Yellow Submarine - compare and contrast

Grade 9 Students,

Since we can't get into the lab today due to MAP tests, you are going to watch the first bit of a movie called "Yellow Submarine". It has been rated 96% on Rotten Tomatoes - extremely high - so I think you need to understand it's cultural and artistic significance.

After watching about 45 minutes, I want you to compare it to another animated movie you've seen. Hopefully, this will make your Music Journal response original and individual, as I want you to think about how this might be the same as and different to something you know from recent memory.

For example, how can you compare:
- the style of animation
- the soundtrack
- the story
- the type of music
- the era it was made?

I look forward to reading your comparisons.

Mr. Kozak

Sound to Music Journal Writing

Grade 6 Students,

Make sure to upload your mp3 into the StudyWiz gallery called 6MUS-U1-Sound to Music GarageBand song gallery.

When you've finished uploading, listen to your classmates' songs and write in your Music Journal. What should you write??!!!

Write in full sentences something that you liked about the song and why. Was it the beat, the tempo, the melody, the dynamics, the panning, the animal sound - explain yourself.

Also, write wat YOU would change to make the song better and why.

Mr. Kozak

GarageBand Export to mp3 tutorial

Students,

In case you missed it, here's how to export your GarageBand project to mp3.
Mr. Kozak

Music Theory - Interval Identification

Students,

By now, you should be able to understand how certain intervals sound, like the unison, octave, and Perfect 5th. Here is your task for the next few classes.

In the Exercises section, find INTERVAL IDENTIFICATION. Customize the exercise so that your menu looks like this:

If it gets too easy, go back to the customize menu and add more intervals.

Listen, listen, listen! Don't forget to research songs for interval recognition (see other post).

We'll have a quiz when I get back.

Mr. Kozak

  

Songs for Interval Recognition

Grade 8,

While you practice playing intervals on the keyboard, you should be using that great music theory website we all love (see post bellow).

Don't forget, there is a list of songs to help you remember intervals. Make sure to listen to the first song in each list on the left hand side.

Songs for interval recognition from tokyosax

Good luck while I'm away. We'll have a quiz when I get back.
Mr. Kozak

Magic GarageBand tip

Students,

Although we have been practicing the A minor pentatonic scale, when you use Blues in Magic GarageBand, set your project to E minor.

All the other styles (e.g. reggae, country, roots rock, slow blues, latin, etc.) should be okay in A minor.

Keep practising!

Mr. Kozak

Comping

Students,

Next class, you will solo using the A minor pentatonic scale. After some practice, you should be able to:

- use the swing rhythm (long-short-long-short, etc.)
- know the five scale notes up and down the whole keyboard
- use passing tones (the black keys between the notes of the scale)

Your partner will comp.

Comping is short for accompany. They will alternate playing the A minor chord with their left hand (pinky on A, middle finger on C, thumb on E) and shift to G Major (G, B, D).

Don't forget to count the swing rhythm in your head - 

one AND two AND three AND four AND

Mr. Kozak

Interval ear training

Students,

The best website for ear training is music theory.net. We are training our ears to hear different intervals - the spaces between two notes. In the exercises, find interval ear training, and customize the exercise to only have unison, octave, major 3rd, perfect 4th, and perfect 5th.

 

After you get 80% from 30 questions, add minor 2nd, minor 3rd, and the Tritone.

This takes patience. You will improve the more you listen.

Mr. Kozak

Dynamics

Students,

Here's a good visual example of dynamics. Can you tell when the music is quiet? Can you tell when it would be loud?

This is from Wagner's 'Rienzi', an opera written in 1840.

The A minor pentatonic scale

Students,

Now you know the names of the five notes to play (A, C, D, E, G). You also know the mnemonic device used to remember the lines and spaces of the staff (every good band deserves fudge and FACE).

You should be able to play the entire length of the keyboard an extended A minor pentatonic scale in the swing rhythm.

To play an interesting solo, you need to make a riff.
A riff is a short phrase of music only a few notes long. You need to compose one. We'll discuss this next class. Just remember to use the swing rhythm: