Form Brings it All Together

Essential Questions:

Can the form of a song contribute to its success or failure?
In addition to verse, chorus, and bridge, are there any other sections of a song that can be added to enhance its form?

Objectives:

Students will manipulate the parts of an original song to achieve the best form.
Students will consider additional sections that may or may not enhance the form of their song.

Common Core:

Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.

Materials:

Journal Timed Freewrite:

If time permits these timed freewrites can start each class, and create a rhythm to the beginning of each session, along with developing the craft of journaling as an integral process of generating, fostering, and capturing inspired thoughts and ideas.
Prompt: Consult the “Ecology Facts and Journal Prompts” handout to chose a topic for this class.

Vocabulary:

Form: The organization of a song
Intro: Beginning section of a song which is typically instrumental and provides the tempo, chord progression and key.
Instrumental Solo: Usually placed in the middle of a song to break up the form, this section is usually used to show off virtuosic soloing on an instrument.
Outro: Also known as the coda, this section gives the song closure. Occasionally, the outro in popular music can be a repeating chorus which fades out.

Introduction:

Methodical songwriters go to great lengths to ensure that every section of their songs is equally impressive. Verses are loaded with literary devices and are easy to sing; choruses are catchy, concise, and summarize the main idea; bridges are climactic and provide a much-needed break. Equally important to the time that is spent creating individual parts is the time spent organizing them. This organization of the individual parts of a song is also called form.

Activities:

Teacher will distribute the Form Worksheet, Rhyming Worksheet, Composing a Chorus Worksheet, and the Building a Bridge Worksheet. Students will peruse all of their lyrics, exploring different organizational possibilities of their verse, chorus and bridge.
Students will consider adding an intro, instrumental solo, and outro to the final revision of their song. Students will cut out the different sections on the Form Worksheet. Next, they will rearrange the cut-outs until they’ve arrived at a satisfactory order. When finished, students should place their cutouts in the provided ziplock bag so they can use them again for homework. Students will record the form of their song to share with their future collaborating artist (picture or record it into their writer’s notebook.

Homework/Extension:

For extra practice, students will examine the form of some of their favorite songs. Using the cutouts from the Form Worksheet, students will listen to three of their favorite songs and practice putting the sections of those songs into the correct order. Once achieved, they will record their answers on the Form Homework Worksheet