Unit 4 Composition Appraisal

OK, so to track your progress while composing you must keep an up-to-date record of all the work you do on your Unit 4 composition. You are going to use a google doc for this. Please complete the following:

1. click HERE to go to the google doc.
2. DOWNLOAD it, by clicking on FILE - DOWNLOAD AS - ODT 
3. LOG IN to school website and go to your google docs folder
4. UPLOAD this document Unit 4 Appraisal.
5. When you have uploaded the document, open it then click on SHARE on the top right of the screen. In the next box type fisherd@simonballe.herts.sch.uk in the ADD PEOPLE box. Click SHARE & SAVE.
6. JOB DONE!

Once you have completed this little task then please complete the first page of questions, all related to your chosen style. You may well want to listen to tracks on youtube to help inform your answers.

Texture

So what does texture mean? 

"In music, texture is the way the melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic materials are combined in a composition, therefore determining the overall quality of sound of a piece. Texture is often described in regards to the density, or thickness, and range.....A piece's texture may be affected by the number and character of parts playing at once, the timbre of the instruments or voices playing these parts and the harmony, tempo, and rhythms used."


When you listen to Rolling In The Deep, how does texture vary? How is the first verse different from the second? Does the accompaniment vary in the choruses? How is dynamics used in the structure of the song?

To explore using texture, have a go at this task...


1. Create a new Garageband Project.
2. Create THREE new software instrument tracks
3. Choose the following instruments:

• Xtra String Ens Legato
• Xtra String Ens Pizzicato
• Xtra String Ens Staccato

The use this chord progression to create THREE contrasting textures ONLY using the three instrument tracks.

C MAJOR - A MINOR - E MINOR - F MAJOR

Preparing to start your Unit 4 composition - homework

In order to make decision about how to develop a composition it is vital to know what style(s) you are working in.

To begin your composition please find TWO reference tracks on youtube in the style that you would like to work in. 
Please complete the form below with detailes of your two choices..

If you have a clear stylistic aim in mind you can then listen to example of music in that style and analyse the composition in terms of:

• INSTRUMENTATION - what instruments are typical of the chosen style?
• RHYTHM - what time signature(s) are common to the style? What tempo would be appropriate? What kind of drum tracks are used, are they live drums, electronic drums, samples, percussion? What are the grooves like - practice copying beats that you like from other tunes.
• HARMONY - what kind of feel do you want, major (happy) or minor (sad)? How many chords do you hear in your reference track chord sequences?
• MELODY - what kind of melodies are used? Are they songs with male or female singers? Are the phrases short or long? Are big interval jumps used or small stepwise?
• TEXTURE - how do your examples create variety in texture? One way to explore this is to look at two similar sections in a song (i.e. verse one and verse two) and listen to how they vary...maybe there is a new guitar part in the second verse, perhaps the drum groove changes, the melody might develop.
• PRODUCTION/FINAL MIX - are any FX used like delay (echo), reverb or distortion in your reference tracks? Which instruments are loudest, which are quietest? Does this change during the piece?

Listening 1 - Rhythm and Metre

Following on from today's lesson and to help prepare for the next lesson...Rhythm and Metre - one of the most important elements of music. Watch the videos below, look out for explanations of:

• PULSE
• METER
• NOTE LENGTHS - MINIMS, CROTCHETS, QUAVERS, SEMI-QUAVERS,
• SYNCOPATION

We will be checking your understanding of these rhythmic elements during the next lesson..

The podcast