Viennese Waltz

AOS3 Paired Dance

Starter Task
Fill in your recap sheet on last terms
study pieces. Tick the box under the
genre you think the statement
mostly characterizes. Then at the
bottom use your knowledge of the
styles to write, in full sentences, your
answers, remember to include 2
points as it is a 2 mark question.

Lesson Objective
To discover the key features of
the Waltz dance and be able to
respond to questions that prove
my knowledge of the features.
MRSFMTHIRD

Lesson Outcomes
Knowledge (D) Gain knowledge of key features of the dance
Waltz
Comparison (C) Students will be able to identify differences
between a variety of styles of dancing with particular focus on the
features of the Waltz to identify it as the Waltz
Application (B) Students will be able to dance the Waltz in
time and play a simple Waltz accompaniment pattern on the piano
um-chaa-chaa
Synthesis (A) Students will be able to choose their own key
and from the primary chords, along with the Binary structure
AABB, create their own Waltz.

Mind map Key Features

Repetition:

Syncopation:

Form & Structure:

Melody:

Background:

Modulation:
AOS3: Paired Dance
Waltz
18th/19th Century

Texture/Tempo:

Rhythm:
Instrumentat
Harmony:
ion:
Dynamics:

Make sure you are writing down the key features in

the appropriate
Places as we go along, if I have not specified where it
goes please ask.

The Viennese
Waltz

The Waltz first became popular in and

around Vienna in the 1770s (late 18th
Century) but it become hugely popular in
the 19th Century

The Eighteenth Century!

NO electricity, therefore...NO lights, NO TV,

NO iPod!

They had to make their own

amusement...Music, Dance, Drama, Reading
and Conversation.

Back to the Waltz!

KEY FEATURES!!!!!!!
Paired Dance music.
Fast triple meter-usually
About 70 bars a minute

= 70

Gives a feel of one beat in a

bar, instead of 3.

And more...
The accompaniment is often described as Um
Cha Cha. The bass note of the chord is played on
the first beat followed by the second and third.
Waltzes were seen as very risqu for the time as
partners had to hold each other close. Before the
Waltz, partners, if touching at all, were held at
arms length. Critics thought the Waltz to be
immoral.
Early Waltzes were simple, in a Binary form-AABB
but changed to become more complex

Lets Dance!
Partner up! It doesnt matter if
your partner is not a girl or a
boy, were just going to learn
to Waltz.
Whoever is left
without a partner will get Mr
Right foot 2
Bradbury!!
AHHHHHHHHH!
Left foot
1
Left foot 3

Right foot 3
Left foot 2
Both feet Start

Right foot 1

Section A

Play Um-cha-cha
To play the accompaniment for a
Waltz is very simple. It repeats
the same chord for up to 4 bars
at a time and mainly sticks to
the primary chords. The bass
note it played on the Um, whilst
the rest of the chord is played on
the cha-cha

| C

| C | C

| F

| G

| G

Section B

Em

| Em

| Em | Em

| G

| Am

Binary form - AABB

| Am

Cont...
Slow harmonic pace. The same chord is
generally used throughout an entire bar,
often 2 bars and sometimes up to 4 bars.
Simple harmonies (usually using the
primary chords) made a bit more
interesting by including gently dissonant
appoggiaturas and chromatic notes.
HOMOPHONIC. Simple melody lines with
supportive accompaniment

Eeeeeven more...
Popularity of the Waltz helped develop it.
1825, became very popular due to Orchestras
getting larger and more sophisticated melody
and harmony.
An introduction became popular, this gave
people time to get into position before the
music started properly.
Four or Five Waltzes would be played together
in related keys and ending in a coda.

Its never ending!

An important feature of a Waltz is the use of
rubato. This means the second beat of the bar
(the first Cha) is played slightly early. The effect
it has in a waltz is to make it move on and sound
even more lively.
Viennese Waltzes were played by large
orchestras.
Johann and Johann II Strauss!!!!!!!
Waltz became so popular they were written into
ballets, musicals and other types of music.

Mind map Key Features

Repetition:

Syncopation:

Form & Structure:

They repeat the sections

Is not a common
Binary form AABB and often with an
of the music. The chord
feature and rarely
introduction to allow dancers to take their
sequence
is
also
found in Waltz music.
places. Some Waltzs would be played together
repeated
with
the
if they were in the same or simliar key and they
constant repeated umwould be joined together with slower
Melody:
cha-cha rhythm.
introduction sections
and the whole piece would
Modulation:
Regular 4 bar balanced
finish with a CODA.
Is not a common feature but
phrases
where
the
can be found in the B section.
melodies
are
often
AOS3: Paired Dance
Texture/Tempo:
smoothe and flowing. No
Usually a moderately fast
lyrics or vocalists.
Waltz
Background:
tempo at a dotted minim
The waltz originated in Vienna,
th
th
18
/19
Century
th
70bpm.
Rubato
(loose
Austria, late 18 Century, but
tempo) often used to give
became hugely popular in the
th
expression to the music.
19 century. It was considered
Rhythm:
The texture is a melody
controversial because of the
In

time
with accompaniment, Umclose contact of the dancers. It
Instrumentat
signature
umcha-cha. Homophonic.
was often danced in a ballroom
Harmony:
cha-cha,
ion:
or concert hall. The Strauss
Primary
chords,
tonic,
accented
first
A wide variety of subdominant
family and Tchaikovsky are
and
dominant,
some famous composers of note on bass, instrumentation,
mainly with occasionaly gentle
followed
by ranging from a solo
this
genre.
The
basic
dissonance from appoggiaturas
Dynamics:
movement is a three step box chords on beats piano to a full and chromaticism. Chords can
No complex use of dynamics.
2&3.
Second orchestra.
sequence.
repeat for several bars, a slow
beat
often Frequently written
harmonic rhythm.
anticipated.
for full orchestra.

Some examples...
Johann Strauss II, The
voices of spring time

Chopin Waltz Op. 64

No. 1 aka Minute
Waltz.

Tchaikovsky Swan Lake-Waltz.

Homework
Complete your mind-map, I have completed
one for you in this PowerPoint, go onto Fronter
and complete it in your book.
Answer QOTW on Waltz.