成人快手

What is pitch?

In music, we use the word pitch to describe how high or low a sound is.

Listen carefully to this low pitch followed by a high pitch. Can you try and sing them?

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What instruments can play a melody?

A cartoon of a girl playing a saxophone.

If an instrument can play different pitches, then it can play a melody.

A violin, flute and trumpet can play a melody but a shaker, drum or woodblock can't.

The flute and violin are perfect for playing high pitch sounds.

Instruments like the double bass or the tuba are best for playing low pitch sounds.

The piano and guitar can play both low and high pitch sounds.

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What is a melody?

A cartoon of Bob Marley smiling

A melody is made up of a mixture of high and low pitch sounds played one after the other.

It's easier to remember that melody is the tune. It's the part of the music that you often find yourself singing along with.

Listen to this simple piano melody. Can you sing, hum or whistle it after?

A cartoon of Bob Marley smiling
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Watch: Melody and pitch

Bob Marley explains melody and pitch to the band, with one of his most famous melodies.

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Describing different melodies

When the tune goes from low to high pitch, the melody rises.

The melody falls when the tune goes from high to low pitch.

Catchy and memorable melodies often use pitches that are quite close together.

Using different pitches in a melody can help the listener feel a certain way.

How do these two very different melodies make you feel?

Igor Stravinsky - The Firebird - suite (1911) (Finale) from Ten Pieces. Performed by 成人快手 National Orchestra of Wales.

Modest Mussorgsky - A Night on the Bare Mountain from Ten Pieces. Performed by 成人快手 National Orchestra of Wales.

You can watch and listen to Stravinsky and Mussorgsky on 成人快手 Ten Pieces.

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Activities

Guess the tune

Find a friend or family member and play guess the tune.

One person has to hum a well known tune, while the other person has to try and guess what it is!

A cartoon of two twins, one is humming and the other is looking puzzled.
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Quiz

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Bitesize Primary games. game

Play fun and educational primary games in science, maths, English, history, geography, art, computing and modern languages.

Bitesize Primary games
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More on Playing and Performing

Find out more by working through a topic