussion instrument. How would you describe the pitch of this? Here we go. (cartoony suspenseful melody plays) So you might have picked up there that there are two notes going back and forth by steps. So it's alternating quickly between two notes. And there are small intervals, so there's not big intervals between the notes. They're moving by step. Let's have a listen to this second one. Let's try the same. How do we describe the pitch in this? (futuristic descending note plays) So we might say here that the pitch quickly descends through a large range, so it suddenly jumps from one to the other and descends through lots of notes very quickly. Let's have a listen to the third one there. (bright melody plays) And here we might have said that it's quite jumpy. There's large intervals between the notes, and it's changing pitch very quickly between lots of different pitches. So well done if you described those correctly. A melody consists of both pitch and rhythm. I'd like you to listen to these well-known melodies here, without any rhythm. So just the pitches played, without the rhythm of the melody. Do you recognize any of them? Here's the first one. (melody plays on piano) So that one you might have picked up is "Happy Birthday", but it sounds very different without the rhythm. Let's try the second one. (melody plays on piano) Again, a very famous melody. That one was "Jingle Bells", but without that rhythm, it sounds quite difficult to recognize. Third and final one. (melody plays on piano) Tricky one, that one. That's a sea shanty, which is "Wellerman", so well done if you picked up on that. And the point here is that both picture and rhythm are really central to making a melody recognizable. So rhythm is a pattern of sounds, and it can be quite difficult to describe. We can be precise by talking about individual note lengths, such as crotchets or quavers. Or it could be more general, such as describing if the rhythm repeats, or if it's quite constant and consistent. Let's listen to these examples. How would you describe the rhythm in them? Here's the first one. (drums play military-like rhythm) Have a think about how you'd describe that rhythm. Now let's look at the second one. (whimsical video game melody plays) Have a good think about how that rhythm would be described. And now the third one. (smooth music plays on synths) So you might have said for the first one that there's a constant, repeated rhythm, with fast, short notes. And you might have also picked up, there are some triplets played in that example. The second one had fast, uneven, but sort of wilting rhythms, and it used dotted notes. And then finally, the third one, had long, sustained notes. You might have mentioned that they're semibreves. So as we can see there, there's lots of different ways we can describe rhythm in different levels of detail. Which of these terms does not refer to pitch? Wide range, moving by step, or getting faster? I'll give you a few seconds. And the correct answer is getting faster. That would not refer to pitch, but we could have a wide range of pitch, and pitch can move by step. What is rhythm? I'll give you a few seconds. Rhythm is a pattern of sounds, and there are also different rhythms, as we know, which can use long notes, short notes, or a combination of both. For task B, you're gonna listen to this piece, which is one of the most well-known pieces of classical music, having been used in many films and adverts. And in part, it's really well known, because of the excitement that it creates. Question one, I'd like you to describe the pitch at the start. And then for question two, which of these most accurately describes the pitch towards the end of the extract? Is it, the pitch is low with mainly low-pitched instruments playing? The pitch is higher, with mainly high-pitched instruments playing? Or the low-pitched instruments remain, but more high-pitched instruments are also playing? For question three, you're gonna describe the dynamics throughout. For question four, do the same for tempo. And then for question five, what other musical features can you describe that help to make the music sound exciting? Think particularly about the rhythm, note lengths, and instruments that are used. So you can pause my video now, have a listen, and give this task your best shot. Let's go through this then. For question one, the pitch is low at the start. For question two, the statement that best describes the pitch towards the end of the extract is the low-pitched instruments remain, but more high-pitched instruments are also playing. Sometimes it's not as simple as saying that it's high-pitched or low-pitched, particularly when there's a whole orchestra playing, which includes lots of different pitches playing at the same time. Question three, the dynamics are very quiet at the beginning, and get gradually louder throughout the piece. For question four, the tempo at the start is very slow, and it gets gradually faster throughout the piece. And then for question five, what other musical features can you describe that help to make it sound exciting? You might have picked up on the fact that the notes are short and detached, which adds excitement. There are fewer instruments at the start, and more towards the end, which builds excitement. There are gaps of silence towards the end, which creates tension. And then musical ideas that play suddenly, such as cymbal crashes, which are loud and dramatic and exciting. So well done if you picked up on a few of those points. The final part of this lesson is entitled, "Making music together." Singing requires good breathing technique, and breathing is the engine of singing. Let's have a look at good singing breath technique, and how we should use breathing properly to effectively sing. Singing breaths are low, even, and sustained. When you breathe, you should feel your hands moving in and out. You place your hands just below your belly button. When you breathe in, your hands should move out, and when you breathe back out, your hands should go back in. Let's just practice a bit of breathing in and out. If you breathe in, two, three, four. And out, two, three, four. In, two, three, four, and out, two, three, four. When you breathe, your shoulders should stay nice and calm. They're not moving, we're not feeling any tension, but just, the only thing that is moving is the lower part in our belly. What did you notice about your shoulders and your belly when you were doing those singing breaths? Take a few seconds, have a quick think. So hopefully you noticed that your shoulders should stay still while you're singing, while you're taking those breaths. Your belly moves out when you breathe in, and moves in when you breathe out. And this allows you to take deep breaths and sustain it for several seconds. So this is much better breathing technique for singing than just normal breathing. Let's practice your breathing technique in preparation for singing. Let's practice having really even and sustained breaths. We're going to breathe in for four beats, and we're going to breathe out for four beats, on a really light "sss", hiss sound. Are you ready? When I count to four, then you will start to breathe in for four. One, two, three, breathe, in, two, three, four, and sss, again, breathe in, two, three, four, and sss. One more time. Breathe in, two, three, four, and sss. And let it out. Great! The next thing we'll try to do is breathe in for four, and out for eight. So we don't wanna let all of our breath go at the same time, but we wanna breathe out, even and sustained. We don't wanna let everything go. We don't wanna have the sound changing. We want it to be nice and even and sustained the whole time we're doing the hiss. Okay, you ready? One, two, ready, go. Breathe in, two, three, four, and out, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Breathe in, two, three, four, and out, two, three, four, five, six, seven, one more time. Breathe in, two, three, four, and out, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. A bit harder. But that's the way we want to be taking our good breaths to sustain our breath throughout the entire phrase whenever we want to sing. Remember, when you're doing that, place your hands on your belly, breathe in for four beats and out for four beats. Use a gentle hiss when you breathe out, to keep the breath steady and even. And extend this by breathing in for four beats, and out steadily for eight beats. Let's check your understanding. Singing breaths are. Are they low, even and sustained? High, even and sustained? Or from the middle, even and sustained? I'll give you a few seconds. And the correct answer is they are low, even, and sustained, meaning they come from our belly, not from our throat. True or false? Your shoulders should stay still when you take a deep breath. I'll give you a few seconds. And the correct answer is true. Why is this the case? Have a quick think. And the correct answer is, because it helps to avoid any tension in the body, and that's really key to singing effectively. Let's listen to this Congolese folk song. It's called "Banaha (Si Si Si)". You might have come across this song before, particularly at primary school. It's sung in the Kiluba language, and it's quite a fun, playful, and lively song, that talks about pineapple trees, it talks about bananas, and it's talking about the singer's auntie. What I'd like you to do as you're listening is notice the consistent pulse in the music. Can you feel the steady one, two, three, four, as the music is playing? Let's have a listen. ♪ Sisi sisi dolada ♪ ♪ Yaku sine ladu banaha ♪ ♪ Sisi sisi dolada ♪ ♪ Yaku sine ladu banaha ♪ ♪ Banaha ♪ ♪ Banaha ♪ ♪ Yaku sine ladu banaha ♪ ♪ Banaha ♪ ♪ Banaha ♪ ♪ Yaku sine ladu banaha ♪ ♪ Ha banaha ♪ ♪ Yaku sine ladu banaha ♪ ♪ Ha banaha ♪ ♪ Yaku sine ladu banaha ♪ Keeping to a pulse usually means keeping to the same tempo throughout the music. In a group performance, this is dictated by the count-in, which would usually be one, two, three, four. So that shows the pulse, shows the tempo. But everyone is responsible for keeping that pulse when they're performing. And that's a really key part of making music together. The tempo varies between songs, so different songs will have different tempos, but most songs keep a consistent tempo throughout. So most of the time, the tempo doesn't change throughout a song. We have to feel the underlying beat, and we have to listen to each other to perform together effectively. If we show expression on our faces when we sing, this can change the shape of our mouth, where the sound resonates, and it can also improve our tone and help us project. So this can be quite a useful thing to do. It also helps us to sing with confidence, which is such a key part of singing. Let's check your understanding. Who is responsible for keeping the pulse in a group performance? I'll give you a few seconds. And the correct answer is, everyone. All performers and anyone involved in the performance is responsible for keeping the pulse. For task C, we're gonna perform the Congolese folk song, Banaha (Si Si Si) together. Listen to each section once, then join in and repeat. Here's the first section. ♪ One two three four ♪ ♪ Sisi sisi dolada ♪ ♪ Yaku sine ladu banaha ♪ (piano plays melody) ♪ Sisi sisi dolada ♪ ♪ Yaku sine ladu banaha ♪ (piano plays melody) Let's do the same for the second section. Here we go. ♪ One two three ♪ ♪ Banaha ♪ ♪ Banaha ♪ ♪ Yaku sine ladu banaha ♪ (piano plays melody) ♪ Banaha ♪ ♪ Banaha ♪ ♪ Yaku sine ladu banaha ♪ (piano plays melody) And finally, let's do it for the third section. Here we go. ♪ One two three four ♪ ♪ Ha banaha ♪ ♪ Yaku sine ladu banaha ♪ (piano plays melody) ♪ Ha banaha ♪ ♪ Yaku sine ladu banaha ♪ (piano plays melody) Now you're gonna perform all three sections of the song, with added dynamic contrast. And you can do this with the backing track. Here's some success criteria. Make sure you sing the first two lines at a loud dynamic, and the repeated lines quietly, so kinda like an echo. Make sure you keep shoulders relaxed, you take a quick, deep breath, at the end of each line, and you keep to a pulse. You can show expression in your face and try and sing with confidence. And make sure you wait for the four bar introduction before you start singing. Here are your lyrics, and there's your backing track. So you can pause my video now and give this your best shot. Now it's time to reflect on your performance. Here are a few questions to think about, and this will guide you as to how to further improve your singing. Was your breathing even and steady? Did you keep your shoulders relaxed? Were you singing to a pulse for the backing track? Did you articulate the words really clearly? And did you sing using the correct dynamics? Did you also show expression on your face? Remember, this really helps your voice, and sing with confidence. So pause my video, have a reflection on that performance. Let's summarize today's lesson. We can use the elements of music to help us understand the music that we listen to and enjoy. Pitch, tempo, dynamics, and rhythm, are four elements that are fundamental to how music is made. We can make music through performance, and keeping to a pulse is really important when we are performing. And finally, taking relaxed, deep, and sustained singing breaths, is important to help us sing well. So I hope you've enjoyed today's lesson, looking at how we describe and discuss music, and also doing a bit of music-making together as well. And I look forward to seeing you in another lesson. Thank you.