Minds On
Today’s vocabulary
Press the following tabs to access today’s vocabulary.
Music that is played or sung short and detached. Indicated by a dot above or below the note head.
Music that is played or sung smoothly, without gaps between the notes.
When two different songs are sung at the same time to create harmony. (e.g., “Fish and Chips and Vinegar” sung with “Rufus Rustus Johnson Brown”). It is a form of polyphony.
Let’s get started!
Let’s explore the following audio recordings from the song “Caterpillar” written by Rick and Audrey Engdahl.
There are two parts to the song: caterpillar and butterfly.
First, let’s explore the following audio with the caterpillar part.
What do you notice about the music?
What do you notice about the lyrics?
Caterpillar
When you’re ready, press the ‘Caterpillar’ button to learn more about this part and how it’s sung.
The audio is of a choir singing a verse from the song, "Caterpillar." This verse is about a caterpillar before it becomes a butterfly. In this verse, each syllable is sung on a single pitch (one syllable, one note). For example, the word caterpillar has 4 sounds: cat-er-pil-lar. That means the word is sung on 4 different notes. This type of singing is called "syllabic singing." It is used in this verse to copy the way a caterpillar might move. The caterpillar verse in the song is as follows:
Cat-er-pil-lar curl up un-der an-y lit-tle leaf,
Sew your-self in silk-en strands and dan-gle in your sheath;
Cat-er-pil-lar can you pon-der why the blue-bird sings,
Find your dreams, dear flut-ter heart to-mor-row you’ll have wings.
Next, explore the following audio clip with the butterfly part.
What do you notice about the music?
What do you notice about the lyrics?
Is this part similar or different from the caterpillar part?
Butterfly
When you’re ready, press the ‘Butterfly’ button to learn more about this part and how it’s sung.
The audio is of a choir singing a verse from the song, "Caterpillar." This verse is about a butterfly unfolding their wings and exploring the world around them. In this verse, there are syllables that stretch over more than one beat. For example, the 'fly' in but-ter-fly is sung over two beats. Another example is "bright" which is sung over two beats. This helps the singers sing in a legato style which is very smooth and connected. The legato style also helps the singers copy the way a butterfly can glide smoothly through the air in between flapping their wings. The butterfly verse in the song is as follows:
But-ter-fly the morn-ing greets with the
sky so bright, and all your dreams un-fold-ing;
but-ter-fly you will a-light on the
breeze, and o-ver trees and fields and flow-ers you will fly.
Action
Get ready, get set…
In the Minds On section, you explored the two parts of the song “Caterpillar.”
Which part was smooth and connected?
Which part was short and separated?
Check out the following conversation to learn about legato and staccato articulation.
Legato and staccato
Sounds can be made in many different ways! For example,
Loud and soft.
Fast and slow.
Short and smooth.
When writing a piece of music, composers will think about the many different ways to make sounds to help them express musical ideas and create characters like in a story.
Let’s focus on short and smooth sounds.
In music, we can use the word staccato to describe notes that are played short and separated.
Access the following video to explore an example of staccato playing. You may notice that the notes are short and there is a gap in between each note.
Staccato is an Italian word that means “detached”. Composers use special markings to help musicians understand how a piece of music should be performed.
For a staccato note, the composer will place a dot over or under a musical note.
staccato
In this piece of music, there are four quarter notes on a musical staff. There is a treble clef and the time signature is 4/4. The four notes are ascending on the scale and the notes are C, D, E, F. Underneath each note is a small dot. This dot means that the note is to be performed staccato.
Next, explore the following conversation.
Two teachers having a conversation. The first teacher says: “What is the opposite of staccato?” The second teacher responds: “When the composer wants the notes to flow together with no breaks in between, it is called legato. A legato mark is a curved line that appears to tie the notes together. It can be above or below a group of notes.”
When music is played legato the notes sound like they are tied together with no breaks in between.
Access the following video to explore an example of legato playing. You may notice that the notes are played smoothly together, with no gaps in between them.
Legato is an Italian word that means “tied together”. Composers will use a legato mark to tell a musician to play or sing in a smooth and connected way. The legato mark, or slur, is a curved line that groups different notes together. It can be above or below a group of notes.
legato
In this piece of music, there are four quarter notes on a musical staff. There is a treble clef, and the time signature is 4/4. The four notes are ascending on the scale and the notes are C, D, E, F. There is a curved line underneath the four notes that begins underneath the first note and ends underneath the fourth note. This line means that the notes are to be performed legato.
How do they move?
Next let’s try to connect staccato and legato to the way animals move.
Explore the next series of videos of animals moving and consider the following questions:
- What type of animals might move in a staccato way? (e.g., short, separated movements)
- What type of animals might move in a legato way? (e.g., flowing and connected movements)
- What other animals might be included in each group?
Use the following chart provided to record your ideas. You may also record your ideas using another method of your choice.
Press the following tabs to access the five videos of animals moving.
Access the following video of a snake slithering around a tree branch. Note that the movements are slow and fluid. Consider the following questions:
How is the animal moving?
Are the animal’s movements short and separated (staccato)?
Are the animal’s movements smooth and connected (legato)?
Access the following video of Kangaroos hopping. Note that they are jumping high and far at a fast speed. Consider the following questions:
How is the animal moving?
Are the animal’s movements short and separated (staccato)?
Are the animal’s movements smooth and connected (legato)?
Access the following video of a snail sliding along a tree branch. Note that the movements are slow and slick. Consider the following questions:
How is the animal moving?
Are the animal’s movements short and separated (staccato)?
Are the animal’s movements smooth and connected (legato)?
Access the following video of a fox trotting across a field. Note that the four legs are moving at a quick and steady speed. Consider the following questions:
How is the animal moving?
Are the animal’s movements short and separated (staccato)?
Are the animal’s movements smooth and connected (legato)?
Portfolio
Portfolio
After you have examined the four videos of animals moving, complete the Animals Move in Different Ways organizer in your notebook or use the following fillable and printable document to record your ideas about how the animals move.
If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts. Consider adding your work to your portfolio.
| Staccato | Legato |
|---|---|
Press the ‘Activity’ button to access Animals Move in Different Ways.
After you have completed the Animals Move in Different Ways organizer, press the ‘Answer’ button to check your understanding of staccato and legato.
Animals Move in Different Ways
|
Staccato |
Legato |
|---|---|
Additional animals:
|
Additional animals:
|
Go!
Explore the following two videos and descriptions.
How does the caterpillar move? How does the butterfly move?
Record your ideas using a method of your choice.
First, let’s explore the video of a caterpillar crawling on a plant to learn more about how it moves. A caterpillar has many legs but move together in tiny steps. The movements of the caterpillar rise up and down like a wave.
Now, examine the video of a butterfly flying to learn more about how it moves.
The wings open and close in a slow and steady movement. Its movements are fluid and connected.
After you have examined the videos and recorded your ideas on how each insect might move, press the ‘Answer’ button to check your understanding.
The butterfly’s movements are smooth and connected (legato).
The caterpillar’s movements are short and separated (staccato).
Caterpillar
Let’s return to the song “Caterpillar” we examined in the Minds On section.
First, we will examine the lyrics and audio with the caterpillar part on more time.
The lyrics of the caterpillar part are as follows:
Caterpillar, curl up under any little leaf,
sew yourself in silken strands and dangle in your sheath;
caterpillar, can you ponder why the bluebird sings?
find your dreams, dear flutter heart, tomorrow, you’ll have wings.
Revisit the next audio of the caterpillar part and consider the following question:
How does the music express the way a caterpillar moves?
How do the lyrics express the way a caterpillar moves?
Record your ideas orally, digitally or in writing.
Caterpillar
Once you have responded to the question, press the ‘Answer’ button to check your understanding.
The sound of the words mimics the movement of a caterpillar. The notes that describe the caterpillar go up and down, and up and down, which is how a caterpillar moves. The word caterpillar is sung staccato as “ca-ter-pill-ar.”
Teacher A/B message: You may have also noticed that the sounds in each word are broken up. For example, the word caterpillar has 4 sounds (syllables): cat-er-pil-lar. Each sound gets its own note!
Butterfly
Next, examine the lyrics and the audio of the butterfly part again.
The lyrics of the butterfly part are as follows:
Butterfly,
the morning greets
with the sky so bright,
and all your dreams unfolding;
butterfly, you will alight
on the breeze, and over trees and fields and flowers you will fly.
Revisit the next audio of the butterfly part and consider the following question:
How does the music express the way a butterfly moves?
How do the lyrics express the way a butterfly moves?
Record your ideas orally, digitally or in writing.
Butterfly
Once you have responded to the question, press the ‘Answer’ button to check your understanding.
In the butterfly part, the notes go up and down like the notes in the caterpillar part, but this time they are smooth and connected. Some of the notes are even stretched out (long). For example, the “fly” in but-ter-fly is a long sound. Another example is “bright” which is also a long sound.
Consolidation
Putting it all together
Portfolio
Review your learning
Take a moment to review your learning and respond to the following questions:
- What are some of the choices Rick and Audrey Engdahl made when they composed the song “Caterpillar?”
- Were there any other features of the song that reminded you of the movements of a butterfly and/or caterpillar?
- What did you enjoy about the song? How were the parts of the song similar and/or different?
Respond to the questions using a method of your choice. Consider adding your work to your portfolio.
Reflection
How do you feel about what you have learned in this activity? Which of the next four sentences best matches how you are feeling about your learning? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel…
Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.