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This course deals with the basics of song-writing including creative approaches to song writing, song notation skills, listening-based analytic techniques of songs from a wide repertoire.
The art of writing a song is creative. The discipline of song-writing is technical. The stronger your skills are, the better you can express your creative ideas. This course will cover the basics of song writing; structure, lyrics, harmony and melody. This course takes the approach of a very hands-on practical nature to enable you to begin the journey of being an effective song writer.Students will attend lectures and composition workshops, and small-group tutorials.Topics covered in this course are:Term 1* Song types* The elements of music and songs* Harmony* Chord charts and types of song notations* Lyrics - find your voiceTerm 2* Lyrics and writing exercises* Melody* Scansion
Students who pass this course will have acquired:* listening-based analysis and commentary skills;* knowledge of key works from a range of songwriting styles and genres;* lyric writing skills;* music notation skills;* written analysis skills including preparation of programme notes;* skills in arranging live performances of songs; and will have* compiled a portfolio of both notated and non-notated songs within a specific timeframe.
Submission of portfolio of works (may be recorded or notated), approval by Head of School.
Student workload (150 hours) will be allocated to:* 12 hours attending lectures* 12 hours attending small group tutorials* 88 hours attending composition workshops* 26 hours preparing for in-class assessments
Alex van den Broek
Lecturer: Naomi van den Broek
Pattison, Pat; Songwriting Without Boundaries : Lyric Writing Exercises for Finding Your Voice ; F+W Media, 2011.
Pattison, Pat; Writing Better Lyrics ; 2nd ed; F+W Media, 2011.
Use of TechnologyThis course assumes that you have sufficient information and technology skills to confidently use a computer to access material for your course. Your written work should be submitted typed, using standard word-processor software. The School of Music has iMacs you are able to use which have all standard software required for this course.You will be required to access our learning management system - Learn - and to become familiar with its tools. Learn provides easily-accessible information about the course and assessments, topics and deadlines, and supports the learning you will gain from attending all lectures and tutorials. For help using Learn, refer to: http://learn.canterbury.ac.nz/
The following shows how to translate grades to numerical scores:A+ 90–100; A 85–89; A- 80–84; B+ 75–79; B 70–74; B- 65–69; C+ 60–64; C 55–59; C- 50–54; D 40–49; E 0–39In a course at 100- or 200-level examiners may grant restricted credit (R) which will be equivalent to a pass for all purposes except as a prerequisite.A pass is 50 marks and over.Please see the School of Music handbook for information regarding the following: late submission of work, aegrotats, plagiarism and dishonest practices, appeals, and reconsiderations.
Domestic fee $748.00
International fee $3,388.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see Humanities .