Compositional Devices 

This refers to the ways a composer develops their ideas.  To talk about the compositional devices, you need to hear individual ideas (motifs) and listen to how they have been changed or developed. 

Can you identify the main motif ?  Identify smaller motifs that occur throughout the song.

Some of the things a composer can do to an idea/motif (can be a short idea, or a longer phrase) are:

Other compositional devices can be applied to the whole piece:

Tempo change

Metre Change

Other compositional devices can be a technique used in the song:

Ostinato

Using technology – loop pedal, digital effects like echo

Other compositional devices can be a playing technique used in the song:

Piano – Broken chords or block chords

Guitar - strum techniques, harmonics, picking techniques