The formula to write a song and notes to use.

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

Holistic Songwriting by Friedemann Findeisen

I watched the Taylor Swift Formula. I haven’t noticed until the visual of the notes that they are repeating the same notes and using different words in the lyrics.

How interested in learning more about music theory and song analysis?

• • 1 (YUCK!)
  • 2 (not really)
  • 3 (sorta interested)
  • 4 (interested)
  • 5 (YES!)

Your score: 3

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

I wached the chord progression video in the Songwriting Series. That is the first video. I learned that you basically need to play chords and go through however much measures you want and then go beck into it and then add some complexity to it and keep repeating that process until you get a good chord progression.

How interested in learning more about HookLab and HookTab?

• • 1 (YUCK!)
  • 2 (not really)
  • 3 (sorta interested)
  • 4 (interested)
  • 5 (YES!)

Your score: 2

PRACTICE ROOM (GUITAR LESSONS)

Watch Mary Spender: Powerful advice from 10 Professional Musicians you need to hear (14:15)

Start his 117 Free Lessons YouTube Playlist

Your score: 4

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY & THE BRAIN)

I found interesting that doing hand shake for 6 seconds and just talking to someone can make your lifespan longer.

How interested in these topics about the brain, creativity, and productivity?

• • 1 (YUCK!)
  • 2 (not really)
  • 3 (sorta interested)
  • 4 (interested)
  • 5 (YES!)

Your score: 4

STUDIO (SONGWRITING)

CONTROL ROOM (RECORDING & MIXING)

I found that introducing instruments one at a time and not all at once makes the song your writing much better.

Your score: 5

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

Tell your daily story here!  Highlight what you learned and enjoyed most and at least one problem you solved. Problem-solving is one of the most important skills you need in life. Employers want to know HOW you get stuff done as much as WHAT you got done.

I learned that there is 3 major parts to writing a song, the verse, chorus, and bridge.

TODAY’s ACTIVITY EVALUATION

Content (The WHAT)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 4

What interested you about the material?

I was really interested in the control room and the studio. The making of songs really intrigued me because I have to use and introduce multiple instruments.

Process (The HOW)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 3

Which activities engaged you most? Why?

I was more engaged in the control room and studio room. I am more interested in these rooms becase it is using creativity and using more than one type of instruments that make slightly different sounds. Some instruments play lower notes and some play higher notes.

The history of the bass and how it works. How to make a bass line and use it in a musical composition.

CLASSROOM

Watch How Bass Works (47 minutes)

Write notes of topics you want to remember.

-the bass has only been around for 4 centuries

– bass is a central component of music

-bass lines haven’t always been around

-the tonic is the center of gravity ar a chord

-the bottom note on a chord is called the root

-the bass got its first big influence during the boroque period

-organs have a deep bass, it ruled with the best bass ever until bass instruments were made

-the bass was fully developed in the 1800’s

-the chromatic scale is more darker than other scales

-there is inversions that have a forword moing chord progressions

-the waltz has some bass in it that allowed a transition

-riffs are distinct little pieces of tune that repeat

-when amplification was made, bass instruments became to get more of a voice to be heard

-the bass in dance music has taken over as the melody

LAB

this activity was good. I did good wth exporting the MIDI to Soundtrap. I learned that there is more than one file that you could use to download.

PRACTICE ROOM

Step 1: Watch How To Add Bass Notes [Guitar Strumming Lessons] by Tomas Michaud

Step 2: Download the guitar TABS for his exercise (PDF)

Step 3: Practice one of the exercises

Write a brief reflection on how both of these exercises are working.

I had a little struggle at first but han got better witht he exersizes.

Profile in Excellence

• Check out these two videos about amazing bass player Carol Kaye
  • Interview with CAROL KAYE 
  • Carol Kaye: Rock’s Most Prolific Session Musician

Profile in Excellence

• Check out these videos about the best bass player, ever, James Jamerson
  • What really made James Jamerson so great?
  • Visual of James Jamerson’s bass line for the Stevie Wonder song –For Once In My LifeScreenshot from Vulf at YouTube

OUTSIDE / JOURNAL / IDEAS

I knew a few o those words and meaning but most of them I didn’t know what they were. I knew what a cannon and intro was, but the others I had no clue of. I had no idea that a dscant was a melody that played over a already existing tune.

STUDIO

 

I definetly need work on compositions, but I was able to play a track and and then put another track behind or infront of the already existing one.

CONTROL ROOM

This was ok, the bass didn’t do much.

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

I had some trouble on the MIDI file but I solved the problem. I was looking in the wrong spot to find it. I learned that bass lines weren’t alway around.  That was something I didn’t know before, and that the tonic note is at the bottom of the chord.

ACTIVITY EVALUATION

Content (The WHAT)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 3

What interested you about the material?

I enjoyed the video, I didn’t know any of what he said before I watched the video.

Process (The HOW)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 4

Which activities engaged you most? Why?

CLASSROOM

Watch How Rhythm Works (47 minutes)

Write notes of topics you want to remember.

-rhythm music becomes hypnotic

-heart of all rhythm is the pulse

-the rhythm sometimes can be implied, but it is never thrown away

-subdivision is good to have two beats overlaping

-part of rhythm is pulse, tempo, subdivision, and accents

-accents are emphasized notes, rhythmically

-we like rhthmic tricks, they exsite us

-ragtime music changed over to jazz but it wasn’t it was now swing music

-1938 is the height of swing music

-in rap music someone plays precaution lays down a basic pattern

-in Cuba son is the form of music they play

-the Cuabn beat is getting into modern music

-adding the Cuban push, songs sound much better

-can’t stop the rhythm we love

LAB

Step 1: Watch Drum Arrangements Made Simple and learn how to create a simple groove and fill-ins.

Step 2: Learn how to Arranging Drums in Hookpad

Step 3: (Optional) Explore Advanced Drum Arrangements in Hookpad.

How was this activity? Write a reflection on what you did and learned.

I learned that you can make a rhythm and have it play through the whole song but still have changing notes and sounding good.

PRACTICE ROOM

Find a Funklet beat you like.

Playing along on Funklet went well. I had a good time eliminating beats and playing on other beats that were a little more complex for me to play along with.

OUTSIDE / JOURNAL / IDEAS

Flip through the Quizlet on Rhythm Terminology flashcards a couple times.

After playing with Quizlet, go for a walk and think about the rhythm of your steps.  How many beats per minute is your walk/pace/cadence? What is the tempo of some of your favorite songs?  How many beats per minute is your favorite tempo?

My walking tempo is about 102 bpm.

STUDIO

CONTROL ROOM

Funklet is back, AGAIN!  This time in the control room.

Pick a drummer.

Export the MIDI file.

Import it into Soundtrap.

Record a rhythmic guitar strumming pattern over the beat.

Watch Mr. Le Duc’s Tutorial for Exporting and Importing MIDI Files with Funklet, HookLab, and Soundtrap, if you get stuck with any of these steps.

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

Tell your daily story here!  Highlight what you learned and enjoyed most. Problem-solving is one of the most important skills you need in life. Employers want to know HOW you get stuff done as much as WHAT you got done.

I learned that rhythm can sometimes be implied, but it is never thrown away. I had a hard time finding my beats per minute, but I eventually was able to find it.

Knowing what harmony is and that is a very early kind of music. Quizlet flashcards are helpfull to get to know th different notes and where they are located on the music staff.

CLASSROOM

-harmony is a more mystical side of music

-harmony can seem to bee beyond our everyday experiance of music

-harmony is one of the earliest types of music

LAB

the activity was good. I wrote some chords. It was pretty straight forward on what I had to do.

PRACTICE ROOM

These exersizes are working very good, I am so close to memorizing the notes on the frets. I am slowly getting better at getting to know these note names.

OUTSIDE / JOURNAL / IDEAS

Mr. Le Duc’s Key of C Major Notes and Chords Chart (PDF)

STUDIO

CONTROL ROOM

Tune your guitar. Try recording two tracks of guitar.  One with the single notes like Jake Lizzio showed you above and a second with the lower C bass notes to make a simple progression. Remember two notes playing at the same time is harmony. Keep it simple.  Refer to your Quizlet Guitar Strings / Notes Flashcards if you need help remembering the guitar notes on the first three frets. Set a timer. Stop playing before you feel like Chewbacca below.

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

Tell your daily story here!  Highlight what you learned and enjoyed most. Problem-solving is one of the most important skills you need in life. Employers want to know HOW you get stuff done as much as WHAT you got done.

I learned that harmony is seen as a more mystical magical part of music. I really enjoyed playing guitar and using Hookpad.