A conventional vocal piece has the option of four voices.

The four parts are bass, tenor, alto and soprano

Vocal works need words. You may decide to use a poem that you can interpret or you may want to do a religious style of song. Either way you have to choose the lyrics that will fit your piece of music.

Deciding the Vocal style, here are some suggestions

• Choral
  
• Acapella
• Hip-Hop
• Experimental 

Working with your lyrics.

You will want to work out where you will add stress (accents) to your words. Also where you add melisma to your work. This is call Scansion, it is where you establish the meter (rhythm) to the text.

After you understand the meter and the rhythm of the words you may want to work on your melody. You may want to work around a simple accompaniment first or add the accompaniment after. Either way the melody will be what makes the vocal piece. To help the melody you may want to

• Add repetition
• Add ostinato
• Vary the register
• add vocal techniques such as vibrato

When you have your melody, think about the texture and how you can make your melody more interesting.

• Chords set to a repeated rhythm
  
• The use of Syncopation
  
• Contrasting rhythms in the bass, melody and harmony
  
• Unison texture
  
• Homophonic texture
  
• Polyphonic texture
  
• A solo part by a virtuoso (that basically shows off)
  
• Melody changes between voices
  

Structure

Most vocal pieces are in Strophic (song) form which is a typical ABA with the B a contrast of A. However some interesting ideas have come from through composed vocal pieces. 

Word Painting,

Where the lyrics and the words reflect the meaning of the song. For example using the word bright to change from Minor to Major. Or flying being modulated in a mordent or turn. In short the words reflect the music. 

Make it work


A three minute melisma part is not going to be able to be sung by anyone. They will pass-out before they finish the piece. So make sure your piece is not too tiring for the vocalists. They are not singing too high or making impossible pitch leaps that can affect the performance. If unsure find a decent singer and ask them if they could try it out for you.

Finish it nicely

Tempo, Dynamics, Articulations make sure you have added these and anything else that will make your piece sound spot on.

Deadline 13th November

The project is to compose a lullaby.

• A lullaby should be at a slow tempo.
  
• It should be on a an instrument of a soft timbre. 
• It should be Diatonic
  
• It should modulate from Major to Minor.
• It should be able to send my son to sleep. (only joking, he never sleeps) Calming and soft.
• Simple melody. 
• Simple chord structure.
• You can use http://www.hooktheory.com/hookpad/new to build simple ideas

Deadline 28th September

2 hours of Mozart's lullabies to inspire you.

Project 1 - Arrangement 3 weeks

Recreate an arrangement of the Dr who theme,

The complete score is available at the bottom of the page,

Some ideas fro your own arrangement

• Change key 
  
• Changes in tonality
  
• Change time signature
  
• Changing the register of the main musical ideas 
  
• Changing tempo 
  
• Adding more musical ideas to create a polyphonic version

However you must keep some of the crucial musical ideas

• Retain the distinctive melody
  
• and Retain the distinctive bass line
  

This is a video of the different musical arrangements of the Doctor Who theme through the ages. There are subtle changes almost nuanced especially during the 60's. The big changes come during the 80's and the modern era with the development of technologies having an effect on music

DEADLINE 31st AUGUST