KEY STAGE 3

ALBUM C MPETITI N
THE BRITISH SCHOOL TASHKENT
C MBINING CREATIVITY:

ENGLISH - Writing Lyrics

ART / DESIGN - Album Cover Design

MUSIC - Composing Music

TECHNOLOGY - Incorporating IT
Do you have the skills?
 COMPETITION

Design an Write, compose &

Album Cover Produce a Song/Rap

Students will need to create album Students will write lyrics for a song or
covers. rap , this will be covered in english.

The best covers will be used on the They will compose and produce their
final album. song / rap using Soundtrap.

To be covered in as part of your art. The top 10 tracks will make it onto the
final album.
THE ALBUM
2020 - IN ISOLATION

- All year 8 & 9 students will be working towards a

BST music album.

- During this strange situation of isolation and

quarantine, our album topic and title will be ‘In
Isolation’.

- Your track theme and album cover should match

this topic.
Album Cover
RESEARCH & PLAN

- Research some album covers for inspiration.

- Sketch out your own ideas before deciding

on the best one.

- How do your ideas relate to the topic of the

album? The album title is ’In Isolation’.
MAKING YOUR
TRACK
THEME / TITLE
WHAT WILL YOUR TRACK BE ABOUT?

- Before you can start writing your lyrics or music you

must choose the theme of your track.

- The theme must be related to the album’s topic/title, ‘In

Isolation’. Being in isolation or quarantine.

- How has being isolated from others affected you and

your life?

- Be creative, some ideas could be: Being lonely; eating

too much; having loads of time to play games; learning to
juggle; getting bored; annoying your parents…………

BE CREATIVE!
GENRE / STYLE
WHAT STYLE OR GENRE WILL YOU CHOOSE?

- Deciding on your style or genre is important to do

at the beginning, because it can affect everything
else.

- You should choose a style which you enjoy (it will

be more fun). If you listen to a specific artist,
musician or group, maybe you could so something
similar?

- Your choice will affect how you write your lyrics,

how fast your music will be, how you make your
beat, what instruments you use and so much more…

THE BRITISH SCHOOL TASHKENT

 SONGS ARE
ABOUT
EMOTIONS!!!
-A song has to have emotion so pick a common theme perhaps:

Love Sadness Anger

Betrayal Loneliness

-Or attach an emotion to an object-place-or thing.

COMMON LYRIC IDEAS-
THE HOOK

Find a hook line that is repeated several times in the song particularly in the chorus.

Check these out:

‘I am the one and only’

‘clap along if you feel like a room without a roof’
‘We will, we will rock you’
'All you need is love’
RHYME HELPS THE RHYTHM
Great songs tend to use rhyme
Separate sections- a verse and then a chorus

Common rhyme patterns are:

AABB
ABAB
WHEN RAPPING…
RAPPERS USE THE BELOW TO CREATE RHYTHM IN THEIR WORDS

Use repeated sound devices:

Alliteration- isolation’s icicle.

Assonance- try to light the fire.

Sibilance- she sells sea shells.

Repeated suffix- lying, thinking and singing into the gloom.

Plosive sounds- B, P, T and D

Big bad dude treading on my shoes

Rymes and half rhymes

STRUCTURE
HOW WILL YOU STRUCTURE YOUR TRACK?

Music is always composed (or built) with sections, just like a

building. The sections important for your lyrics are:

Chorus: This is the main section of your track. The words should be
catchy, a ‘hook’ that highlights the theme of your track.

Verse: These are all different, but will describe different aspects of
the theme. E.g. if your theme is about writing lyrics, verse ideas
could be: planning; getting ideas; writing; getting stuck / writers
block; completing; writing a great line that sticks in your head; etc…

Advanced Writing would also include:

Pre-Chorus: Most songs you listen to will include a pre-chorus,

usually 4 lines that can change or stay the same before every chorus.
This can work well for ‘building up’ the track into your main section.
THE BRITISH SCHOOL TASHKENT
EXAMPLE: SIMPLE STRUCTURE
y o u
b e r

us ld
Verse 1: 4 Lines em r
fo

l
m

ts. 8 m hou
e g

ica
Chorus: 4 Lines
R r i t i n
r e w .

es
a u s i c
m

in
Verse 2: 4 Lines

l
ery
Chorus: 4 Lines

bea or
Maybe you can

4
Ev
Verse 3: 4 Lines
copy the structure

fit
Chorus: 4 Lines (Repeated x 2) of a song/rap you
like to listen to?

THE BRITISH SCHOOL TASHKENT

EXAMPLE: COMPLEX STRUCTURE
Verse 1: 4 Lines Why not check how your
favorite songs are
Verse 2: 4 Lines structured, go to this
website and search for
Pre-Chorus: 4 Lines
the song / rap, you will
Chorus: 4 Lines see the lyrics separated
into its structure: This website also
Verse 3: 4 Lines shows you chords
used in the song.
Pre-Chorus: 4 Lines You could even
copy these if the
Chorus: 4 Lines https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/
mood or emotion of
the song is what
you want!
COMPOSING PRODUCING
WHAT MUSIC?
SOME DECISIONS BEFORE YOU CREATE

Tempo - How fast or slow is the music you want

to make?

Key signature - Will your song be major

(happy / excited) or minor (sad / angry)?

Instruments - What instruments or sounds

match the stye you want to make?

Structure - You should already have a structure

for lyrics, but will you have any instrumental
sections? Maybe after each chorus? Intro? Outro?
Bridge?
 “Have you completed the
‘Making a Drum Beat’
assignment yet?”

TEMPO
& DRUM BEAT
A GOOD PLACE TO START!

- The tempo and drum beat can dictate the style of the music.

- Are you trying to copy the style of an artist or genre?

- Find a track that you like and copy the tempo and maybe even the drum pattern.
 Some Classic Drum Patterns to Try:

128 - 140 BPM 160 - 180 BPM

138 - 142 BPM 150 - 170 BPM

155 - 165 BPM 115 - 130 BPM

60 - 90 BPM
50 - 70 BPM
KEY & CHORDS
WHAT NOTES WILL YOU USE?
THE EMOTION OF THE MUSIC IS DECIDED HERE.

What mood or emotion do you want your song to

have? (major = happy, minor = sad or angry)
Either copy the chords used in a song or rap that you
think is similar emotionally or use the circle of fifths.
KEEP IT SIMPLE:
The best songs are often “Have you completed the
‘Circle of Fifths’
the simple ones! assignment yet?”
STRUCTURE / FORM
THE STRUCTURE OF MUSIC IS CALLED ITS ‘FORM’.

Your lyrics will have the main structure for your music to follow.

Instrument only sections can be added to help music develop,

evolve or just because it sounds cool! These could be:

Introduction: A short section before the song / rap starts.

Instrument solo or instrumental: These can come
anywhere, but often sound good after a chorus, especially for
dance music.

Listen to your favorite music and see if you can notice any sections
with no singing or rapping, how do they fit into the structure?

“Have you watched my

video on ‘How to
Structure Your Track’
yet?”
EXAMPLE: MUSIC STRUCTURE
Intro: 4 Bars
Why not check how your
Verse 1: 8 Bars favorite songs are
structured, go to this
Pre-Chorus: 8 Bars
website and search for
Chorus: 8 Bars the song / rap, you will
see the lyrics separated
Instrumental: 8 Bars into its structure: This website also
shows you chords
Verse 2: 8 Bars used in the song.
You could even
Pre-Chorus: 8 Bars
copy these if the
https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/
Chorus: 8 Bars mood or emotion of
the song is what
Outro: 4 Bars you want!
RECORDING YOUR VOICE
- Be confident and have fun - this is the most important thing!
- Using any device should be possible, phone, tablet, pad,
laptop or a dedicated microphone if you have one.

- It is easier to record straight into Soundtrap so you can do it

with the music, but use headphones so you are not
recording the music at the same time.

- Find a small room away from others where it is quiet.

- Rooms with carpet and curtains will be better for recording
(because they absorb sound).

- Remember you can take as many practice recordings as you

wish.

- Even the pros take lots of goes to get it right :)

MAKING THE SECTIONS
Each section should be slightly different to keep the track interesting.

Chorus (all the same): This is the main section, so the music should feel a bit more
energetic. Maybe a different chord progression and/or more instrument layers e.g. more
hi-hats or cymbals in the drums.

Verses (all the same): These can be more calm with simple instrument parts and
chord progression.

Other Sections: These can be anything you “Have you watched the
like and can depend on the style. Listen to the video in the ‘Structure
style of music you are making from other and Form’ assignment
artists to see how they create their music. yet?”
THE MIX DOWN
This is when the music producer checks everything!

- Are all your instruments at the correct

volume?

- More advanced students will use

‘Automation’, is this moving as you want?

- Will any of the channel effects need

changing?

“Have you seen my video

on ‘How to Mix Down’
yet?”