3.3 Variation & Intention

VIDEO CHAPTERS

• Description & Objectives

  Description:
  Students will use different energy levels of drums, chords, and bass to create a verse/chorus song with repetition and variation.

  Musical Objectives:
  Learn how to create variation within and between song sections with bass and chords.
  Discover the sonic characteristics of different chordal rhythms: arpeggios, block rhythms, and other patterns.

  Technical Objectives:
  Copy, paste, and duplicate regions of MIDI.

• Teacher Prep & Materials

  Prep:
  Listen to songs from the student playlist to find examples of long chords, short chords, and arpeggios. Practice playing some of these rhythmic parts on a piano keyboard using chords from a song that students know. Experiment with creating different chordal rhythms on your project to gain mastery in manipulating multiple notes in the piano roll.

  Materials:
  3.3 Project Rubric

• Procedure

  As a Class:

  1. Watch the top video and discuss creating with intention. Ask students if they are able to create drum grooves with intention. They can give a visual rating out of five (five being complete mastery) using the fingers on one hand to show their level of understanding. Repeat the same for chord progressions and bass lines. Ask students how they can improve at creating with intention.

  2. Complete some of the connection activities to build confidence and understanding of the material.

  3. Watch the longer step videos and create a verse/chorus instrumental with drums, chord parts, and bass lines together using the teacher’s device that is connected to a projector.

  Individual:

  1. Instruct students to copy and paste the assignment URL from their LMS to open the Soundtrap Assignment on their own devices.

  2. Have students watch the short step videos to create their own verse/chorus pop instrumental. Ensure they use original chord progressions and do not copy them from the videos.

  3. (Optional) Have students choose their drums, bass, and main chord sounds in reference to an existing pop song or to create a specific vibe.

  4. Remind students to check their work by viewing the checklist.

  5. When students are done, they can show each other their projects and provide feedback. Students can then use this feedback to make iterative changes to their projects.

• Assessment

  Informal Assessment:

  • Check for understanding by asking questions during the class viewing of the step videos.

  • Walk around the room while students are completing the individual portion of their projects to check if they have labeled their sections, included multiple energy levels of drum grooves, created different variations of bass lines, and included variation between sections of chordal textures.

  Formal Assessment:

  • Grade the completed verse/chorus instrumentals against the rubric. Students can also present these projects to each other in small groups or to the entire class.

• Connection Activities

  Group Arrangement Narrative:
  Have students form groups and listen to a teacher or student-selected song without words. Have them identify how many bars are in each section, the order of the sections, and the variations heard within and between sections. Have them create a story based on the arrangement they transcribed.

  Arrangement Bingo:
  Have students make a 3x3 bingo card with the items long chords, arps, chord rhythms, fast bass, slow bass, rhythmic bass, low energy drums, mid energy drums, and high energy drums placed randomly. Listen to a song and have students place markers on their spots when they hear the corresponding sounds. Students “win” the round when a line has been made.

  Drum Groove With Intention Challenge:
  Test students' ability to create drum beats with intention by having them copy a drum beat created on the pattern beat maker. Play it out loud without showing the sequencer to the students. Allow them to listen on their devices to guess and check at first, but eventually have them mute their devices and use their inner ear.

  Spot The Difference:
  Prepare two song sections with the same chord structure, drum groove, and bass line. Add a variation or alteration in one of the song sections. Play the two song sections for the class and have them find and describe the difference with as much detail as possible. If there is a new chord layer, identify the type of sound being used, whether it plays a rhythm, whether the notes are played together or separately, and whether it is louder or softer in the mix.

• Differentiation

  Enrichment:
  If students understand the material and complete their project, have them adjust the balance and image of the mix. Instruct them to find a song they like and listen to how loud the different instruments are in relation to each other. They should then adjust the volumes of their tracks to match the mix. They can also adjust the spatial image of the mix by panning each track left or right to place each instrument in the stereo image.

  Remediation:
  It is more important for students to create 8-bar song sections than to have variation. Remove the requirement of creating variation in the chordal part between sections.

• Notes

  Encourage students to experiment with the sonic palette of their instruments. They can reference specific tracks to copy an existing palette or create their own. Prompt students to make their own choices in the chords played and the patterns used, as some may try to copy the example parts exactly. Break down the project into shorter checkpoints with due dates/times for each checkpoint item. It can be fun to have students work in pairs for this project, ensuring both contribute equitably.

• Standards & Pathways

  Core Arts Standards

  1. Creating:

     • Anchor Standard 1 (Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work): Learn to add variation to bass and chords.

     • Anchor Standard 2 (Organize and develop artistic ideas and work): Apply variations to song sections.

     • Anchor Standard 3 (Refine and complete artistic work): Use copy/paste and duplication techniques to refine arrangements.

  2. Performing:

     • Anchor Standard 4 (Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation): Discuss and create arrangements in class.

  3. Responding:

     • Anchor Standard 7 (Perceive and analyze artistic work): Check arrangements using a checklist.

     • Anchor Standard 8 (Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work): Present arrangements to peers.

  4. Connecting:

     • Anchor Standard 11 (Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding): Connect arrangements to real-world music applications.

  Technology Literacy Standards

  1. Empowered Learner (ISTE Standard 1):

     • Use music production tools to create and track arrangements.

  2. Creative Communicator (ISTE Standard 6):

     • Experiment with arrangements and present them digitally.

  Career Readiness

  • Music Production: Skills in creating and arranging music.

  • Sound Engineering: Understanding technical aspects of music arrangements.

  • Broadcasting and DJing: Ability to create and analyze music arrangements for performances.

  • Multimedia Production: Integrating music arrangements into various projects.