What is a Theme and Variation? (Feat. Mozart's 12 Variations on "A Vous Dirais-J
What is a Theme and Variation? (Feat. Mozart's 12 Variations on "A Vous Dirais-Je Maman)
Music Lessons with Mrs. Morris · YouTube
Key points
By the end of the lesson, the learner can define melody as a sequence of pitched notes.
By the end of the lesson, the learner can distinguish rhythmic, melodic and dynamic variations.
By the end of the lesson, the learner can explain why composers use variation to keep music interesting.
Audio narration — reads aloud, works offline
Transcript
[0:00] A melody is a series of musical notes played one after another that the ear hears as a single tune.
[0:40] Variation means changing a melody slightly while keeping it recognisable, to add interest and freshness.
[1:20] A rhythmic variation changes the timing, making some notes faster or adding rests.
[2:00] A melodic variation changes the tune itself, adding extra notes or reordering them for a fresh feel.
[2:40] A dynamic variation changes loudness, using accents and soft passages to create emotion and contrast.
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