This unit introduces core composition skills including melody and motif development, rhythm and form, basic harmony, and practical notation and transcription techniques. Students will also explore composition tools, instrumentation choices, and ethical/legal considerations (fair use, public domain, and AI-assisted composition) to prepare for ensemble writing and media scoring in subsequent units.
Learning Objectives
- Analyze melodic and rhythmic elements by identifying motifs, phrase structures, modal quality, stepwise versus skipwise motion, and examples of melody derived from language in provided excerpts.
- Apply notation and transcription techniques to accurately notate and transcribe short original melodies and rhythmic patterns using manuscript paper or notation software, correctly handling concert pitch and transposition.
- Demonstrate foundational harmonic skills by constructing and labeling triads and basic chord progressions, distinguishing consonance and dissonance, and using the circle of fifths to inform mode and key choices.
- Evaluate and select appropriate composition tools, instrumentation, and ethical practices (including fair use, public domain, and AI composition considerations) to produce lead sheets and short soundtrack or band/choir sketches.
Curriculum
- 1 Section
- 36 Lessons
- 30 hours
Expand all sectionsCollapse all sections
- Unit 1 — Foundations of Musical Composition36
- 1.1Structuring Freedom20 mins
- 1.2Composing with Pencil and Paper or a Tablet20 mins
- 1.3Writing Down the Music in Your Head20 mins
- 1.4Sculpting Time into Music20 mins
- 1.5Examining What Makes a Musical Framework20 mins
- 1.6Reviewing Major and Minor Modes and the Circle of Fifths20 mins
- 1.7Developing Musical Themes: Motifs20 mins
- 1.8Reducing to Structural Tones20 mins
- 1.9Discovering Consonance and Dissonance20 mins
- 1.10Understanding Chords and Their Moods20 mins
- 1.11Using the Movement Around You20 mins
- 1.12Writing in Form20 mins
- 1.13Combining Parts into Forms20 mins
- 1.14Navigating Concert Pitch and Pitch Transposition20 mins
- 1.15Beating the Drums20 mins
- 1.16Working with Story Lines and Instrumentation20 mins
- 1.17Getting into Movie Soundtracks20 mins
- 1.18Selecting Software and Hardware for Composition20 mins
- 1.19Creating Lead Sheets20 mins
- 1.20Understanding AI Composition20 mins
- 1.21Identifying Fair Use versus Public Domain20 mins
- 1.22Developing Your Recording Skills20 mins
- 1.23Composing for School Bands and Choirs20 mins
- 1.24Artlist20 mins
- 1.25Amuse20 mins
- 1.26Modes and Chords Reference20 mins
- 1.27Glossary20 mins
- 1.28Composing as an Extension of Listening20 mins
- 1.29Using Your Performance Skills to Compose20 mins
- 1.30Using Software to Transcribe Your Compositions20 mins
- 1.31Feeling Different Rhythms20 mins
- 1.32Identifying Melody in Language20 mins
- 1.33Getting Moody20 mins
- 1.34Building a Melodic Phrase20 mins
- 1.35Applying Step-wise or Skip-wise Motion20 mins
- 1.36Using the Circle of Fifths20 mins
Instructor
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