Kōkiri Learn

Week 3 of 5

Arrange the music: melody, bass line and parts for everyone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Session 1 · CREATE: Arrange

Melody and bass line

  1. 7 minWarm-up and a quick round to settle.
  2. 10 minMini-lesson: a bass line is the lowest part and holds the harmony up. The simplest bass line plays the root of each chord: C for C, A for Am, F for F, G for G7. Read the notes on the treble clef and find them on the keyboard or xylophone.
  3. 20 minMelody plus bass (see activities): the whole class plays or sings the melody while a group plays the bass line; then split into small groups and try it in pairs.
  4. 10 minChoose the songs for the set as a class, from the contexts and sticky notes. Check the permissions and help you need for any waiata or community song.
  5. 3 minRecord which part you want to try first on your part map.

Session 2 · CREATE: Arrange

Build the arrangement

  1. 7 minWarm-up with the round in three parts.
  2. 18 minPart map (see activities): as a class, arrange the main song. Who sings melody, who sings harmony, who strums, who plays bass? Plan an intro (instruments only), verses, a chorus and an ending.
  3. 15 minTry the round in four parts, with instruments playing a drone underneath. Decide how it will start and end (all together, or one part at a time).
  4. 10 minPlan dynamics: mark p (soft), f (loud) and cresc. (getting louder) on the lyric chart where the mood calls for it.

Getting started

Join the drone or bass group first: play C and G on a steady beat while others sing.

Stretch

Write a four-bar introduction for the song, using the chord pattern and a short melody on the keyboard or glockenspiel.

Checkpoint

The class has a set list, a part map for each song, and has played a melody alongside a bass line as a whole class and in small groups.

Activities for this week

  • Melody plus bass: How does a bass line change the way a melody sounds?
  • Part map: How do we make sure every person knows their part in every section?

Useful this week