How do you compose music?
Making up your own music is called compositionCreating or writing a piece of music.. People who write music are called composerA person who writes music..
When it comes to composing music or writing a song there are no set rules.
The important thing is that you enjoy creating it.
Grab an instrument, warm up your vocal chords and let's get to it!
What sounds can you make?
Sounds can be made in lots of different ways. Being able to find interesting sounds is an important part of being a composer. You can make lots of imaginative sounds using:
- your body
- your voice
- everyday items
These sounds are called found sounds.
To make sounds, you can
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We can use every type of material from wood, metal and stone - to plastic, paper and rubber.
Exploring sounds everyday objects make, or that can be found in everyday environments, is a fun way to start composing music.
Get exploring and see what items you can find around you, to make interesting sounds!
How do we set the scene?
Combining and layering sounds together is an important composing skill.
Imagine a scene and all the sounds that might be in it, such as a noisy restaurant. You might hear:
- the sound of cutlery on plates
- chairs moving
- waiters and customers talking
- glasses clinking
- music or a musician playing in the background
Close your eyes and imagine you are in a park. What sounds can you hear around you?
In a park you might hear:
- ducks quacking
- people splashing through puddles
- leaves rustling
- a swing squeaking
- birds chirping
- the wind blowing
Activities
Recreating sounds
Think of a place - can you recreate the sounds you might hear?
Use your own sounds, musical instruments or found sounds to create yoursoundscapeAll of the different sounds that help to create a sense of place..
You can ask family and friends to join in to help you!
Guess the sound
With a friend or family member take it in turns to close your eyes and guess what object the other is using to create a sound.
Think carefully about what object or materials they are using to make the sound? Is it made of wood, plastic, metal, paper, rubber or stone?
Quiz
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More on Creating Music
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