Young Students Composition Project (Part 4)

Here are a few more compositions to share with you. If you like the compositions featured in these series of articles, you are most welcome to try them out and create your own accompaniment of the piece for the piano.

The composition below was submitted by Seow Yin Ze whose other composition was featured in the previous article. Quite an interesting and creative title given to this song that reflects the melancholic mood in the way it was composed and to be performed.

An analysis of this piece:
- Composed in A Minor scale (relative minor of C Major scale).
- Some parts of the melody is harmonized with a note that is an interval of a third below the melody. Intervals of 3rds and 6ths are consonant intervals commonly used to harmonize a melody.
- The chord progression uses four chords, moving from Am - G - F - E for the duration of one bar each.
- There are folk songs and pop songs of different genres that use this chord progression, either for the entire song or for part of the song (perhaps in the A section where the main verse is).

Melancholy means sad, depressed, miserable. Therefore, it is obvious that the piece must be performed in a slow (adagio) and melancholic style.

Below is the recording of this piece as performed by Yin Ze.

  

Yin Ze did submit another composition but this composition bears some resemblance to his younger sister's composition titled "WISHES" that was featured in Part 1 of this series of articles. It is obvious that being in the same household, siblings can get influenced by each other.

Likewise, in the professional world, it also happens. Haven't you experienced hearing a song and telling yourself that you have heard another song that sounds somewhat similar? Though not entirely from start to end as it would mean an infringement of another composer's work, but some parts sound similar.

Analysis of "HAPPY DAYS":

- AABA form

- Composed in C Major scale.

- Simple triple time signature.

- Using chord I (C) & V7 (G7) only.

In simple triple time, it is obvious the accompaniment will be in the style of a waltz. Listen to Yin Ze's performance of his composition below.

Young Students Composition Project (Part 3)

Continuing with the primary school students composition project, here are a few more to share. The following piece was submitted by Tan Jia Rou of Peng Hwa primary school.

Analysis of Jia Rou's composition:
- This piece is 8 bars long.
- Composed using C Major scale.
- Begins with a 2-bar motif in Bars 1 & 2.
- Bars 3 & 4, and Bars 5 & 6 is a further development of the original motif.
- Interestingly, the motivic development in Bar 3 is not a direct transposition (up a step) of the motif in Bar 1 as one would normally expect.

The following composition below was submitted by Seow Yin Ze (who submitted two compositions).

Analysis of Yin Ze's composition:
- ABAC form, each 4 bars in length.
- Bars 1 - 4 and Bars 9 - 12 has the same exact melody and chords.
- Bars 5 - 8 offers some continuity in sound as the melody in Bar 5 begins with the notes on Beats 3 & 4 in Bar 4.
- The melody and chords in Bars 13 -16 sounds surprisingly refreshing

Click play and listen to the recording that Yin Ze did of his composition below.

 

There will be more compositions featured in next week's postings. After which, I will begin a series of articles on what to do and what not to do when composing.

Young Students Composition Project (Part 2)

In this second part, let's look at the following students' compositions submitted. "The Adventure Land" was composed by Year 5 student, John Low of Peng Hwa primary school.I hope that students looking at this post will be able to learn some composition techniques as used by the students in our CSR Music Outreach Program.

Let us study some features of the composition:

- The song is composed in C Major.
- Bar 1 & 2 is the main motif of the melody. It is a 2-bar melodic idea.
- Bar 3 & 4 is the development of the motif. It is also 2 bars long.
- Notice that the rhythm of the 2-bar melody in Bar 1 & 2  is the same as in Bar 3 & 4.
- The original motif is transposed a major 2nd down in Bar 3 & 4.
- Bar 5 & 6 continues with the same pattern of notes but goes back to the sound og the original motif in Bar 1 & 2.
- Bar 7 & 8 ends the A section of this piece with a perfect cadence of chord V (G) in Bar 7 and chord I (C) in Bar 8.
- The bridge of the song (section B) in Bar 9 begins with a new motif. But, notice that the melody used is the same as in Bar 6.
- The use of some chromatic notes from Bar 9 - 12 is a great idea instead of just using notes diatonic to the C major scale. It sounds more interesting.
- The last 4 bars of the piece is the same as Bar 5 - 8.
- Play this piece on the piano (or your principal instrument) to hear the flow of the music and connection between the phrases to appreciate it.

The composition below is by Chloe Tan, another Year 5 student of Peng Hwa primary school. This piece like the one above comes with an arrangement for the piano. Let's look at the features of Choloe's composition.

- It is a 24 bar form in C major.
- The original motif is just 3 notes (E D C) as in Bar 1.
- The development of the same motif is continued in Bar 2, written just one note higher.
- The opening phrase is a 4-bar phrase.
- The next 4 bars (Bar 5 - 8) is similar with the first 4 bars (Bar 1 - 4) except for Bar 8.
- The bridge (B section) from Bar 9 - 16 begins with a new motif in bar 9.
- The original melody returns from Bar 13 onwards.
- One interesting feature of Chloe's composition is that the last two bars of every 4-bar phrase is quite similar.
- Notice that Bars 3 & 4, 7 & 8, 11 & 12, 15 & 16, 19 & 20, 23 & 24 sounds similar. This gives the entire composition a 'sound connection' throughout.
- The best way to appreciate this composition is to play it on the piano.