Original Songwriting

Project 5 Task 2 – Assignment Brief

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Project 5 – Original Music Performance, Production & Industry

Hand out date: W/C 2nd December 2024

Project 5, Task 2: Original Songwriting

Write and develop a range of original band songs to perform live at a showcase event.

You will be given some musical stimuli to use within your songwriting. You will then complete a weekly performance vlog which will demonstrate these techniques and your songwriting progress.

With your group, you will video demonstrations of your songwriting process and development of ideas (e.g. lyric writing, melody, chord progressions, rhythm, texture etc, and any devices used to create e.g. tension/resolution . You should discuss and evaluate the effectiveness of the songwriting and any devices used

Deadline: TV Studio Live stream performance, w/c Monday 24th Feb 2025 (Wk 21)

Evidence required: video and written evidence added to songwriting blog on website

Unit 6 LO2.2

Please refer to the UAL Specification for Assessment Criteria.

Check out the info graphic. You can see what styles of music are most popular around the world. This is fairly similar for the UK so you can see what styles of music have a larger audience.

Your band songwriting portfolio MUST include at least 3 different styles from the list below to demonstrate different songwriting skills, techniques and styles:

Pop
Rock or Metal
Hip-hop
Acoustic / songwriter
R&B / Soul / Neo Soul
Indie Funk
Power ballad / ballad
Folk
Prog Rock
Blues
Country

Stimuli 1

1) Use at least 1 chord progression from the Common Chord Progressions sheet (bottom of page). You can change it around, but it should derive from this.

2) Use this rhythm. (Can you use it forwards, backwards, repeating the 1st crotchet's worth of rhythm?

3) Lyrics - explore destination writing. The Beatle's Penny lane is an example of this, writing about a journey, or about a destination.

Stimuli 2

1) Write something using a mode. (Common interesting modes are Dorian, Lydian and Mixolydian check the sheet at the bottom and the video introducing modes)

Advance challenge - can you change mode?

2) Rhythm - include lots of syncopation - accented off beats.

3) Lyrics - explore descriptive character writing. An example of this is Jethro Tull's Aqualung. Listen to the lyrics, who is he? Can you describe a character with lots of imaginative descriptive words.

Stimuli 3

1) Use a pedal note where you have changing chords over the same bass note. Great for intros.

Check out the intro to Let me Entertain you: F Ab/F Bb/F F.

2) Use a (Compound) triple time signature such as 6/8, 9/8 or 12/8. Watch the video explaining compound time.

Advance challenge - use an irregular time signature that can include a group of 3. E.g. 7/8 can break into groups of 3,2,2.

3) Lyrics - Cut up technique. Listen to and research David Bowie's Life on Mars which uses this technique.

Stimuli 4

1) Use some Modal Interchange chords!

Check out the Chorus in Love Shack (I, bIII, IV, bVI) or Crazy Little Thing Called Love (I, bVI, bVII, I)

2) Create and use an Ostinato pattern and change the root notes / chords underneath. Check out Chocolate.

3) Use a Hemiola Rhythmic effect.

4) Lyrics - Covert Conversations. (Listen to conversations around you through the week and note any interesting phrases).

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