GRADE 4

MUSIC
CULTURE
KNOWLEDGE
PERFORMANCE
CREATION
Philippine Copyright 2021 © by Magnus Creative Music, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced

or used in any manner without written permission of the
copyright owner.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
01 U N I T 1 RH Y T H M A N D M E LODY
R h y th m . . . . . . . . . . . 2
N o t e s & Re s t s . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3 / 4 Ti m e S i g n a t u re . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Te mp o . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Drills 1-5 . . . . . . . . . . . 12
M e l od y . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Accidentals . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Ke y S i g n a t u re . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Drills 6-10 . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Comp osi t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . 25

28 U N I T 2 H A RM O N Y
M i no r C h o rd s . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Drills 11-15 . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Drills 16-20 . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Comp osi t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . 40

43 U N I T 3 F O RM A N D DY N A M I C S
For m . . . . . . . . . . . 44
A B C Fo r m . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Dy nami c s . . . . . . . . . . . 48
mp & mf . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Pi e c e # 1 . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Comp osi t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . 53

56 U N IT 4 T IM BRE A N D T E X T U R E
Ti mb re . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Ro n d a l l a E n s e m b l e . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Tex tu re . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Po l y p h o n y . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Pi e c e # 2 . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Comp osi t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . 71
UNIT 1
RHYTHM A ND MELODY

L E SSO N 1 R HYTHM

L E SSO N 2 T E M P O

L E SSO N 3 M E LODY

L E SSO N 4 CO MPOSITION

NOWADAYS, MOST OF THE MUSIC YOU’LL HEAR AND LOVE HAVE

U N E X P E CT E D, “ G R O OV Y ” R H Y T H M I C PAT T E R N S . L E A R N I N G T H E
RHYTHMIC STRUCTURES ON THESE SONGS WILL GO A LONG WAY IN
HELPING YOU PLAY YOUR INSTRUMENT AND IMPROVISE IN AN EASY
A N D F U N W A Y.

IN THIS CHAPTER, WE WILL LEARN HOW TO SPICE UP THE MELODY

AND TO MAKE MUSIC MORE INTERESTING. WE WILL STUDY DOTTED
AND SYNCOPATED RHYTHMIC PATTERNS, READ MUSIC IN TREBLE AND
BASS CLEFS, AND PERFORM DRILLS IN A NEW MAJOR SCALE.

1
 Le sson 1
RHYTHM
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Define musical terms like notes, rests,

and time signatures

Conduct in 3/4 time signature

Analyze and perform songs in different time signatures

What are dotted notes?

How do we read
syncopated beats?

Let's play the

“Syncopation
Pickle Game"

2
 SYNCOPATION PICKLE

Let’s test your ability to produce and identify some of the

syncopation types with this fun exercise:

a.) Say the word “pickle” over and over again with a steady beat:

Pickle Pickle Pickle Pickle Pickle Pickle Pickle Pickle

Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap

b.) Now, try accenting the second and fourth “picks”, but just the first
syllable of the word:

Pickle Pickle Pickle Pickle Pickle Pickle Pickle Pickle

Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap

c.) Accent the “le” instead of the “pick” in each word:

Pickle Pickle Pickle Pickle Pickle Pickle Pickle Pickle

Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap

Can you identify which beats are accented,

and where the accent is “off” the beat?

3
 NOTES A ND RESTS

Notes on a staff represent what pitch to play and for how long. Rests are
musical symbols used to designate when to pause and not play. There are
three parts of each note, the note head, the stem, and the flag.

Whether a note head is filled or open shows us the note’s value, or how
long that note should be held. Here are the kinds of notes and rests and
their time value.

D OTT E D N OT E S
There are ways to extend the length of a note. A dot after the note head, for example,
adds another half of that note’s duration to it. So, a half note with a dot would equal a half note
and a quarter note; a quarter note with a dot equals a quarter plus an eighth note.
The same applies if you will see a dotted rest.
That will mean that the duration will be longer than the usual.

NOTE NAME BEATS REST

Whole Not e 4 beats

H alf Not e 2 beats

Dott ed H alf Note 3 beat

Q uart er Note 1 beat

Dott ed Q uar t er Note 1 1/2 beat

Eight h Note 1/2 beat

Six t eent h Note 1/4 beat

4
 SYNCOPATION

So, you are listening to a jazz song or your favorite metal band when you
notice that the beat seems to be jumping all over the place. While the band
seems to know where they are going, you are wondering, “Where’s the beat?”

When you’re listening to a piece of music, you often end up subconsciously

tapping your foot to the beat. Now, take note: are the strongest accented notes
coming down right as your foot taps the floor, or while your foot is up in the air?

p
ta

If your foot is up in the air, there’s a high chance the song you’re listening to
deviates from the regular pattern of accented downbeats! In fact, if your foot
is doing anything besides hitting the floor at exactly the time the accented
note is heard, chances are you are hearing a syncopated rhythmic pattern.

Sudden changes in the rhythm of a piece of music, in what notes are

accented, and in the value of notes produces syncopation. It often sounds
like the music has been cut short and then started again. You will hear that
normally strong beats are not being emphasized, but are instead being
made into “weak beats”.

5
 TIM E S IGNATURE

Time Signature indicates the number of beats in a measure. There are two
numbers in the time signature. The upper number tells us how many beats
are there in a bar or measure and the lower number will tell you what note
receives one beat.

For 3/4 time signature, the upper number 3 tells us that there are
3 beats in a measure. The lower number 4 tells us that a
QUARTER NOTE receives one beat. This time signature is
commonly used in waltz and folk songs.

CONDUCTING

When conductors see a 3/4 Time Signature in their music, they trace this
pattern in the air:

1 2

Try tracing a 3/4 rhythmic pattern in the air, saying each number when your
finger reaches it in the pattern.

6
 CONDUCTING

Conducting in 4/4 Time

When conductors see a 4/4 Time Signature in their music, they trace this
pattern in the air:

2 3
1

Try tracing a 4/4 rhythmic pattern in the air, saying each number
when your finger reaches it in the pattern.

Try conducting along with this music in 4/4:

"Leron, Leron Sinta" track

Conducting in 2/4 Time

When conductors see a 2/4 Time Signature in their music, they trace this
pattern in the air:

1
Try tracing your finger along in the air with this pattern while saying "1, 2."

Try conducting along with our National Anthem in 2/4:

"Lupang Hinirang" track

7
 Le sson 2
TEMPO
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Identify and compare tempos

Perform rhythmic drills in Adagio,

specifically 70bpm

What is Grave?

What is the difference

between Grave and Largo?

Listen to
Drill 1 in 40 bpm
Drill 1 in 60 bpm

8
 TEMPO
Tempo refers to the rate of speed in music. It tells us how we should play
the music — fast or slow. There are different genres of music which you will
learn later on, but this is also the reason why we have different tempos in
music. Tempos in music are expressed in Italian terms. Written
below is how each tempo should be played.

20-40 BPM
(Beats Per
Grave means “very slow and solemn.”
Minute)

Largo means “slow.” 40-60 BPM

Adagio means "at ease." 66-76 BPM

Andante means “at a walking 80-106 BPM

pace” or moderately slow.

Allegro means “fast.” 109 -132 BPM

9
 READING MUSIC

DID YOU KNOW?

Music is not just simply hearing. In formal music lessons,
reading music is equally important as hearing it.
The following are musical symbols that we need
to learn as you go on this lesson.

The Staff consists of 5 lines and 4 spaces.

This is where music symbols are written.

Tempo
indicates the Bar Line Double Bars
speed of music ddivides the staff
into smaller groups
called bars thicker line indicates
indicates the end end of piece
of a section

Dotted
Half Note Eighth Sixteenth
lasts for 3 BEATS Rest Rest
Dotted silence for silence for
3/ 4 Time Signature 1/2 beat 1/4 beat
Quarter Rest
indicates a total silence for 1 1/2 BEATS
of 3 beats in a bar

Dotted Eighth Note

Quarter Note last for 1/2 BEAT Sixteenth Notes
lasts for 1 1/2 BEAT each note lasts
for 1/4 beat

10
 PI AN O DRILL S | WARM U P

1. Place both right and left hands on the piano. Play right hand notes first, then left hand.

Middle C

C3 C4 C5

2. Play the vertically-aligned notes together.

Lower octaves can also be written as 8va or 8vb with dotted lines written below the staff.

3. Do not forget to follow the finger numbers. Play the drills in 70, 80 and 90 bpm.

11
 D RIL LS 1- 5
Drill 1 | Quarter Note and Dotted Half Note

Drill 2 | Quarter Note and Eighth Note

Drill 3 | Dotted Quarter Note and Eighth Note

12
 DRIL LS 1- 5

Drill 4 | Eighth Note

Drill 5 | Eighth Note and Sixteenth Note

13
 Le sson 3
MELODY
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Identify pitch names in letter names

Perform drills in G Major Scale

What is a G Major Scale?

What are accidentals?

Let's sing
"Pilipinas Kong Mahal"

14
PILIPINAS KONG MA HAL
Learn and sing this beautiful song “Pilipinas Kong Mahal”

After singing the song, listen to the C Major Scale.

Encircle the note on the piece of "Pilipinas Kong Mahal"

which you thinkdoesn't belong to the C Major Scale.

"Pilipinas Kong Mahal" is was composed by Francisco Santiago and written

by Ildefonso Santos in 1931. It is a Philippine patriotic song which DID YOU
became popular during the American colonial period from 1898 to 1946.
The lyrics perfectly evoke the love and loyalty of the Filipino people to its country. KNOW?

15
 PITCH

Melody is a combination of pitch and rhythm in a linear

form that we perceive as one single entity. Each note
possesses a specific pitch and beat. It will tell us how
high or low each note is and how it should be
played or sung.

How to read pitch

We refer to pitch as the highness and lowness of sound. Music is
composed of different series of pitches. These pitches are
represented by notes on the scale.

We can use common mnemonics to remember the note names for the
lines and spaces of the treble clef. For lines, we remember EGBDF by
the word cue “Every Good Boy Does Fine.” Similarly, for the spaces,
FACE is just like the word “face.”

E F G A B C D E F

Line Notes Space Notes

E G B D F F A C E

16
 PITCH

There are also notes on the treble clef which are below Middle C, and
these notes are written using ledger lines. Here is an example:

Ledger
Line Middle C

To read these notes, we have to start from middle C,

then read the musical alphabet backwards.

G A B C D E F G

G A B C

17
 ACCIDENTALS

Accidentals in music is a symbol that indicates that the pitch will be

altered or modified. These symbols can turn a pitch sharp, flat or
back to its natural state.

If a sharp (#) symbol is placed before the note, this denotes that the note
is played semitone higher. The sharp (#) symbol raises the note by a
semitone.

If a flat (b) symbol is placed before the note, this means that the note is
played a semitone lower. This symbol lowers the note by a semitone.

A natural ( ) symbol can either raise or lower a note’s pitch because it

cancels previous accidentals to return a note to its natural pitch.

Accidentals

Sharp Flat Natural

18
 MAJOR SCA LE

In music, we have the term scale. This refers to any set of musical
notes ordered by fundamental frequency or pitch. It can be in an
ascending or descending order.

There are different scales in music. We will discuss

C Major Scale and G Major Scale.

A scale is simply a set of notes arranged in order of pitch. They are

named by the first note of the sequence. This is called the root note.
Scales can ascend in pitch or descend in pitch.

The first scale you will learn is the major scale. This is the most
important scale in music because most other scales are based on it. The
major scale has a bright and happy sound. You can hear examples of it
in the songs “Happy Birthday”, and “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”.

The Major scale is an interval pattern of five tones and two semitones.

Formula for Major Scale:

T T S T T T S
tone tone semitone tone tone tone semitone

or

T T S- T - T T S
tone tone semitone tone tone tone semitone

19
 M AJOR SCA LE

The easiest major scale that has no sharps or flats is the C Major scale.
Let us apply the pattern for the major scale.

Scale Degree: Root 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th

Major Scale Pattern: T T S T T T S

C D E F G A B C
Root 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th

tone (T) semitone(S)

(or 2 semitones)

Following the same formula, let us construct G Major Scale.

F#

G A B C D E G

tone (T)

semitone(S)

Notice the difference between C Major Scale and G Major Scale?

C Major Scale doesn't have accidentals, while G Major Scale has

one sharp. Now let's write these scales on the staff and learn
about key signature.

20
 KEY S IGNATURE

A key signature is a group of sharps or flats which are placed at the

beginning of a line or bar of music. It shows which notes have to be
changed into sharps or flats.

For example: if there is one sharp in the key signature it will be an F sharp.
It means that every time the note F is written, one plays (or sings) an F sharp.

Key Signature
F#

G Major Scale with no key signature:

Writing key signatures saves writing out lots of sharps or flats on the
piece. It also helps musicians to think in the music "key" of the piece
and helps to understand the music better.

21
 P IA N O D R I L L S | WA R M U P

1. Place both right and left hands on the piano. Play right hand notes first, then left hand.

Middle C

C3 C4 C5

2. Play the vertically-aligned notes together.

3. Don't forget to follow the finger numbers and lower octave symbol.

22
 DR I L L S 6-10

Drill 6 | Quarter Note and Dotted Half Note

Drill 7 | Quarter Note and Eighth Note

Drill 8 | Dotted Quarter Note and Eighth Note

23
 DR I L L S 6-10

Drill 9 | Eighth Note

Drill 10 | Eighth Note and Sixteenth Note

24
 Le sson 4
COMPOSITION
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Write lyrics for a first verse and chorus from a

given melodic pattern

Songwriting or composing
music is a great way to express
our thoughts and feelings
through music.

HOW DO WE START?
Let's start by writing lyrics.

25
 WRITING VERS E & CHORUS
1. Listen to "Sample Track". The theme for our composition is "Unity".

2. Write your own lyrics based on the given melodic line.

A = Verse C = Chorus

3. Do not forget to write one syllable per note.

26
27
UNIT 2
HARMONY

L E SSO N 1 HAR MONY

L E SSO N 2 CHO RDS

L E SSO N 3 CO MPOSITION

I N M U S I C , N OT E S A N D C H O R D S A R E B OT H I M P O RTA N T. N OT E S H AV E
DIFFERENT KINDS AS DISCUSSED IN THE FIRST CHAPTER. CHORDS
COME IN DIFFERENT KINDS AS WELL.

MAJOR AND MINOR CHORDS ARE TYPES OF CHORDS

T H AT A R E CO M M O N LY U S E D.

T H E M A J O R A N D M I N O R C H O R D S O F T E N C O E X I S T B E A U T I F U L L Y, W I T H
A SONG CONTAINING BOTH MAJOR AND MINOR CHORDS,
AND CHORD PROGRESSIONS!

IN THIS CHAPTER , WE WILL LEARN HOW MAJOR AND MINOR CHORDS

COEXIST BEAUTIFULLY IN A SONG AND HOW THEY COMPLEMENT
ONE ANOTHER.

28
 Le sson 1
HARMONY
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Identify mood created by major and minor chords

Perform songs with chord major and

minor chord progressions

What is a chord progression?

What are minor chords?

Let’s listen to
"Pilipinas Kong Mahal"

29
 FINDING A
MINOR CHORD
Listen to the chords of the song "Pilipinas Kong Mahal".

Listen to the D minor chord (or Dm).

Which of the chords on the piece sound the same with the Dm Chord?
30
 M AJOR CHORDS

In music, notes and chords are both important. Notes have different kinds
as discussed in the first chapter. Chords come in different kinds as well.

The most commonly used type of chords are the major and minor chords.
Most of the time, music in a major chord is classified as happy while
minor chord music is heard as sad. That’s because major chords tend to
sound brighter and minor chords sound darker.

The difference between a major and minor chord comes down to one,
simple change: the 3rd in a scale.
• A major chord contains the 1st, 3rd, and 5th degree
of the major scale.
• A minor chord contains the 1st, flattened 3rd, and 5th
degree of the major scale.

MAJOR CHORDS:
A major chord is a chord that has a root, major third, and a perfect fifth.
When a chord has these three notes alone, it is called a major triad.
Formula: (Root - 3rd - 5th)
• See example of a C major chord transcribed, and on how it is
played on the piano.

• Press C using your thumb, press E using your middle finger and press G
using for pinkie finger.

• Play the three different notes at the same time to form the C Chord.

C E G

31
• Another chord that we need to learn is the G major chord. See G Major
chord transcribed, and on how it is played on the piano.

• Press B using your thumb, press D using your index finger, and
press G using for pinkie finger.

• Play the three different notes at the same time to form the G Chord.

B D G

• Another chord that we need to learn is the D major chord. See D Major
chord transcribed, and on how it is played on the piano.

• Press A using your thumb, press D using your index finger and press
F# using for pinkie finger.

• Play the three different notes at the same time to form the D Chord.

F#

A C

32
 M INOR CHORDS

A minor chord is a chord that has a root, minor third, and a perfect fifth.
It's usually written with a small "m" beside the chord, like Cm (C Minor)
and Em (E Minor).
Formula: (Root - b3rd - 5th)

• See example of a C minor chord transcribed, and on

how it is played on the piano:

• Press C using your thumb, press Eb using your middle finger

and press G using for pinky finger.

• Play the three different notes at the same time to form the Cm Chord.

Eb

C G

• See example of a E minor chord transcribed, and on

how it is played on the piano.

• Press B using your thumb, press E using your middle finger

and press G using for pinky finger.

• Play the three different notes at the same time to form the Em Chord.

B E G

33
 M INOR CHORDS

We can build a series of chords from the notes of a major scale by using
the triads formula. Let's take the G Major Scale as an example:

Notes:

Chords:

When we combine a series of chords in a song, we form a Chord

Progression. Chords can also be written as Roman numerals, like this:

Minor chords are written in lowercase numerals, while major chords are
written in uppercase numerals. Chords vary depending on the key of
the song. Let's play I - V - vi - IV and vi - IV - I - V chord progressions in
the key of G.

34
 DR IL L S | WARM UP

1. Place both right and left hands on the piano.

Middle C

C3 C4 C5

2. Chords are written above the staff as your guide. Right hand will play the chords, left hand
will play the root of the chords. Do not forget to follow the finger positions on the piece.

G D Em C

F#

B D G A D B E G C E G

35
 DR I LLS 1 1-15 | I - vi - IV - V

Drill 11 | I - V - vi - IV in Dotted Half Note

Drill 12 | I - V - vi - IV in Quarter Note and Dotted Half Note

Drill 13 | I - V - vi - IV in Dotted Quarter Note, Eighth Note, Quarter Note, Half Note

36
 DR I LLS 1 1-15 | I - vi - IV - V

Drill 14 | I - vi - IV - V in Eighth Note, Quarter Note, Half Note

Drill 15 | I - V - vi - IV in Half Note, Sixteenth Note, Eighth Note, Quarter Note

37
 D R I LLS 1 6-20 | v i - IV - I - V

Drill 16 | vi - IV - I - V in Dotted Half Note

Drill 17 | vi - IV - I - V in Quarter Note and Dotted Half Note

Drill 18 | vi - IV - I - V in Dotted Quarter Note, Eighth Note, Quarter Note, Half Note

38
 D R I LLS 1 6-20 | v i - IV - I - V

Drill 19 | vi - IV - I - V in Eighth Note, Quarter Note, Half Note

Drill 20 | vi - IV - I - V in Half Note, SIxteenth Note, Eighth Note, Quarter Note

39
 Le sson 3
COMPOSITION
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Improvise chord progressions

Create your own melodic line

Creating a melody is very

essential in song composition.
Aside from lyrics, it's the melody
which makes a song memorable.

HOW DO WE START?
Let's start by creating a
melody line out of the
given chords.

40
MAKING MELODY!
1. Write chords on the blank boxes above the staff on the next page.
Choose from G, C, D, Em chords (or I, IV, V, vi chords).

2. Come up with your own melody based on the chords above the piece and retain
the rhythmic patterns. Write your new melody on the blank staff.

3. Choose notes that fit the chord written per bar.

G Chord - choose from G, A, B, C, D, E, F#
C Chord - choose from C, D, E, F#, G, A, B
D Chord - choose from D, E, F#, G, A, B
Em Chord - E, F#, G, A, B
Example:

Original Piece

Own Chords & Melody

41
42
UNIT 3
FORM AND DYNAMICS

L E SSO N 1 FO R M

L E SSO N 2 DYN AMIC S

L E SSO N 3 CO MPOSITION

ALL MUSIC COMES WITH VARIOUS FORMS REGARDLESS OF CULTURE-

WHETHER IT WAS WRITTEN BY A FOREIGN ARTIST OR A LOCAL
F I L I P I N O A RT I ST, T H E E N D P R O D U CT O F A L L S O N G S CO M E S W I T H F O R M .

DOES THE SONG HAVE 2 VERSES, 2 VAMPS AND A CHORUS? THESE ARE
ALL ANSWERED IN FORM. DYNAMICS ON THE OTHER HAND DEALS WITH
HOW MUSIC IS EXPRESSED BY FOLLOWING DYNAMIC MARKINGS IN
ORDER TO TRANSLATE THE SONG EFFECTIVELY TO THE HEARERS.

IN THIS CHAPTER, WE WILL LEARN THE ABC FORM OF MUSIC, ITS

EXAMPLE AND ITS DIFFERENCE TO OTHER FORMS. WE WILL ALSO
LEARN DYNAMIC MARKINGS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS.

43
 Le sson 1
FORM
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Identify ternary forms of music

Sing and play music in ABA Form

What is an ABC Form?

What is a pre-chorus?

Let's sing
"We Strive As One"

44
 WE STRIVE AS ONE

Listen to the similar melody lines in the song "We Strive As One.”

WE STRIVE AS ONE

Sometimes we feel so alone

When people keep minding just their own
And sadness fills our heart when we
see people in need, yet no one heeds
We can help each one be strong
We will conquer every storm
Together we can make it all
Together we'll make it through
I need you, you need me
We will be victors if we have unity
I need you, you need me
And together we'll rise as long as we
strive as one

Encircle the part which you think is the pre-chorus,

or the part leading to chorus.

"Pagkakaisa" or "Bayanihan" has been a part of Filipino culture

and has been passed through generations. Community spirit DID YOU
arise when fellow countrymen are in need, especially during
typhoons, calamities and hardships. KNOW?

45
 MUSIC FORMS

Forms in music mean the structure of how the song was made or
composed. These can be labelled through letters.

AA Form
A represents a major section (or verse) of a song. AA means there are two
major sections (or verses) in the song with similar melody, rhythm and
harmony. This is also known as the Strophic form.

AB Form
AB means there are two major sections in the song with different melody,
rhythm and harmony but is closely related. This is also called a Binary form.

ABA Form
ABA is a form of music where A represents the beginning idea of the
musical piece, B represents the new, contrasting material, and the final A
represents a return to the familiar music heard at the start. This is also
called a ternary form.

ABAB Form

This form starts with A Section followed by B section, then repeat from A
then B. Each section usually has 8 bars.

In contemporary terms, ABAB form can also be referred as

Verse - Chorus - Verse - Chorus

46
 ABC FORM

ABC form of a song is actually an extended AB form or simple Verse-Chorus form or

structure. It is identical to AB form-but another part is inserted here that is why it
became an ABC form.

A contemporary equivalent is Verse - Pre-chorus - Chorus. Pre-chorus is the part of

the song which leads the verse to the chorus, and it usually has a different chord
progression to the verse and chorus.

WE STRIVE AS ONE

Sometimes we feel so alone

A
When people keep minding just their own
And sadness fills our heart when we
see people in need, yet no one heeds

We can help each one be strong

B
We will conquer every storm
Together we can make it all
Together we'll make it through

I need you, you need me

C
We will be victors if we have unity
I need you, you need me
And together we'll rise as long as we
strive as one

47
 Le sson 2
DYNAMICS
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Distinguish mezzo piano and mezzo forte

Understand when to use dynamic markings

How do we read expression

markings in music?

What is mezzo piano

and mezzo forte?

48
 DYNAM IC MA RKINGS

Dynamics means how loud or quietly a piece of music should be played.

It is an important element of music to effectively convey the mood of the
piece. These are markings we see in a music sheet and should be
observed while performing the piece:

Term: Symbol: Effect:

piano soft

pianissimo very soft

mezzo piano slightly soft

forte loud

fortissimo very loud

mezzo forte slightly loud

crescendo gradually loud

diminuendo gradually soft

49
P I E C E # 1 | WE STR IV E AS ONE

50
P I E C E # 1 | WE STR IV E AS ONE

51
P I E C E # 1 | WE STR IV E AS ONE

52
 Le sson 3
COMPOS ITION
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Add pre-chorus to your composition

Songwriters express and expand

their thoughts by writing more lyrics.

HOW DO WE START?
Let's write more
lyrics & melody.

53
 WRITING PRE-CHORUS
1. Review your verse & chorus lyrics, then write a pre-chorus lyrics that would
somehow expand your verse and lead it to chorus.

Example of pre-chorus:

A (Verse) B (Pre-chorus) C (Chorus)

Sometimes we feel so alone We can help each We will be victors

when people keep minding one be strong if we have unity
just their own Together we'll make I need you, you need me
And sadness fills our heart it through And together we'll rise
when we see people in as long as we
need, yet no one heeds strive as one

2. Write your own melody based on the given rhythmic patterns and chords on the
next page, then write your pre-chorus lyrics below the staff.

Example:

54
Rhythm and chords template:

Remember to choose notes that fit per chord:

You may add your own rhythm
C Chord - choose from C, D, E, F#, G, A, B and melody on this bar
D Chord - choose from D, E, F#, G, A, B
Em Chord - E, F#, G, A, B

PRE-CHOR US:

55
UNIT 4
TIM BRE A ND TEXTURE

L E SSO N 1 T I M BRE

L E SSO N 2 T E X TURE

L E SSO N 3 CO MPOSITION

TEXTURE IN MUSIC DEALS WITH HOW THICK OR THIN THE SOUND IS,
WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS THAT MAKE IT SOUND THICK OR THIN, DARK
O R B R I G H T.

TIMBRE DEALS WITH THE QUALITY OF A CERTAIN MUSICAL

INSTRUMENT OR A PARTICULAR VOICE.

I N T H I S U N I T, W E W I L L L E A R N T H E D I F F E R E N C E S B E T W E E N T H E
T E X T U R E S M O N O P H O N Y, H O M O P H O N Y A N D P O L Y P H O N Y. W E W I L L A L S O
TACKLE THE DIFFERENT TIMBRES OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS USED IN A
RONDALLA ENSEMBLE.

56
 Le sson 1
TIMBRE
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Identify tonal qualities of musical instruments

Identify why each instrument sound dark or bright

What are the traditional

Philippine instruments?

What is a Rondalla Ensemble?

Let's listen to
"Pilipinas Ang
Aking Bansa"

57
 IDENTIFYING A
RONDALLA INSTRUMENT

1. Listen to this sound of a bandurria.

2. Listen to the song "Pilipinas Ang Aking Bansa"
3. Underline the part of the song where the bandurria comes in.

PILIPINAS ANG AKING BANSA

Verse 1:
Bakit kailangang maglaban-laban?
Bakit kailangang magkampi-kampihan?
Lalo lang lumalala problema ng bayan

Pre-chorus:
Bakit di magkaisa at magtulungan
Magpatawaran at magmahalan?

Verse 2:
Tayong lahat ay Pilipino
Sa pagsubok ay di papatalo
Pagkakaisa - solusyon sa lahat ng 'to

Pre-chorus:
Bakit di bumangon at magsumikap
Kalimutan ang kaibahan at nakaraan?

Chorus:
Magkaisa, magtulungan at magmahalan
Yan ang tunay na diwa para sa bayan
Sa puso, sa isip, salita, tayo'y iisa
Sabay nating isigaw,
"Pilipinas ang aking bansa!"

Patriotism and Bayanihan will always be a part of Filipino culture.

Many have committed their lives for the love for their country and
DID YOU
their countrymen - from national heroes to the heroes of today. KNOW?

58
 TIMBRE
Timbre deals with the quality of the sound
(round, dark, sharp, or bright)
that a musical instrument produces.

Below is an illustration on
how instruments vary in timbre:

Low Mid High

Dark Sound Warm Sound Bright Sound

Vocals (Female)
Vocals (Male)

Flute

Clarinet

Tenor Saxophone

Oboe
Trumpet

French Horn

Tenor Trombone

Tuba

Violin
Viola

Cello

Double Bass

Guitar

Ukulele

Banjo

Piano
Organ

Kick Drum

Floor Drum

Conga

Cymbals

59
STRINGS FA MILY

VIOLIN
A bowed stringed instrument which is
the smallest and highest-pitched of the
string instrument family.

VIOLA
A bowed stringed instrument after the violin
and produces sounds lower than a violin.
The viola’s body is bigger than a violin.

CELLO
A bowed, and occasionally plucked,
instrument in the strings family. Its
body is much bigger than viola and
can produce a low, dark sound.

DOUBLE BASS
A bowed stringed instrument which is the
largest and lowest-pitched in the modern
symphony orchestra. It has a similar structure
to the cello. Because of its huge body, the
sound it produces is thick and heavy.

51
LUTE FA MILY

ACOUSTIC GUITAR
A fretted musical instrument that
usually has six strings and played
through plucking or strumming

UKULELE
A small guitar or banjo with four strings.
This instrument is of Portuguese origin and
popularized in Hawaii in the 1880s.

BANJO
A stringed instrument which has a
tambourine-like body. The standard
banjo has five metal strings.

MANDOLIN
A small stringed instrument which is
generally plucked with a plectrum.

52
PERCUSS ION FA MILY

BASS DRUM
This is the biggest member of the
percussion family in an orchestra and makes
the lowest sound. It also produces the
lowest sound in a standard drum kit.

SNARE DRUM
This percussion instrument has a hollow
cylinder, with drumheads on top and
bottom. It makes a rattling sound through
the set of wires at the bottom drumhead.

CONGAS
These are tall, narrow, single-headed drums
which are commonly played by using fingers
or palm of the hands.

CYMBALS
These are large metal disks which are played
through hitting the cymbals against one
another, or hitting them by a drumstick or
mallet. The larger the cymbal, the lower the sound.

52
WOODWIND FA MILY

FLUTE
A woodwind instrument that produces its
sound from the flow of air across an opening.

CLARINET
A woodwind instrument that has a single
reed mouthpiece. The reed is attached to
the mouthpiece that when the player
breathes on it, the vibration produces the
sound of the clarinet.

SAXOPHONE
An instrument made of brass but belongs
to the woodwind family because it
produces sounds by the vibrations made
with the help of the reed. Like the
clarinet, saxophones have holes that the
player covers or uncovers through
pressing of keys.

OBOE
A 2 foot long black cylinder with metal
keys covering the holes. It uses a double
reed mouthpiece, and produces a wide
range of pitches, from warm to smooth.

53
BRASS FAMILY

TRUMPET
A brass instrument that can produce
sound when the trumpeter buzzes his lips.
This instrument also has a mouthpiece
made of brass.

FRENCH HORN
A brass instrument made of tubing
wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. Like
other brass instruments, the pitch of a
french horn is controlled through the
player’s lip muscle (or what we call
embouchure) in the mouthpiece while
pressing the valves.

TROMBONE
This is another member of the brass
family. Like other brass instruments,
sound is controlled and produced
through the mouthpiece and the lip
muscle of the player. But unlike the french
horn that has valves to determine the
pitch, the trombone has a telescoping
slide to change the pitch.

TUBA
This is the largest and lowest brass
instrument. It ranges from 9 to 18 feet,
and produces a deep rich sound.

54
RONDALLA ENSEMBLE

Bandurria
A 14-stringed instrument used in many
Philippine folkloric songs, with 16 frets and a
shorter neck than the 12-string bandurria.
This instrument most likely evolved in the
Philippines during the Spanish Period, from
1521 to 1898.

Octavina
A guitar-shaped stringed instrument with a
tuning similar to a laud. Originally a Spanish
instrument, the octavina was soon
incorporated into other cultures, including
Filipino culture.

Laud
A 14-stringed instrument similar to the
bandurria yet larger in size. It is tuned in
fourths but its range is one octave lower than
the bandurria.

60
 Le sson 2
TEXTURE
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Identify the 3 different types of texture

Understand monophony, homophony and polyphony

How are textures

different from each other?

What are examples

of monophony,
homophony and polyphony?

61
 TEXTURE

Texture in music is about the combined elements we hear. How thick and thin
the sound is, how many layers of sound we can hear, how wide the range
is (lowest to highest pitches), the number of voices can we hear, and how
many instruments are used in the band. These elements make up the texture.

There are different kinds of texture in music. Let us look at the difference
between monophony, homophony, and polyphony:

Monophony Homophony Polyphony

One melody line; no One clear melody More than one

counterpoint; played with an independent melody
accompaniment; all played or sang at
the same time

One line has a We can usually hear Has a lot of

specific pitch the word “chords” counterpoint or
when describing this contrapuntal music.
texture

Examples: a girl Example: Choral Example: Rounds

whistling a tune; a singing with parts; A
group of people singer accompanied
singing in unison by a guitar or piano
(altogether, without
parts)

62
PIECE # 2 | P ILIPI NAS AN G AKIN G BANSA

63
PIECE # 2 | PILIPI NAS AN G AKIN G BANSA

64
PIECE # 2 | P I LI PIN AS AN G AKIN G BANSA

65
 Le sson 3
COMPOS ITION
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Write your own composition on a music sheet

Music compositions last

longer when they are written.
Famous composers since the
1800s have written many
pieces which are still being
played today.

HOW DO WE START?
Let's write our composition on
a music sheet one element
at a time.

66
 WRIT ING ON A M US I C S H E E T
Write your composition on the music sheet on the next
page and follow these steps one at a time:

1. Add a title to your composition.

2. Write your melody line and chords.

• A = verses 1 & 2
• B = pre-chorus
• C = chorus

3.Write your lyrics below the notes.

4.Write your chords above each bar.

5.Write tempo markings above the first bar of the staff which would fit your song.

67
M Y CO MPO SITIO N

68
69
Acknowledgements

Composers and Arrangers

Education Head Axel Mhar Generalao
Elijah Soriano Jobert Solero
Joed Janry Cruz
Writers Randyl Barliso
Ma. Renela Fernandez
Ellen Rachel Ingay Video Editors
Jane Claire Magallanes Therese Marie Militante
Jethro Felipe
Transcriber Airene Cedava
Jowena Christy Fabunan James Ralf Blancaflor
Mark Stephen Lladones
Graphic Artist
Randyl Barliso
Joshua Orlina
Alan Paul Querequincia

Digital Illustrator Vocals

Roy Diaz Karen Gil Tirante
Axel Mhar Generalao