Topic Five (1.5): March and Military Time Signatures
Objectives for this topic
This topic will explain the key time signatures associated with March and Military music which uses either 4/4 or 2/4 time. You may already have noted this in your listening activities from Topic 4. So, what is the need for 2/4 music, often used for Marches, when the piece could be written in 4/4 time using the very same note durations? For example,
Instructions
Watch the video clip which explains the subtle differences between these two time signatures.
Add the information about March time signatures to your research resource for this module.
Review
- What are the reasons for using 2/4 time signature?
- How does this differ from a 4/4 time signature?
Support activity for this topic
Now, practise a march on your instrument or using your voice, that is written in 2/4 time. Why not use a website, such as Musescore, to search for the sheet music to Elgar’s ‘Pomp and Circumstance March No.1’, which is written in 2/4 time? Alternatively, if during your independent research, you have found another march using 2/4 time that you would like to practise, you could use this instead.
EXPLORE - Musescore Links to an external site.
Extension activity for this topic
Have a go at creating a simple March melody line in 2/4 time. Create at least an 8-bar composition and apply the learning you have gathered over the module to write a melody that reflects the bold but often uncomplicated melodies of March music. Remember to provide intonation on the first note of each bar. Play your composition with your instrument or with your voice. Can you easily ‘march’ to it? Use the Stave Lines for Composition document to write your composition.
DOWNLOAD – Stave Lines for composition Download DOWNLOAD – Stave Lines for composition