SONG MAPPING
Week 9
Come to Hawaii
Let it surprise you
Let it surprise you
Let it surprise you
Hawaiilet it surprise you!
Come to Hawaii
Let it surprise you
Let it surprise you
Let it surprise you
Hawaiilet it surprise you!
SONG MAPPING
What is Song Mapping?
Song Mapping is a technique for laying out/analysing the plot, or
development of ideas, section by section.
It allows you to see/plan where the song will start, develop, and
end.
It also ensures that each section focuses on one main idea.
It also allows you to see/plan how your sections will relate to
the central idea contained in the hook/chorus/refrain.
Song Listening
One More Dollar, Gillian Welch
The Neighbor Song, Lake Street Dive
Extra:
The Bed Song, Amanda Palmer
When I Lay Down, I Lied, Janis Ian
Song Mapping Exercise
Take the given title: The river always runs.
Brainstorm as many different possible stories or ideas of what this song could be about.
Pick one, and elaborate on it. Write a paragraph that tells the story.
Brainstorm a list of river related words.
Brainstorm rhymes for runs (or simply run)
Divide the idea into 3 sections, and write a sentence that summarises the content of each
section. Use one of the Mapping Strategies.
Write down a few lyric ideas for each section:
Make sure to include at least one river or run word
Have the Refrain at the end of each section
Try to rhyme the refrain line
Strategy 1 - Change the Point of View
For example:
1.
2.
3.
She did this
He did that
They did this
As in: Eleanor Rigby, by The Beatles
Or:
1.
2.
3.
You
Me
Us
Verse 1 - YOU
You were gone in a flash
With a boom and a crash
The dust filling up the air
You were standing in the frontline
Living and breathing
You had been standing right there
CHORUS
CHORUS
You used to visit me in my dreams
Not a ghost, barely a memory
I could hear you calling me
But time is seeping in
Flooding up the basement
And our voices are underwater
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,
We all fall down
Verse 2 - ME
My nights are full of blood and bone
Full of mud and moaning
A shot with no precision
I can hear the bullets raining
I can hear the rain is strafing
But its all a fading vision
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,
We all fall down
Verse 3 - US
CHORUS
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,
We all fall down
Strategy 2: Move Through Time
For example:
1.
Past
2.
Present
3.
Future
As in:
One More Dollar, by Gillian Welch
The River, by Bruce Springsteen
Strategy 3 - Increase The Risk/Conflict/Tension/Stakes
For example:
1.
Trying really hard
2.
Taking a big risk
3.
Dont know whats going to happen
As in: The Climb, by Miley Cyrus
Strategy 4 - Zoom Lens In/Out
For example:
1.
Describe the exterior world around a character
2.
Describe the internal world of the characters state of mind
3.
The consequence, choice, challenge, or conundrum faced by the character
As in:
See The World, by Gomez;
The Day Before the Day, by Dido.
TITLES: Two Types of Titles
1. DNA Titles
2. Parasitic Titles
DNA titles are titles that inherently contain
potential for song development in an of
themselves. The ideas will pop out at you
immediately. Often this is because the title
contains an image. These titles grab and hold
our attention by themselves.
Parasitic titles dont contain information in
and of themselves that will necessarily imply
song ideas to you. They depend entirely on
the verses to make sense of them, and to give
them a context in which they become
interesting.
Cherry Lane
Lost and Found
Here Comes the Hurricane
Sugar High
Mixed Tape
I Dont Know Why
And They Do
All I See is You
In the early rush of morning
Trying to get the kids off to school
One hanging on my shirttail
Anothers locked up in her room
And Im yelling up the stairs
Stop worrying about your hair, you look fine
Now theyre fighting in the back seat
And Im playing referee
Now, someones got to go
The moment that we leave
Now everybodys late
I swear I cant wait til they grow old
AND THEY DO
Thats how it is
Its just quiet in the morning
Cant believe how much you miss
All they do
And all they did
You want all their dreams they dreamed to come true
AND THEY DO
Southern stars at night
Stretch across the skies
They blossom like sweet magnolias
In diamond points of light
Beauty so rare
But I dont care
ALL I SEE IS YOU
Examples courtesy of Pat Pattison
END TRI ASSESSMENT
Assessment 2 End-Trimester Submission
Students will submit their two Original songs using the Song Modeling
techniques in Demo form (Vocal plus accompaniment) as an .mp3 or .wav file,
as well as a simple Lead Sheet (notated Chords and Melody) and Lyric sheet as
.pdfs. One song will be modeled from a song chosen by the lecturer; the
second song is selected from examples reviewed in class. Each work must
be accompanied by a 200-400 word report, outlining the relationship of the
original song to its parent song as well as an .mp3 copy of each parent song.
END TRI ASSESSMENT
LECTURERS CHOICE: Why Georgia, by John Mayer.
Song Modelling Tools and Techniques
LYRIC EMULATION
Type of language (4 Dimensions)
Section form (rhyme scheme; rhyme type; number of lines; length of
lines; rhythm of lines)
Song form
Song mapping
Hook placement and development
Other observations about how language is used
NB: Not what the song is about.
Song Modelling Tools and Techniques
HARMONY EMULATION
Chord progression
Role of tonic
Harmonic rhythm
Contrast between sections
Ghost method harmony
EMULATION vs GHOST METHOD
Song Modelling Tools and Techniques
MELODY EMULATION
Melodic contour
Melodic rhythm
Note emphasis (pitch, duration, rhythm, strong beats)
Notable intervals
200-400 word report
TIPS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Not just analysis of Parent song, but specific reference to Original songs.
Refer to specific techniques covered in class, for each category: Lyrics, Melody, Harmony,
as well as Song Form and Structure.
Not just overall analysis of song, but refer to development techniques (ie, how does the
songwriter achieve contrast between sections, or spotlight important moments or
ideas).
Focus on what is important and characteristic to the particular song.
The best feedback I could give you is: I can clearly hear or perceive the tools and
techniques used from the Parent Song, to create a work that is original and creative in its
own right.
Homework
1. Pick your own song choice for the End Tri assessment.
2. Create a Song Map analysis.
3. Sketch out some lyric ideas that use the Song Map
techniques of the Parent to help guide your own lyric
development.
4. Bring to class next week for review.
