Foundations
What is the part of a song you usually hum or sing along with?
melody
If your key is A minor, what is the third degree of the chord?
What is the home note or tonic?
C
A
What is the first step when creating a chord progression?
Choosing a key
Give two reasons why repetition is useful in melody writing.
Makes the melody catchy and easier to remember.
When you are mixing music, what instruments should be panned and should not be panned?
Panned - hi-hats
not panned - kick, snare
Which scale degrees are used to build a basic chord?
1, 3, 5
What is the type of the chord commonly used for brighter, happy-sounding melodies?
Major chord
What is the definition of syncopation?
When the rhythm is placed on off-beats of the pulse or the tempo.
Name one way to add variety to a motif (a melodic phrase) without losing the original feel.
4 bars
A bassline is built using what note of the chord?
1st
What is the purpose of leaving space or rests in a melody?
to avoid overcrowding, overcomplication, and give the listener a break
Who is a famous rapper who rapped about seizing the moment and overcoming adversity to achieve your dreams?
Eminem
What's one benefit of using chord inversions in your progression?
What are the three types of rhymes when creating lyrics?
Internal, external, slant
1) What is the catchy or repeated section of a song?
2) (Bonus) What is another word for the catchy or repeated section of a song?
1) Chorus
2) Hook
What are the following chords if you're in the key of C Major?
4-1-6-5
When creating a verse, name 3 tips to keep in mind.
1) use internal rhymes
2) try slant rhymes on top of perfect rhymes
3) let it build to the chorus
4) usually AABB, ABCB
5) try to incorporate storytelling
What is the purpose of mastering a track?
to polish and optimize it for commercial release and consistent playback across various devices and formats
What is the definition of a slant rhyme?
Words don't rhyme exactly, but they sound similar
What is the term for a repeating short musical idea?
Motif
What is it called when you align the timing of notes or audio clips (usually after recording them manually) to a predefined grid?
Quantization
When creating a chorus, name 3 tips to keep in mind.
1) use external rhymes
2) make it easy to chant or sing
3) catchy, memorable, main message
4) usually AAAA format
5) keep it simple and repetitive
Name four types of rhyming schemes.
AABB, ABAB, AAAA, ABCB
What are the four types of rap that we went over in our rap unit?
old-school, modern, storytelling, battle rap