Lesson 6Composing with

pitch and duration

BeatStop for a minute and feel your pulse. If you are sitting in one place, your heart will probably be beating very regularly.

In music we also have a pulse or beat which occurs regularly.

Listen to the following melody for the woodblock which is keeping the pulse or beat while the flute plays the melody.

Note ValuesIn that last sound clip you heard some notes that were longer than others.

The length of time a note sounds is called its note value.

In the sound clip some notes lasted for one beat.

• They are called crotchets.

Some notes are called minims.

• They sound for two beats.

Time signature

Notes are organized into groups of two, three, or four beats. We use a time signature to indicate which grouping of beats is being used.

A bar line separates the groupings of beats.

We count the groupings by saying 1-2-3-4.

Semi breves last for 4 beats.

These note values are called quavers.

These notes last for half a beat.

Sometimes they have stems with flags.

Sometimes they are joined by beams.

Getting Ready To Compose

The melody above uses all the note-values we have learned so far and it is four measures long.

A double bar indicates the end of a melody

The distance between two bar lines is called a bar or a measure.

Creating a melody using Noteworthy Composer

• Double click on the program icon.• Close the “Did you know?” window• Go to File – select “new”• Select “blank score” from the Song Templates

Window. Click “OK”.• Type in a name for your composition• Type in your name as “author-composer”. Click “OK”.• YOU ARE NOW READY TO BEGIN

My First Composition

You are now ready to write your first composition.

Make it 4 measures long Use a time signature of 4/4 Begin and end on middle “C”. Use quavers, crotchets, minims, and semi-breves. Have the notes in your melody move in step-wise

motion, repeated notes or small skips.