Workshop+Day+3

DAY 3: Form Follows Function
Content: This lesson builds upon skills obtained in the first two days' activities. In day 3, participants will analyze a song for form, noting chorus and verse passages, and add repeats and endings to their files to condense them.

Analyze the form of a song, identifying the verse, bridge, and chorus. Demonstrate the ability to add endings, first and second, codas, and repeats in order to condense a song. Demonstrate intermediate use of Finale Notepad for arranging music.
 * Objectives: ** Upon completion of this day's activities, participants will:


 * Schedule: **

9:00 – 9:20 Review Day 2 MIDI file arrangement 9:20 - 10:00 Form of the original song 10:00 – 11:00 Change the form of the MIDI arrangement 11:00 - 12:00 Lunch 12:00 – 12:50 Writing for percussion and drums 1:00 – 1:45 Splitting harmonies into separate parts 1:45 - 2:00 Complete critique of the day's activities


 * ACTIVITY ONE: ** Open MIDI file arrangement from Day 2 and review it, noting awkward phrasing and difficult passages. Analyze the parts according to the instrumentation you have inserted into the song, checking for balance and range of the horn. Listen to the song as you bookmarked it on youtube. Compare the structure (verse, bridge, chorus) to the structure on the MIDI arrangement. Decide how much and what portions will need to be cut from the song (traditionally the solo section and third verse) in order to condense the played portion of the song to 2.5-3 minutes. When you make your decision, defend the decision in a voki and post it to the Completed Assignments section under the heading "Condensing the MIDI."


 * ACTIVITY TWO: **Once the decision has been made, watch the lesson 6 screencast. Using the new knowledge, cut/paste and add repeats to create the format of the song for performance. When complete, save as (lastname_form) and post in the Completed Assignments section of the workshop.


 * ACTIVITY THREE: **How to write for drummers? Most band directors are not percussion majors. Drum parts are typically written for a bass drum, snare drum, and cymbal player, with any other drummers sitting quietly (yeah, right) on the sidelines waiting for their turn. It doesn't have to be this way. Using Finale, parts can be divided into as many as necessary in order to employ all drummers. Open a new Finale document and create an ensemble for six drummers: three lines for drum set and three lines for percussion. Using the drum part from the MIDI arrangement, separate the part into elements that six drummers can play at once and create the same feel. Save this as (lastname_drum) and post in the Completed Assignments page.


 * ACTIVITY FOUR ** : Occasionally, when converting a MIDI file to traditional notation, Finale will condense three harmonies into a piano staff. Separating the three parts into three separate elements can be done by using the copy/paste technique from lesson 6 and the eraser tool. Watch lesson 7 in the Workshop Resources section. Use the techniques highlighted in the screencast to separate divisi parts in the MIDI arrangement. Post comments on this technique in the blog [|"Divisi but Equal."]

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