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Skills Focus: Creating original music
Skills Focus: Creating original music
Original Song lasting 2-4 minutes
Original Song lasting 2-4 minutes
You will need to create an original song based on the theme of celebration. Take into account the previous knowledge you have learnt when using the Macs to help you create your composition.
You will need to create an original song based on the theme of celebration. Take into account the previous knowledge you have learnt when using the Macs to help you create your composition.
This can be in any genre you want but must include your own ideas, demonstrating you can:
This can be in any genre you want but must include your own ideas, demonstrating you can:
- explore and extend ideas by developing them
- use structure effectively.
- use rhythms and melodic patterns to make it catchy and create riffs.
- develop harmony.
Step 1: Recording in a Chord progression
Step 1: Recording in a Chord progression
STEP 1: Composing your chord progression
Fierst choose your key signature:
If you are looking for a happy celebration, choose C major OR G major. Major keys make things sound happier
If you are looking for a sad celebration, choose A minor OR D minor. Minor keys make things sound sadder
Then, choose your 4 chords. Look below for the chords for C Major. If you picked a different key, there are links to the correct chords to use.
Play them in the order to see what you like the most - you'll need to experiment and try different options. You may develop an idea from these chords.
Are you stuck? See below for Year 9's EDM worksheet created by Mr Morgan to help them with their chord progression
Record your chord progression in, so you don't forget which ones you decided to use.
TOP TIP: The most common chord progression used in a four chord song is: I (C) - V (G) – VI (Am) – IV (F). I recommend starting with C major (I) if you are not confident.
For confident composers:
Experiment with swapping around the order of the notes from low to high e.g. instead of playing C E G, play E G C. This is called the first inversion.
Try playing the chords broken up. This is called an arpeggio / broken chords.
I
I
II
II
III
III
IV
IV
V
V
VI
VI
VII
VII
C Major notes
C Major notes
The most common chords here are
I - C E G
IV - F A C
V - G B D
VI - A C E
EDM Composition 5 Point Plan.pdfLook here for chords which may be useful.
It also tells you what key they are in, which may help you.
Head over to Year 9's EDM Project and look at the videos to help you get set up
Remember
Happy = Major keys
Sad = Minor keys.
Links for chord progressions and chords for other key signatures
Links for chord progressions and chords for other key signatures
Step 2: Drum beat/rhythm
Step 2: Drum beat/rhythm
STEP 2: Adding a drum beat
MINIMUM:
Add at least one drum beat to accompany your chord progression
Play your beat in time with your chords
Is your beat typical of the genre you are creating?
TOP TIP: Your tempo and type of beat will help give a sense of style to your track. If you're stuck, research different genres/beats on YouTube or listen to examples for ideas.
Step 3: Structure
Step 3: Structure
STEP 3: Developing your structure
MINIMUM:
Compose a second chord progression for your chorus - keep to 4 chords (or less)
Your track needs: an intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, outro.
TOP TIP: your chorus only needs to have one chord different to distinguish the different sections
Take a look at this song structure.
You can see that they repeat the chorus twice each time. In between this, they have a verse, break or a bridge in between.
How is your song structured?
These are the common song structures that you can use for your song
Ternary - A B A
Rondo - A B A C A
Binary - A B
Verse chorus song structure. This is common for most pop style songs.
Take a look below for a picture guide or more information is found here
Step 4: Hook/Riff
Step 4: Hook/Riff
STEP 4: Composing a hook/riff
MINIMUM:
Compose a 2-4 bar phase that can be repeated and used as your hook
It needs to use only notes from the C major scale
TOP TIP: experiment with ideas and keep it simple.
GOING BEYOND:
Work out when your riff will be played in your structure (developing your texture), and by which instrument(s)
Guitar/Piano
C D E F G A B C (B A G F E D C)
Bass/Piano
C D E F G A B C (B A G F E D C)
Step 5: Lyrics
Step 5: Lyrics
STEP 5: Writing your lyrics
MINIMUM:
Create/write some lyrics for your chorus
TOP TIPS:
pick a topic/theme and list some keywords/phrases as a starting point
say the words out loud to get a feel for the rhythm they create
use rhyming words to help the flow
GOING BEYOND:
Create lyrics for 2 verses
v12044gd0000c9o0v83c77u65r66qki0.mp4
Step 6: Perform
Step 6: Perform
STEP 6: Perform
MINIMUM:
In your groups, perform your song.
Writing up what you did...
Writing up what you did...
Just like with all tasks, you will be expected to write about what you did, how you did it and why you did it....
We'll cover this in more detail when we get there!
Example write up...
Example write up...
Coming up...
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