Group+E+Learning+Activity

=Link Back to Executive Summary  =

**Your Learning goal for this activity **
By the end of this activity, you should have a basic understanding of Diatonic Theory in music.

**Guide to completing the Learning Activity **
1. Read the required readings

2. Please complete a pre-reflection in GoogleGroups before starting the activity.  [] Pre-Reflection: What do I want to get out of this activity? What am I expecting to get out of it?

3. Answer the Essential Questions  [] Why is a cadence important in music? What do I need to know to successfully implement V - I cadences in music?

4. Complete the activity by adding a V-I cadence to a new or existing piece of music

5. Complete a post-reflection in GoogleGroups

** Required Readings **
[| http://jmswtsn.com/Diatonic_Theory.html]

__Summary of Diatonic__ "There are many different views as to what is considered diatonic. Wikipedia defines a diatonic scale as a seven note musical scale comprising five whole steps and two half steps." "A lot of times, people will say that if you're playing diatonically, it is to play to a certain set of notes arranged in a pattern of whole steps and half steps, also an augmented 2nd in the case of [| Harmonic] scales" "So we've got camps of people who say that diatonic is relating only to the Major Scale and church modes attached to it. Other people say that [| Melodic Minor], Harmonic Minor, and Harmonic Major can be included as well." "At this point, the actual definition is moot. The Major, Melodic Minor, Harmonic Minor, and Harmonic Major scales and their attached modes will be discussed under the umbrella of Diatonic Theory." [| http://emeraldtablet.vndv.com/diatonictheory.html] __Summary of a Cadence__ A cadence is any place in a piece of music that has the feel of an ending point. This can be either a strong, definite stopping point - the end of the piece, for example, or the end of a movement or a verse - but it also refers to the "temporary-resting-place" pauses that round off the ends of musical ideas within each larger section.

Like a story, a piece of music can come to an end by simply stopping, but most listeners will react to such abruptness with dissatisfaction: the story or music simply "stopped" instead of "ending" properly. A more satisfying ending, in both stories and music, is usually provided by giving clues that an end is coming, and then ending in a commonly-accepted way.

Perfect Cadence - Same as authentic cadence. As its name suggests, this is considered the strongest, most final-sounding cadence. Some do not consider a cadence to be completely perfect unless the melody ends on the tonic and both chords (V and I) are in root position. [|http://cnx.org/content/m12402/latest/]

**Essential questions - log into Googlegroups to answer. Please use link below **
[] **Why is a cadence important in music?**
 * What do I need to know to successfully implement V - I cadences in music?**

**Learning Activity Outline: **
__**EXAMPLE:**__ To help you with this activity, linked is a sample of music that does & does not have a V-I cadence at the end of the piece. 1) In your same small groups for this course, select a piece of music (most likely something already composed) in finale notepad. //We will provide a sample for this activity here.// [|http://jmswtsn.com/Diatonic_Theory.html] 2) Add a **V - I cadence** at the end of the piece. This is called a "five one" cadence because it takes the fifth chord of the key and resolves (harmonizes with) it to the first chord (also called the "tonic"). 3) Upload the final file to the google groups for review and discussion.

**Technological Tools used to complete the Learning Activity **
Jing
 * Finale Notepad**: Download Free [|HERE]
 * MuseScore**: Free music composition & notation software []
 * Sibelius First**: []
 * Forums**: Google Groups - [| http://groups.google.com/group/diatonic_theory_music_learning_adventure]

===**Thank you for completing the Activity! Please return to [|GoogleGroups] and complete the post-reflection **===

**References List **
[|http://cnx.org/content/m12402/latest/] [| http://www.emusictheory.com/interact.html] [|ttp://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Tonal_Music_Theory] [| http://jmswtsn.com/Diatonic_Theory.html]