LEARNING RESOURCE

SPA - MUSIC

MUSIC THEORY:
Introduction to Melody
Grade 7 – Quarter 2
LEARNING RESOURCE for MUSIC

MUSIC THEORY
Introduction to Melody
Grade 7 Quarter 2

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 FOREWORD

Welcome to this Learning Resource for Music.

This Learning Resource was developed by experts from the National Commission for
Culture and the Arts as a reference to aid you in developing rich, meaningful, and
empowering learning in the creative fields. Every effort has been exerted to produce a Self-
Learning Learning Resource that incorporates the most fundamental elements and
principles of each discipline, while providing a spiraled, scaffolded, and multi-sensory
approach to allow you to explore your innate creativity while building discipline and rigor in
your chosen discipline.

Each lecture, activity, or reflection here is designed to be meaningful. Each one designed
to build from the previous one, and each one with the objective of building up for the next
skill or competence. We hope that you will find these activities challenging but empowering,
and that your potential as a Filipino artist and Creative is further enhanced and inspired.

These Learning Resources take into consideration the various limitations and challenges
brought about by the current situation and provide you with the flexibility to manage content
and pace to your individual needs while maintaining standards for creativity, embodying 21st
Century skills, and aspiring towards artistic excellence. Beyond compilations of dry
information, these Learning Resources seek to develop Higher Order Thinking Skills of
Analysis, Evaluation, and Creation.

If you are planning to use this Resource as a facilitator or teacher, you are expected to
guide and orient your learners in the proper and efficient use of this Learning Resource. Most,
if not all activities, will entail exploration, investigation, and experimentation, as such it is
imperative that you, as the facilitator, establish the guidelines which will allow your students
to be creative but within responsible, safe, and academically-sound limits. Your guidance
and mentorship is expected and encouraged throughout the learning process.

We look forward to your journey as an artist, MABUHAY!

 INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES



Dear Readers,

In this Learning Resource, another basic element of Music will be introduced, specifically Melody.
Various musical concepts and components that will be discussed will enable you to broaden your
knowledge in theory and apply it in performance practice, analysis, improvisation, and composition.

The topics included in this Learning Resource are continuation of the discussions on Basic Music
Theory during the previous grade level.

At the end of this Learning Resource, you will be able to:

1. demonstrate how basic concepts on melody are used to create music;

2. analyze selected musical pieces and identify various melodic direction and scales in a
song;
3. aurally identify the melody of the song by listening carefully to the piece given.

The Learning Resource may be used for, and is applicable to, the following DepEd Code:

SPA_MIM7-lllf-6


TOPIC 1
MELODIC DIRECTION

The sequence or pattern of notes exhibits the direction of the melody or melodic direction. Just like
the movements that can be observed around, melodic direction can be heard, seen, or even felt.

What are the different directions in music or the movement of the melodies?

Upward or Ascending Downward or Descending Stationary or Straight

This melodic direction in music is somehow related to what they called motion. This term can be
identified as whole step, half step, conjunct or disjunct.

Half step – is a stepwise motion that is also called a semitone.

Whole step – is a motion that consists of two semitones or two half steps .

Conjunct - is any stepwise motion, may it be whole or half step .

Disjunct - is any skip wise motion or leap that is larger than a whole step.

Look at the piano keys and guitar frets below and differentiate between a half step and whole step.
Aside from C to D (Do to Re), give other examples of the whole step or half step using the piano
keys or guitar frets as guide.

Suggested Activity
Instruction: Tell whether the given notes are half step or whole step.
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

 TOPIC 2
MELODIC INTERVALS

The gap or space between notes is called interval. Intervals can sound consecutively (step or skip)
or simultaneously. There are specific interval names such as second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth,
seventh, octave, and so on. Look at the following examples of intervals between two notes or
pitches.

Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Octave

Do to Re Do to Mi Do to Fa Do to Sol Do to La Do to Ti Do to Do
C to D C to E C to F C to G C to A C to B C to C

This gives the basic framework in music because if these half steps and whole steps are combined
together, they can form scales. Knowing these intervals, as well as practicing them make you able
to identify the quality of the chords in determining if they are in major or in minor, augmented or
diminished.


Suggested Activity
Instruction: Identify the intervals of the following consecutive notes or pitches. Write the interval
names, pitch names, and letter names.

Interval: _____ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______
Pitch: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Letter: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __








TOPIC 3
SCALES

A series of notes, usually stepwise, is called a scale. There are different types of scales according
to how they are constructed.

Diatonic Scale - a diatonic scale is stepwise and a scale that consists of whole steps and half
steps or semitones. It starts and ends with the same note or pitch which can be an octave or
more. A diatonic scale can be a major scale and each major scale has its relative minor scale.

● Major Scale - a major scale has a pattern of consecutive intervals shown below:

Whole - Whole - Half - (Whole) - Whole - Whole - Half

Different major scales have the same construction or pattern of intervals. Each starts and ends
with the same note or pitch. The scales vary with the set of notes each is made up of.

C Major Scale - does not have any accidentals may they be sharps or flats.

C D E F G A B C
Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do
G Major Scale - has one note with an accidental (sharp) which is F# or Fa sharp

D Major Scale - has two notes each of which has an accidental (sharp); F# or Fa sharp and C# or
Do sharp.




F Major Scale - has one note with an accidental (flat) which is Bb or Ti flat.




Bb Major Scale - has two notes each of which has an accidental (flat); Bb or Ti flat and Eb or Mi
flat.












Suggested Activity
Instructions: Identify the scale of each of these folk songs that can be utilized as singing materials.
Analyze the melody of each song by describing the motion, intervals, and melodic direction.

(Eugenio, 1997, p.19)

(Eugenio, 1997, p.10)

 (Eugenio, 1997, p.13)
● Minor Scale (Relative Minor Scale) - each major scale has its relative minor scale which starts
at the 6th note or degree of the major scale. There are 3 types of minor scale; (1) natural, (2)
melodic, and (3) harmonic minor scale. The natural minor scale does not have any added
accidentals in its 6th or 7th note or degree, neither sharps or flats. Below are the relative natural
minor scales of the previous major scales.


A Natural Minor Scale is the relative minor or C major scale; it does not have any accidental may
it be sharps or flats.



E Natural Minor Scale is the relative minor of G major scale.



B Natural Minor Scale is the relative minor of D major scale.



D Natural Minor Scale is the relative minor of F major scale.

G Natural Minor Scale is the relative minor of Bb major scale.

Pentatonic Scale - a pentatonic scale is made up of five (penta-) pitches and is also called a five-
tone scale. Pentatonic scales are widely used and heard in Southeast Asian music and known for
its oriental sound. Chinese, Indian, Philippine, and other Southeast traditional music include
pentatonic scales in different musical forms and even in ensemble or solo musical instruments.

Chromatic Scale - is made up of chromatic steps or half steps. The use of chromatic signs or
accidentals is shown on the examples of chromatic scales.

• Chromatic signs or accidentals are used or added before the notes to alter its tone either a
half step up or half step down.
flat lowers a note one half step
♯ sharp raises a note on half step
natural cancels a chromatic sign previously added before a note

Suggested Activity

Instructions: Listen to a piano arrangement of Tinikling, a Filipino folk song. Observe the
melody of the song by listening carefully and analyzing the musical sheet. What are the
chromatic signs or accidentals used? How can you describe the melody of the musical piece?
Scan the QR code to listen or copy the link in any browser.

https://youtu.be/I4Ni_0ar10I
 TOPIC 4
MODES

As you can see in the discussion above, the scale is a series of notes that are usually in stepwise
motion. Now in this topic, we’ll talk about the arrangement of a parent scale which is what we call
modes. There are a lot of musical modes that exist in all genres of music and have frequently
featured in different musical compositions. There are also specific names given to these musical
modes: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian. Look at the following
modes below and see how these differ with each other.

Ionian – this always starts in C, and it is just the same thing with the major scale

Dorian – this starts with D and it is a minor scale with flat 6th and flat 7th

Phrygian – this starts with E and it is also a minor scale with flat 2nd, flat 6th, and flat 7th

Lydian – this begins with F, and it is like a major scale with a raised 4th

Mixolydian – this is a major scale that is based on the fifth scale and this begins with G

Aeolian – this is also called a natural minor scale

Locrian – this starts with B and it is a minor scale with flat 2nd, 5th, 6th, and 7th scales

You may scan or click the link below to watch about additional information on this topic

https://youtu.be/o6FVtZ-bkyU

Suggested Activity
Instructions: Play the different modes above in any instrument. Observe their differences by
analyzing and listening carefully. What did you observe in the different modes? How do they differ
from each other?

REFERENCES

PRINT SOURCES:

Eugenio, D. (1997). The Folk Songs. Philippine Folk Literature Series Volume VII.
De La Salle University Press, Inc. Print.

Zinn, M. (1987). The Basics of Music: Opus 1. Schirmer Books. Print.

What are musical modes in music theory? (shorturl.at/noC36)

APPLICATIONS/SOFTWARES:
MuseScore: Free music composition and notation software
Canva.com

AUDIO RESOURCES:
Arrangements of Filipino Folk Songs
Tinikling https://youtu.be/I4Ni_0ar10I