Lesson Three
Reading Music:
Pitch and Duration
Duration: Quarter Notes &
Eighth Notes
In the second lesson on duration you that one quarter
note lasts for one beat and that two eighth notes also
last for one beat.
When you are clapping a rhythm try saying the following
syllables for each of the following notes:
 quarter notes - tah
 eighth notes – ti-ti
RHYTHMIC EXERCISES
Try clapping the following rhythms and saying the
syllables at the same time. The first few times you may
want to use the sound file to help you.
1
2
3
4
5
k k kkk kkkkkkk k kkk k k kkkkk kkk kkk
6
7
8
9
10
k kkk k kk k k k kk kkkkk kk k kkkkkk kkkkk k
Sight reading melodies
One way of learning to sing melodies is to use a system called tonic
solfa. Each individual tone is assigned a name. Regardless of
whether you start at a low pitch or a high pitch, all notes relate to
each other using the same solfa names and the same relative
distance between pitches. The first three pitches that we will use are
called:
me
re
doh
Melody # 1
d2 k kk k
kkk
kk
k
k
k
kkk
kk
kkkk k k
a 4
d
r
d
r r
m
d
d d d
d d r r
m m m
d d r r
 Clap the rhythm of this melody saying the syllables tah
and ti-ti.
Listen to the sound file and try singing the solfa names
as you listen to the file.
Now try clapping the rhythm and singing the solfa
names at the same time as you listen to the file.
Now sing the melody and clap the rhythm without the
sound file.
d
d
Melody 2
d2 k kkk kk kk
kk
k
a 4k
d
r
m m r
d d m m
r r d
Follow the same procedure with the next four melodies.
Melody 3
d2 k k
k
k
k
k
k
k
k
k
a 4
d r d
d m d
d
r
m
d
Melody 4
d2 k k k k k
k
k kk
a 4
m
r
d
r
m
d r
d
d
Melody 5
d2 k k k
k
k
kk
kk
kkk
a 4
r
m
d d r
d d d r
m r d
Major Scale
d4
a 4j
j
j
j
i
d
r
m
f
s
Now you are ready to sing the first five notes of the major scale.
A major scale begins and ends on the same note and it is mad
up of eight notes pentatonic scale. Sing the scale as you play
the sound file:
do-re-me-fa-so
Writing Music
One of the very useful skills is the ability to write down
music which you hear. If you were to write down only the
rhythm, we refer to this as a rhythmic dictation. If you
write down the melody and the rhythm together, we refer
to this as melodic dictation.
The following slide contain three rhythmic and three
melodic dictations which you can do using the Noteworthy
Composer Program.
Taking dictations
On the next slide you will be asked to write down the rhythms and
melodies you hear using musical notation.
Rhythmic Dictation: Using the Noteworthy Composer software write
down the rhythms that you hear using quarter notes and eighth notes.
When you are done, place the cursor at the beginning of the exercise
and use the play back function “F5” to listen to your answer.
Melodic Dictation: Listen to the sound file and try singing it using the
solfa syllables. Now try clapping it and saying the rhythm syllables.
Finally, using the Noteworthy Composer software enter the correct
notes and rhythms. When you are done, place the cursor at the
beginning of the exercise and use the play back function “F5” to listen
to your answer.
Dictations

Rhythmic Dictation
Use eighth notes & quarter
notes.
– Ex.1
– Ex. 2
– Ex. 3

Melodic
Use eighth notes & quarter
notes & notes d, r, m.
–
–
d2
Ex. 1
a 4k
starts on d
d4
Ex. 2
a 4k
starts on d
– Ex. 3
starts on m
d2 k
a 4