Unit 8: Transposition, C & F majors, B-flat

Music:

The primary central focus is to introduce students to musical elements: Transposition and F major scale.
  • Students will explain how C major is transposed to the key of F. (Pr4.2)
  • Students will be able to identity middle C (low so), note D, (low la), and note E (low ti) in the key of F major on the staff. (Doraji, Kāhuli Aku) (Pr4.2)
  • Students will be able to identify the key-signature of F major, which is B-flat. (Pr4.2)     
  • Students will explain how responses to music are informed by the structure, the use of the elements of music, and social and cultural context.  (Doraji, Kāhuli Aku) (Pr4.1)
  • Students will explain how responses to music are informed by the structure, the use of the elements of music - tonalities, and social and cultural context.   (Doraji, Kāhuli Aku) (Re7.2)
  • Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of relationships between music and the other arts, cultures, varied contexts, and daily life. (Cn11.0., Kāhuli Aku, May use SEL questions)

SEL:

The focuses of this unit are to guide students to explore self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

HĀ: #2e - Strengthened Sense of Responsibility; #5a & c - Strengthened Sense of Total Well-being; #6d, e, g, & h - Strengthened Sense of Hawai‘i

  • Students will be able to discover their roles, contributions, and the importance of sharing and making decisions as a group to protect nature, including the endangered species in the state of Hawai`i. 
  • Students will reflect on one’s role to promote personal, family, and community well-being, evaluating personal, interpersonal, community, and institutional impacts.
  • Students will practice teamwork and collaborative problem-solving, seeking or offering support and help when needed (Relationship skills). 
  • Students will identify and using stress management strategies, showing the courage to take initiative (Self-management).

 

FOCUS KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS SONGS/CHANTS/BOOKS

SCALE

 

FORM

 

TONALITIES

  • Transposition from C to F major. 
  • Identify solfege and absolute names (including B-flat) in F major.
  • Key signature, accidental
  • Twinkle Twinkle
  • Doraji
  • Kāhuli Aku

Transposition

When playing an instrument and singing, musicians sometimes want to change from one key to another. Usually, a key change is made when the range of the song is not suitable for the singer. Changing from one key to another is called transposing.

 

So far, you have learned the key of C major. We are going to transpose from the key of C to the key of F.

 

  1. Can you count the steps from C up to F? (4 steps — C, D, E, F)
  2. In music, the distance between two notes is called an interval. What is the interval between C and F? (4th above)

So, if we transpose a song from C major to F major, all the notes in the song will be transposed to a 4th above.

C and F major

`Ukulele

Piano


1. First play note C major, then play step by step up, till the 4th note above (say that in the video). Say this is note F.

2. a) Play F major on the instruments, without Bb. b) Then play the note and count the note: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Ask which note sounds strange (4th note)?

3. Now play again with Bb and ask whether it sounds right.

4. Explain:

  • Piano: Explain the black key is below B, it is called B-flat. The interval between B and B-flat is 1/2 step.
  • `Ukulele: Explain the Bb is a fret above B. On `ukulele, the interval is 1/2 step if the notes are one fret apart.

5. Play F major scale again (ascending and descending). At the end explain in F major, we need to add an accidental, and that is Bb.

6. Play Twinkle Twinkle, emphasize on Bb.

6. Play C major scale (ascending and descending). Explain in C major, there is no accidental.

Please check with each other, so that both of you are on the same page. You know how to do this, you are better than this. : )

KEY-SIGNATURE
Musicians are smart. To avoid writing a flat every time there is a B, they put a flat (b) sign on the B line of each staff at the beginning of the score. This B-flat is called a key-signature. When players see the signature, they will play Bb automatically for every B they see in the score. See below:

Fa hand sign


Sight-singing

When sight-reading music exercises, we should read ahead. (While you are singing the notes in the current measure, move your eyes to the next measure.)

Now, let's sight read the below four phrases in solfege.

Ex 1

1. What is the first note's solfege? Are the rest of the notes in mm1 in step or skip movement? (step)

2. What is the first note's solfege in mm2? What is the contour of the melody? (ascending and descending)

3. What is the melody's contour in mm 3-4? (descending)

4. Sing this phrase.

 

Ex 2

1. Is the first note of Ex 2 the same as Ex 1? (same)

2. What is the first note's solfege in mm2? (mi) What is the contour of the melody? (descending)

3. Are the notes in mm 2 in step or skip movements? (skip)

4. Sing the solfege (mi-do-la,)

5. Is the next note in mm 3 lower or higher than the first note (a step lower)? Name the solfege (low so)

6. Sing all the notes.

 

 

Ex 3

1. What is the first note's solfege? Are the rest of the notes in mm1 & 2 the same or different? (same) 

2. Is the first note's solfege in mm3 and 4 the same? (same)

3. Sing this phrase.

 

Ex 4

  1. Compare Ex 3 & 4; what is added between all the low la? (low so, and do)
  2. Sing the first measure.
  3. Is mm1 the same or different from mm2? (same)
  4. Are the last two measures of Ex 4 the same or different from mm3-4 of Ex 3? (same)
  5. Sing Ex 4.

 

Daraji

Do you remember you sang this Korean song in Activity 9? Now we will read the song on the staff, which is in F major.

Note: Teacher may use the same sequence students sight-read Exercises 1-4 to hand sign and sing Doraji in solfege. 

SEL: Relationship skills &  Self-management.

HĀ: #5a & c - Strengthened Sense of Total Well-being

  • Sight singing can be scary. How can we as teachers create a safe environment for sight singing and encourage a growth mindset with this skill? (Self-awareness-identifying one’s emotions, having a growth mindset)
  • Students rate their performance in sight singing: 
    • 1=I pretended to sing, 
    • 2=I made mistakes but feel I was accurate some of the time, 
    • 3=I rocked it and could teach someone else how to do this. 
    • Students hold up their fingers to show their numbers.
  • Why do you think some students might pretend to sing when we practice sight singing?
  • Some people are embarrassed to sing in front of others. Why do you think it could be embarrassing? Have you ever been afraid to sing in front of others? 
  • Who can share a strategy for making sight singing “less scary?” How can we support our classmates during activities like this?

Now, we are going to learn a Hawaiian mele which is also in F major.

Kāhuli Aku

Kāhuli is a rare endangered species well known as the Hawaiian Tree Snail. In the old days, it could be found in the rain forest of the major Hawaiian Islands. Most recently, with the natural changes of the modernization, it has been declared
an endangered species. The Kāhuli is also popularly known in legend to be a singing tree snail. In this composition, the shells chirp in the evening and ask the birds to bring them a drink of water. The `ākōlea is a delicate fern plant.

Some years ago, Auntie Winona Beamer, former Kamehameha School Hawaiian Music Resource set this old chant to music. The original chant is sited in Unwritten Literature of Hawai`i Nathaniel Emerson and is popularly used by our island teachers, especially for the purpose of school pageantry and traditional May Day Programs. The kōlea is a bird, the Pacific Golden Plover, that migrates to Hawai`i and is often recognized in August. In the spring, they return to their homes in Alaska and Siberia.

Published by Hula Hui O Kapunahala for education purposes.


To learn the hula, please visit this page:

Kāhuli Aku

 


Practice solfege and absolute names in Kāhuli Aku

  1. The class learns the hula.
  2. Identify solfege and notes middle C (low so,), D (low la,) F (do), G (re), and A (mi), in Kāhuli Aku.
  3. Identify notes in measures 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8. How are these measures similar and different?
  4. Students sing measures 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8 in solfege. Teacher sings measures 3 and 7 in solfege.
  5. Students sing measures 3 and 7 with hand signs and solfege.
  6. Students sing measures 1-8 with hand signs and solfege.
  7. In phrase 5, find note E, it is one step below F. If F is do, what is the solfege of the note below do (refer to Water Canon)? (ti)
  8. In Kāhuli Aku, note E is low ti. It is the cousin of the high ti. Show the hand signs to students. Sing phrase 5 with hand signs and solfege.
  9. The class may review the rhythm patterns of quarter (ta), pair eighth (ti-ti), half (to-o), and dotted quarter-eighth (tai-ti) notes by singing the rhythm.
  10. The class may also try to sing the piece in absolute names of this piece.
  11. The class sings and performs this song with hula.

 

SEL: Social Awareness, Responsible Decision-making
HĀ: #2e - Strengthened Sense of Responsibility; #6a, d, e, g, & h - Strengthened Sense of Hawai‘i

  • Perform Kāhuli Aku. 
  • The kāhuli is an endangered species. Do you know of any other endangered species?
  • Should we protect these animals? Why or why not?
  • What is the benefit of protecting these animals?
  • What should a community do if some people think we should protect a species and others think we should not?
  • What would you do if you knew someone purposefully harmed an endangered species?
  • What are our roles and contributions in making decisions to preserve Hawaiian nature and culture?

Mahalo for feedback and suggestions from Katherine Alarcio, Janice Boychuk, Holly Cowdery, Lauren Fagaragan, and Kevin Morita.

Suggestions or questions? Post here:

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