Author: brenrgmm

Cue	Notes
What is contextual interference?	Change the pattern of the rhythm to make it more challenging. Focus on specific sections.
What is desirable difficulty?	Make everything a bit more difficult. Not to the point where you hit a “dreaded plateau” but just enough that isn’t to easy.
How to get to a desirable difficulty?	Find the areas that are the hardest and work on those so you can add them to the whole song. Practice 5-10 minutes so you don’t get overwhelmed.

Summary

What I did for this project was go into online sequencer and pick random instruments and make a 3 note motive. It was a lot of fun and helped me come up with a lot of random little melodies!

Melody Terms and Definitions

In music, a triad is a set of three notes (or “pitch classes“) that can be stacked vertically in thirds.^[1] The term “harmonic triad” was coined by Johannes Lippius in his Synopsis musicae novae (1612). Triads are the most common chords in Western music.

When stacked in thirds, notes produce triads. The triad’s members, from lowest-pitched tone to highest, are called:^[1]

• The root
• The third
• The fifth

– Triad definition from Wikipedia

• Theme – a longer, more flowing melodic idea
• Motive – a short, rhythmic idea
• Period – 8 (ish/around 8) measures of music
• Phrase – 4 (ish/around 4) measures of music
• Antecedent (Question or First) Phrase – sets the music up and leads you to expect something
• Consequent (Answer or Second) Phrase – releases the tension built up by the first phrase
• Scale Degrees:
  • Tonic Scale Degree – the note that begins and ends the scale, the note that releases the tension, one scale degree that creates a feeling of stability and resolution.
  • Supertonic, Mediant, and Submediant Scale Degree – scale degrees with a moderate level of tension useful for transitioning and carrying on an idea
  • Dominant, Subdominant, and Leading Tone Scale Degree – the notes that build tension, several scale degrees that create a high level of tension/the need to resolve the tonic
• Steps – any movement using half or whole steps
• Leaps – any movement using intervals larger than a whole-step
• Conjunct motion –  melody built primarily out of steps that move smoothly (example: moving in a scale)
• Disjunct motion – melody built primarily using leaps
• Repetition (the god particle of music) – use repeated material to create a link between the two phrases of a period
• Contrast – write two phrases that contain contrast material to create tension and interest
• Variation – halfway between repetition and contrast. The two phrases include some recognizable material and some varied material.

Composition term definitions from Dr. Henke’s video:  How to Write a Melody

• Dr. Jamie Henke, artsdivision.wisc.edu/staff/jamie-henke-jamie-henke/

My Motives

https://onlinesequencer.net/2586207

https://onlinesequencer.net/2588435

https://onlinesequencer.net/2588435

https://onlinesequencer.net/2590954

Feedback

“Everything sounded pretty cool for the resources you had.” – Carson

“I really liked the small random instrument parts in some of the songs” – Connor

What I Learned & Problems I Solved

Something I learned was how to use the motive making website. A problem I solved was creative block by just picking a random instrument and 3 random notes and going off of what ever comes out of that.

SUMMARY

Role

I am the one playing the guitar in the recordings.

Intention (SMART Goal)

My intention for this months project is to be able to do multiple different scales easily and work off of them to be able to write my own riffs. I focused on major scales so I could get the muscle memory of the shape I had to use. In the recordings I played A major scale.

PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY

Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)

I look up to Ira George and Dave Grohl.

Training Source(s)

Some of my training sources are my friends helping me learn how to play scales a bit easier and songs that fit with those scales. Also watching youtube videos that break down the scales.

SMART Goal Schedule

My smart goal schedule was to practice anytime I was in class and to put working on scales in my practicing at home.

PRODUCTION

SMART Goal Starting Point Evidence

SMART Goal Ending Point Evidence

POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION

21st Century Skills

Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)

Something that helps me be creative is to listen to music by people that inspire me and have a similar playing style to me.

Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)

Collaboration is really easy in this class. It helps sitting next to people you’re comfortable with that way you can ask questions or advice on an issue you’re having.

Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)

Some tools that are helpful are videos on youtube, my friends and teachers, and simply just thinking about how things work.

Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)

How I could apply these skills to real life would be by being able to learn new things but notice patterns in how things work.

Self-Evaluation of Final Version

I think that I did pretty good but it didn’t really change much.

What I Learned and Problems I Solved

I learned that I have a tenancy to only pick with my thumb instead of all my fingers. I’ve been working on not doing that and using all my fingers or just a pick. Anytime I notice that I start using only my thumb I stop what I am doing and start over with my fingers.

Grammar and Spelling

Pretty good.

Editor

Carson Cathy

Summary

The song that I wrote this week I am really proud of. My goal with this song is to actually end up finishing it with lyrics and everything. I hope that this song makes people feel like they could drive to it or sit alone and just vibe with it. I just hope it makes people feel something.

Questions

• What is something I could add?
• Is there something I should take out?

Peer Feedback

Summary

I wrote about the song Moonlight by Ali Gatie because it is one of his songs that is a lot like poetry and I really admire his music. Plus it sounds a lot like lofi music which is one of my favorites to write.

Song Analysis

TOPIC	MY RESPONSES
SONG TITLE	Moonlight
COMPOSER(S)	Ali Gatie
YEAR	2019
COUNTRY	Canada
If you could work on this song (change it), what would you change and why?	I would change the melody a little bit.
What is the song GENRE?	R&B/Soul
What is the song KEY?	B
What is the song TEMPO?	120
What do you like about the RHYTHM?	I think that you can just sit back and feel it and it’s not super upbeat.
What do you like about the ARRANGEMENT?	I like how everything flows.
What do you like about the MIX?	I love just how it all fits so perfectly and everything is the right volume.
What do you like about the TIMBRE of some or all of the instruments?	I really like that there strings and bass in the beginning and they made the bass a little louder than the strings which is different. I also love that how the guitar pretty much does the same thing the whole time.
What do you like about the PITCH of some or all of the instruments or vocals?	I like that it is a bit lower and then gets higher in the middle of the chorus because it makes it more calm.
Are there particular TRACK(S) that stand out?	The acoustic guitar that is the last thing playing along with the singing.
Finally, what do you like about the overall COMPOSITION?	I think one of my favorite parts is how he writes. In a lot of Ali Gatie songs its just poetry with some nice sounds.

“Day 94 – music analysis on a road trip #100daysofdatasketches #the100dayproject” by Kelly-Ann’s Pics! is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

“Theory is a six-letter dirty word to most musicians, but hey, musicians love dirty words, right? And just like all the other dirty words, theory is easy to learn and fun to use!”
― Ray Harmony, Hack Music Theory, Part 1: Learn Scales & Chords in 30 minutes

SUMMARY

This week I’ve done a lot of homework for other classes but this classes homework was nice and easy which was really nice because it is a lot less stressful.

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY, PRODUCTIVITY & THE BRAIN)

Some things that help me a lot with dealing with anxiety is to do breathing exercises. There are so many different variations you can do but by doing them they slow your heart rate and force you to focus on something other than why’re you’re anxious in that moment.

CONCERT

I listened to the song So Far Away by Crossfade.

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

Some problems I solved this week are getting my homework done in a good amount of time.

Ask yourself the following questions:

TOPIC	YOUR NOTES
SONG TITLE:	So Far Away
COMPOSER(S):	Crossfade
YEAR:	2004
COUNTRY:	America
If you could work on this song (change it), what would you change and why?	I think it’s already perfect.
What is the song GENRE?	Hard rock
What is the song KEY?	E minor
What is the song TEMPO?	106 bpm
What do you like about the RHYTHM?	I love how it isn’t just a simple few beats. It sounds more complex
What do you like about the ARRANGEMENT?	I like how they repeat the main line for the intro and bridge but not in an annoying way
What do you like about the MIX?	I like the bit of over lapping in some parts of the song.
What do you like about the TIMBRE of some or all of the instruments?	I love that you can tell that this is an early 2000’s rock song just by how the guitar sounds and how the singer is singing.
What do you like about the PITCH of some or all of the instruments or vocals?	I like that it they are all not super high but not to low so it is almost at the perfect pitch.
Are there particular TRACK(S) that stand out?	Some of the guitar tracks over lap each other and it sounds really cool together. Also some vocals.
Finally, what do you like about the overall COMPOSITION?	I just love how everything fits together. How it starts with some little guitar and quiet singing and then the guitar gets loud and the drums start and it just fits so good.

“A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition and variation of sections.” wikipedia.org/wiki/Song

“Music can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.” –  Leonard Bernstein

SUMMARY

This week I practiced my guitar and worked in soundtrap. I watched one of Justin’s videos and learned string muting and I also watched a video by Clark Eagling that explained how to arrange parts of a song in soundtrap.

PRACTICE ROOM (GUITAR LESSONS)

I watched one of Justin’s videos about string muting. It helped a lot but I am going to have to practice this a lot!

Chose from the following…

How interested in learning more about playing the guitar?

• 1 (YUCK!)
• 2 (not really)
• 3 (sorta interested)
• 4 (interested)
• 5 (YES!)

Your score: 5

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

How interested in learning more about music theory and song analysis?

• 1 (YUCK!)
• 2 (not really)
• 3 (sorta interested)
• 4 (interested)
• 5 (YES!)

Your score: 3

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

How interested in learning more about HookLab and HookTab?

• 1 (YUCK!)
• 2 (not really)
• 3 (sorta interested)
• 4 (interested)
• 5 (YES!)

Your score: 4

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY, PRODUCTIVITY & THE BRAIN)

How interested in learning more about music theory and song analysis?

• 1 (YUCK!)
• 2 (not really)
• 3 (sorta interested)
• 4 (interested)
• 5 (YES!)

Your score: 2

STUDIO (SONGWRITING)

How interested in songwriting, song structure, and music production?

• 1 (YUCK!)
• 2 (not really)
• 3 (sorta interested)
• 4 (interested)
• 5 (YES!)

Your score: 4

CONTROL ROOM (RECORDING & MIXING)

In this room I watched Clark Eagling: Soundtrap tutorial 5 – Arranging the song, Mixing and adding effects and kind of experimented a little bit in soundtrap.

How interested in recording, engineering (sound effects, EQ), and mixing?

• 1 (YUCK!)
• 2 (not really)
• 3 (sorta interested)
• 4 (interested)
• 5 (YES!)

Your score: 5

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

I learned about string muting and I learned some new songs on my guitar. Some problems I solved were organizing my homework and getting it all done in time!

Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness. – Maya Angelou

SUMMARY

My summary of this blog is that I think I learned a lot of new and fun things this week!

PRACTICE ROOM (TUTORIALS)

• https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/major-scale-pattern-1-im-113
• I watched this video that was about major scale patterns and it was super helpful!

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

This video explained a lot about the history music and why we do things a certain way. It was really cool to hear all the examples of different kinds of music from around the world and how they are all similar in certain ways.

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

These videos helped a lot with trying to figure everything out on hookpad especially because it is so much different compared to soundtrap. I loved these videos and I think they are so helpful and I am happy there are multiple and not just one or two!

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY & THE BRAIN)

Watching this video made me think a lot. I love that she was saying that you can be creative but you don’t have to be the best that has ever been. It was also really interesting to hear all the different stories of how other amazing creators explain how ideas comet to them. I thought that this video was very inspiring.

STUDIO (SONGWRITING)

Melody Composition Terms

• Theme –  A longer, more flowing melodic idea.
• Motive – A short, rhythmic idea.
• Period – Eight measures of music.
• Phrase – A set of four measures of music.
• Antecedent (Question) Phrase – The first phrase of music.
• Consequent (Answer) Phrase – The second phrase of music. 
• Scale Degrees
  • Tonic – The note that determines the key of the melody.
  • Supertonic, Mediant, Submediant – Scale degrees with a moderate level of tension.
  • Dominant, Subdominant, Leading Tone – Scale degrees that create a high level of tension in the melody.
• Steps – Any movement using whole or half steps.
• Leaps – Any movement using intervals larger than a whole step.
• Conjunct motion –  A melody built primarily out of steps.
• Disjunct motion – A melody built primarily using leaps.
• Repetition – The use of repeated material to create a link between the two phrases of a period.
• Contrast – Two phrases that contain contrasting material to create tension and interest.
• Variation – Halfway between repetition and contrast. Both phrases include familiar and varied material. 

Melody Resources

Mr. Le Duc’s Key of C Major Notes and Chords Chart (PDF)

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVE

Some things that I learned today was different things about scales, things about the ancient times, and so much more! Some problems I solved today were how to manage what homework to get done first. It has helped me a lot!

“Day 092/366 – To Do List” by Great Beyond is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Your toughest work is defining what your work is! –  Peter Drucker

SUMMARY

• Write your weekly summary here, last, at the end of the week…
  • Only one to two sentences of WHAT YOU DID
• DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

PRACTICE ROOM (TUTORIALS)

In this ‘room’ you are going to try Getting Things Done (GTD).

STEP 1: MAKE A LIST

• French: Two page worksheet
• History: I have to read 3 articles and answer 13 questions about the articles
• School of Rock: Finish last weeks blog post
• Literature: Weekly writing assignment
• Math: Homework check, last weeks assignment, desmos assignment and kami assignment

STEP 2: NOTICE WHAT YOU NOTICED

• History: Due Thursday after class
• French: Due Thursday at 11:59 pm
• Math: I have a lot of over due things and new things are due Thursday
• School of rock: Due as soon as possible
• Literature: Due Friday

STEP 3: SET A TIMER

1. Set a timer for your first task
   1. Decide how long you think it will take before you start
2. Start working
3. Repeat this process for 45 minutes for as many tasks as you can complete, then take a 15-minute break
   • Get up and get a drink of water
   • Get up and go for a walk
   • Every 20 minute blink your eyes 20 times while looking at least 20 feet away
     • This is good for your eyes

Start steps 1 through 3 again, repeat for your school day

OUTSIDE (PRODUCTIVITY & THE BRAIN)

• Set a timer
• Spend up to 20 minutes in this ‘room’
• Watch the first 30 seconds of this Oct. 2020 interview with David Allen

• Reflect on GTD and getting to the top of the colorful list above for a minute
  • How can the GTD process help you tame the crazy-busy dragon of modern life?

• Then, go for a 15-minute walk, if it is safe to do so
• Write a few sentence reflection
• DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

OPTIONAL EXERCISE – Literally, read the article and go for another walk 🙂

“I coach C-suite executives and rising stars from the earliest startups to Fortune 100 companies. My passion is to help ambitious leaders achieve their full human potential.”  – Read more about Katia…

• Set a timer
• Spend up to 15 minutes reading…
  • FastCompany Magazine article about Katia Verresen’s techniques and GTD, https://www.fastcompany.com/3026827/the-brain-hacks-top-founders-use-to-get-the-job-done
• Then, go for another 15-minute walk, if it is safe to do so
• DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

• Write only a few sentences of WHAT YOU LEARNED
• In one or two sentences, describe a PROBLEM YOU SOLVED
• DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

WEEKLY ACTIVITY EVALUATION

• Give feedback on this week’s class Content and Process
  • Fill in the Weekly Activity Evaluation
• DELETE THIS WHOLE SECTION, AFTER YOU ARE DONE