Firefly

Musical Elements Essential Question: What is a musical element? How do we use and manipulate musical elements? How are these musical elements essential to all/most music?
Modified: 2020-05-03

Notation Basics Essential Question: How do composers/musicians use notation to create and interpret written music? What information does written music communicate?
Modified: 2020-05-21

Scales and Key Signatures Essential Question: What is a scale and how do we use it? What is tonality? How do composers/musicians group pitches to create tonality? How does tonality relate to key signatures? What is the significance of the circle of fifths?
Modified: 2012-06-08

Intervals/Tertian Harmony Essential Question: What are the building components of western harmony? How do composers use intervals melodically and harmonically? How can we identify intervals when we hear them?
Modified: 2012-06-07

7th Chords Essential Question: What possibilities are available for layering thirds in groups of three? What does a 7th chord do harmonically? How do we use different kinds of 7th chords? In what keys do these chords exist organically by stacking scale degrees?
Modified: 2012-06-08

Interval and Chord inversion Essential Question: What can we learn about the nature of intervals by studying their inversions? How do composers change tertian layering to vary harmony?
Modified: 2012-06-07

Roman Numeral Analysis Essential Question: How do we analyze music at a theoretical level? What are chord functions and how do we use them?
Modified: 2012-06-08

cadences Essential Question: What is the function of a musical cadence? How do we create a sense of harmonic arrival?
Modified: 2012-06-08

Melody Writing Basics Essential Question: How do I start to write a melody? What makes a melody melodic? What makes a melody pleasant?
Modified: 2020-05-21

4 part writing Essential Question: How do we compose using multiple voices? How do we combine melody and harmony? How do we differentiate melody and harmony? What determines something melodic function over its harmonic function?
Modified: 2012-06-08

Non-Harmonic Tones Essential Question: When can we use notes outside of the harmony? How can we use break some of our rules and guidelines to create an aesthetic or emotional effect?
Modified: 2020-05-26