In 6th grade, students’ study of composition centers on melody.  As an introduction to reading and writing music notation, all students compose an original melody using the blues scale. Later in the semester, they complete an additional melody composition that offers greater creative choice. For this project, students select from several diverse musical styles—such as the Baroque period, Pop/Pop Ballad, Country, and more — each with their own accompaniment template.  This semester, students requested a winter-themed template as well.  Using the composition templates, students compose melodies that fit the provided chord progressions. Students learn to use a chord calculator to identify the notes that are part of each chord and to write these notes on the strong beats throughout their pieces.  Throughout both projects, students explore different types of melodic motion—steps, skips, and leaps—and how to use these effectively in creating expressive melodies.  You can enjoy students' compositions in the gallery below.

Baroque Style Melody Compositions

​Marching Band Melody Compositions

Pop Melody Compositions

Pop Ballad Melody Compositions

Winter-Theme Melody Compositions