Song Analysis: Springboard HE1
Analysed by___________________________________________________
Song Title_____________________________________________________________
First Line______________________________________________________________
Source
_________________________________page:___ __other verses: Y / N
[N.B. full information must be provided in the accompanying Bibliography]
Write out the song in stick notation in the box below and in staff notation overleaf
Please use one line for each phrase/sentence
Tone Set:
Solfa Range:
Time Signature:
Anacrusis: Y / N
Rhythmic Elements:
Form/Structure:
Melodic Elements (for Part 2):
Brief Game Description (if applicable)
[Please use one stave for each phrase/sentence]
Reasons for choosing this song/rhyme:
Additional Notes
GUIDELINES FOR STUDENTS: HE1 PART 1 & 2 SONG ANALYSIS
Analysed by Write your first name and surname on this line
Song Title
If the song has a title put it here.
First Line
Write in the first line of the song even if it is the same as the title
Source
Say where you found the song. If it is in a book write in the title of the book in which you found the
song. Give the page number and circle either Y for yes or N for No to indicate if the song has more
than one verse. If the song does not appear in print, say where you heard it and who taught it to
you. To say word of mouth or WOM is not sufficient information.
Bibliography
At the end of your song analysis collection you will have a bibliography of your sources for your
song material. You must have a minimum of three sources in your bibliography and must follow
the Roehampton format: Surname, Initials, Date, Title, Place of publication, Publisher
Write out the Song in Stick Notation here and staff notation overleaf
Students are encouraged to record their song analyses electronically using Sibelius or similar
software.
In the space below write out the song using the words, solfa and rhythm symbols
1. Write the time signature at the beginning of the first line only. NB: key signatures and clefs
are not used in stick notation and should not be included
2. Write down the rhythm of the song in rhythm notation (the sticks)
3. Write one phrase per line. This will help when analysing the form
4. Write the solfa letters of the melody immediately below the sticks
5. Write the words of the song underneath the solfa, splitting the syllables in each word with a
hyphen
6. Write in the bar lines as appropriate
Toneset
Write in the solfa names, using lower case letters, starting with the lowest and going to the highest,
of all the notes used in the song, e.g., d r m s
Solfa Range
Write in the solfa names of the lowest note and the highest note in the song, e.g., d s
Time Signature
The time signature is shorthand for the number of beats in a bar and the length of each beat. E.g.
in 3/4, the 3 denotes three beats in every bar and the 4 represents a crotchet, i.e. there are 3
crotchets in every bar.
Anacrusis Y / N
An anacrusis is a note or group of notes that come before the first beat of the first bar. If the song
begins on the first beat in the first bar of music there is no anacrusis, therefore circle N for no. If
the song starts with an upbeat(s) - an anacrusis - before the first complete bar of music then circle Y
for yes.
Rhythmic Elements
The rhythmic elements will be values that feature in the song, e.g. ta, ti-ti, crotchet rest. Write
them here in stick notation.
Form/Structure
Understanding the form of the song is being able to recognise where musical phrases stay the
same, when they repeat in a varied form and when the musical material is completely different.
Traditionally, upper case letters are used to describe each musical phrase. For example, the
structure of Hot Cross Buns is A A B A – ie, the first 2 phrases and the last have the same melody,
but the third phrase has a different melody.
Melodic Elements
The melodic elements will be short melodic motifs that can be extracted and used for teaching
purposes, e.g, s m or d' l s or m r d, etc. This is a requirement only for the 20 songs analysed in the
second half of the course.
Brief Game Description (if applicable). If there is a game associated with this song, this is the place
to describe how it is played. Please only use the space allocated on the analysis sheet.
ON THE REVERSE SIDE OF THE ANALYSIS SHEET
Writing out the song in staff notation
Here are five lines of staves on which to write out the song in full musical notation.
1. First of all, write the treble/G clef at the beginning of every line.
2. Secondly, write the key signature*, if there is one, after the clef, at the beginning of every
line.
3. Then, on the first line only, write the time signature after the key signature.
4. Write one phrase only on each line. The end result needs to be legible, and this will be
helpful in analysing the form of the song.
5. Ensure that the syllable of each word fits accurately below the note to which it will be sung.
When words have more than one syllable, split the syllables with a hyphen.
* Unless you are writing in the key of C major/a minor there will be a key signature requiring the
symbols for sharps [#] or flats [b]. E.g., G major/e minor has an F sharp [#] which is shown on the
top line of the stave, so that the line goes through the symbol; F major/d minor has a B flat [b]
which is shown on the third line with the line going through the symbol. Sharps and flats in a key
signature have a specific order that never changes. The first sharp is always F#, followed by C#, G#,
D# etc. For flats the first flat is always Bb, followed by Eb, Ab, Db etc.
PLEASE NOTE: If you are completing the form electronically you can remove the staves printed on
the page and replace them with your song written in Sibelius or other music writing program.
Reasons for Choosing this Song
Please be objective in your reasoning. It is not enough to say “This is a favourite with the children”
or “everybody likes this song”. Reasons for choosing might include the musical skills involved, if it is
a source for musical teaching material; is useful for a particular age group; the quality of the game,
the theme of the song; the possibility of cross-curricular links, etc. This is the element that will
make up the word count for this assignment. It is essential to limit your reasons to no more than
100 words for each song.
Additional Notes. Teaching activities (for example, ‘hearts and crosses’ pulse/rhythm pictures) are
neither ‘the game’ nor suitable reasons for choosing, but could be included as ‘Additional Notes’.