Year 9 investigation: Songwriting

Transcription

1 Year 9 investigation: Songwriting The best way to complete this sheet is on the computer. Then you can your work directly to your teacher without having to print anything. Remember it is extremely important to write in your own words do not copy and paste! 1. The greatest songs ever In 2005 the New Musical Express conducted a poll in 66 countries to find out the top 10 best ever songs. The results are shown below. Choose ONE song to listen to. 1 "We Are the Champions" see Queen 2 " Toxic" see Britney Spears 3 "Billie Jean" see Michael Jackson 4 "Hotel California" see Eagles 5 "La Tortura" see Shakira 6 "Smells Like Teen Spirit" see Nirvana 7 "Yesterday" see The Beatles 8 "One" see U2 9 "Imagine" see John Lennon 10 "Sultans of Swing" see Dire Straits Whichever one you choose, think about why people like it so much. Is it the lyrics? Has it got a great tune? Is it inspiring or mood- changing? Does it do something unusual? There has to be a reason these songs are so loved. Work out what it is. Create a new page in this document and write about why the song is so popular. Make sure you answer the ques(ons above, and use musical terminology where appropriate (see final page for suggested musical terms). You need to write at least 150 words.

2 2. Investigating hooks What is a hook? (in a song) We don t mean a fish hook or a coat hook! Look this up (you could use Wikipedia) and write a defini&on in your own words here: Day Tripper h"ps:// Beat It h"ps:// Happy h"ps:// suytm Billie Jean h"ps:// Supers''on h"ps:// Where is the hook in each of the songs on the le#? Give the (me reference (i.e. 1:26), the words (if it is sung) or say what instrument it is played on (if it is not sung). Remember a song may have more than one hook! Day Tripper Beat It Happy Billie Jean Supers''on

3 3. Investigating key changes Watch this discussion about key changes: h"ps:// In your own words, why do songs have key changes, and how can you tell when it has happened? Man in the Mirror h"ps:// All of the songs on the left have big key changes. Can you identify where they are? Give a time reference (i.e. 1:26) Livin on a Prayer h"ps:// The Wizard and I from Wicked h"ps:// Man in the Mirror Livin on a Prayer The Wizard and I Love Story h"ps:// Love Story

4 4. Investigating song structure Watch this video about song structure: h"ps:// You will need to use the musical terms from the video (also seen in the picture opposite) for the task below. Wake me Up h"ps:// Choose one of the songs from the list on the left. Write out its structure, and say what the texture is (i.e. what instruments/voices are heard in each section). Life on Mars h"ps:// - IqqusnNQ One Day Like This h"ps:// Skyfall h"ps:// Bangarang h"ps://

5 5. Create an extended piece of work about songwriting. You can choose how you do this: A piece of extended writing (word document) - this should be over 1000 words A podcast (i.e. audio recording) A video A powerpoint (minimum 8 slides, include diagrams, pictures and hyperlinks) A detailed mindmap or infographic (for more info on how to do this, visit or ) You need to choose a songwriter to focus on. (This can be a team who work together, i.e. Holland/Dozier/Holland). Make sure it s someone who actually writes songs, not just sings them! Include the following: Their musical background how did they learn to write songs? How do they go about writing their songs? What are their most famous songs? Have they always written in the same style, or different styles? An analysis of at least one of their songs, and why you think it s successful. Recommended websites to find more info You will find lots of information of Wikipedia about your chosen songwriter. They might even have their own website. You can also search YouTube, itunes or Spotify for their music. Subject-specific terms that can/should be used: lyrics, chords, melody, harmony, bass line, riff, hook, key change, major/minor, intro, outro, verse, chorus, pre-chorus, bridge, middle 8, instrumental.