1. Melodic, Harmonic, and Rhythmic Dictation
  2. Module 13: Other Tonally Derived Scales

Module 13: Other Tonally Derived Scales

Pentatonic scales contain five notes separated by major seconds and minor thirds. The arrangement of these intervals is what differentiates the various forms of the pentatonic scale.

a. Pentatonic and Blues Scales

Melody 13-a1

  1. Listen to the following pitch pattern.
  2. Listen to the pitch pattern again. Determine the number of pitches.
    3. 10
  3. Listen again. Determine which scale type is being used.
    4. Minor Pentatonic
  4. The pitch pattern begins on second space C in the bass clef. Listen and notate the pitch pattern.
    5. Melody_13-a1a

Melody 13-a2

  1. Listen to the following melody.
  2. Name the time signature.
    3. 4/4
  3. Listen to the melody again. Determine the number of measures.
    4. 11, half note anacrusis
  4. Listen again. Notate only the rhythm above the staff.
    5. Melody_13-a2b
  5. The melody begins on G. Determine the clef, scale, and starting pitch.
    6. Treble clef, G below the staff, major pentatonic scale
  6. Listen again. Notate the melody.
    7. Melody_13-a2a

Melody 13-a3

  1. Listen to the following melody.
  2. Name the time signature.
    3. 5/8
  3. Listen to the melody again. Determine the number of measures.
    4. 8
  4. Listen again. Notate only the rhythm above the staff.
    5. Melody_13-a3b
  5. The melody begins on D. Determine the clef, scale, and starting pitch.
    6. Bass clef, D third line, major pentatonic scale
  6. Listen again. Notate the melody.
    7. Melody_13-a3a

Melody 13-a4

  1. Listen to the following melody.
  2. Name the time signature.
    3. 12/8
  3. Listen to the melody again. Determine the number of measures.
    4. 4
  4. Listen again. Notate only the rhythm above the staff.
    5. Melody_13-a4b
  5. The melody begins on F. Determine the clef, scale, and starting pitch.
    6. Treble clef, F first space, blues scale
  6. Listen again. Notate the melody.
    7. Melody_13-a4a

Melody 13-a5

  1. Listen to the following melody.
  2. Name the time signature.
    3. 7/4
  3. Listen to the melody again. Determine the number of measures.
    4. 6
  4. Listen again. Notate only the rhythm above the staff.
    5. Melody_13-a5b
  5. The melody begins on G. Determine the clef, scale, and starting pitch.
    6. Bass clef, G fourth space, minor pentatonic scale
  6. Listen again. Notate the melody.
    7. Melody_13-a5a

b. The Ecclesiastic Modes

Melody 13-b1

  1. Listen to the following pitch pattern.
  2. Listen to the pitch pattern again. Determine the number of pitches.
    3. 10
  3. Listen again. Determine which scale type is being used.
    4. Lydian
  4. The pitch pattern is begins on fourth line f in the bass clef. Listen and notate the pitch pattern.
    5. Melody_13-b1a

Melody 13-b2

  1. Listen to the following melody.
  2. Name the time signature.
    3. 3/4
  3. Listen to the melody again. Determine the number of measures.
    4. 8
  4. Listen again. Notate only the rhythm above the staff.
    5. Melody_13-b2b
  5. The melody begins on E-flat. Determine the clef, scale, and starting pitch.
    6. Treble clef, E-flat first line, Lydian scale
  6. Listen again. Notate the melody.
    7. Melody_13-b2a

Melody 13-b3

  1. Listen to the following melody.
  2. Name the time signature.
    3. 6/8
  3. Listen to the melody again. Determine the number of measures.
    4. 8
  4. Listen again. Notate only the rhythm above the staff.
    5. Melody_13-b3b
  5. The melody begins on F. Determine the clef, scale, and starting pitch.
    6. Bass clef, F fourth line, Dorian scale
  6. Listen again. Notate the melody.
    7. Melody_13-b3a

Melody 13-b4

  1. Listen to the following melody.
  2. Name the time signature.
    3. 6/8
  3. Listen to the melody again. Determine the number of measures.
    4. 8, eighth note anacrusis
  4. Listen again. Notate only the rhythm above the staff.
    5. Melody_13-b4b
  5. The melody begins on B. Determine the clef, scale, and starting pitch.
    6. Treble clef, B third line, Mixolydian scale
  6. Listen again. Notate the melody.
    7. Melody_13-b4a

Melody 13-b5

  1. Listen to the following melody.
  2. Name the time signature.
    3. 7/8
  3. Listen to the melody again. Determine the number of measures.
    4. 6
  4. Listen again. Notate only the rhythm above the staff.
    5. Melody_13-b5b
  5. The melody begins on C. Determine the clef, scale, and starting pitch.
    6. Bass clef, middle C, Phrygian scale
  6. Listen again. Notate the melody.
    7. Melody_13-b5a

c. Synthetic Scales

Melody 13-c1

  1. Listen to the following pitch pattern.
  2. Listen to the pitch pattern again. Determine the number of pitches.
    3. 10
  3. Listen again. Determine which scale type is being used.
    4. Major with a lowered supertonic
  4. The pitch pattern is begins on first line E in the treble clef. Listen and notate the pitch pattern.
    5. Melody_13-c1a

Melody 13-c2

  1. Listen to the following melody.
  2. Name the time signature.
    3. 3/4
  3. Listen to the melody again. Determine the number of measures.
    4. 7
  4. Listen again. Notate only the rhythm above the staff.
    5. Melody_13-c2b
  5. The melody begins on G. Determine the clef, scale, and starting pitch.
    6. Treble clef, G second line, Exotic scale
  6. Listen again. Notate the melody.
    7. Melody_13-c2a

Melody 13-c3

  1. Listen to the following melody.
  2. Name the time signature.
    3. 4/4
  3. Listen to the melody again. Determine the number of measures.
    4. 8
  4. Listen again. Notate only the rhythm above the staff.
    5. Melody_13-c3b
  5. The melody begins on B-flat. Determine the clef, scale, and starting pitch.
    6. Bass clef, B-flat second line, Overtone scale
  6. Listen again. Notate the melody.
    7. Melody_13-c3a

Melody 13-c4

  1. Listen to the following melody.
  2. Name the time signature.
    3. 9/8
  3. Listen to the melody again. Determine the number of measures.
    4. 5
  4. Listen again. Notate only the rhythm above the staff.
    5. Melody_13-c4b
  5. The melody begins on A. Determine the clef, scale, and starting pitch.
    6. Bass clef, A fifth line, Javanese scale
  6. Listen again. Notate the melody.
    7. Melody_13-c4a

Melody 13-c5

  1. Listen to the following melody.
  2. Name the time signature.
    3. 4/4
  3. Listen to the melody again. Determine the number of measures.
    4. 8
  4. Listen again. Notate only the rhythm above the staff.
    5. Melody_13-c5b
  5. The melody begins on F. Determine the clef, scale, and starting pitch.
    6. Treble clef, F fifth line, Gypsy minor scale
  6. Listen again. Notate the melody.
    7. Melody_13-c5a

d. Polytonality and Polymodality

This section has not been built yet and will be launched in 2022.
  1. Begin by taking a rhythmic dictation of your melody (see steps above). Figure out where things happen before you try to figure out what happens.
  2. Listen for and identify the tonic. If the melody modulates, listen for indications of each tonal area (usually you can listen for dominant sounds).
  3. Identify important scale degrees along the way by writing their numbers above the notes on your rhythmic dictation. Mark chromatic notes. These may include longer notes, notes on cadences, the first note, the last note, etc. Be sure to listen to pitches as scale degrees, using your scale degree patterns to verify what you think you hear.
  4. Listen for how the “important” scale degrees (from step 3 above) are approached and left. Listen also for groups of notes that form identifiable structures such as triads, seventh chords, etc.
  5. Once you have labeled your rhythm with scale degrees, transcribe this into standard notation on a staff.
  6. Double check your answer by singing what you have written and comparing it to what you remember.
  1. Begin by taking a rhythmic dictation for the melody as described above.
  2. Listen for repeating pitches or pitches that are close to known pitches, even if (especially if) they are separated by only a few pitches. Listen for embedded chromatic lines in the melody.
  3. Listen for characteristic intervals. For example, many melodies will use a particular interval repeatedly. Try to find all instances of that interval wherever it occurs.