Rhythm Composition (Song Writing 101)

We are currently learning meter and time signatures.  
1.  Duple, Triple, and Quadruple = what the conductor is beating
     
2. Simple Meter is when the beat is divisible by 2
     Compound is when the beat is divisible by 3

Eg.  Compound Triple is be 9/8 time.

COMPOSITION:  Nursery Rhyme Melody
Simple Songwriting 101:

1. Draw a nursery rhyme from the hat.
2. Say the nursery rhyme silently to yourself at least three times
3. Say it out loud with your partner. Do it a number of times until you settle on the rhythms.
4. Figure out if you are chanting in Simple (subdivision by two) or Compound (subdivision by three) meter.
5. Underline the syllables that are accented.  These are downbeats.  From this you can figure out if your nursery rhyme is in duple, triple, or quadruple meter.

CHECKPOINT 1:  Come see me to determine if your meter is accurate.

1. Look at the accented syllables again.  If there is a word before the underlined syllable, it is probably a pick-up (anacrusis).  Remember to subtract this amount from the previous beat (probably the last word of the last phrase).
2. Notate the rhythm of the nursery rhyme.

CHECKPOINT 2:  Come see me to confirm the accuracy of your rhythms before you start composing the melody.

1.  Compose the melody
   1. Start on Tonic
   2. End on Tonic (On a strong beat)
   3. Use primarily conjunct motion
2. Notate the rhythm of the nursery rhyme with the lyrics underneath. For a more polished look, try one of these free notation software websites:
   1. www.finalemusic.com/products/notepad/
   2. www.noteflight.com/
   3. https://musescore.org/
3. Practice your Performance many times.  You can sing with or without accompaniment. 
4. Have fun! 

Nursery Rhymes to Choose From
File Size:	13 kb
File Type:	docx

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The composition will be due Tuesday, October 2nd.  You will have all period this Friday (Sept. 28th) to work on it.