Singing and Melody

Grade 1 · Music · Study Guide

Learn what a melody is and how singing lets us share music with our voices.

Your voice is a musical instrument! When you sing, you use air from your lungs and your vocal cords to make sound. Singing is one of the oldest ways people have made music.

A melody is the main tune of a song — it is the part you hum or sing. A melody is a series of musical notes played or sung one at a time in a certain order. When you sing "Happy Birthday" or "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," you are singing a melody.

Melodies can go up or down. When the notes get higher, we say the melody goes up. When the notes get lower, we say the melody goes down. Some parts of a melody stay on the same note for a while.

When you sing, you can change how your voice sounds. You can sing loudly or softly. You can sing fast or slowly. You can make your voice smooth and connected, or short and bouncy.

Lyrics are the words of a song. When a melody has lyrics, it becomes a song that tells a story or shares a feeling. Many songs have a chorus, which is a part that repeats.

Singing together is called singing in unison. When different people sing different parts that sound good together, it is called harmony.

Key terms

melody
The main tune of a song — notes played or sung one after another
vocal cords
The parts inside your throat that vibrate to make your voice
lyrics
The words of a song
chorus
The part of a song that repeats
unison
When everyone sings the same notes at the same time
harmony
When different voices sing different notes that sound good together

Flashcards

melody
The main tune of a song made up of notes in order
lyrics
The words that go with a melody to make a song
chorus
The part of a song that comes back again and again
unison
Singing the same notes at the same time together
harmony
Different voices singing different notes that sound good together
pitch
How high or low a musical note sounds
vocal cords
The parts in your throat that vibrate to make sound when you sing
verse
A section of a song that tells part of a story, before the chorus

Questions

  1. What is a melody?

    1. The words of a song
    2. The main tune of a song
    3. The beat you clap to
    4. The name of a musical instrument
    Show answer

    Answer: The main tune of a song

    A melody is the main tune — the series of notes you hum or sing. It is different from the lyrics (words) or the beat.

  2. Your voice is a musical instrument.

    Show answer

    Answer: True

    Your voice uses air and vocal cords to make musical sounds, just like other instruments use parts to make sound.

  3. The words of a song are called the ______.

    Show answer

    Answer: lyrics

    Lyrics are the words of a song. When a melody has lyrics, the song can tell a story or share a feeling.

  4. What is it called when everyone sings the same notes at the same time?

    1. Harmony
    2. Chorus
    3. Unison
    4. Melody
    Show answer

    Answer: Unison

    Singing in unison means everyone sings the same notes at the same time.

  5. A melody is made up of notes that are all the same pitch.

    Show answer

    Answer: False

    A melody is made of notes at different pitches — some higher, some lower — played in a certain order.

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