Composition Starter Activity for Stage 6 (take 5)

Activity 5 – Rhythm for Melody

-As a class look at the final bars in the score for Dancing on Clouds. Discuss the aleatoric bar that indicates to “repeat in own time slowish alternations”.

-Define and discuss aleatoric music with the class. Note the variables often are pitch, duration or a combination of the two.

-Students will choose a subdivision of beat such as quavers, semiquavers or crotchets (depending on the tempo of their composition).

-Then students will google search ‘roll dice’ and an online die will show (or use physical die if you wish).

-Then they will draw out a table similar to below.

-Write in the pitches assigned in the phonopaper activity in top row.

-Roll the online die to determine the duration of each note and enter numbers in the bottom row.

-Students will notate this (either using traditional notation software OR piano roll on a DAW).

e.g. Based on the grid above- use the phonograph contour line to determine octave of notes

-How to enter values in Soundtrap Piano Roll tutorial click here

-After this activity is completed, students should screen shot the melody produced as well as the process and note this in their compositional diaries. After this has been documented they may change or adapt the melody if needed.