SONGWRITING start up
AIMS:
- What's your songwriting know-how?
- What to expect from the unit? What's a learning community?
- Explore songwriting basics
- Build confidence and your personal 'agency'
- Practical songwriting challenge
SpyS..? |
SONGwriting know-how...
what to expect..?
Learning Community..?
It's all about support and developing your 'Learner Agency'. Basically be more like Ripley and generating learning together. E.g.
- Learning buddies
- PEER ASSESSED FORMATIVE SUPPORT (you marking/feeding back to each other)
- Treasure Hunts
- Chase the Ace
- Choosing your own inspiration/repertoire. Who should we be studying?
So... SOngwriting basics.
For a songwriter, you don't really go to songwriting school; you learn by listening to tunes. And you try to understand them and take them apart and see what they're made of, and wonder if you can make one, too.
Tom Waits
- In groups of four, nominate a song, play it together and pick it a part. it could be one you already know or a new one
- Work out the chord progression in numerals if you can
- Identify any hooks
- Identify any lyrical tricks or techniques
- Identify the structure. How is it put together
- Prepare the song to demonstrate and talk through giving musical examples of the features you've discovered.
What makes a song...?
Look at the list below. In pairs discuss. Is there anything you think is missing? Do you agree?
- Structure (Verse/Chorus, Strophic, Ternary/Binary form, Loop-based)
- Chord progression (Maj/Min tonality, modal, alternative tuning, abstract)
- Melody (hooks, memorable phrases, melody that works with lyrical form)
- Lyrics (fit with structure and tone of the song, narrative, emotions, poetry and symbolism, everyday language)