KS35

KS
Alan Charlton is a
freelance composer
and has written
numerous lesson
resources for Music
Teacher, including
material on the IB
set work El Saln
Mxico.

KS3: Canons
by Alan Charlton

Introduction
Canons and rounds appear frequently in music education, from the classroom singing of simple rounds such
as Londons Burning and Frre Jacques to GCSE and A level set works by composers such as J.S.Bach, Webern, Bernstein and Steve Reich. However, when composing using notation or sequencing software, canons,
despite being fairly easy to create using cut and paste techniques, do not always produce a convincing result.
So how can you teach students how to write successful canons?
Starting with some performing of canons, which can involve ICT, this resource looks at how simple canons
work, focusing on Londons Burning. It then explores how you can go about composing a round on similar
lines. A Canon Composing Kit is provided which enables students with little knowledge of music notation to
write their own four-part canons by following simple step-by-step instructions. Finally, the resource looks at
more intricate types of canons, with some optional accompanying activities.

Resources:
sequencing and/
or notation software
(optional)
hand-outs
scissors and blue
tack/glue for the
Canon Composing Kit
internet access to
listen to performances of canons

The resource could be used to provide material for 2-4 lessons, depending on how much time is spent on the
performing and composing activities.

What are canons and rounds?

Ask the students whether they have heard of the following pieces:
Londons Burning
Three Blind Mice
Frere Jacques
Row, row, row your boat
What do they have in common?
They are all examples of rounds or canons.

What is a round?
It is a piece of music consisting of a single melody, which is copied by different voices in turn and repeated,
producing a harmonious overall sound.

Why is it called a round?

Because once each voice has finished singing the melody, they start it again from the beginning, so the
melody goes round and round.

What is the difference between a round and a canon?

A canon is similar to a round, but the melody does not repeat: when the end of the melody is reached, that
voice stops.

Music Teacher December 2012

Canons, rounds and catches have been composed since the medieval period and are one of the oldest forms
of music in more than one part. The word catch derives from a type of Italian canonic composition called a
caccia, meaning a chase: in this composition the succeeding voices sound like they are trying to catch the
first voice.

Music Teacher December 2012

Performing activity
If students are competent in classroom singing, teach and rehearse one or more of these rounds with them,
first as a single line, then in two parts, then three and four parts.

KS3 Canons: Well-known canons and rounds

1. Row, Row, Row your Boat
1.

3.

2.

3
3

Row, row, row your boat gent - ly down the stream; mer - ri - ly, mer - ri - ly, mer - ri - ly, mer - ri - ly, life is but a dream!

2. London's Burning

Lon - don's

fire!

bur - ning, Lon - don's

fire!

fire!

1.

bur - ning, fetch the

3.

Pour on

wa - ter,

Three blind

mice.

See

how they

Lon - don's

Three blind
2.

mice.

See

run.

They all

ran af - ter the

Fr - re

2.

Fr - re

Jac - ques,

Praise

God from whom all

him

Son - nez les ma - ti - nes!

5. Tallis's Canon

run.

1.

bles - sings flow, praise

3.

a - bove, an - ge - lic host, praise

Fa - ther, Son, and

him,

all

1.

vous?

Din, dan, don.

crea - tures

dor - mez

Din, dan, don.

mice?

vous?

blind

dor - mez

3.

as three

Son - nez les ma - ti - nes!

1.

Jac - ques,

far - mer's wife, who cut off their tails with a

sight in your life

4. Frre Jacques

car - ving knife, did you e - ver see such

fire!

wa - ter.

how they

3.

1.

en - gine,

wa - ter,

2.

2.

3. Three Blind Mice

en - gine, fetch the

1.

pour on

here

be - low, praise

2.

Ho - ly Ghost. Praise

2.

Ho - ly Ghost.

Otherwise, there are several recordings available on YouTube.

Music Teacher December 2012

ICT activity 1: recording a round melody

and multi-tracking it
1. Set up a microphone for recording into an audio sequencer
(e.g. Garageband or Cubase), and if possible ensure that the
sequencer window can be seen by the whole class.
2. In your audio sequencing software, create four audio tracks,
and set up the first track to record from a microphone, checking that the level is appropriate for the performers. You may
need to mute this track to prevent feedback (a loud, unpleasant noise) when recording.
3. Set up a click track to play through headphones at the appropriate tempo for the round you have picked and set the time
signature to that of the chosen round.
4. Record a performance of just the melody of one of the above
rounds. This could be sung by a soloist, a small group, the
whole class, or played on an instrument. You will need to
ensure that it is in a consistent tempo, so, if recording a group,
you or a volunteer may need to conduct it whilst listening to
the click track through headphones. If it is being performed by
a solo performer, they should listen to the click track.
5. In the sequencer, copy the recorded melody track (which
should be on track 1) onto the second, third and fourth tracks.
6. Pick three students to move the copied audio tracks to the correct positions to complete the round. They may need to mute
one or two tracks to help them. The tracks could be panned
across the stereo field so they can be heard more clearly.
7. Play back the finished round and evaluate the result.
8. If appropriate, repeat with different soloists, or using a different
round melody. If you have the resources, students can be split
into smaller groups and given the same or a similar task.

How does a round work?

Ask students whether they think any melody can be performed as a round. As an experiment, pick a wellknown melody (such as a TV theme tune, hymn tune, chorus from a pop song), split students into three or
four groups and ask them to perform it as a round. The end result almost certainly wont make musical sense.

Why does a round sound harmonious but another melody, when treated as a round, sound discordant?
The melody of a round is composed in such a way that when the parts are combined together, they form coherent chord progressions; when normal melodies are combined together like a round, the parts do not form
coherent chord progressions, so the music sounds discordant.
Now look at the phrase structure of a round, Londons Burning, in more detail.
Londons Burning is divided into four musical phrases, each of which is repeated:
1: Londons burning
2: Fetch the engine
3: Fire! Fire!
4: Pour on water
When the round starts, the leader sings phrase 1 (Londons burning) on their own.
When the leader moves onto phrase 2 (Fetch the engine), follower 1 enters with phrase 1 (Londons burning). Phrases 1 and 2 must therefore fit together musically.
When the leader moves onto phrase 3, (Fire! Fire!), follower 1 moves onto phrase 2, while follower 2 enters
with phrase 1. Phrases 1,3 and 4 must therefore fit together musically.
When the leader moves onto phrase 4 (Pour on water), follower 1 is singing phrase 3, follower 2 is singing
phrase 2 and follower 3 enters with phrase 1. Phrases 1, 2, 3 and 4 must therefore fit together musically at
this point.
While the melody is being repeated, phrases 1, 2, 3 and 4 are heard simultaneously across all of the parts
in different combinations.
As the parts drop out one by one, we are left with first phrases 2, 3 and 4, then phrases 3 and 4 and finally

Music Teacher December 2012

phrase 4 on its own, sung by the last voice to enter, follower 3. These combinations must also fit together
musically.

leader

follower 1

follower 2
follower 3

Therefore, phrases 1, 2, 3 and 4, when sung together, must make sense harmonically.
To see how this happens in Londons Burning, we can write out the four phrases underneath each other.
Hand out the sheet entitled KS3: How Londons Burning works (see Resources). This shows how the different
phrases combine when all four parts are singing together.
Explain that the diagram shows which notes are sung when all four parts are singing. So Londons Burning,
fetch the, Fire! and Pour on together produce the notes D,A and C, which form the chord of D major 7 with
the F sharp missing. Similarly, burning, engine, Fire! and water sound the notes G,B and D, which together
produce a chord of G major.
So once all the parts have entered, the piece repeats the progression V7 - I (or in other words a perfect cadence) over and over again until the parts start to drop out again.
Explain that all rounds have a repeated chord progression such as this underpinning them, which you could
work out in the same way as above, by writing the phrases underneath each other. What the round melody
does is build up the notes of the chord progression in such a way that it also forms an interesting, memorable
melody that is fun and easy to sing.

Hand out the sheet

entitled Composing
a canon based on
two chords (under
Resources).

Composing a round melody based on a

two chord progression
Explain that now that we know that a round can be made up of a repeated two-chord progression, it ought
to be possible to compose a canon using the process on the example sheet in reverse. So this would mean:
pick or compose a two chord progression and decide on the key

This is the rhythm

made by the places
where the chords
change, so in
Londons Burning
it would be upbeat
crotchet for V7,
downbeat minim for
chord I

decide on the metre (e.g. 3/4 for Londons Burning)

work out the harmonic rhythm of the canon
work out which notes the chords contain
devise four phrases that between them use all or most of the notes of the chords, while ensuring that it
develops logically and musically
give the whole melody a shape by giving each phrase a distinctive rhythm
As an example, let us use the chord progression II - I and a time signature of 4/4, with a harmonic rhythm of a
minim on beat 1 for chord II and a minim on beat 3 for chord I.
Next, well work out the outline of the melody. We need to find a way of using up all the notes in the chords,
while not creating too many awkward jumps. In Londons Burning, the phrases proceed in the following order,
which creates an effective shape and means that the jumps between phrases arent too wide:

lowest phrase second lowest phrase highest phrase second highest phrase

Finally, well add some rhythm to each phrase. This gives the melody some direction and a sense of shape. You
could derive the rhythm from words, names or phrases, for instance the names of streets, types of sport, or of
people in the class. (This example uses the names of Northern European countries).

Music Teacher December 2012

Rhythms to rounds are often quite repetitive and simple. Typically, the first two phrases are fairly similar, the
third contrasting (and often the most complex) and the last similar to the first. Four-part rounds that follow this
pattern include Frre Jacques, Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Three Blind Mice and Ah, Poor Bird.
The canon melody is formed by joining the four phrases together. To hear the final result, it can then be performed, or entered into notation software and cut and pasted onto four different staves.

Activity: The Canon Composing Kit

Hand out the two

pages of the two
sheets entitled KS3
Canon Composing
Kit (under Resources): as students
will be cutting them
up, they need to
be printed out on
single-sided sheets.

The canon composing kit enables students with little or no knowledge of music notation to compose canons
by following these simple instructions. They can work in groups, pairs or individually, depending on what is
most practical. The kit is designed to create C major canons in 4/4, based on either two chords (repeated) or
four chords.

The Canon Composing Kit

Instructions
1. First choose the chords on which the canon is to be based
from the chord and rhythm sheet.
For two-chord canons (such as Londons Burning), choose
one out of options 1-3, and use the four chords on that
particular line.
For four-chord canons, choose the first two chords from
one out of options 1-3 and the remaining two chords from
a different option. So, for example, if you choose option 1
followed by option 2, you would use the chord sequence Dmin,
Cmaj, Fmaj, Cmaj.
2. Copy out the chosen chords out onto the top stave of the
working-out sheet and the notes they contain.
3. Write out melody notes for phrases 1-4, using the notes of
the chords directly above. There should be four notes per
phrase. So if your chord sequence is Dmin, Cmaj, Fmaj, Cmaj,
for phrase 1 you might write out D, C, F, C. For subsequent
phrases, try to use notes from the chords you havent yet
used. If you arent confident about reading music, write out the
note names.
4. Next, cut out the rhythms from the chord and rhythm sheet
by cutting along the dotted lines. Each rhythm enclosed by
a dotted box lasts two beats and will fit into the blank boxes
on the working-out sheet. You can use any combination of
rhythms you like, but it is a good idea to repeat certain rhythms
to give the canon a sense of structure. Stick the rhythms in
using blue tack or glue once you have finalised them.
5. Optionally, you can create lyrics that match your chosen
rhythms.
6. Once you are satisfied with your canon, write it out on the
staves at the bottom of the working-out sheet. To hear what
your canon sounds like, either rehearse and perform it with
a small group or copy the canon melody out into notation
software and cut and paste it onto four different staves at two
bar intervals.

Note that when

students cut up of
the sheet of rhythms,
they will produce a
large amount of tiny
pieces of paper, so
you should factor
in some time for
students to clear
these up!

Hint: it is easiest to
start with the bottom
notes of the chords
for phrase 1 and
then use progressively higher notes
for subsequent
phrases.

Hint: if in doubt,
choose simple
rhythms. A good
rhythmic structure
is for phrases 1, 2
and 4 to be have a
similar rhythm and
for phrase 3 to be
contrasting

Extension activities: once students have finished writing and performing their canon, they can write another
canon with a more interesting melody, using more than one pitch in the two beat sections rather than a single
pitch.
Alternatively, they can write a double canon - a second melody based on the same chord progression as their
first canon, using different notes and rhythms: this could then be combined with the first melody to produce
an eight-part canon.

Music Teacher December 2012

Discussion
How satisfied were students with their canons?
What did they think worked well and what worked not so well?
If they tried to perform it, how easy was it?
What did they find the most difficult aspect of the task and why?
What importance do they give to the cleverness of canons? Does a canons cleverness make it
better music?

Other types of Canon

Explain that in the Renaissance and Baroque periods of music (spanning roughly the years 1450 to 1750),
The canons we have
looked at so far have
been canons at the
unison, i.e. with the
following voices
starting on the same
note as the original.
However, canons
can start on a different note (such as a
fifth higher), which
requires more skill
to write.

some composers wrote highly intricate types of canon to demonstrate their mastery of composition. This tradition was taken up again in the twentieth century. These include:

Puzzle canons
In this type of canon, a composer would just write out the melody and not reveal the places in which the imitating voices were to come in, or at which interval they were to begin. These were aimed at other musicians,
giving them a puzzle to solve, like a crossword.

Music Teacher December 2012

Crab canons
This form of canon was usually for two voices, with the second voice being the same as the first backwards.
An example can be seen in J.S.Bachs A Musical Offering.

KS3 Canons: Crab Canon from J.S.Bach, A Musical Offering

In this type of canon, the lower voice is the same as the first voice backwards

To prove that Bachs

canon really is the
same backwards
as forwards, you
could enter the top
line into Sibelius
or a fairly powerful
sequencer such as
Logic, and reverse it
(in Sibelius choose
retrograde from the
plug-ins folder; in a
sequencer there is
normally a reverse
pitches function).

11

16

First six bars of top line:

Last six bars of bottom line:

Music Teacher December 2012

Canons by inversion
In this type of two-part canon, the second voice has an upside-down version of the canon melody, using the
same rhythm. An example of one of the authors own canons by inversion can be seen in

KS3 Canons: Inverted Canon by Alan Charlton

In this type of canon, the lower voice is the same as the upper voice upside-down

Inverted Canon
Vivace

q. = 85

for keyboard, or treble and bass instrument

mf




mf

p

p

Alan Charlton

21

15

p
f

27

mp

sf

mp

sf

mp
p

34

f

41

pp
mf

mf

pp

Music Teacher December 2012

Mensural Canons
In this type of canon, the imitating voice was proportionally slower or faster than the leading voice. This
might mean, for instance, that the second voice sang the canon melody at half speed. An example occurs in
J.S.Bachs The Art of Fugue, where the second voice, as well as being half the speed of the first, is also an
upside_down version of the melody.

KS3 Canons: Canon 1 (opening) from J.S.Bach, The Art of Fugue

A mensural canon by inversion
Here, the lower voice is half the speed of the first (a mensural canon), and is also an inversion of the upper voice
(where the upper voice goes up, the lower voice goes down, and vice versa)

How it works:
The lower part is half the speed of the top part so quavers in the top part become crotchets,
crotchets become minims, minims become
semibreves and semiquavers become quavers

etc.

Music Teacher December 2012

In this canon, the intervals between notes are also inverted, so

upward leaps in the top part become downward leaps in the
bottom part and vice versa

10

Double Canons
A double canon occurs when two canons, each with its own melody, are combined with each other. An example of this is to superimpose Three Blind Mice and Frre Jacques (this could be tried out in the classroom
if enough confident singers are available).

Summary
By the end of this short scheme of work, students will have had the opportunity to perform, listen to and compose canons and to be aware of some of the more obscure type of canon. Hopefully, the Canon Composing
Kit will have enabled students to explore how canons can be put together and exposed them to aspects of
music notation in a reasonably unintimidating way.

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Music Teacher December 2012

Resources

KS3 Canons: How London's Burning works

Phrase 1:
'London's burning!'

+
Phrase 2:
'Fetch the engines!'

Phrase 4:
'Pour on water!'

Music Teacher December 2012

+
A

+
C

+
D

+
C

+
A

notes: G,B,D

notes: D,A,C

notes: G,B,D

Gmaj

Dmaj7

Gmaj

notes: D,F#,A,C
chord V7
This round uses
these notes (from
the scale of G major):

Dmaj7

notes: D,A,C

The harmony is
based on these
chords:

=
All four phrases
put together
result in this:

Phrase 3: 'Fire! Fire!'

notes: G,B,D
chord I
(F#)

notes: D,A,C
chord V7
A

notes: G,B,D
chord I

(not used)

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KS3 Canons: Composing a canon based on two chords

Dmin (D,F,A)
The harmony is
based on these
chords:

Phrase 1
(lowest notes)

Phrase 2
(2nd lowest)

Phrase 3
(highest)

Phrase 4
(2nd highest)
Add words and
rhythms
Phrase 1 with a rhythm
derived from words

Nor

Phrase 2 with words

and a new rhythm

Den

Phrase 3 with words

and a new rhythm

Li - thu - a

Phrase 4 with words

and a new rhythm

Po

Dmin (D,F,A) Cmaj (C,E,G)

Cmaj (C,E,G)

ni

and

Swe

way

mark

and

Fin

land

and

Lat

sto

den,

and

vi

land,

ni -

a.

The completed canon:

North European countries

Alan Charlton

q = c.110
1.

Nor

2.

way

and

Swe

den,

Den

mark

and

Fin

land,

3.

Li - thu - a - ni - a

13

and

4.

Lat - vi - a

Po

land

and E - sto

ni - a.

Music Teacher December 2012

KS3 Canon composing kit: chord and rhythm sheet

Chords:

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

First chord

Second chord

Third chord

Fourth chord

Dmin (D,F,A)

Cmaj (C,E,G)

Dmin (D,F,A)

Cmaj (C,E,G)

Fmaj (F,A,C)

Cmaj (C,E,G)

Fmaj (F,A,C)

Gmaj (D,G,B)

Cmaj (C,E,G)

Gmaj (D,G,B)

Cmaj (C,E,G)

Cmaj (C,E,G)

Rhythms: cut along the dotted lines

Music Teacher December 2012

14

KS3 Canon composing kit: working-out sheet

First chord:

Chosen chords:

Second chord:

Third chord:

Fourth chord:

Names of notes in chord

(e.g. C, E, G)
First phrase: notes

First phrase: rhythm

First phrase: words
Second phrase: notes

Second phrase: rhythm

Second phrase: words
Third phrase: notes

Third phrase: rhythm

Third phrase: words

Fourth phrase: notes

Fourth phrase: rhythm

Fourth phrase: words

Write out your completed canon melody below, with words underneath:

15

Music Teacher December 2012