Simple Songs, Audio Music Theory Lessons

This song is in ¾ time which is also called triple meter. That means that each measure contains three (3) beats or counts. The first beat of every measure is called the strong beat and the second and third beats are called the weak beats.

In the second half of the song, the left hand part (called the accompaniment) uses a pattern called: um pah pah. This emphasizes the difference between the strong and weak beats. You play the bottom (lowest) note of each chord on the strong beat (beat one) of every measure, and you play the middle and top notes of the same chords on the weak beats (beats two & three).

   

This song is also in ¾ time and uses the um pah pah accompaniment pattern. There are three chords used for the accompaniment. Although there are some songs like Row, Row, Row Your Boat that only use two chords, there are many songs which use all three chords. The reason for this is that they provide the pattern of harmony which is necessary for the simplest to the most complex of musical pieces.

These three chords are formed on the first (1st), fourth (4th) and fifth (5th) notes of the major scale. Anyone who knows music theory uses Roman Numerals to identify the chords (rather than the single notes). The chords built on the three most important scale degrees (notes in the scale) are: I IV-V-I (C - F/C - G7 - C).

To understand the meaning of F/C which is called a chord inversion, see music theory Building Block No. 5, for G7, see Building Block No. 6

Each chord also has a name to help you understand the job that it does:
IV= subdominant (or pre-dominant) this chord "prepares" your ear for the move to the home chord of the key.
V= dominant this most powerful chord of the key "dominates" all of the others. The reason it is so strong is that it "pulls" (draws) your ear toward resolution.
I = tonic this chord feels settled, resolved or final as it identifies the "home tone" of the key.

   

Although this started out as a spiritual and later became gospel hymn in the United States, it has become associated with jazz for close to a century. The New Orleans funeral procession included a somber version of the song played on the way to the cemetery and jazzy upbeat rendition of it after the burial. "The Saints", as it is often called, is commonly identified with Dixieland jazz. However, performing artists from Louis Armstrong to the Beatles to Bruce Springsteen have included this selection in concerts and recordings.

This piece is in 4/4 time which is also called duple meter (multiples of two). The accompaniment pattern of um pah um pah reflects the accent pattern: strong (first beat)- weak (second beat)- medium (third beat) weak (fourth beat).

In keeping with the jazz tradition, The Saints also employs syncopation. This means that there are measures where there is no melody note on the strong (first) beat of the measure. As a result, the weak (second) beat of the measure becomes accented (or stressed). This shift in the rhythm (syncopation) is commonly used heard in most contemporary popular music as well.

   

This traditional children's song incorporates 8th notes into the melody. Because of this, there are spots where the right hand part plays two notes during the time value of one left hand note. What sounds very simple to the casual listener requires that the pianist learn to coordinate both parts without losing the beat. Keeping the music flowing becomes a very important goal for the new piano student.

   

This African-American spiritual dates back to the 1860's (but may have originated long before this) and was sung by former slaves. The lyrics focus on crossing the River Jordan, and the word "Halleluiah" becomes the response to each of the phrases.

The 8th note accompaniment pattern features alternating chord tones (rather than the um pah style of the other songs). Since some of the chords are inversions, you can think of the left hand part as playing the notes of each chord in the following order: bottom (note) - top (note) middle (note) top (note). Although Italian composer, Domenico Alberti (1710-1740c), used this pattern in his compositions, he did not invent it. However, this accompaniment pattern is widely known as the Alberti bass (pronounced "base"). When played in the upper register of the piano (the higher notes), the Alberti bass creates a kind of "music box" effect.

Michael also includes two secondary chords of the key. These minor chords are built on the 2nd note (ii = D minor- the supertonic) and 3rd note (iii = E minor- the mediant) of the scale. To learn about minor chords, take a look at the theory lesson Building Block No. 4.

   

This tune first appeared in France around 1761. During the 1760's, many composers wrote sets of variations on this familiar theme. Perhaps the most familiar of these is Mozart's Twelve Variations in C on the French Song "Ah vous dirai-je mamam" K 265 (1778). This French title is commonly used in non-English speaking countries, but the tune is exactly the same.

This arrangement employs the Alberti bass accompaniment which calls to mind the variation flavor and style. The same five chords that are used in "Michael" are also part of this song's harmony: I-ii-iii-IV-V-I.