S1 Week 2 1801
0 likes161 views
This document outlines the learning objectives and activities for a songwriting workshop. The objectives are to: 1) identify current songwriting methods, 2) employ strategies to overcome writer's block, and 3) understand a lyric-focused method of songwriting. The workshop introduces five songwriting tools/games and provides exercises using each, such as writing lyrics to news headlines or existing songs. Participants will then use one of the tools to write a complete song in 45 minutes. Starting with lyrics is recommended to focus on the message before developing the melody and chords.
S1 Week 2 1801
- 2. LEARNING OUTCOMES ➤ At the end of the session, students will be able to: 1. Identify and describe their current methods for writing songs 2.Employ 5 different strategies for overcoming writers block 3.Understand a method that uses lyrics as a starting point for songwriting
- 3. OBJECT WRITING WARMUP ➤ Sight ➤ Taste ➤ Touch ➤ Smell ➤ Hearing ➤ Organic ➤ Kinaesthetic 10 minutes ‘Soda’
- 4. CURRENT METHODS ➤ Discuss: What are our current methods for writing songs? ➤ How do you start writing a song? ➤ How do you make sure you finish the song?
- 5. WRITERS BLOCK ➤ What is writers block ➤ How can we overcome it?
- 6. TOOL #1 - SONGWRITING GAMES ➤ Sing along with hit songs from any era and make up new lyrics. Give yourself permission to come up with silly phrases. Be less serious. ➤ https://youtu.be/Gu2pVPWGYMQ ➤ Watch a TV show with a relationship theme - chose a scene and write a title and chorus that could be used to underscore it. You have 20 minutes to write lyrics and melody. Set a timer and go. It doesn’t have to be good - just do it.
- 7. ➤ Find a headline in today’s newspaper and write a chorus using all or part of the headline. ➤ Sing the chorus of a hit song and change the notes of the melody. Change the pitches. Hold some notes longer or shorter. Add pauses or take them out. When you have a new melody, make up a lyric for it.
- 8. TOOL #2 GHOST SONGS ➤ Use an existing, contemporary hit song as a pattern for writing your own original song. ➤ Use the same form ➤ Use the same chord progression ➤ Change the melody ➤ Change the lyrics
- 9. ➤ ‘Imagine’ - John Lennon ➤ ‘Bliss’ Megan Berry
- 10. TOOL #3 - REVERSE ENGINEERING ➤ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A8gRNY6vjg
- 11. TOOL #4 KARAOKE ➤ Find a karaoke track to a song you don’t know ➤ Identify where the song sections are by listening for when the energy increases and decreases. ➤ Write a chorus for the high-energy sections, and verses for the lower-energy sections
- 12. TOOL #5 - FIND A TITLE Ain’t Fool Inside Ocean Taste Beautiful Ghost Kiss Picture Thunder Breathe Halfway Lesson Rain Understand Empty House Midnight Shadow Woman Eyes Hungry Never Somewhere Young Pick 5 or so words from a word list Arrange them in pairs or short phrases Pick the one that appeals to you most and write a song about it
- 13. WRITING FROM A TITLE ➤ Answer the questions the title asks ➤ Who? ➤ What? ➤ When? ➤ Where? ➤ How?
- 14. WORKSHOP ➤ Pick one of the 5 Songwriters Tools, and use them to write a complete song (or as close as you can get in the time frame). ➤ You may work in pairs if you choose. ➤ You have 45 minutes. Go!
- 15. WHY START WITH THE LYRIC? ➤ Starting with a lyrics gives us an opportunity to really think about what we are trying to achieve with our song ➤ A lyric will have a natural melody, which will imply a chord progression