1. SONGWRITING Every 2 weeks you will be given the task of creating a song: Depending on the week: -A. You will be assigned to groups and/or asked to make own groups or go on your own -B. You may be asked to cover and existing song or create your own -C. You may be asked to incorporate a particular style or technique

2. How Do I Create a Song??? A song has 4 basic elements (You will be asked to have at least 2 of these 4 for performances (unless you are on your own!) 1. Words (lyrics) 2.Tune (melody) 3. Chords 4. Combination of: (harmony)-beat (rhythm) -tempo (speed)

3. Starting Techniques: There is no one correct way to create a song. Some hum, some play on a piano or guitar to find an interesting chord progression, some write poetry, journals or rhyme patterns. Try many tools and methods to find what works for you! The next slide will discuss some of the main methods of song creation:

4. 1 Start with lyrics (poetry, sentences, quotes, fragments) then set it to music - words, quotes, rhymes can evoke a mood - try to create a melody or guitar sequence to fit 2 Start with a melody and then find chords to harmonize (fit the melody) -top - down songwriting -encourages an interesting melody line (often neglected) -(Eg. I Only Want To Be With You - Dusty Springfield, Paper Sun - Traffic) 3 Start with harmony (chord progression) and then try to find a melody -middle - out songwriting -very common from guitar players - allows mind to play with words and melody - can restrict the melody from being interesting (don’t let melody be an afterthought) (Eg. Losing My Religion - REM) 4 Start with a beat (rhythm track) and add guitar and / or voice to fit -bottom-up writing -type of strum, drum pattern or sampled loop can be used -usually makes song very rhythmically intelligent -(Eg. Kate Bush did this for all songs on The Dreaming and Hounds of Love album)

5. Other Strategies -Pick up a different instrument -Borrow a structure from some other song -Give yourself an assignment -certain style, tempo, length, that starts with a chorus, that is in 3/4, that has an odd number of lines in a verse or chorus, that is a sad song -Write in the style of a band you admire -Read magazines and newspapers or Listen in on other’s conversations for ideas

6. The Song Chords Table The table on the next slide is used to decide which chords belong together in which Keys. This table can be used to figure out chords from songs you hear on the radio and/or to create chord progressions in a certain key. Rules: -Column on left is the Key name -Columns I - VI show the 6 most important chords for each key -Columns VII - XII show extra chord possibilities or supplements to the primary 6 chords (Hard Rock uses these a lot (Broken Boy Soldier by The Raconteurs uses E,G,D,E and then C,B,A,G in the key of E)

7. Song chord choices based on “Key” Note* Each Major Key has a “Relative Minor” key as well with all the same notes!

8. Chord Progression Ideas: 2 chord songs: I-III-IIII-IVI-V I-VII-bVII 3 chord songs: I-IV-V I-II-VI-V-III-III-VI I-V-VII-II-IVI-VI-IVI-bVII-IV 4 chord songs: Usually these do one of the following: - Repeat one of the first 3 chords (Eg. I-IV-V-IV) - Bring in a minor chord - Bring in a supplemental chord (Eg. I-IV-V-bIII))

9. Jam #1- Review assignment Song 1.Choose a guitar song (from lessons, the radio, something someone showed you how to play, etc … ) and prepare to play the song for the class. (It can be any style you wish as long as it is school appropriate.) 2.Decide whether you will learn and perform the song on your own, with 1 partner or with 2 partners. Practice, practice, practice! 3.Work on following a steady tempo.

10. Jam #2 - Song create in 1’s or 2’s Create a song that: - Uses a 3 chord progression and then moves into a chorus with a 2 chord progression (Verse can repeat) - is 2 minutes long (ish) - Uses any / all of melody, chord, rhythm, Lyrics

11. Jam #3 – Using the Key Chord Chart Create a song that was created using the Key Chord Chart (the chord progression can have any number of chords in it! There will be a prize to the group that can create a chord sequence that uses the most chords from a key! (The song has to be musical and should resolve to the “Key” chord)

12. Jam #4 - The Riff Create a song that has a chord progression along with a “RIFF” that is used during the Intro and Before or After the Chorus Intro (Riff) Verse Pre- Chorus (Riff) Chorus) Post - Chorus (Riff) Verse, Ending, etc… -2 -3 min. long

13. Jam #5 – Mood Melody Create a song that is either: -Very “sad and lonely” -Very “dark, scary or heavy” -Is “light, fun and carefree” Use the following tools to create the mood: -Dynamics-Tempo changes -Types of Chords (“Dm is the saddest of all keys”) -Playing style (strum / fingerpicking, etc…) -2 min. long(ish)

14. Jam #6 – Jazz Chords Create a song that uses the 6 Jazz chord shapes that we have learned. Experiment with chord progressions and strum patterns to come up with something that is interesting. Feel free to create alterations to these chords as you see fit… On your own or in pairs (that you have never been in before)

15. Jam # 6 Cover Song –Please learn the strum pattern / fingerpicking pattern / base line / Ryhthm to some song that you are interested in –When you perform it you will teach the audience the percussion and then you will play the guitar parts

16. Anatomy of a Song: v = verse ch = Chorus (refrain) b = Bridge I = intro pch = prechorus c = coda (outro) s = solo r = riffs

17. Standard Song Structures 1 INTRO VERSE CHORUS VERSE BRIDGE CHORUS CODA 2 INTRO VERSE VERSE BRIDGE VERSE BRIDGE VERSE 3 INTRO VERSE CHORUS VERSE CHORUS CODA / FADE 4 INTRO VERSE CHORUS VERSE CHORUS X2 CODA / FADE 5 INTRO VERSE CHORUS VERSE CHORUS VERSE CHORUS CODA 6 INTRO VERSE VERSE SOLO VERSE CODA / FADE 7 INTRO CHORUS VERSE VERSE CHORUS CODA / FADE