20 replies to this topic

[fionscat]

Dear all,

 

 I've been working through some Grade 6 music theory exercises and encountered a type of melody composition exercises like the following:

?
 

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  In the staves provided, continue each opening to make a balanced melody, modulating at the halfway mark as instructed,
  and then ending in the tonic.
  Each should be about 16 bars long and be the first part of a piece in binary form.
 
(a) Modulate to the relative major.

 

     [About 2 bars of melody is provided here.]
  
 ******************************************************************************************************************************************

 

I feel confused and don't quite understand what the parts highlighted in blue exactly mean. I'm worrying that I may misunderstand the question.

 

  1. "modulating at the halfway mark as instructed" means that I am required to make the modulation at the halfway mark as instructed

        when composing the melody, that is , in this case, modulate to the relative major?

 

        but what does "modulating at halfway mark" exactly mean? I should have the modulation done in the middle part or just a

        random place of the 16-bar melody?

 

  2. "be the first part of a piece in binary form" means that the 16-bar melody to be written are only the first part (A) of a piece in binary

       form (AB)?
       or it requires me to make the first part of the 16-bar melody,say the first 8 bars, as binary form and I can just do something else

       with the rest part of the melody?

?3. Some other exercises of the similar type states " Each should be about 16 bars long and be the whole movement in binary form",

        what does it mean? How does it different from " Each should be about 16 bars long and be the first part of a piece in binary form"

 

     

       Thanks very much for reading my post and your advice would be greatly appreciated!

    

 

 

[chraze1]

I think you should re post this in the theory section of the forum where you are sure to get some advice. It may be missed in the student section by a lot of people who will have taken grade 6 theory.
I have not taken gr6 theory but reading what you have given, I would assume the modulation should be in bar 8, meaning from bar 9 you are in the new key or in this case relative major. I also think that the whole 16 bars should be the (A) part of the binary form they are looking for. In other words, you don't have to worry about the (B) part.
Thats my tupence worth anyway!
Good luck!

[iloveoboes]

I have done G6 theory!

1) With a question like this I would usually introduce the new accidentals in about bar 7 and then have a pivot chord and cadence in the new key at the end of the first 8 bar phrase.

2) as Chraze1 said, if it says to write the first part of a piece in binary form, then the whole 16 bars is the A section and you don't need to write any of the B section. So the whole thing should have a similar mood/style.

3) if it says write the whole of the binary form then you will have 8 bars of A section and 8 bars of B section. Try to make the two phrases very contrasting to eachother, in terms of mood/articulation/rhythm etc.

Hope this helps

[fionscat]

 Chraze1, really thanks for your valuable and helpful advice!

 

 Sometimes I will just get into a panic when doing the music theory exercises, so many professional terms and so many things to consider

 in one single question....

 

 But I think it will get better and better as I have more practice.

 

 Thanks!

[fionscat]

 iloveoboes, your advice really helps a lot!

 

Actually, before I made this post, I've tried to search for the answer in internet, but eventually I failed to get a definite answer.

 

 It's so pleasant to have my puzzle resolved!

 

 Thanks a lot!

 

But may I have one more question?

 

Binary form means AB, not ABA, right?  But somebody says that rounded binary form is ABA.....I get a bit confused....

[BadStrad]

If the section being written is the A section, doesn't that mean it has to end on an imperfect cadence - ie X to chord five?

[chraze1]

Normally we would finish the first part on the dominant (V) but I think the question said to finish on the tonic in this case.

[BadStrad]

Oh yes!  Helps if you check the question!

[iloveoboes]

Binary is AB and ternary and rounded binary are both ABA. I think the difference between rounded binary and ternary is that in ternary form the B section is very contrasting to the A section and harmonically independent but in rounded binary the B section,although contrasting, contains similarities to the A section eg similar motifs. I think rounded binary is often considered more like AA1A (where A1 is a variation of A). Someone please correct me if i'm wrong!

[fionscat]

  Oh, I see ! Thanks!

 

   Regarding to the exercise I posted here, it just said "be the first part of a piece in binary form", so I should consider it as simple binary form (AB) rather than rounded

   binary form?

[iloveoboes]

I would consider it simple binary form (although if it's just the A section you're composing then it doesn't really matter!)

[linda.ff]

Doesn't make any sense to me, I'm afraid. Are there two entirely separate and unrelated melodies to be written?

 

You are asked to modulate at the halfway point (I would interpret this as "by" the halfway point. I don't think in good binary form the first half ends on an imperfect cadence. It ends on a perfect cadence in the dominant, which is not the same: an imperfect cadence doesn't imply a modulation.

 

But the question said "each" should be the first half of a binary form, and then  says "and end in the tonic". To be the first half of a binary form melody, modulate to the dominant and then back to the tonic is surely a contradiction? Does that "each" refer to the two separate and unrelated melody exercises?

 

Where did you get this exercise from?

[iloveoboes]

Ohh I didn't see that bit about modulating back to the tonic... that is a bit strange if it is just the A section you are writing? Are these abrsm exercises?

[fionscat]

The exercise is from [Workbook with More Exercises on Theory of Music, Grade 6], Pg.42, Ex.8

 

The publisher is RHYTHM MP, not ABRSM.

 

  Ex.8 actually includes 4 independent and unrelated melodies (a),(b),( c) and (d), so I think that "Each" refers to each of these 4 melodies
  to be composed. But the question is the same for all the 4 melodies.

 

  This exercise really seems a bit strange....

 

  I attached the exercise here for easy reference.

 

  Could it be a mistake in the exercise?

 

  If "be the first part of a piece in binary form" is changed to "be the whole movement in binary form" in this exericse,
  then it'd be much more reasonable?

 

  Many thanks!

[iloveoboes]

I've just had a look at my ABRSM theory workbook and questions are similar, except when it says "the first part of a piece in binary form" it says to end in the dominant and when it says "a complete movement in binary form" it instructs to either go to the relative major or dominant and then back to the tonic.