Unit 5 · Lesson 12 of 12 — IB MYP: Personal and Cultural Expression · Communication
Composition 5: Melody & Harmony
Compose a melody over a simple chord progression and make the harmony audible in your melodic choices.
Your composition
Composition Checklist
Every section below is labeled with the checklist item it helps you meet. Your finished composition must meet all of them.
Item 1Use the assigned/provided chord progression
Item 2Compose a complete melody above it
Item 3Emphasize chord tones at important moments
Item 4End with a convincing sense of home
Item 5Revise at least one phrase after listening
IB MYP connection
Command terms: CREATE · APPLY
CreateApply
Learner Profile · ATL
Knowledgeable · Thinker — Thinking: connect scale and chord knowledge to the melodies and harmonies you build.
Task
Compose, listen, and revise before you consider this composition finished.
Inquiry: Where in your melody is the harmony most audible, and how did you make sure of that?
Reflect: Which revision improved “Composition 5: Melody & Harmony” the most, and how do you know?
Key words
Words you will use today
Chord progression
The series of chords your melody sits on. For this composition it is provided; the model uses I–IV–I–V | I–IV–V–I.
Chord tone
A melody note that belongs to the chord underneath it. Chord tones on important beats make the harmony audible.
Passing tone
A non-chord tone that moves by step between two chord tones, in the key, usually on a weaker beat.
Tonic / dominant
The home chord (I) and the tense chord (V) that pulls back to it. V–I is the strongest way to arrive home.
Revision note
One or two sentences naming what you heard on playback, what you changed, and why.
Before you compose
Item 1Item 2Item 3Item 4
Plan three decisions first
This composition uses everything in Unit 5 plus the phrase skills from Units 3 and 4. The chords are given, so your decisions are about the melody. Make these three before writing a note.
01
Decision 1: know the progression
Spell every chord in the progression in your key before you start, and mark which measures are V. In the model, m. 4 stops on V (an open ending) and mm. 7–8 move V–I (a closed ending).
The model’s progression in G major: I–IV–I–V | I–IV–V–I. Each chord is spaced so notes move as little as possible.02
Decision 2: two phrases
Eight measures divide into two 4-measure phrases. Let phrase 1 end over V as a question and phrase 2 answer over V–I. Starting both phrases the same way, as Beethoven does, makes them sound related.
Beethoven, “Ode to Joy,” end of phrase 1, in G (course arrangement): an open ending over V.03
Decision 3: the important moments
Plan chord tones for beat 1 and beat 3 of every measure, for your long notes, and for the final note. Then connect them, using passing tones where you want steps instead of skips.
“Amazing Grace” (course arrangement): every downbeat is a chord tone.
Model composition
Item 1Item 2Item 3Item 4
A model that meets every checklist item
Here is a short original piece written for this course, titled “Homeward,” in G major. Orange marks the passing tones, the open ending of phrase 1, the apex, and the final arrival. Study how it meets each checklist item. Yours should meet the same items with different musical choices.
“Homeward” (course model), G major. Chords in the bass clef.
apex low point
Checklist item
How “Homeward” meets it
1. Provided progression
I–IV–I–V | I–IV–V–I, one chord per measure, exactly as given
2. Complete melody
Two 4-measure phrases that begin the same way; phrase 1 ends open, phrase 2 ends closed
3. Chord tones at important moments
Beats 1 and 3 of every measure are chord tones; the apex (high G over IV) and both endings are chord tones; the passing tones fall on weaker beats or between beats
4. Convincing sense of home
m. 7 outlines V and ends on F♯, the leading tone, which rises to a held G over the final I
5. Revision after listening
See the revision below
Model description: “Homeward” opens by outlining the tonic chord, G–B–D, then moves mostly by step over IV and I. Phrase 1 stops on A, a chord tone of V, so it ends open. Phrase 2 begins the same way but climbs through the passing tones E and F♯ to the apex, high G, held over IV. From there it outlines the dominant in m. 7 and descends to F♯, the leading tone, which resolves up to G as V moves to I. Chord tones fill every important beat, so the harmony is audible in the melody alone, and the V–I at the end sounds like a real arrival home.
Listen and revise
Item 5Item 4
What one revision looks like
The first draft of “Homeward” ended differently. On playback, the last phrase did not sound as if it had arrived. Here is the change and the reasoning behind it.
BeforeDraft: C clashes on beat 3 over V, and the melody stops on B.
AfterRevision: the melody falls to the leading tone and rises to G.
Revision note: On playback, the C on beat 3 of m. 7 rubbed against the V chord, and ending on B made the piece sound settled but not home. I rewrote m. 7 so beat 3 is A, a chord tone of V, then passed through G to F♯, the leading tone, which steps up to G on the final tonic chord.
A good revision note names what you heard, what you changed, and why. You will write one for your own piece.
Check your understanding
Try it before you compose
Pick an answer for each question. You will see right away whether you are correct and why.
0 of 6 correct
1The provided progression is I–IV–I–V | I–IV–V–I. A draft’s chords for mm. 5–8 are I–V–IV–I. Which checklist item does it not meet?
Item 1
2Which of these is a complete melody above the 8-measure progression?
Item 2
3Both versions of m. 6 sit over IV in G major (C–E–G). Play them. Which one emphasizes chord tones at the important moments?
Item 3
A
B
4Listen, then choose which ending you heard.
Item 4
A
B
5In m. 7 of “Homeward,” why does the melody end on F♯?
Item 4Item 3
6Which revision note is strongest?
Item 5
Take it to Noteflight
Compose “Melody & Harmony”
Compose a melody that makes the harmony audible. Work through the plan, compose, listen, revise, and write your revision note.
Your Noteflight task
Compose an 8-measure melody in 4/4 above the chord progression your teacher provides (the model uses I–IV–I–V | I–IV–V–I in G major). Make phrase 1 end open and phrase 2 end with V–I on the tonic. Use playback, revise at least one phrase, and write a one- or two-sentence revision note.