1. Night Music
Composing a Nocturne

2. As you come in…
In pairs, discuss the pieces you composed/performed/listened to last lesson.
Can you remember any particularly effective musical devices that your group or another group used?
For example:
Constant background sound
Drone
Repeated patterns
Layering of sounds
Dynamic contrasts
Specific sound effects

3. Here’s a quick reminder…

4. Name the following notes:
It might help you to work out if they are a line or space first, then count up from the bottom.
Ready…?

5. 1.

6. 2.

7. 3.

8. 4.

9. 5.

10. 6.

11. 7.

12. 8.

13. 9.

14. 10.

15. Objectives You will be able to:
Create and perform a piece of music in the style of a nocturne
By:
Listening to a nocturne and identifying some key features
Using these devices to compose your own music in the style of a nocturne
So that you can:
Understand more about how music can create atmospheres
Draw on a wider range of ideas when composing.

16. Nocturne Op.27 No.1 in C sharp Minor Chopin
Task 1 - listening
Listen to this piece (track 35)
Nocturne Op.27 No.1 in C sharp Minor Chopin
How does Chopin manage to create the atmosphere of the night in his music?
What musical techniques and features can you pick out?

17. A Nocturne is a short composition that suggests the calm of the night.
Nocturne Features
A Nocturne is a short composition that suggests the calm of the night.
They often feature:
A lyrical melody
A broken-chord accompaniment

18. Middle note is called the 3rd
Chords
Consonant chords are made up of 3 notes.
These are called TRIADS
Top note is called the 5th
Middle note is called the 3rd
(can you tell why?)
Bottom note is called the ‘root’

19. Some of these triads are MAJOR and some are MINOR
Triads can be built up on each note of the scale
I II III IV V VI VII I
Each of the notes of the scale has a number (written as a Roman Numeral)
Some of these triads are MAJOR and some are MINOR

20. Broken-Chord
Here is a ‘C’ chord: G E C G E C
Here it is – broken up:

21. Composing a Nocturne
What is this called?
What is this called?

22. Learn to play this pattern with your Left Hand

23. Try this pattern based on these different chords

24. Chord Sequence C F Am Dm G