Grade by Grade
A. Dance / C. Music · Music and Dance

Music: Rounds, Partner Songs and ABA Form

C1.1 C1.2 C2.2About 40 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can sing a round, keeping my part even when others sing something different.
  • I can explain what a round, a canon and a partner song are.
  • I can hear and show ternary (ABA) form and the sections of a piece.
  • I can describe how texture and form make music interesting.

Words to know

texture
How many layers of sound are happening at once in music. One melody is a thin texture; many parts together make a thick texture.
round
A song where groups sing the same melody but start at different times, and can go around again and again.
canon
Music where one part copies another part exactly, starting a little later. A round is a kind of canon.
partner songs
Two different songs that sound good when sung at the same time.
section
A part of a piece of music, labelled with a letter: A, B, C.
ternary form
A piece in three sections: A, then a different B, then A again (ABA).

Remember from Grade 2

In Grade 2 you sang in unison (everyone singing the same melody together) with a simple accompaniment, and you learned binary form (AB) and verse and chorus.

Now you are ready to sing different parts at the same time. This makes the texture of the music thicker and richer.

Rounds

In a round, everyone sings the same melody, but groups start at different times.

Try Row, Row, Row Your Boat or Frère Jacques (a French round you may also know as "Are You Sleeping?"):

  1. Group 1 starts.
  2. When Group 1 finishes the first part, Group 2 starts at the beginning.
  3. When Group 2 finishes the first part, Group 3 starts.

The melodies overlap and fit together! The hardest part: keep singing your own part, even when you hear someone singing something else.

A wooden rowboat with two oars floating on a calm, tree-lined river in summer.
A rowboat gently down the stream! Sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" as a round and listen to the parts overlap. AI-generated image
Group 11234Group 21234Group 31234
A round with four parts (1, 2, 3, 4): each group starts one part later than the group before it.

Canons and partner songs

  • A canon is music where one part copies another exactly, starting later. Every round is a canon. A famous canon is Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel, where violins copy each other.
  • Partner songs are two different songs that fit together when sung at the same time. For example, many choirs sing Swing Low, Sweet Chariot and When the Saints Go Marching In together. Both songs come from African American communities: Swing Low, Sweet Chariot is a spiritual, and When the Saints Go Marching In grew out of African American church music.

Other rounds from around the world: Kookaburra (from Australia) and Make New Friends.

ABA form

Music has sections, just like dances. In ternary form, there are three sections:

  • A: the first section.
  • B: something different (a new melody, or a different tempo or dynamic).
  • A: the first section comes back.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star is in ABA form!

  • A: "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are."
  • B: "Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky."
  • A: "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are."
ABAfirst sectiondifferentA comes backternary form = 3 sections
Ternary form: A, a contrasting B, then A again.
Worked example

Example: Singing a round in two groups

Let's sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat as a round with a grown-up.

  1. Learn it in unison first. Sing it together until you both know it well.
  2. Split it into parts: (1) "Row, row, row your boat," (2) "gently down the stream," (3) "merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily," (4) "life is but a dream."
  3. You start. When you reach "gently down the stream", your grown-up starts "Row, row, row your boat".
  4. Keep going! Cover one ear if it helps you hear yourself. Pat a steady beat together so you stay lined up.
  5. Ending: each singer stops when they finish their last time through, so the round ends one voice at a time.

Two parts sang the same melody starting at different times. That made a thicker texture with harmony (notes sounding together).

Just for fun

Fun fact: Frère Jacques is about Brother John, who sleeps right through the morning bells. When you sing it as a round, it's like a whole crowd taking turns trying to wake him up!

Worked example

Example: Hearing and moving to ABA form

Listen to Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and show its form with movement.

  1. A section: walk around in a circle while you sing.
  2. B section: stop walking and make twinkling hands in place (a contrasting movement for a contrasting section).
  3. A section again: walk in a circle again.
  4. Describe: "The A section returns at the end, so the piece feels finished and balanced."

Twinkle, Twinkle is in ABA (ternary) form. Moving differently for A and B helps us feel where the sections change.

Hands-on activity

Round and partner-song party

You need: at least one other person (or a recording of yourself), a pot and wooden spoon for a beat.

  1. Sing Frère Jacques in unison until everyone knows it.
  2. Sing it as a round in 2 groups. Then try 3 or 4 groups if you have enough people.
  3. Add a beat: one person taps a steady beat on the pot. Does it help everyone stay together?
  4. Record yourself singing a round alone: record part 1, then play it back and sing the round with yourself!
  5. ABA dance: choose a short song or piece in ABA form. Make one movement for A and a contrasting movement for B. Perform it.

Your turn

1

What is a round?

2

What are partner songs?

3

Is a round a kind of canon?

4

Twinkle, Twinkle is in which form?

5

Sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat as a round with someone. What was the hardest part?

6

Is one person singing alone a thin or thick texture?

7

A piece goes: happy tune, sad tune, happy tune. What is its form?

More practice: warm-up

1

What is a section in music?

2

In ABA form, which section comes back?

3

Name one round.

4

What language is Frère Jacques in?

5

Does singing a round make the texture thicker or thinner than unison?

More practice: on your own

1

How is a round different from partner songs?

2

How is ABA form different from AB form?

3

Why does a steady beat help when singing a round?

4

A composer wants the B section to contrast with A. Name two ways to make B different.

5

Why might a composer bring A back at the end?

Challenge

1

If Frère Jacques has 4 parts and 4 groups each start one part apart, how many groups are singing during the 4th part of Group 1?

2

Describe the texture changes in a round from beginning to end.

3

Make up a short ABA piece using body percussion. Describe A and B.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

In a round, groups sing ___.

2.

Two different songs that fit together when sung at the same time are called ___.

3.

Which song is in ABA form?

4.

Ternary form has how many sections?

5.

When more groups join a round, the texture gets ___.

6.

What is a canon?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 3 texture concepts are simple two-part rounds, partner songs and canons; the form concepts are sections and ternary (ABA) form. Students sing these in tune (C1.1), apply the elements (C1.2) and describe how the elements are used (C2.2).

How to help at home:

  • Sing rounds in the car or while doing chores. Start with two parts.
  • Point out ABA form in songs and stories ("We're back to the start!").
  • Use a phone to record one part so your child can sing a round with themself.

Common difficulties:

  • Switching to the other group's part. Cover one ear, sit apart, or tap the beat. Learn the song very well in unison first.
  • Mixing up rounds and partner songs. Round = same song, different start times; partner songs = different songs, same time.
  • Calling every new phrase a new letter. A section is a bigger chunk of music (several phrases).