ANOTHER WAY OF BEGINNING COMPOSING
Both of the two composing programmes and the notes based on them are concerned with
making sound pictures based on stories. It is also possible to make music based on more
abstract ideas, rather like making patterns.
Start by finding some sounds and sorting them into groups. For example, you could collect
together some short, high sounds, some short low sounds and some long sounds. As
examples, a beat on a wood block and a finger click are short, high sounds; a drum beat
and a stamp on the floor are short, low sounds and shaking a maraca or singing “oooh”
are long sounds.
Choose three or four of the sounds to put together into a small package – for example,
two short high sounds followed by a long sound. We shall call this a phrase. Almost any
phrase will be a good one to work with.
It is important to remember that all the sounds appear in silence and are separated by
silent spaces, and that silence will also be part of the music.
Listen to your phrase. Try it out in different ways: louder, slower, played on slightly
different instruments. Discuss the phrase and decide how it works best. This is going to
be the basic building block for your music.
A simple way to extend your music is to use the phrase as the basis of a repeating
pattern. You may make more interesting patterns by including mirror versions of the
original phrase, such as playing it backwards, or replacing high sounds with low.
Working with only one basic building block will help ensure that your piece of music will
have a sort of unity and meaning.
But you don’t necessarily want all your music to be
the same. So, after a while, bring in some new material which contrasts with your original
ideas.
For example, having made up a section of one type of music, choose a new and different
phrase and make up a new paragraph of music that sounds very different from the first.
Then play the first paragraph again to make a sort of sandwich.
HOW DO WE APPRAISE THE MUSIC?
To begin with, ask about what the pupils have heard and the sequence of sounds; this
tests listening, memory and descriptive skills.
Then ask their opinion on specific questions of analysis and appraisal. This is addressed
by such questions as: “did the music come to a good ending?” or “was there a good
contrast between the different sections?”.
Then ask pupils for their personal opinion of music, but ensure they give reasons for the
preferences.
In general, a good principle to apply when evaluating aspects of the music being produced
is that there aren’t right or wrong sounds and use of sounds, but there are better or worse
choices.