This is the third article and our first “breakout session” in the Composition Corner series. Read Tip #1: What Do You Want Me to Do? and Tip #2: Find Something Positive before trying your hand at this activity.
Teaching Composition: What would you say?
In the last post, I talked about how important it is to teach by finding something good in a student’s melody or composition. This is especially true of students who just “want you to listen.” So, I thought I’d give you a chance to try your hand at it! Below, you will find a melody that a student might bring in to you. Granted, they probably won’t have it notated, but I notated it for ease of demonstration. In spite of all of things that you notice are wrong with the melody, try to find at least 1 thing about which you can say something positive. If you’d like to share what you might say, please do so in the comments! I’ll post what I might say in a few days.
For this first activity, I have composed a monstrous melody to help challenge you in finding something positive to say. This may not be the most likely melody that a student would bring in, but it’s a good challenge for finding something positive to say.
And now, the “melody:”
Please share any “insights” and positive comments you might give to a student who brings in this melody (the student would most likely play it rather than have it notated). Use it as practice to “find something positive” as well as to perhaps teach a new concept. We can all learn from everyone, so don’t hesitate to share your thoughts!
This composition makes me think of our dinnertime conversation last night. My daughter talked about the various connotations of the word “interesting.” This little composition is definitely “interesting”! 🙂
I would probably compliment the student on their nice use of a little syncopation (which might be a new concept for them). That makes the song more appealing than if it were just straight quarter notes. Maybe a little comparison to the nice repetition of rhythm patterns in their song to the first few lines of Mozart’s “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” would help boost their composing confidence while emphasizing the appeal of the element of repetition in a piece.
First off, big points for originality! 🙂 I like that the F# in m.2 is repeated in m.3 — makes it sound like you “meant it”, and combined with the Eb almost leads me to think that you are wanting this to be in G Minor…until the B-natural in m.4.
I would then talk a little about “atonal” pieces — perhaps find something on YouTube for them to listen to a bit of. If they liked the sound of that, then I would actually let them keep it!
All of this would depend on the age and ability of the student.
If the melody wasn’t notated, we would start there and get it on paper. I would suggest to start a written notebook of all melodies and compositions so they can look back and remember what they composed.
Then I would point out what nice phrases there are and how they used a nice variation, making the second phrase a little longer.
I might use this as an opportunity to introduce them to modes.
I also might ask them if they had ever heard of the composer Hindemith, because their clever use of 4ths and 5ths remind me a little bit of his music. And then maybe assign some listening.
I see a couple items worth mentioning.
a) M 1 outlines a C7 chord — many melodies outline chords (Mozart Sonata Facile begins this way as well as Finale to Beethoven’s 5th Symphony).
b) M 2-3 strong beats 1 and 3 form the chromatic movement F-F#-G-F# — many memorable melodies contain this type of movement
There is nothing wrong with that melody. It’s beautiful and I would tell my student exactly that! One of my jobs is to provide a safe, secure, trusting and open environment where my students feel they can share anything with me. If this was a lesson situation, I would embrace that melody with my heart and soul and play it over and over and harmonize it right on the spot and sing along as I played so that they could hear how amazing their creation was. They would also hear that I took short breaths after each dotted quarter and depending on the age of the student, we might or might not talk about that. Play the melody as written with the r.h. and with l.h. play broken chords (root, 5th, 3rd as a 10th above the root). 1st ms. try Am, Gm., next measure F and D/F#, next Eb, D, lastly a C chord for the entire ms. which would set up going back to the Am chord for the last c melody note or take it up 1/2 step to an Ab chord on that last note. And, that’s just my interpretation which I would do to show them they should keep composing.
Great job ending on a “tonic” note! Superior job notating the accidentals, having some repeated elements both in rhythm and accidentals without being too boring and predictable!
I loved your repeated rhythm pattern. It brings great comfort to an ethereal sounding piece. I wondered if you had something in mind? (If they don’t offer anything, I would ask if they’d like to try it on a synthesizer to make the most of those unusual interval patterns.) Glad you ended on the same tone you used at the beginning.
What a great “atonal” feel to this “melody”. You are right in league with the style of Schoenberg and others who brought us out of the “old” I IV V I way of thinking about music! Yeah! I notice that you haven’t titled your piece, so I wondered if you might try some simple experiments to give this segment more “character” and think of a title to spur our imagination. For example, try playing it VERY softly an octave higher with pedal and lots of expression. Would that remind you of something like “Drifting Clouds” or “Dreaming”? Then try it two octaves lower than written, all staccato and very accented and rather fast – What title might fit that “character”? Try a combination of those two suggestions – perhaps the first half slow and pedalled, the second half fast, low and staccato. That could be a conversation between two contrasting characters – like a sister and brother, two friends, or even two animals! The main thing is, your melody is just full if interesting life just as it is – tweaking it with these simple suggestions will really feed our imaginations as we listen to you perform it. (And how about repeating it a few times for an even longer piece?) Good going! Keep looking for new ways to express yourself through music! I love that you think outside the box! 🙂
I love the way you thought of this rhythm! The eighth note going over the bar line to the quarter note drives the melody forward very nicely.
The range of the melody is effective and manageable. It appears to be outlining the harmonies a la the Baroque. Since Baroque lines often contain either multiple melodies or a melody surrounded by harmony notes, I think I would look at possible melodic shapes “hidden” in this melody. (The upper C and Bb in measure 1 going through the A in measure 2 to the G and F# in measure 3. Then does it go to E or back up to B-Bb-C?)
By comparing this melody with something by Bach, we could both get some ideas for it and give the subtle compliment that it _can_ be as great as Bach. It also could lead into a discussion of tendency tones and listening to each note.