Investigate Layers of Sound

Vocal Activity

Improvise in D Dorian

• The tonality of this piece is in the mode of D Dorian. It uses the same pitches as C major—the white keys on the piano. However, the tonal center, or "home tone," is D. The notation is provided below.

• Practice singing the D Dorian scale. The D Dorian scale is similar to the D natural minor scale. The difference is that the sixth pitch (B) of the D Dorian scale is a half step higher than the sixth pitch in the D natural minor scale (B).
• When you are comfortable singing the pitches of the D Dorian scale without the audio file, proceed to the next step.

Improvise in D Dorian

• Listen to "Black to Gray"--Improvisation. Listen for the improvised vocal phrases at 0:27, 0:36, 0:43, and 0:52. Each phrase is followed by an opportunity for you to echo the same improvisation. Your echoed responses should start on beat 1 of the next measure.
• At 1:00, you will no longer hear any vocal phrases to echo. At that point, improvise until the end of the audio file. Be sure that you are aware of the first beat of every measure.
• At first, sing your responses in the same pitch register as the audio file, using your falsetto or head voice if necessary. Then, when you are familiar with the phrases, sing the third and fourth phrases an octave down, if that range is more comfortable for you.
• Replay "Black to Gray"--Improvisation several times. As you improvise, gradually vary your responses to the calls by incorporating different pitch choices.
• When you are comfortable with the steps above, improvise throughout your chosen arrangement. Make your improvised parts the busiest (e.g., use a lot of notes) when the instrumental parts on the audio file are not so busy. Likewise, sing simpler parts (e.g., use a few, long notes) when the audio file contains many different musical parts. Improvise lyrics as well.

  "Black to Gray" -- Arrangement 1
  
  "Black to Gray" -- Arrangement 2
  
  "Black to Gray" -- Arrangement 3
  

• Experiment with different vocal tone colors. For example, sing with breathy, deep, loud, or soft sounds. Because this song is light and delicate in texture, you may find a breathy tone works best, but you should experiment.
• Optional: Perform your arrangement for others.

Advanced Vocal Activty

• Improvise along with your chosen arrangement. Have all your phrases incorporate the following rhythm.

• Once you are comfortable with the rhythm, invent your own rhythmic 7/4 patterns and notate them. Try using the following steps to generate rhythms.

1. Write a series of 14 eighth notes.

2. Tie some of the eighth notes together.

3. Replace some of the remaining eighth notes with eighth-note rests.

4. If necessary, rewrite the rhythm in a form that is easier to read. For example, you might beam and replace some of the tied eighths with quarter notes.

• Once you have created different 7/4 patterns, incorporate them into your improvisations. Determine which patterns yield the most interesting results. You might evaluate your results by analyzing the phrasing and syncopation of the patterns.

Web Links Extension

Go to the Web Links Extension to compare layers of music in two songs and to explore how visual artists also show layering in their artworks.

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