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Song Writing for Children
This web site has song-writing help for children who are
beginners in creating their own songs. It is intended to be used
by a student or to be used by a parent or teacher to help a child
create a song or composition. Some students may be able to read
music and perform beyond a beginning level but have not developed
a thorough understanding of the music they play. These suggestions
are intended to help students develop the missing musical skills
that will allow them to move ahead musically as well as to create
their own music.
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Suggestions for students who have acquired more advanced
skills are in Music
Composition, Help for Students with Good Basic Skills. The
age of children who have reached this level of understanding
would vary according to their previous musical experiences. This
page does not teach skills but offers reminders of musical devices
the student already understands that can be used to create an
effective composition. You will be able to tell whether the child
is ready for Music Composition, Help for Students with Good Basic
Skills by whether the child understands what a question-answer
phrase is and can echo back a short pattern; by whether the child
can create his own simple question-answer phrase; and by whether
the child understands the terms used in this page.
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The pages listed above offer explanation and musical examples
for students who do not already understand these ideas from their
lessons and music they have performed. Since music is an aural
experience, play the MIDI files and examples to hear phrase construction,
form, meter and tonality.
Writing a song is a wonderful teaching device to help children
understand music. The student’s level of understanding of
music becomes apparent as they create a song. It is a fun experience,
if it is approached as an “experience” and not an assignment.
A song can be created quickly or reworked over a period of time
according to the child’s interest.
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The Reward is the Song
A child
who has created a musically satisfactory song has the reward
in the song itself. Each song the child creates shows his developing
understanding. As the student advances, he can add harmony and
use more complex forms. He gains more command over his own musical
understanding and performance as he uses what he knows.
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Use Intuitive Skills Plus Musical Understanding
Some students can intuitively
make interesting musical creations without formally knowing things
such as ABA phrases, form, understanding question-answer phrases,
meter or harmony. Their level of development and talent and experience
in listening and performing music has allowed them to hear what
sounds musical. They know it without giving it a label by experimenting
with improvisation and creating their own music through improvisation.
A student who is relying on his intuitive musical skills
should take a look at what musical devices he has used. Putting
it on a page, whether writing it on staff
paper with a pencil or using a computer
to notate it, lets the student develop his ideas further. Writing
it down helps the student to further explore what he knows about
music.
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Why Make Songs
These
suggestions in the web pages listed below are for those students
who want to create songs and just don’t know quite where
to start. They may need to develop a greater understanding of
the music they play at lessons. Even very simple tunes are organized
in a meter and have a defined tonality. Form is present in the
simplest melody that children play and sing.
If they did not catch the idea of how
the scales they play are related to the music;
if they did not catch the idea that the steady beats of their
songs move in groups of 2’s or 3’s;
if they did not catch the element of repetition in the songs
they play;
if they did not catch the idea that phrases can ask a musical
question and another one can make it sound answered and completed,
making even simple songs will help
them hear these elements in the music they play. It will also
help them to be able to perform more easily and more musically.
These suggestions are not intended to be used as a formula.
Get the child or student to listen to any song they are playing
in their lesson and look at these elements in even the simplest
song:
The musical
analysis check list, can be effectively used for the easiest
beginning song to a more advanced one. Even the youngest child
should understand the musical qualities used in the music he
plays. Print the musical analysis check list and circle the factors
of melody, rhythm, form etc. in each solo you are playing.
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