Composition in the Classroom Dr Ben Gaunt

Two Contrasting Constants

All exam boards expect candidates to present a lot of high-quality work, written in a short space of time.

Two Contrasting Constants All exam boards expect candidates to present a lot of high-quality work, written in a short space of time. There is so much to do at A Level, that candidates don’t develop the ability to write effectively, at speed.

Two Contrasting Constants All exam boards expect candidates to present a lot of high-quality work, written in a short space of time. There is so much to do at A Level, that candidates don’t develop the ability to write effectively, at speed. AQA A2 Unit 5 MUSC5 Developing Musical Ideas – candidates are expected to compose 5-8 minutes of music in only 20 hours. I’m a professional composer and I don’t work that fast!

Riddle ? A riddle: how do you develop a student’s compositional technique so that...

Riddle ? A riddle: how do you develop a student’s compositional technique so that... 1.They become competent, confident composers

Riddle ? A riddle: how do you develop a student’s compositional technique so that... 1.They become competent, confident composers 2.They meet the requirements of length and complexity exam boards require

Riddle ? A riddle: how do you develop a student’s compositional technique so that... 1.They become competent, confident composers 2.They meet the requirements of length and complexity exam boards require 3.Their development doesn’t eat into time that should be spent on other areas

A (doctor-recommended) remedy... Make composition part of their ‘musical diet’

Mini-compositions triple action

Mini-compositions 1.Improve skill in composition (practice like an instrument) triple action

Mini-compositions 1.Improve skill in composition (practice like an instrument) 2. Raise confidence levels (starting each new piece will be a little less intimidating) triple action

Mini-compositions 1.Improve skill in composition (practice like an instrument) 2. Raise confidence levels (starting each new piece will be a little less intimidating) 3. Increase speed of composition (including fluency with relevant software) triple action

Lesson Plan 1 Starter: Something Main: Something else Plenary: Composition task to consolidate and test acquired knowledge Saint Cerberus Comprehensive Together Everyone Achieves More

Lesson Plan 2 Starter: Composition followed by another composition Main: A series of related compositions Plenary: More composition Saint Cerberus Comprehensive Together Everyone Achieves More

Examples (Classical) Melody mini-composition 1: Not concerned with rhythm, dynamics, articulation – only pitch No restrictions, no instrumentation Good chance these pieces will be of poor quality – meandering and shapeless

Examples (Classical) Improvisation task: Use vocal sounds and body percussion to create a musical representation of a storm Likely to have a more convincing shape than the previous melody mini-composition. Why?

Examples (Classical) Shapes that work: well-paced climax, fades convincingly

Examples (Classical) Shapes that work: well-paced climax, fades convincingly a series of increasing climaxes

Examples (Classical) Melody mini-composition 2: Not concerned with rhythm, dynamics, articulation – only pitch No restrictions, no instrumentation Shape is important Likely to be a more musically satisfying melody than the previous attempt

Students will learn that if they spend time planning a piece of music, contemplating its overall shape, the resultant composition is likely to be of higher quality.

Examples (Classical) Rhythm mini-composition: Not concerned with pitch, dynamics, articulation – only rhythm No restrictions, no instrumentation Shape is important Opportunity to teach/reinforce a number of rhythmic techniques (ostinato, hemiola, irregular time signatures, tuplets etc.)

Students will learn that it is possible to create an effective piece using rhythm alone, and that rhythm might be considered as important as pitch.

Examples (Classical) Melody mini-composition 3: Not concerned with dynamics or articulation – only pitch and rhythm No restrictions, no instrumentation Shape is important (how does shape influence both pitch and rhythm?) Do not be afraid to improvise an example!

"Denken"/"Thinking" (October 1910) by Arnold Schoenberg Twelve-Tone Serialism

"Denken"/"Thinking" (October 1910) by Arnold Schoenberg Twelve-Tone Serialism 1.It demonstrates how self-imposed restrictions can be good for both the quality and speed of composition 2.It demonstrates how important it is to develop existing material, rather than to continuously devise new material

Lady Gaga NOT by Arnold Schoenberg For exactly the same reasons, I teach a 6-chord pop song mini-composition, which also: Shows how major and minor triads are derived from scales (C/Dm/Em/F/G/Am come from the C major scale) Shows how major and minor pentatonic scales are constructed, and how they are useful for creating melodies

Pop Song (chord sequence)

Pop Song (melody)

Examples (Classical) Counterpoint mini-composition: Very simple definition of counterpoint (two or simultaneous melodies, activity in one part, inactivity in another) For treble and bass clef (instruments unimportant) Not concerned with dynamics or articulation – only pitch, harmony and rhythm Advise students to consider previously learned principles and techniques (e.g. Do both melodies have a convincing shape?) Do not be afraid to improvise an example!

Structure and Form Thinking about shape will only get students so far – they must develop an awareness of structure and form. Broadly speaking, there are two species of form: 1.Nameable forms (e.g. rondo, strophic etc.) 2.Conceptual forms (e.g. can you compose a piece which begins low, quiet and slow and ends highloud and fast?)

Structure and Form It is worth using mini-composition tasks to develop both species of form. For example, a rondo mini-composition might be only 20 bars long (4-bar A section, 4-bar B section, 4- bar A section, 4-bar C section, 4-bar A section) but it will still help students understand the usefulness of this form, and can lead to discussions on repetitious and contrasting material.

What if? Given that mini-compositions are short, and are written quickly, a teacher has the power to ask ‘what if?’ questions, and see them acted upon by students almost immediately.

What if? This piano piece is interesting. What if the right hand and left hand roles were reversed? What would it sound like if the trumpet was half speed and the clarinet double speed? What if you started that loop half a bar later? Students can test ideas quickly, efficiently and painlessly before implementing them ‘for real’ later.

Make composition an essential part of your students’ ‘musical diet’ Mini-compositions can be linked to current learning objectives Mini-compositions can be used for any genre (and teaching the compositional techniques of one style of music is likely to help progress in another style) Mini-compositions can be progressive (e.g. the melody exercises) or standalone Mini-compositions should be fun, engaging, and (very important) confidence- boosting (rondo form is brilliant for confidence- boosting composition)

Mini-compositions allow for easy access to the higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy:

When developing instrumental technique, students learn by repetition and refinement – I see no reason why the same can’t apply to the development of compositional technique If repeating a mini- composition task, vary extra- musical stimuli (this keeps things fresh, and also allows students to get used to ‘writing to a brief’) When it comes to assessed compositions, students will be armed with a number of techniques and principles that will help them succeed Any questions? me at