Lesson video

Hello, my name is Miss Charatan.

I'm looking forward to teaching today all about how we, as a composer, can make a structure interesting.

Let's begin with a warmup.

We're going to play don't clap this one back.

So when I clap this rhythm, you don't clap it back, instead you just say don't clap this one back.

I might try and catch you out with using some different sounds to try and disguise that rhythm, let's play.

You shouldn't have clap that one back because it was don't clap this one back.

Let's try again again.

Again, that was a trick, cause that was also don't clap this one back.

Let's try it gain.

You shouldn't have clap that one back either, because that was don't clap this one back.

Well done if you beat me every time.

Try and play that one maybe with your family or someone else at home.

Let's get started and see what equipment we need.

In this lesson, you will need a piece of paper, something to write with, a instrument or an app, and a digital audio workstation that is optional, so, if you have something like Garage Band or BandLab, that will be a good thing to get ready to use.

Pause the video, get these items of equipment and see you back here in a minute.

Great, let's make a start.

For today we are going to first recap our knowledge on how we vary melodies, cause we'll be using this a bit later.

We will learn about the different types of Baroque structure.

You will learn how to put your melodies into a structure.

We'll explore then how to make your structure more interesting, and then we'll perform and share it.

Either on a digital audio workstation or live.

Let's begin by recapping our knowledge on how to very melodies.

So, in the moment you will pause the video and list the ways you can make a melody more interesting and elaborate.

Remember, elaborate means more complicated, more interesting.

Pause the video, fill in the blanks, and resume when you're ready to check your answers.

Great, let's check your answers.

So, one way to make melody more interesting and elaborate is to use ornaments, such as trills, mordents and grace notes.

So we can see those in the diagrams on the right.

You can also use passing notes.

So these were notes that were between other notes.

So for example, we can see here, the E would be a passing note cause we go F sharp, E, D.

So the E is the passing note in the middle.

It comes between the F sharp and the D.

Rhythm is another way we can make a melody more interesting.

Such as, dotted rhythms, which were very popular in the Baroque period.

We also found a dotted rhythm in melody four.

Lastly, we can use articulations.

So really staccato notes, so short and spiky, and legato.

Make sure you have corrected your work.

Now, well done, if you managed to get all of them correct, and let's move on to thinking about the ground bass.

So what is the ground bass and who plays the ground bass in a Baroque ensemble? Pause the video, think about those two questions and resume when you are ready.

Lovely, let's check your answers.

So, a ground bass is a repeated bass line in Baroque music.

Well done if got that one correct.

And the ground bass is played by the Basso continuo, so the cello and bass viol, all the bass viol, to the bass viol sorry, and the harpsichord.

Fab, we have recapped on knowledge so quickly.

We are now going to go onto learning about the different types of Baroque structure.

So, before we start talking about the structure, what does structure mean? Look at the three definitions below and choose the best one for structure.

Pause the video and resume when you're ready.

Lovely, so the structure is the way the music is laid out and the plan of the music.

So, it's how the music is organised.

So, I think we already know about some structure already.

What do you call the beginning of a song or piece of music, and what do you call the end? I think you probably already know that.

What do you call the catchy section of a song that repeats? So the one that you just think of, as soon as you hear a song, you're like, ah, that's it.

It repeats with the same lyrics each time, what is that called? And what is it called when the sections of the song that repeat, but they have different lyrics? Think about these questions now.

And let us now have a look at the answers.

So, the beginning of a song or piece of music would call the intro and the end would be the outro.

So that's a part of the structure.

A chorus is a really catchy bit of the song.

So it's the one that you probably remember the most easily.

And the section of the song that repeats with different lyrics is a verse.

So, these are three ways we can talk about structure.

But, when we're talking about a piece of music, which isn't a song, that's when it gets, can be a little bit more tricky.

So let's now have a look at some Baroque structures, and structures that we use in a Baroque period, but are still used today.

So, we can label parts of a structure in terms of letters that makes it really, really clear.

So you can have an, A section, then a B section, which is contrasting.

This is called Binary form.

It was used for many Baroque dances, such as the gigue, minuet and sarabande.

And a famous example of a piece of Binary form is Bach's Minuet in G major.

I'm going to play you a short section from each of the A section and the B section.

So you'll be able to hear that they are contrasting, not in terms of the instrumentation or anything, but in terms of the melody.

So here is the A section.

So that's the very beginning.

I made a very small mistake there in case you spotted that.

So that's the A section, and it has a contrasting melody for the B section.

So it's also in a different key.

So that's often how composers varied their sections.

So, new melodies and a modulation.

So what would happen if we added on another section to the end of this? So we turn back to our A.

And we know what this is called already.

So we could call this an ABA structure, or we can call it Ternary form.

We can remember that, because the A returns.

So, we have three main sections here with a contrasting one in the middle.

This was often used for a Da Capo Aria.

A very popular style of vocal music in the Baroque period.

And the A section, when it repeats is often varied.

So thinking back to the very beginning of today's lesson, it could be varied through ornamentation, was the main way it was varied.

What would happen if we get our Ternary form structure, but we add another section? So again, a new contrasting section.

And, return to our A section? This is called Rondo form.

We have this returning A section, which is called ritornello and Fur Elise by Beethoven is a very famous example of a piece in Rondo form.

So you probably know the main bit of Fur Elise.

So you've heard about that before, but did you know there's some other sections in Fur Elise.

which were the B and the C section.

I'm going to play those for you now.

So our B section is contrasting to the A section.

It will sound a bit like this.

So we can hear that's in the different key.

So that's the B section, then we return to the A section.

Then we have a contrasting C section again.

So the C section is contrasting again.

We're now back in our minor key, but it sounds really different in terms of its melody to section A.

Then finally, we turn back to A again.

To finish.

Of course, these A sections are very slightly different every single time, but have the same tune so they're recognisable.

Let's now have a look at another type of Baroque structure.

The Fugue, is a special type of polyphonic texture, and it always begins with a tune that's played in a solo instrument or sang by solo voice, or in unison.

And will generally called that the first subject.

Then it goes into a second subject, and then it develops.

So this tune is then played by all the other instruments in turn, but not at the same pitch.

So for example, the second instrument would come in for the first subject, second subject and development.

And the first subject, the second subject and so on.

So the star shows, that it's not always at the same pitch.

But this is a special type of texture, but it's also considered a structure.

So often people would refer to a Fugue, meaning a fugal structure.

Having a first subject coming in at a different pitch.

So this is a very popular Baroque form, but very, very complicated to write.

However, J.

S.

Bach, wrote 48 Preludes and Fugues, in an all in one kind of volume.

And actually, he wrote even more than that.

We have studied a Canon, how is a Fugue different from a Canon? Have a think about that now.

So a Canon, an entry would be at the exact pitch, it'll be exactly the same.

However, a Fugue, the entry might be similar, it might be a very similar melody, but it be at, it might be at a different pitch.

Fugues are also far more complex than a Canon and the counterpoints and the with texture is very complex.

Let's now have a look at an example of a Fugue.

So this is J.

S.

Bach's Fugue number two in C minor.

So, I would like you to watch this video and see if you can spot the entries.

How many parts, and how does this texture change? Let's listen to it now.

Okay, so we will stop there.

So you can probably see, just by looking at the music, how complicated it is.

So, in terms of the entries, you probably spotted they came in one by one, there were three different parts, even though there was many, many notes going on, there were only three parts.

And the texture became more polyphonic.

It became more where it's long.

And this is a very typical Fugue, in that the texture builds up over the time.

We're not going to be writing a Fugue today, don't worry, but we do need to know what a Fugue is and that it was very popular in the Baroque period.

So, let's have a recap.

What structure do you see in front of you? Choose your answer, and let's check it.

It is Ternary form, well done, we got that one right.

Remember, it's when the A section returns.

What is this talking about? It begins with a tune that is played on a solo instrument.

This tune is then played by all the other instruments or voices in turn, but not necessarily at the same pitch.

Which one is it? Choose it now.

And let's check your answer.

It is a Fugue, well done.

Again, similar to a Canon, but at Canon it needs to be at the same pitch.

Let's have a look at this structure, what is it? When we have this returning A section and an additional C section? This is a Rondo, well done if we got that one correct.

And lastly, I think we could probably guess, cause it's the only one we haven't covered.

What structure is this? And that would be Binary form.

Cause there's two sections, so bi often mean two.

So two contrasting sections.

And we have learned all about the different types of Baroque structure.

We are now got to put this into practise and put your own melodies into a structure.

So, let's now think of all the melodies we have hopefully acquired so far.

So in your box of melodies, you might have your own melody, that you've made it yourself, along with your own bass or ground bass.

You might also have melody two, melody one, melody three, melody five, melody six, melody four, all kind of in a random order.

So we're going to now use these melodies to create a structure of our own.

Don't worry if you don't have all of these melodies, you can find them on the worksheets and you can also create your own melody or bass lone using the D major scale.

So, if we were to create a structure in Binary form, you would have two contrasting sections.

You could have one section with melody one.

Et cetera.

And the other section could be contrasting with your own melody, whatever that one was.

What would you do to change this into Rondo form? So then you would start thinking about what different sections do I need.

So your repeated section could be your own melody this time.

So it could come back again and again, and you could sandwich it with maybe melody one for your B section.

Or maybe melody three for your C section.

Obviously, this is your structure, so it's totally up to you.

You might want to have two melodies of your own, one in the B and one in the C, and have melody one repeat as the A section.

You are now going to pause the video to complete this task.

On your instrument or an app, put your melodies into a variety of musical structures.

So try them all out.

Try out Binary, Ternary, and Rondo.

If you're finding this too easy, come up with an even more contrasting B section, maybe in a different key.

A good key would be the relative minor of D major, which is B minor.

Pause the video, complete this task and resume when you are finished.

Great, now it's time to reflect on what you have done.

Read the questions next to me, very carefully.

Pause the video and resume when you've reflected on your work.

Great, let's move on.

So, we have learned how to put your melodies into a structure, excited to maybe hear these later.

And we're now going to think about how to make your structure more interesting.

Cause at the moment, we're fitting into other formulaic categories.

We now want to make it more exciting and unique.

Let's now have a look at this structure again.

Remind me what structure is it? If you said Ternary form, you're correct, well done.

Because we've got one part which returns, which is the A section.

Therefore, which part would you very and why? Which section would you vary? If you said the A sectio, you are correct.

That is because, the second time round would be an exact repeat.

So, it's really important that we very in some way to make it sound more exciting.

It would be possibly the same if you are composing a piece in Rondo form.

You might want to vary the A section the second or third time, to make it sound more interesting.

Let's now have a look at a Baroque form called Da Capo Aria.

So we've got a Binary form here.

Da Capo Aria is in Ternary form.

An Aria is a song, and it's often part of a larger piece of music.

So maybe several movements, one of which is an Aria.

Da Capo means from the head.

So what would happen in a piece of music? You would have a bindery piece and then it would say Da Capo, which would mean go back to the beginning to the A section, and play or sing that again.

The Aa section was varied the second time.

Just for the reasons I said earlier.

These variations might not have been written in the music.

How would we vary an A section? Ornaments, is a really important way that Baroque musicians, and people even today who performed Baroque music, vary A section.

These ornaments can include trills, mordents or grace notes.

Look at the question bellow.

What do we think it means to improvise an ornament? Pause the video and think about it now.

And then check your answer with me.

To improvise an ornament, means to make up the ornament.

So ornaments were not often written down on the music.

So we don't necessarily say, on this particular pitch please do a trill.

The performers would choose to do a trill on a particular pitch, according to what was for the time and what they felt worked well.

So to improvise an ornament, doesn't mean make up a brand new ornament.

It means to choose on the spot or slightly in advance, where to put the ornaments.

Let's now listen to a really famous piece of music by Henry Purcell, who was a Baroque composer.

This piece is called Music for a While.

We're going to hear the first A section where the performer doesn't use ornaments.

And then we're going to compare that with a last A section where the performer does use ornaments.

We're going to hear what is different.

That was the A section.

Let's now hear the A section repeated where a performer improvises ornaments over the top.

So we can see there, that there were ornaments on top of the music and the performer chose to do those ornaments themselves.

You will hear many different recordings of this piece, and performers choose to do ornaments in a different way in that returning A section.

On your instrument or on a keyboard, or in an app, you are now going to create a mini Da Capo Aria yourself.

So you don't need to sing anything, but you can if you'd like.

You will need to make sure it's in Ternary form, and you need to very your A section on a repeat, using ornaments.

If you find this too easy, you can think about using, creating a backup Aria without using any of Pachelbel's melodies, so using your own melodies for each section to create your own mini Da Capo Aria.

Pause the video, complete the task and resume when you're ready.

Lovely, let's now look through at this checklist.

Read the questions, pause the video to think about them and resume when you're ready.

Great.

You should have put that your structure within a Da Capo Aria, was a Da Capo Aria, and it was in Ternary form.

To very A section, you should have chosen ornaments.

So let's recap, what is a Da Capo Aria.

Please give three points about it.

Let's check our work.

So, it's a song, part of a large piece of music.

It means go back to the beginning and play that bit again.

And the A section the second time was varied.

You should have also maybe said that it was in Ternary form, I forgot to put this on here, my mistake.

We have now explored how to make your structure more interesting.

I'm going to perform and share your structure.

Now, there are variety of ways in which you can do this.

Now I'll go through them now.

So your task is to choose one of the structures we have studied today, and you will create a piece in that structure using a combination of your own and Pachelbel's melodies.

So you have two options.

You could play it yourself on your instrument and show it to somebody at home.

Or you could play it into a digital audio workstation and share.

If you're going to do this on your own instrument at home, and that's absolutely fine, pause the video to complete this task, to create your own structure, using a combination of Pachelbel's and your own melodies.

And then you will share that with somebody at home.

You might even want to record yourself paying it.

If you're going to do this on a digital audio workstation, keep going with me, and I'm going to show you how.

The demo you're about to see uses a free music software programme called BanfLab education.

You can use it if you're under 13, but you must get permission from a parent or carer first.

If you need help in setting up this programme, please speak to your parents, carer or somebody at school.

The first thing you will need to do is go to BandLab for education.

And you will click on library, which this folder here with the musical notes.

If you haven't done a project before you would need to start a personal project with mix editor.

If you have done a project before, you can click on your previous project here by going to the three dots.

So I'm going to open mine up from previously.

Cause it's got my ideas from previous things I have done.

So on here, I have got my own melody here, my melody in Canon, another melody which I forgot to label.

This is also my melody in Canon.

I might actually just want to delete this one.

So just click on it, hope it's going to work.

It's not going to work for me.

Delete track here, so I've right click on the three dots and then delete track.

Here's an extra little bit of melody and here is Pachelbel's melody two.

It's really important that you label your different things on the side.

Otherwise, you're not going to know which is which without listening to them.

So my melody, this is my melody two.

So, I think I want to rearrange this into a Ternary structure.

So, I'm just going to put all my things at the beginning.

Delete, oh, actually I might keep this for later.

So this is my ending on D note.

So, if you haven't recorded anything in yet, you will need to record in your own melody, and one of the Pachelbel's melodies, at very, very least.

You can change your tempo to 80 beats per minute.

And make sure you've got your metronome on here.

If you need to be looking, and if you're not quite sure how to create your own melody or house recording, please look back on one of the previous lessons.

Lesson 11 will tell you how.

I'm just going to show you how to put these into a structure.

So, I think I want to start with my own melody, which is this one here.

So I'm going to start with my own melody for my A section.

I'm going to keep my A section really, really short just to show you, but you might want to make yours longer.

So mine would just be one, two, three, four bars.

My B section is going to be Pachelbel's melody two.

That will be four bars.

And my A section is going to be here to be repeated.

That's going to be my other melody.

However, I really want my melody to be in Canon for my B section, cause that's how I'm going to vary it.

So I'm going to click on my first melody.

I'm going to press on alt, and that's going to copy it over to here.

I need to move it over to make it sound better in Canon.

Like this, here we go.

So I'm going to move it here.

Alright.

And then, I'm going to have my ending note here, which is D, and I'm going to move this here.

So, I've also got this extra melody which fits in with my melody one.

So I could actually put this here to create some variety or I could save it for another whole extra section.

So, you can see here, I have got the of a very, very basic structure, which you might want to add to yourself.

So, I started off with my own melody.

Then I have Pachelbel's melody two.

Now I have my A section again, but this time varied.

So that is how you create a really basic Ternary structure on BandLab for education.

So you can click on it, press alt and drag.

And you can have loads of copies of your melody or whatever you have got in your A section.

Try and make a Ternary form piece.

Cause that's going to be the simplest to start with.

You could of course, make your sections twice as long as mine.

So it could be eight bars each, which would mean that your screen will look even more busy than mine.

And don't forget to end on a D, if you've written in the key of D, and don't forget to vary your A section when it returns.

So I varied mine by putting mine in Canon, but you could definitely be varying yours in your Da Capo Aria for, to be putting ornaments in to.

You might also want to experiment with other things in BandLab such as FX effects, different instruments and loops.

If you would like to share your work, you will need to press file, download, mixdown as, and choose the option for MP3.

Don't forget to save your work and you can also rename it up here to your project.

Good luck, enjoy experimenting, and enjoy making your structure.

Well done for creating your structure either on your instrument or on a digital audio workstation.

You're now going to pause the video again, and you are going to follow this checklist and reflect on your work.

Resume the video when you are ready.

Great.

Before we move on, I just want to look at that second question.

So thinking about how you varied sections, so you could have used ornaments, you could have put it in Canon or had it very texture.

You could have changed the rhythms. So a many, many things you could have done.

Let's now go back to our very key question.

How can you as a composer, make a structure interesting? Think of your points now, I'm thinking of two main ones.

Okay, let's check with mine.

So, you can have two or more different sections.

So not just having the same section all the way through.

As well as, varying the repeated sections.

So using varied dynamics, varied rhythms and having ornaments would make it much more interesting.

Well done for your hard work today.

If you'd like to, please ask your parent or carer to share your work on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, tagging OakNational and using the hashtag Learn with Oak.

You've done a great job today.

Enjoy the rest of the day and see you next time.

Bye.