Nothing is more scary to a songwriter than a blank page! Providing an instrumental track for a songwriter to write to is a great way to overcome "blank page syndrome". This project takes you step by step through the process of setting up a an instrumental project for toplining (songwriting to a beat/track) through the example of "NYC Strong".
Writing to a track, also known as "toplining", has become a very popular way to write songs over the past decade. One quick search on YouTube using the hashtags #instrumentals, #beats, and the genre you are looking for (e.g. #Rock, #R&B, #Trap, # Hip-Hop) will return numerous, high quality beats/tracks which can be used for educational toplining. Many beat producers will permit their tracks to be used for free, non-commercially. Read the producer's video descriptions for specifics.
Example:
"NYC Strong" - Instrumental Track
5 Borough Beats Track Catalog (streaming only)
5 Borough Beats Track Catalog with tempos (mp3 download link) - Pop Beat Catalog inspired by the sights, sounds and musical genres of NYC.
Note: These tracks are provided for educational, inspirational, non- commercial use.
At this stage, you can either share the Mp3 file directly with your students, or provide additional scaffolding by importing the track into your D.A.W., setting the correct tempo and key, creating section markers, and sharing the project file with your students.
Tempo - By setting the proper tempo, it will be easy for your students to record one part of the song, for example the chorus, and copy and paste it into all of the chorus sections.
Key Signature - By setting the proper key signature, it will be easy for your students to use pitch-correction software like AutoTune (available in paid SoundTrap subsciprions) or GarageBand's built in Pitch Correction. This will get them feeling like pros right out of the gate, by making their vocals sound more professional.
Section Markers - By setting section markers for your students, it will be easy for them to visually identify the major song sections and focus on toplining rather than trying to navigate the audio waveform.
Having your students pick a song title and write the chorus will set them up for success as they begin the voyage of toplining. It's much easier to write effective verses once the chorus has been written! The chorus serves as a beacon which informs the writing process. If you have scaffolded the tempo and section markers for your students, it will be easy for them to copy and paste their chorus idea at each occurrence in the project.
Example:
Having your students write the verses and the bridge, if there is one–after the chorus is written–empowers them to "tell the story" of the chorus in the most effective manner. You might even try giving the entire class a shot at writing the chorus, then choose a class favorite by having your students vote on it. You will discover that each student carves a unique path through a verse narrative.
"NYC Strong" was crowd sourced in this way, with many different students submitting original ideas. Ideas which flowed the most naturally in a verse narrative were then chosen to convey the "spirit" of the song: NYC strong!!!
Example: