trakAx

Understanding Song Structure

Understanding Moods in Music. Song and Lyric Structure.
This lesson for students will help them understand the basics of music and song structure. The lesson will take you through the process of developing a song structure and give students a better understanding of moods within music.

By the end of this module you will have covered:

• Understanding Mood in Music
• Understanding Song Structure
• Writing Lyrics
• Record in voice or performance using a microphone, webcam or camcorder and edit in trakAxPC.

This topic could form the basis of two classes (approx. 45 min class), however it could be revisited throughout the semester. First Class: understanding the mood of music. Second Class: Students understand how a song is structured and begin to compose their own lyrics.

What you’ll need:

• Audio tracks taken from the students music library (MP3 / CD’s)
• Royalty-free audio loops and beats (available from trakAx.com)
• trakAxPC Pro
• Pens (or markers, colored pencils), large white paper (one sheet per student)

Resources

Resources for Teachers & Students (these may vary in suitability depending on age group).

Understanding the basics of song structure
http://www.songwritingfever.com/songwritingtips/getstarted3.html

Creating music for beginners
http://www.creatingmusic.com

Great articles on Rhythm, Harmony, Melody, etc.
http://www.soundjunction.org/how-music-works/default.aspa

BBC resources on music
http://www.bbc.co.uk/orchestras/play/

Information on song structure
http://www.how-to-write-music.com/SongStructure.htm

Song Structure and Lyric Basics
http://www.musiciansnews.com/singing/73/song_and_lyrics_structure_basics.shtml

For teachers who would like to get a better understanding of song and lyric structure, we would highly recommend reading these articles.

Class Activity 1 - Research and Learning (Mood)

• The students will listen to two different songs. Discuss what it is about the song that evokes certain emotions.
• Ask your students how many of them have heard a song that moved them so much that they wanted to dance, cry, sing, turn up the radio etc. Ask them if they have ever been in a bad mood and heard a song that lifted their mood. Teacher can select songs (2 -3 ) which they believe will invoke certain moods or feelings.
• Teacher passes out one sheet of paper per student and pens / markers. Explain to the students that they will be listening to music in trakAxPC and that they are to draw or write down how the particular songs make them feel i.e. happy / sad, evoke memories of friends / family, etc.
• Play the first song. Students should be writing or drawing on their paper.
• Play the second song. Students should write or draw on their paper.
• Students share their pictures / writing and discuss the emotional effects the music triggered.

You will get varying answers and pictures from your students, as feelings are subjective to the individual. The best way to evaluate this lesson is to collect their papers and discuss the song with the students to determine if they have experienced the connection between music and mood.

Class Activity 2 – Research and Learning (Song structure)

• Teacher explains the basics of song structure (Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus, etc.). Students bring in their favourite songs and the teacher can pick songs to play. Examine the songs and pick out the structure and turning points in each.
• Pass out pens and paper to Students.
• Explain to the students that they will be learning an existing song and analysing its structure and mapping out the verse, chorus, bridge etc. See if students can identify each section.
• Using the trakkutter in TrakAxPC, teachers can ask the students to cut their favourite song into their verse, chorus, etc.
• See if students can identify any rhyme schemes and types within the verse and / or chorus i.e. the rhyme scheme is the pattern by which a certain rhyme is repeated. For example, the first line rhymes with the third, while the second rhymes with the fourth. (to learn more about Rhyme Schemes & Types, please see http:// www.songwritingfever.com/songwritingtips/getstarted3.html ).

Class Activity 3 - Production

• Students begin to brainstorm lyrics (you may want to see if they know any poems that may work). Discuss how the students may introduce rhyme schemes and types.
• Students can watch tutorials on “Recording in using Microphone / Webcam”, “Create an Audio Mix”, “Adding Audio & Video effects”, “Volume, Pan, Pitch and Brightness envelopes” and “Using the trakkutter”.
• With Materials (Markers, Paper etc.), students can begin to construct their own songs. Students record in their song or performance using a microphone, webcam or camcorder and edit the song using trakAxPC.
• Audio Effects can be introduced.
• Students can introduce volume, pan and pitch envelopes to see how they can alter their voice.
• Students save project as .txm file for further post-production.
• Final song / mix / soundtrack is exported to a popular file format such as MP3, etc.

Class Activity 4 - Post-Production

• Since students will have differing tastes in music, the best way to evaluate this lesson is to collect their papers or listen to the recordings and discuss why students chose certain lyrics and see if they were trying to convey a certain message, mood or feeling.
• Peers can give their opinion on the various songs and discuss what elements worked, what elements could be improved, etc.
• Students can submit a short written piece on what they have learned about the process of song creation, team work within the group etc.
• Awards ceremony for students (Best Song, Best Lyrics, etc.)

Fair Use of Copyrighted Material

If students are using they favourite songs, they most likely will want to edit and sample music tracks that are copyrighted. However, if the distribution is purely within the classroom and will not be distributed outside the classroom, then the content may be covered by the Fair Use Guidelines of Copyright.

Fair use is a doctrine in United States copyright law that allows limited use of copyrighted material without requiring permission from the rights holders, such as for commentary, criticism, news reporting, research, teaching or scholarship. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use for more information.

trakAxPC Tutorials

Once we understand Song and Lyric structure, students can begin to record their songs into trakAxPC using a microphone/webcam or camera. They can build up a music track using loops from trakax.com and a voiceover on their track. If students are completely new to trakAxPC, we suggest watching the tutorials first:

Creating an Audio Mix in trakAxPC
An Overview of how to create an Audio Mix in trakAxPC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHraMqRpZxE

The Media Browser
Finding media and bring it into the trakKutter for Editing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpPdK7bmGWo

Editing Audio
Editing audio in the trakkutter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkTLQiBXeME

BPM and Tempo
Understanding BPMs and Tempo in TrakAxPC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO8iNxbjrvc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE0A-eZBhfU

The Mixing Screen
Using the Mixing Screen in TrakAxPC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzj_7ci819o

Audio Effects
Adding Audio Effects in TrakAxPC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je3VighcX8w

Crossfading
How to Crossfade two tracks in TrakAxPC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOVeyZGfj28

Microphone
How to record in your Voice using a Microphone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr_TWX8CvsY

Saving
Saving the mix for future editing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCnCqqCHvec&feature=player_embedded

Export
Export the final mix to popular file formats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx1QioSUUQs&feature=player_embedded