Vocal Music

1. Vocal Music • Newbattle High School • Music Department • National 5

2. Unit Aims • In this unit you will learn about voices. • You will learn about how and where voices are used • You will learn how to identify different voices and different styles of vocal music

3. Vocal Types • There are many different types of voices. For this unit you need to remember the four that you learned at National 4 (Soprano, Alto Tenor, Bass) • You also need to learn about two new voices: Mezzo Soprano and Baritone • You need to be able to identify these as solo voices and voices in a group

4. Mezzo Soprano • A soprano is a high female voice whereas a mezzo soprano is in between a soprano and an alto • A mezzo soprano does not always sound like an opera singer and is probably one of the more common types of female voices • Can you think of any singers you listen to who are sopranos?

5. Baritone • A Baritone has a voice that sits between a bass and a tenor • It does not seem too low or too high • Listen to these examples of Baritone voices compared to tenor and bass. How do they compare? Are there similarities or differences? Discuss in your group.

6. Aria • A solo song sung in an operatic style, in an opera, oratorio or cantata, with orchestral accompaniment. • This has a memorable melody • Listen to an example from an opera by Mozart

7. Descant • A descant is a line of music sung above a choir • Probably the most famous place you will hear a descant is in Christmas carols, usually in the last verse • Listen to these examples of descant

8. Melismatic • A Melismatic song is a song where each syllable has more than one note to it:

9. Syllabic • Syllabic songs are songs where the syllables have one note per syllable • Listen to Ding Dong Merrily on High where the notes in the verse are syllabic and the notes in the chorus are melismatic

10. Strophic • Most songs are strophic • Strophic is where there is a distinct verse and chorus structure • Listen to these 3 songs and decide in your groups whether they are strophic or not

11. A Cappella • A Cappella is singing without instrumental accompaniment • Listen to the following short excerpts of A Cappella:

12. Chorus • A Chorus can be defined as one of three things: • A group of singers with several people to each part. • The music written for these singers. • The refrain between verses of a song.