1. ACO SCHOOLS RESOURCES COMPOSITION

2. The orchestra performs all around Australia and the world.
"The energy and vibe of a rock band with the ability of a crack classical chamber group." Washington Post
Its unique programming spans popular masterworks and adventurous cross-artform projects. Check out this video about our project The Reef
Outstanding Australian violinist Richard Tognetti has been at the helm of the ACO since He’s an enthusiastic surfer and skier and loves pushing the boundaries of classical music

3. This is one of THREE resources released by the ACO for secondary schools. Each resource focusses on a core musical concept; Performance, Composition and Musicology (Aural).
This resource focusses on COMPOSITION.
In this series of activities, we’re going to focus on the music from Arctic to Antipodes featuring Two Nordic Melodies from Grieg and a world premiere by Ross Edwards. You can apply these concepts and activities to all of our concert programs, just pick a piece to use as a starting point for your melody!

4. We are going to use thematic material from Grieg’s Two Nordic Melodies, Opus 63. Below is the melody he uses in the first movement.
ACTIVITY 1
Instruments out! Play this melody. Get to know this melody. It is going to form a motif in our own arrangement.

5. This melody uses the notes of the D melodic minor scale. Here it is:
Scales are pretty important in music. If you don’t know this scale, learn this scale.

6. ACTIVITY 2
Start an arrangement of this melody for an ensemble of your choosing. It can be as simple or as complex as you like. You may like to write for symphony orchestra, wind ensemble or string orchestra - it is your composition, and your choice. Or you may prefer to do this exercise for a solo instrument. That is up to you and your teacher.
Tools:
Pen and lined stave or
Computer notation software such as Sibelius, Finale, or Musescore (Sibelius and Finale are paid software, while Musescore is free)

7. Advanced Theory
The above is a harmonisation which Grieg uses. Above the melody are the chords, while below is the harmonic analysis. Feel free to use these chords, or an adaption of them, in your own melody – just be sure to credit the original to Grieg.

8. Extra Advanced Theory
Grieg has been particularly clever, here, with his use of F Major - chord III in D minor. Not only is it the relative major of D minor, but it is also the dominant of Bb major, its surrounding chords. Harmony is particularly powerful when the movement is in 4ths or 5ths – so the VI – III – VI – i – V progression keeps the harmony moving in 4ths and 5ths toward the end of the phrase.
By the end of this slide, you should have a short arrangement of Grieg’s Nordic Melody.

9. Here comes the fun bit – the DEVELOPMENT.
The development is where we take our motif – our original melody – and we change it to sustain musical interest and forward direction.
Development of motifs and thematic material is everywhere. In some forms (like sonata form, or concerto form) the development has its very own section. Regardless, development of musical ideas is everywhere in music.
Interesting fact: Beethoven, Bach, Haydn and Wagner are considered really good at the development of motifs. It’s no mistake they’re all German – but that’s a whole other lesson.

10. Here are a few common ways composers develop their ideas.
Change instruments (if you are writing for an ensemble)
Change registers
Change the texture (add/remove instruments)
Write a counter melody
Use dynamics
Use some kind of expressive technique (pizzicato, sordino, etc)
Use different rhythmic devices (syncopation, diminution, augmentation of rhythm, etc)
Change the harmony (minor into major or otherwise)
Use ornamentation
In fact, Grieg used ALL of these methods to develop this very melody!

11. Do that now. Are you ready to DEVELOP your melody?
You’re going to take what you have – be it the original melody by itself, or arranged for an ensemble – and change something. It can be something we’ve already discussed or something new.
You can use your instrument, or sit and think; try and use something you’ve learned to help you do something creative.
Do that now.

12. ACTIVITY 3
DEVELOP your melody!
Continue developing your composition as many times as you feel your composition needs, or as your teacher suggests. Each development should be creative and change the melody into something NEW but RECOGNISEABLE to sustain forward momentum. This is where you let your creativity shine!
It might also be a good idea to keep a log book of your composition process (composition diary) if you plan to use this activity for any assignment – but that is up to you and your teacher.

13. Finish your composition by returning to the familiar and restating the theme, as originally orchestrated and arranged by you. You may like to add a coda to finish the piece off.
CONGRATULATIONS! You have now created something out of nothing, and that’s pretty awesome.

14. You may like to present your piece to the class for feedback.
When giving feedback:
Keep it POSITIVE
Keep it CONSTRUCTIVE
Suggest one thing you might do to improve it, or something the composer may not have considered.

15. ENJOY THE CONCERT!! At the Concert…
Listen for Grieg’s interpretation of the Nordic Melody you worked with in class OR if you are at a different ACO performance, listen to the interpretation of the melody of the piece you have focused on.
How did he develop the material?
ENJOY THE CONCERT!!