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MUSIC

QUARTER 4 – MODULE 2
MELC: Performs themes or melodic fragments of given selected songs.

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I.

A. Introduction
Vocal music is one of the best tools for expressing one’s feelings. This form of expression
became more evident during the Romantic period. Romanticism coincided with the Industrial
Revolution in Western Europe that brought about the rise of socialism and capitalism. The Romantic
Period’s basic quality is emotional subjectivity. Composers explore feelings of grandiosity, intimacy,
unpredictability, sad, rapture and longing.
This module provides you knowledge and activities that will help you learn about musical
theme and various musical compositions of various artist.
B. Discussion
What is a musical theme?
Musical theme is simply define as the melodic subject of a musical composition. The musical
basis upon which a composition is built. Usually a theme consists of a recognizable melody or a
characteristic rhythmic pattern. It is played at the start of the piece and can be as short as 8 bars in
length or can be much longer. It usually consists of a memorable melody with an accompaniment of
some sorts.
Melody is perhaps the most identifiable element of a musical composition. It is a collection of

musical tones that are grouped together as a single entity . It can be soulful vocal passage, a roaring
guitar riff, or a rapid saxophone run. Melodies can be simple or intricate. They can stand alone, or
work together with other melodies in a more complex composition.
Another term that usually refers to a piece of melody (although it can also refer to a rhythm or
a chord progression) is “motif.” A motif is a short musical idea—shorter than a phrase—that occurs
often in a piece of music. A short melodic idea may also be called a motif, a motive, a cell, or a figure.
These small pieces of melody will appear again and again in a piece of music, sometimes exactly the
same and sometimes changed. When a motif returns, it can be slower or faster, or in a different key. It
may return “upside down” (with the notes going up instead of down, for example), or with the pitches
or rhythms altered.
In the following example from the first movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1, we find
four motives within the first four measures of the primary theme.

Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 1, Op. 21, I, Motives in Primary Theme (1800)
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 While the motive is usually defined as the smallest identifiable melodic idea in a composition,
“compound” motives can be broken into fragments (sometimes called “germs”). In music composition,
fragmentation is the use of fragments or the "division of a musical idea (gesture, motive, theme, etc.)
into segments". It is used in tonal and atonal music, and is a common method of localized development
and closure.
In J.S. Bach’s Invention 1 in C Major I, the opening 7-note compound motive can be divided
into two overlapping four-note fragments that can each be developed independently.

Fragmentation of motive 1 in C Major Invention

Here again is the example of development (in augmentation) of fragment “a.”

Development of fragment “a” in Invention 1

In the following example Bach develops an inversion of fragment “b” leading into a cadence in G
major.

Development of fragment “b” in Invention 1

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 C. Readings

Melodic, Harmonic, and Rhythmic Motifs

A motif is the smallest unit that contains thematic material – this means it’s not an entire song or
movement, but it’s also not a single note.
A melodic motif is one that sets out a specific melodic formula, or sequence. Most motifs are melodic.
For example, let’s take the motif below, from the Harry Potter theme.

Opening to “Hedwig’s Theme” from the Harry Potter film score by John William

It is only the first few bars of the melody, but we know it’s enough to be a motif because that sequence
is repeated multiple times after. Not necessarily the exact same notes, but the general principle of the motif is
followed and repeated. After this opening motif, the same melodic formula is followed three more times
throughout the rest of the melody, until a new motif and melody comes in at 0:17.
Listen to the whole piece here: “Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams - https://youtu.be/wtHra9tFISY
Different to a melodic motif is a harmonic motif, in which a motif is produced by a series of chords or
intervals rather than a specific melodic formula.
For example, Hans Zimmer’s “Time” from the soundtrack to the film Inception is just a repetition of
4 chords. Here are the chords, which Zimmer uses as a harmonic motif throughout the piece.

“Time” from Inception by Hans Zimmer

Listen to the track here and take note of the repeated harmonic motif: https://youtu.be/c56t7upa8Bk

As you might have guessed, rhythmic motifs are based off of specific rhythms of the notes in a melody.
A very famous example of a rhythmic motif comes from Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.

The motif of three short notes followed by a long note has become known as the “Fate Motif”.

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 Listen to how many different ways Beethoven uses this simple idea of three short notes and one long
in the first movement of his symphony.
Link for Beethoven’s 5th Symphony - https://youtu.be/NWEVKyEwi4A

D. Examples
Suggested listening resources:
1. Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1rA68yF4tM
2. Simone Dinnerstein & Johann Sebastian Bach, Invention No. 1 in C Major, BWV 772
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8EvUmq0Zao
3. John Williams melodic motif , “Raiders Theme” from Raiders of the Lost Ark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgncJgSbbck
4. Queen, rhythmic motif “We Will Rock You”
https://youtu.be/-tJYN-eG1zk

II. Activity Proper

Activity I.
Directions: Complete the crossword puzzle below.

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Activity II.
Directions: Identify the 6 fragments on the sentence structure in Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 11.
Copy the sentence structure below on a piece of paper and identify the fragments.

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 6
Activity II
Activity I
KEY TO CORRECTIONS:
III. SUMMATIVE EVALUATION

Performance Task
A. GIVE IT A TRY!
Directions: Suppose you are going in an audition and one of the requirements is to sing “Sa Ugoy ng
Duyan” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpdAzjYwGss

Here are the mechanics for the audition:

1. The performance can be an acapella or with accompaniment (live or minus 1)

2. Video record your performance using any available gadgets in your household.
3. Submit your output via Bluetooth or FB Messenger.
4. You will be graded based on the rubric below:
Superior Excellent Very Good Average Poor
(5 pts.) (4 pts.) (3 pts.) (2 pts.) (1 pt.)
Pitch Pitch is very Occasional Some accurate Very few Needs pitch.
accurate. isolated error, pitches, but accurate or
but most of the there are secure pitch.
time pitch is frequent and/or
accurate and repeated errors.
secured.
Rhythm The beat is The beat is The beat is The beat is No rhythm.
secure and the secure and the somewhat usually erratic
rhythms are rhythms are erratic. Some and rhythms are
accurate. mostly rhythms are seldom
accurate. There accurate. accurate,
are a few Frequent detracting
duration errors, duration errors. significantly
but these do not Rhythm from the overall
detract from the occasionally performance.
overall detract from
performance. overall
performance.
Tone Quality Tone is Tone is Tone is often The tone is Mumbles,
consistently focused, clear focused, clear often not shouts, sing
focused, clear and centered and centered focused, clear inappropriately.
and centered through the but sometimes or centered
throughout the normal singing the tone is regardless of
range of the range. Extremes uncontrolled in the range,
voice. in range the normal significantly
sometimes singing range. detracting from
cause tone to be Uncontrolled the overall
less controlled. xtremes in performance.
Tone quality range.
does not detract Occasionally
from the the tone
performance. detracts from
overall
performance.

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Expression Performs with a Typically Sometimes Rarely Expression and
and style creative nuance performs with perform with demonstrate style is
and style in nuance and nuance and expression and comparable to
response to the style that is style that is style. Just sings a dead rodent.
score and indicated in the indicated in the the notes.
limited score or which score or which
coaching. is suggested by is suggested by
Follows instructor or instructor or
melodic peer. peer.
direction.
Diction Articulates Articulates the Sometimes Rarely No clue as to
clearly and the words articulates the articulates the what the
text of the somewhat words but the words and the student is
music is clearly and the text is often not text is nit singing.
understandable. text can be discernable. discernable. Possibly
understood singing in
most of the different
time. language.

References:
A. Books
Badiola, Mary Grace J.,et.al. 2014. A Journey Through Western Music and Arts 9 Learner’s
Material. Pasig City:Department of Education-Bureau of Learning Resources (DepEd-BLR)

Yudkin, Jeremy ( 2012) Understanding Music 7th Edition

Machlis, Joseph and Forney, Kristine (2011) The Enjoyment of Music 9th Edition

B. Online and Other Sources

https://www.thefreedictionary.com/musical+theme
https://www.freemusicdictionary.com/definition/theme/
https://www.musictheoryacademy.com/understanding-music/theme-and-variations/
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/music-101-what-is-melody#what-is-melody
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/musicappreciation_with_theory/chapter/motive/
https://musictheory.pugetsound.edu/mt21c/FragmentSection.html
https://en. https://tinyurl.com/revhncp5
https://worksheets.theteacherscorner.net/make-your-own/crossword/

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 MUSIC 9
QUARTER 4 – MODULE 2
ANSWER KEY:
A. (Refer to the Criteria)