SONGWRITING
Songwriting is generally understood as a process of putting original lyrics to an original tune and/or accompaniment. However, it can also include putting original lyrics to a familiar tune and/or pre-recorded accompaniment. The nice thing is that you don't have to be a professional musician to write songs; regular everyday people have been writing songs since the beginning of time. Here are three types of songwriting that work with children.
New Lyrics for Familiar Tunes
Choose a familiar tune that everyone knows. Create new lyrics about what you are studying and put them to the tune. Try to preserve the rhyming patterns. With younger children, do this as a class. With older students, divide them into groups. An intermediate level is to give the students a template with spaces for words they can replace.
New Lyrics as Raps
Rap is much more than paired lines that rhyme at the end. Raps don't always rhyme. They also use alliteration, consonance, and assonance. Study some appropriate examples. Searh Youtube for instrumental backgrounds using keywords like "instrumental beat" or "rap/hip hop beat." You could also create your own grooves to accompany raps.
New Lyrics and Original Tunes
Create the lyrics and the tune together or in any order. Usually, songwriters simply write down the lyrics and remember the tune. Songwriters also sometimes begin with the accompaniment, to which they add lyrics and a tune. Use accompaniment instruments such as ukulele or guitar, develop a chord sequence, and then add the lyrics and tune. You can also use music software or pre-recorded
backing tracks" or "jam tracks" on Youtube.
New Lyrics for Familiar Tunes
Choose a familiar tune that everyone knows. Create new lyrics about what you are studying and put them to the tune. Try to preserve the rhyming patterns. With younger children, do this as a class. With older students, divide them into groups. An intermediate level is to give the students a template with spaces for words they can replace.
New Lyrics as Raps
Rap is much more than paired lines that rhyme at the end. Raps don't always rhyme. They also use alliteration, consonance, and assonance. Study some appropriate examples. Searh Youtube for instrumental backgrounds using keywords like "instrumental beat" or "rap/hip hop beat." You could also create your own grooves to accompany raps.
New Lyrics and Original Tunes
Create the lyrics and the tune together or in any order. Usually, songwriters simply write down the lyrics and remember the tune. Songwriters also sometimes begin with the accompaniment, to which they add lyrics and a tune. Use accompaniment instruments such as ukulele or guitar, develop a chord sequence, and then add the lyrics and tune. You can also use music software or pre-recorded
backing tracks" or "jam tracks" on Youtube.