WHAT IS THIS SESSION ? SING AND STRUM: Building Harmonic Skill and - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

WHAT IS THIS SESSION ? SING AND STRUM: Building Harmonic Skill and Understanding Through Singing and Ukulele This session will focus on harmonic skills & audiation. Progression for building harmonic skills and understanding Singing & audiation, then ukulele application Heather N. Shouldice Amy L. Sierzega In this approach to harmonic understanding, the instrument Eastern Michigan University Ann Arbor Public Schools acts as an extension/vehicle for expressing inner musicianship. Michigan Music Conference — Saturday, January 18, 2020 1 2 WHAT IS THE AUDIATION & INSTRUMENT FOR? INSTRUMENTS There are two main ways in which audiation and instruments interact. One's audiation is informed by the instrument OR the instrument is an extension of what one can already audiate. 3 4

PROGRESSION OF Tonal Center HARMONIC SKILLS Sing Resting Tone Tonal Center (resting tone/home tone) Toy Toss (“Monkey Monkey”—B. Bolton) Resting Tone Ostinato Tonic/Dominant Bordun/Ostinato Other ideas (see handout) Tonic/Dominant Functions Tonic/Dominant Chords Play Resting Tone Tonal Improvisation Over Chords/Progressions Pluck E string on ukulele (E-Phrygian) Songwriting! 5 6 PROGRESSION OF Resting Tone Ostinato HARMONIC SKILLS Sing Resting Tone Ostinato Tonal Center (resting tone/home tone) “Donkeys Love Carrots”—Traditional Resting Tone Ostinato Tonic/Dominant Bordun/Ostinato Other ideas (see handout) Tonic/Dominant Functions Tonic/Dominant Chords Play Resting Tone Ostinato Tonal Improvisation Over Chords/Progressions Pluck C string on ukulele (C-Major) Songwriting! 7 8

PROGRESSION OF Tonic/Dominant Bordun/Ostinato HARMONIC SKILLS Sing I-V Ostinato (parallel or alternating) Tonal Center (resting tone/home tone) “Donkeys Love Carrots”—Traditional Resting Tone Ostinato Other ideas (see handout) Tonic/Dominant Bordun/Ostinato Tonic/Dominant Functions Tonic/Dominant Chords Play Resting Tone Tonal Improvisation Over Chords/Progressions Pluck C and/or G strings on ukulele (for C-Major) Songwriting! 9 10 PROGRESSION OF Tonic/Dominant Functions HARMONIC SKILLS Sing Patterns, Label Functions, “Translate” Tonal Center (resting tone/home tone) Sing tonal patterns (neutral syll. then solfege) Resting Tone Ostinato Label/recognize tonic/dominant functions “Translate” patterns (associate solfege) Tonic/Dominant Bordun/Ostinato Tonic/Dominant Functions “Rig a Jig Jig”—Traditional Tonic/Dominant Chords Play /Reinforce Skills on Ukulele Tonal Improvisation Over Chords/Progressions Use first three open strings for major tonic in Songwriting! C-Major 11 12

PROGRESSION OF Tonic/Dominant Chords HARMONIC SKILLS Sing Chord Roots & Tones; Label Functions Tonal Center (resting tone/home tone) “Hello Everybody”—E. Holsaret/C. Bailey Resting Tone Ostinato Other I-V and i-V songs (see handout) Tonic/Dominant Bordun/Ostinato Tonic/Dominant Functions Play Chords and Chord Tones on Ukulele! Tonic/Dominant Chords C-Major and G-Major for I and V functions Tonal Improvisation Over Chords/Progressions Additional functions/chord roots/progressions! Songwriting! 13 14 PROGRESSION OF Tonal Improvisation over chords/progressions HARMONIC SKILLS Sing Patterns and Melodies Improvise patterns (alone & over tonic ostinato) Tonal Center (resting tone/home tone) Add more pattern functions! Resting Tone Ostinato Improvise an ending (“Unfinished Song”—H.N. Shouldice) Chord roots to a familiar song: Tonic/Dominant Bordun/Ostinato Sing chord roots Tonic/Dominant Functions Sing song over chord roots Tonic/Dominant Chords Sing chord tones over chord roots Improvise new melody! Tonal Improvisation Over Chords/Progressions Play Chords on Ukulele and Improvise! Songwriting! 15 16

PROGRESSION OF Songwriting HARMONIC SKILLS using chords/progressions Sing progressions and melodies Tonal Center (resting tone/home tone) Create a melody over a given progression Resting Tone Ostinato Can use a familiar chant or poem! Tonic/Dominant Bordun/Ostinato Create a progression & melody Tonic/Dominant Functions Songwriting “from scratch”! Tonic/Dominant Chords Tonal Improvisation Over Chords/Progressions Transfer the skills to ukulele! Songwriting! 17 18 Songwriting Tonic (F) using chords/progressions Dominant (C or C7) Sing progressions and melodies Create a melody over a given progression Can use a familiar chant or poem! Create a progression & melody Songwriting “from scratch”! Transfer the skills to ukulele! 19 20

Thank you! Amy L. Sierzega Heather N. Shouldice Ann Arbor Public Schools Eastern Michigan University hshouldi@emich.edu sierzega@a2schools.org 21