An explanation of a musical pattern has three parts: what the notation shows, what you hear, and what the pattern does. This lesson shows how to join them on a worked example.
It belongs to the SPM subjects and learning resources collection. If writing the notation itself is still slow, start with matching what you hear to rhythm and pitch notation.
What is the notate, listen, describe routine?
- Notate. Point to the notes or rhythm that form the pattern, using bar numbers.
- Listen. Say what you hear: the same shape, higher or lower, louder or softer.
- Describe. Say what the pattern does for the music.
Keep this order every time, so each explanation covers the score, the sound and the effect.
Worked example: an original two-bar melody
Melody (original). Two bars in 4/4. Bar 1: G, A, B, G (four crotchets). Bar 2: A, B, C, A (four crotchets).
Notate. Bar 2 has the same rhythm as bar 1, four crotchets. The shape is the same: three notes going up by step, then a fourth note that returns to the first note of the bar. Bar 1 starts on G and bar 2 starts on A, so bar 2 is one step higher.
Listen. The second phrase sounds like the first lifted up a little. The steady crotchet pulse continues unchanged.
Describe. This is a sequence, because the phrase returns one step higher with the same rhythm and shape. It makes the music feel as if it is climbing, while still sounding like the opening idea.
The word “sequence” is justified by the notation: same rhythm, same shape, higher start.
The mistake: naming without evidence
The common slip is “It repeats.” That does not say which part, where or at what pitch. If bar 2 had started on G again, it would be a repetition. Starting on A, it is a sequence.
| Part | Weak | Stronger |
|---|---|---|
| Notate | “It repeats” | “Bar 2 has the same rhythm and shape as bar 1, starting one step higher” |
| Listen | (none) | “It sounds like the first phrase lifted up” |
| Describe | (none) | “A sequence, which gives a feeling of climbing” |
Checking the pitch of the second phrase
Compare the first note of each phrase. Same note means repetition. A different note with the same shape means a sequence.
If the shape changes too, it may be a variation instead. Name what you can see in the notation before choosing the word.
Check yourself
Melody (original). Two bars in 4/4. Bar 1: E, F, G, E (four crotchets).
Bar 2: E, F, G, E (four crotchets). Explain the pattern using the routine.
Answer
Notate: bar 2 has the same rhythm and the same notes as bar 1, starting on E again.
Listen: the second phrase sounds exactly like the first, at the same pitch.
Describe: this is a repetition, not a sequence, because the pitch did not move. It sounds settled and familiar, and the phrase is easy to remember.
What to study next
Write your own two-bar melody with a sequence and explain it using the routine. Check your wording with the structured-answer self-review tool.
If you want a teacher to play examples and check your explanations, see online one-to-one Aural and Music Theory tuition.