Start a Tune Again After a Wait

Supplied materials

• Paper and a pencil, or typed notes. Draw a shared timeline for the melody and its delayed repeat.
• Example: A paper melody lasts 4 beats. Voice A starts at time 0; voice B repeats it starting 1 beat later. At what beat-time does voice B finish? Choices: (A) 4 beat-time (B) 5 beat-time (C) 6 beat-time (D) 7 beat-time.
• Try this: A paper melody lasts 5 beats. Voice A starts at time 0; voice B repeats it starting 2 beats later. At what beat-time does voice B finish? Choices: (A) 6 beat-time (B) 7 beat-time (C) 8 beat-time (D) 9 beat-time.

Learn the idea

In this canon-style plan, a second voice repeats the same line after a wait. It keeps the line’s full duration. Add its start time and duration to find its end time.

Look at the example. Voice B’s delayed start shifts its entire 4-beat duration without shortening it. It ends at start time 1 plus duration 4, or 5. The first voice ends earlier. This calculation shows the planned end time.

Draw both voices on a timeline to show their planned starts and ends. A performance would need a separate timing check.

1. Read the example’s melody duration and the second voice’s delay. Mark both on a timeline.
2. Compare start time 1 plus duration 4 with duration 4 alone. Explain why the second voice ends at time 5.
3. Try the check question and the three practice questions. Then read the feedback.
4. Place a five-beat line at time zero and its repeat at time two on a shared timeline.
5. Check your work. The first line ends at five, the second at seven, with the same five-beat line duration.

Check your reasoning

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Take it further

Try a new example: A paper melody lasts 11 beats. Voice A starts at time 0; voice B repeats it starting 2 beats later. At what beat-time does voice B finish? Choices: (A) 12 beat-time (B) 13 beat-time (C) 14 beat-time (D) 15 beat-time. Answer: 13 beat-time. Voice B’s delayed start shifts its entire 11-beat duration without shortening it. It ends at start time 2 plus duration 11, or 13. The first voice ends earlier. This calculation shows the planned end time. Make your own: Place a five-beat line at time zero and its repeat at time two on a shared timeline. Check your work: The first line ends at five, the second at seven, with the same five-beat line duration.

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