Reading Material in Art Appreciation

Music: The Art of Songwriting

Prepared by: Ramil “Plok” Chavenia
Professor, Bicol University, CAL

Introduction:

Hello dear students, Songwriting 101 or song composition is a continuation of the previously
discussed topics on rawitdawit writing and music elements. I assumed that after the reading and
discussion of the first two sub topics, you have already gained the basic skills and knowledge on writing
a rawitdawit or a poem, understand the elements of poetry and music and therefore ready to do the
task for another creative learning activity which the making of a song.

You will not be asked to make a full length song after the discussion but be ready to at least
come up a short creative work that can serve as starter and inspire you to finish a full length song later.
Before we formally start. I would like you to prepare your previously written rawitdawit on a bond paper
and maybe a pencil or a ballpen. We shall be using them in our musical activity. ARE YOU READY?

The Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)

On several lectures on songwriting, I am frequently asked by young composers this question:

Which comes first in songwriting… lyrics or the music? I usually answer them also with a question:
Which comes first… the egg or the chicken? Well, we have no definite answer for this dahil wala naman
na eksaktong formula sa pagsusulat ng kanta. Sometimes a songwriter may start the lyrics first then
isusunod niya na ang melodiya and vice versa and at times both lyrics and melody are being made at the
same time. Your output depends on the mood, inspiration, comfortability, capability, opportunity,
demands and other factors that interplay with the artist’s creativity.

In a recent online songwriting and mentoring session organized by Filipino Society of

Composers, Authors and Publishers Inc. (FILSCAP) in celebration of the OPM week held every last week
of July. Mr. Ryan Cayabyab, National Artist for Music, Seasoned OPM songwriter, composer and
arranger said that Songwriters are considered Journalists, historians or story tellers of their own times.
Meaning, for one to be able to write beautiful and sensible songs and music, one must be a good
observer and listener of his environment.

A. Let’s Talk About It

Lyrics of your song is not much a problem at this stage because you already have the
rawitdawit. Let us go to the process of transforming your material to a song form. As a beginner,
you can start by first, dividing your written rawidawit into measures. Let me give you an
example from the outputs of our previous students. This is a rawitdawit which directly tells a
story about the author’s friend and his charm for girls due to his talent in dancing and strong
personality. The rawitdawit is entitled “An Akon Tropa”
 An Akon Tropa
Ni Shaira Espiloy

(Line 1) Usad na gabi sa Masbate U/sad na ga/bi sa Mas/bate___/___

(Line 2) Igwan jutay na lalaki Ig/wan____/jutay na la/laki ____/_hu
(Line 3) Huna ko idto sya dwende na/ko___id/to siya ___/dwende/____
(Line 4) Barkada ko lang sa klase bar/kada ko/lang_ sa__/klase__/____/

You will notice that each line is divided into four (4) measures (a measure is enclosed by
two (2) bars “/ _____ /”. If we are going to add all the measures… the first stanza will have
16 measures. We can say that this is the formula for the most (if not all) popular music.
Assigning each section/stanza of a song into several groups of four measures is a common
practice among composers. Observe the choreographers, Dance and Zumba instructors,
Theater artists, PE instructors/trainors, etc. They usually count 1 to 8, 1 to 16 up to 32 and vice
versa. Our ears are conditioned, trained and used to this kind of popular music culture. The
ending of a section within a musical composition sounds predictable because of this rhythmic
and temporal distribution.

The bold/highlighted syllables received the first beat and the so called accent or strong
beat in a regular rhythm. The Jazz accent or syncopation has their own story (Do not add up to
your problem). If you will just follow how to pronounce the word in speaking, you will find it
easier to divide the lyrics into measures. In song rhythm, the natural flow or conversational
manner of speaking is an important concern that should be observed. Kung paano mo siya
sinasabi ay siya rin dapat gagawin mo sa hatian at distribution ng ritmo at diin ng silaba sa lyrics.

There are instances where composers do not follow the natural flow of rhythm in
songwriting. This is maybe because, the composer has other intention in altering the natural
flow of the lyric’s rhythm. Let’s visualize it in the lyrics of the song “An Akon Tropa”.

Regular Beat: /1 2 /1 2 /1 2 /1 2 /1 2

Lyrics: / __ u __ sad / __ na __ ga/ __ bi __sa /__ Mas __ba/__ te

The accented words in the regular beat in this illustration were altered as compared to
the division of accented syllable in the regular rhythm (See line 1 of An Akon Tropa). If you are
going to recite or read them, the accented beats (colored no.) are not synchronous to the
natural flow of accented syllable (sad, bi, ba). The strong or accented beat becomes weak, the
weak beat becomes strong.

Placing accent to a “supposed to be” weak beat gives a “bouncy-Feel-like” rhythm. It is

like the action of a bouncing body while skipping in a rope. The sound of the rope as it hits the
floor is the regular beat while the jumping is the accented beat.
B. Assigning Meter/Time Signature to Your Rhythm

Meter is the grouping of rhythm into beats of 2s, 3s, 4s and so on. The combination of
short and long sounding tones or silences into groups is divided by the so called bar.

Now that you have divided the lyrics into measures, the next thing that you can do is
to decide what meter or time signature is appropriate to the rhythm of your music, will it be in
duple (group of 2s), triple (in count of 3s), quadruple ( count of 4s), etc. One good thing that you
can try is to recite the lyrics in a natural way of saying it (as if you are in a conversation or telling
a story). You will notice that the way you say it, there is already a natural flow of rhythm that
suggests the type of meter appropriate for these words.

If you are going to say “Usad na gabi sa Masbate” do you think a triple meter or waltz
would be fitting. Try it yourself, count a regular 1,2,3 and try to say the line 1 with respect to the
accent and division of measures.

Beat: /1 2 3 /1 2 3 /1 2 3 /1 2 3 /

Lyrics: u/sad____ na ga/bi _____ sa Mas/bate ______/__________/

How did you find it? Now try quadruple meter. Count 1,2,3,4 and say the lyrics in time.

Beat: / 1 2 3 4 /1 2 3 4 /1 2 3 4 /1 2 3 4 /

Lyrics: u/sad____ na ga/bi _____ sa Mas/bate ______/__________/

How was it? Did you find it very natural?

If you are going to ask me, I would choose duple to be my time signature for this
line and for the whole stanza because of its natural flow of rhythm in the duple meter.

Let’s try it!

Beat: /1 2 /1 2 /1 2 /1 2 /

Lyrics: u/sad____ na ga/bi _____ sa Mas/bate ______/__________/

The use of the duple meter made the phrase “usad na gabi sa Masbate” more natural,
as if you are just saying it. Although the accented syllable did not change its placement on the
first beat in other meters, the natural flow of the lyric’s rhythm was affected by the number of
beats in the triple and quadruple meters. You seemed to wait a bit longer before the next word
or phrase can be said or sung.

There are instances wherein composers intentionally adopt meters which are quite
inappropriate to the natural rhythmic flow of the lyrics. This happens maybe because the
material is intended for another reason, like a commissioned work to write a supposed to be
duple meter music to triple beat because it will be used for a dance. Every composer/author has
the freedom to make a choice depending on the demands of his work.
C. Creating Your Melody

There are lots of ways to create melodies and there also lots of limitations in creating
your music. This is the stage of the creative process where the skills and knowledge of the
composer on music writing is revealed. Writing the Lyrics is more of a literary work and not
of a musical activity. The creation of a melody depends on the author’s exposure to his musical
environment, music literacy, experience and many other contributing factors. It is an advantage
if you can play at least one melodic or harmonic instruments that can assist you in melody
making (but don’t worry, there are composers who are gifted enough to make music even
without the aid of any instruments. Hope you are one of them).

What can we do to start the first tone or melodic phrase of your music? Well, again go
back to your lyrics, then try the following if it will work for you:

C.1. Melody from Chord

For those who know how to play the guitar, ukulele, keyboards or any other instruments
you can start by assigning chords first to your lyrics. Let’s do it to the lyrics of “An Akon Tropa”

Beat: 2 /1 2 /1 2 /1 2 /1

Chord: C
U/sad na ga/bi sa Mas/bate___/___
G
Ig/wan____/jutay na la/laki ____/_hu
G7
na/ko___id/to siya ___/dwende/____
C
bar/kada ko/lang_ sa__/klase__/____/

Now, I only used basically two chords (plus the G7) here and as I play them, I can already
hear melody from the tones of the chords I am playing. Try to do it yourself (if you can play)
and while playing, hum a melody following the rhythm of your lyrics. For those who can’t play,
still you can do this activity. Try humming two or three tones (based on the chord) and explore
the possible melody.
 Melody of songs are basically derived from the so called triad of a given chord. For
example, the C chord is composed of three tones namely C-E-G in the triad.

Fig. 1
C Chord

On line 1 of the song, I played the tone G for the first syllable and then repeatedly
played the tone C (root or home tone of the chord C) for the rest of the lyrics of line 1

Chord: C
U/sad na ga/bi sa Mas/bate___/___

Melody: G/C___C_C_/C_ C_ C__/C______/___

/___ __ __/__ ___ __/ ______/___

Direction: __

C and G are components tones of the C chords. On the first syllable “U” I assigned the
tone G and skipped to tone C for the second syllable “sad” and then repeatedly use the tone C
for the rest of the lyrics of line 1. Though C chord has three component tones (C-E-G) I only used
two tones (G & C) for line 1. It doesn’t mean that you have to use all the tones of the chords in
creating a chord-based melody. You can even use one tone only for your melody (it’s your
choice, it’s your work anyway). Do not be confused on the use of individual tone and the chord.
C, E, G are the individual tones, while combining these tones C-E-G create the chord.

Let us have a simple analysis of the melodic idea for line 1. It started from G skipping to
C, a leap of 2 more tones by skipping A and B (not in the triad of C chord). This melodic interval
is considered conjunct (discussed on the first topic) and then the rest are repetition of tone C.

We may opt to just copy the melody of line 1 and use it for line 2. At bar no. 7, tone or
melody may change because of the chord G with a different tone triad (G-B-D). The same
process of melody making for the lyrics can be done by choosing any tones from the G chord
(G-B-D), then as you change again the chord, do the same process until you finish the stanza.

When can you say that you are doing it right? Well, our ears are the best judge. If you
hear your tones and melody sounding good, then, that means you are doing it right (as far as
your judgment is concerned). Now, you can try doing this to the rest of the lyrics or
explore the fun of melody making using your own rawitdawit.

Do not limit your creativity in making melody using the chord. There are lots of
possibilities in making melody using this method. Reading and tutorials on chords are available
in youtube and other media. I encourage you to read and learn more about the “Family of
Chords” (https://rockguitaruniverse.com/guitar-chord-families/) to give you more ideas on how
 to use this method for making melody.

C.2. The “Word/Tone Painting” Technique

Masbate is an island province. You can reach the place either by plane or the commonly
used transportation…. the boat (big and small). When I used the repeated C for the first line of
the song “An Akon Tropa”, I was thinking of the sound of a motorized boat. The constant engine
revolution of the generator can be visualized by a repetition of sound or frequency especially in
a stable condition. This image is reflected in the melody of repeated C for the line “Usad na
gabi sa Masbate”.

During the renaissance and baroque period (early 15th to 16th century) Composers of the
madrigals (vocal polyphonic music) and instrumental works (particularly the baroque period)
utilized the musical technique in composition called “word painting” or “tone painting”. This is
the musical depiction of words in text wherein the music tries to imitate the emotion, action, or
natural sounds as described in the text. For example, an instrument might imitate the sound of
an animal mentioned, or if the text describes a sad event, the music might be in a minor key.
Ascending and descending scales can indicate the physical motion of a character or object in the
text moving up or down. (https://musicterms.artopium.com/).

This technique is still in use in the later period and even in the popular music genre. A
good example of this musical art form can be observed from the music entitled “Flight of the
Bumblebee” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (https://youtu.be/aYAJopwEYv8).

Can you visualize the swarm of bees while listening to this music? Even without the
words, the composer was able to create an imagery of bees by exploring the melody and sound
quality of instruments used by the orchestra.

The song “Pag-ibig Ko’y Pansinin” (https://youtu.be/FHQGA3gWANk) from the GMA

telenovela “Stairway to Heaven”, a Korean adapted TV series is also a good example of this
technique. The first line of the refrain part “langit ka lupa ako” depicts the hierarchy of the
words langit and lupa. The upward direction of the melody describes the “langit” while “lupa” is
assigned to a downward melodic direction. The use of tone or word painting can also be
explored thru other elements of music like tempo, dynamics and timbre.

D. Let’s Try It!

Let’s try applying the word/tone painting technique in the following phrases:

1. Mayon, orgulio kan Bicolano

What word in this phrase needs to be painted or illustrated?

Yes, the word “Mayon”, an almost perfect cone or triangle land form.
Now let us assign tones that would illustrate or describe the Mayon, but before that let us first
divide the phrase into measures in quadruple meter for purposes of this discussion. The phrase
is divided into 4 measures to compensate the natural flow of rhythm of the lyrics, and
remember, this is popular music where grouping of measures divisible by four is practiced.
 Beat: 2 3 4 /1 2 3 4 / 1 2 3 4 /1 2 3 4 /1
Lyrics: Ma_____ /yon ________ / __ orgulio kan Alba/ya____ no ____ / _

Note that the first syllable of the lyrics started on the second beat while the last
Syllable ended in the first beat. (This completes the four measure for the phrase.
Well that’s another topic for discussion on broken measures. My main objective
here is to let you understand how to divide phrases into measures and how to
create melody that can describe or illustrate the meaning of the lyrics).

Now, let us draw the triangle by assigning the tones going up and down.
__
__
__ __
__

Ma _______ yon __________ orgulio kan Albayano.

We have painted the word Mayon using ascending and descending tones.
Specific Tones are not indicated in the illustration because there are tone options that
we can choose from in creating the melody.

C
G (G)
E E
Option1: Ascending/Descending tones of the triad (chord) in C C
Tones in parenthesis can be deleted because low C, E and high C can already illustrate
a triangle or the Mayon.
C
E
D
Option 2: Stepwise/Skipwise Ascending and Skipwise Descending Tone: C C

Try singing/humming the tones. The idea here is to paint Mayon by using
Ascending and descending tones (well, choose good tones to make Mayon beautiful)

Let us try another one..

2. Buhok mong alun-alon

Divide into measures in duple time

Beat: 2 /1 2 /1 2 /1 2 /1 2 /

Lyrics: Buhok/mong___ alun/a________/lon ______ / ________ /

What word in the phrase is a description? Yes, the word “alun-alon”

 Let us draw the alun-alon na buhok.
_____
_______ __ ___
___ __ __
___ ___
Tone/Melody: C D E D C G E D E
Lyrics: Buhok /mong A lun /a_______ /lon_______

Illustration:

The use of close interval tones in upward and downward direction can illustrate
The word alun-alon, like C-D-E-D-C-G-E-D-E

In using this technique, do not be so literal, that all words be assigned with tones
that paint their meaning. Choose only words appropriate for the application, remember,
there are still other music elements that can be used to depict the meaning or idea of the
composition.

Now, with the chords indicated on the lyrics of the song “An Akon Tropa”?
Can you provide the rest of the melody for this song?
Let me give you an example of what I was able to compose.

C
U/sad na ga/bi sa Mas/bate___/___
G
Ig/wan____/jutay na la/laki ____/_hu
G7
na/ko___id/to siya ___/dwende/____
C
bar/kada ko/lang_ sa__/klase__/____/

With or without instrument, create a melody for this one-stanza lyrics. Explore
Possible melodic ideas which you think appropriate to the lyrics of the song. Try
Using 2-3 chords in your most comfortable range or keys.

Record your work in mp3 file then post them to our google classroom or send to my
BU gmail address (provided in the course guide). Attach a two-paragraph description of
your work and how you made it based on our discussion (written or audio).
E. The Form and Structure of your music

Like film and literary works such short stories, plays, teleserye, etc. Melody of your song
Must also work to develop a story line. Almost everything has beginning, a middle and an
ending, basically in three episodes or part. The middle can still be divided into sub-parts
(beginning middle, mid middle and ending middle) because this is where the story is being
developed. Let us simplify this structure for a lighter songwriter’s workload.

Form in music can be viewed as a work of a landscape artist arranging stones or plants
in various shapes and sizes. The artist may decide a design at his own preference or in
accordance to his client’s taste of landscaping or sometimes a collaboration of several minds.

In the popular music we call these materials for arranging as verse, refrain and/or
chorus as the main component while bridges and codas are sometimes added to add flavor to
the composition (this is aside from intros and outros which are equally important). In the
previous lesson you encounter the terminologies for form as Unitary or strophic represented by
Letters A-A-A. Binary or A-B-A-B structure, Ternary or with A-B-C melodic ideas
and the more complicated one we call Rondo with more than three component melodic ideas.

In the popular term, the abovementioned letters may represent the following:

Intro
A – Verse
B - Refrain/Chorus
D - Bridge
Outro

Do not forget that intros and extros are as important as the main melody.

Most of the folk songs have simple form of Strophic or A-A-A (Verses 1,2 3…) and so on.
There are also popular songs with this structure, but mostly are in the binary form or A-B
structure (Verse-Refrain or Verse-Chorus). This is so, because one of the characteristics of a pop
song must be something that could be easily memorize and sung by the end-users.

Let us briefly discuss each section of a song structure.

1. The intro

The Intro is the first section of a modern song's structure. This section sets the
core melody and introduces your listener to a sample of your song so that you can
make an emotional connection. Even though they're optional to have, song Intros
build anticipation for the main melody and allow your listeners to decide if they
want to hear to the rest of your song.

Some song Intros contain only music. Others are made from one or more bars of
the song's main note/sound. Then there are Intros that copy of other parts (like your
verse, chorus, or baseline). Some are simply your beat pattern or melody. You can
 even dedicate a few lines of your lyric as your Intro - sung or rapped "A cappella"
(i.e. without music) like the intro of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody which goes:

“Is this the real life, is this just fantasy

caught in a landslide, no escape from reality…….”

This is an example of an intro (in acapella) without copying any melody from
the main section of the song yet will get a listener’s attention because of its simple,
singable and beautifully crafted melody plus the exploration of other elements like
texture (polyphonic vocal music), timbre (a classical vocal production) and the
dynamics (appropriate softness and loudness of rendering the melody). For the full
description of the song the link is here: (https://youtu.be/fJ9rUzIMcZQ)

Rule: So when you think of the Intro, think of it as an appetizer for the rest of
your song or a "hello!"

2. The Verse

The Verse is the section of your song structure that shares your story. Your lyric
or poetry takes center stage in this section over your music. A Verse can be used to
describe a scene in your overall story (with each new Verse adding a new scene), or
each Song Verse can be used to tell its own story (supporting the overall theme of
your song). Each Verse is usually separated by a Refrain or a Chorus, forming the
basic song pattern "Verse-Chorus-Verse" (or A-B-A).

The “Leader of the Band” by Dan Fogelberg is a story thru a song about a father,
his sons and his music.

Verse 1 & 2 tells something about the profile of the father in the story, where he
came from and what he does. The verse also describe the fate of his father, his ups
and downs and most importantly his passion for music.

Verse 3 continued to tell their life story, but this time it mentioned about the
two other sons or the brothers of the one telling this story. It was revealed that they
have other interests or call so they separated ways.

In verse 4, the gratitude of a son and the acknowledgement of a father’s love

and compassion and especially the gift for music was expressed in the story. Let us
read the verses of the song.

An only child alone and wild, a cabinet maker's son

His hands were meant for different work and his heart was known to none
He left his home and went his lone and solitary way
And he gave to me a gift I know I never can repay
Verse 1 & 2
A quiet man of music denied a simpler fate
He tried to be a soldier once, but his music wouldn't wait
 He earned his love through discipline, a thundering velvet hand
His gentle means of sculpting souls took me years to understand

The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old
Chorus But his blood runs through my instrument and his song is in my soul
My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man
I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the band

My brother's lives were different for they heard another call

One went to Chicago and the other to St Paul
And I'm in Colorado when I'm not in some hotel
Living out this life I've chose and come to know so well
Verse 3 & 4
I thank you for the music and your stories of the road
I thank you for the freedom when it came my time to go
I thank you for the kindness and the times when you got tough
And papa, I don't think I said I love you near enough

The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old
Chorus But his blood runs through my instrument and his song is in my soul
My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man
I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the band

I am a living legacy to the leader of the band

3. The Refrain and Chorus

Choruses and refrains are not the same, but are related. Now the best way to
understand the relationship between the two is to remember these two important
points:
1. ALL Choruses are refrains...but NOT ALL refrains are choruses.
2. The word "refrain" applies to your song lyric, while the word "chorus"
applies to your song's music.

A Refrain is any line or group of lines that repeat several times in your song
lyric. Because they repeat, refrains are used to get listeners hooked to your song or
used to reinforce a point in your song's story.

Rule: When thinking of refrains, focus on what you want to say over and
over. A Chorus is the part of your song where all of your instruments,
singers or musical elements come together to play and/or sing in
unison. It's also the part of your song where you encourage your
listeners to sing along.

Rule: When thinking of choruses, focus on what you want to hear altogether.
 Songwriters use the chorus to repeat a common refrain from their lyric (the line
or group of lines you want reinforced the most). This is why all Choruses are
refrains...lyrically.

Read these lines from the song “Leader of the band”

The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old
Chorus But his blood runs through my instrument and his song is in my soul
My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man
I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the band

This is the repeated group of lines from the song which the composer/lyricist
wants to be heard or sung over and over again because it summarizes the connection
between the father and the son. The father’s influence to a son’s passion for music
and the attempt to imitate a father’s musical ingenuity.

Lyrically it is a refrain but musically a chorus because this part of the song is
sung together and in harmony. For the complete description of this song please visit
youtube (https://youtu.be/KmG8qnGReGQ)

4. The bridge

The Bridge is the section of your song that gives your audience time to reflect on
your story, or gives them the "climax" (or conclusion) of the story you shared through
your verses and chorus. It may be easier to think of a Bridge as the third-act of a movie
(you know, when everything is resolved). Ask yourself:

1. What happens as a result of your song's story?

2. Have we arrived at our destination?

Bridges are also called "middle 8's" because this section usually occurs in the
middle of common pop songs and often are eight (8) measures long.

The song Boses ni Lolo (https://youtu.be/HSv13d2vAv8) is an example of an

Original Bicol pop music interpreted by the composer himself Engr. Henry Turalde of
Cam Sur. Below are the lyrics of this song.

Boses Ni Lolo
Henry Turalde

Verse 1
Dai mo na madadangog an boses ni lolo
Dai na nya makakanta mga pangharana
Sa Banggui sa pagturog iisipon mo
kundimang paborito nindo ni lolo

Chorus1
Dai ka magmundo lola
 yaon sako an musika
kan si lolo may boses pa
itinukdo nya sakuya

Verse 2
Dangogon mo ang kanta ko hale pa ki lolo
giromdomon na si lolo nagkakanta simo
sa Banggui sa pagturog iisipon mo
kundimang paborito nindo ni lolo

Chorus 2
Dai ka mag mundo lola
yaon digdi ang musika
kun si lolo may boses pa
pirming kakantahan ka niya

Bridge
/Maski ngunyan na kada/kul
mga kantang magaga/yon
an kundiman dadango/gon
/maglihis man an hala/wig na panahon
/kanta ni lolo dangu/gon

dai ka magmundo lola

yaon digdi an musika
kan si lolo may boses pa
pirming kakantahan ka niya

Nostalgia, the longing, homesickness and reminiscing of a grandmother (Lola)

and a grandson to a grandfather’s (Lolo) voice especially his singing of haranas and
kundiman (Filipino traditional love songs) is the theme of this Bicol song.

Verses 1 & 2 of the lyrics describe the incapacity of the Lolo to sing (it is not
mentioned whether because the Lolo has died already or is just aged) and the sadness
it brought to his Lola. This longingness finds comfort in the repeated chorus line which
says “Dai ka mag mundo Lola yaon sako an musika…..”

Now here comes the bridge which emphasizes an important message to

everyone especially in this time of modern music. It says with conviction that:

(Original Bicol Text) (English Translation)

/Maski ngunyan na kada/kul Even now that we have
mga kantang magaga/yon beautiful popular songs
an kundiman dadango/gon Traditional Bicol songs, we listen still
/maglihis man an hala/wig na panahon Time may pass and go
/kanta ni lolo dangu/gon Still, we will listen to our own Bicol song
 We can consider the bridge section as the highlight of the song for it reminds us
the significance of appreciating our own local music and be proud of our cultural
identity as Bicolanos. This section also complies in terms of the “middle 8” which is
ideally good for 8 measures only. The temporary shifting of chord progression also gave
brighter color to the melody and change the mood of the verses from nostalgic to a
hopeful and joyful emotion.

5. The Outro

The Outro is the last section of a modern song's structure. This section can be a
copy of other sections of your song (depending on your music genre) or it can be an
instrument solo, but regardless, it's usually a section without lyrics.

Rule: So when you think of the Outro, think "no more words" or "end of
story". Now what makes the Outro a unique section is "how" this
section ends your song. Your song's Outro can end in two ways:

1. Fadeout - The song's melody plays on as the track volume is slowly

lowered until completely silent.
2. Full Stop - A sudden, abrupt ending of your song on the very next
bar; instantly silent.

I believe you already heard a lot of songs and how they ended. Maybe some
Just faded out, abruptly stopped or maybe ended with a brief diversion we call
Coda before finally ending.

After discussing the form or structure of the song. You may ask yourself, What
structure am I going to apply for my composition? Well, again, go back to your lyrics and
try to examine them because they will give you the idea whether to apply AAA
structure or all verses only. ABAB or verse-chorus-verse and etc. Just a bit of advise… do
not complicate your work. If your lyrics are beautifully done, then even a simple but
appropriate melody will make your song beautiful. DO NOT PUT A BRIDGE IF IT IS NOT
NEEDED. DO NOT BE A MAN WHO MADE BRIDGES WITHOUT RIVERS. Not all songs need
the sections we discussed.

For more details of my discussion on forms and structure of music, you can visit
this site: https://www.learneverythingabout.com/lyrics-
songs/songwriting/song- structure-verses.html

Thank you and goodluck to your songwriting adventure.

F. Your Assignment

1. Create a melody to at least first 2 stanzas of your previously written rawitdawit. (You
can edit your rawitdawit to fit them into a song lyrics just be sure that changes are
still within the rawitdawit context). Consider the appropriate utilization of applicable
musical elements in your composition (rhythm, melody, form and structure, etc.)
 2. Make a clear recording of your song (acapella or accompanied, video or audio only)
and save them to mp3 file (for audio) and mp4 (for video).
3. Audio File name must be student’s name (surname first) Course and year.
4. Submit your audio or video recording with lyrics attachment to our Google classroom
on the date indicated in your course guide.
5. Students who can’t sing or play instrument can ask a friend who can interpret his/her
creative work.
6. We will also allow live presentation (via google meet, messenger, etc.) if you wish to.

Note: 1. Students who cannot access the google classroom can submit thru any other platforms e.g. fb,
messenger, zoom, google meet, etc. Give us a call/message so we can attend to your needs
especially the modality of learning you preferred to have. Your Faculty contact add/nos. are
provided in the course guidelines. Please follow scheduled time for consultations.

2. We trust that indeed you are the author of any outputs submitted. We will employ appropriate
action against students/outputs found to have committed dishonesty and irregularity in submitting
required outputs.

References:

Sobolev, Jacob (2020). “Family of Chords”,

https://rockguitaruniverse.com/guitar-chord- families/
Artopium.com (2019). Online Music Dictionary,
https://musicterms.artopium.com/
TheWickedNorth (2008, Aug. 31). YouTube. (https://youtu.be/aYAJopwEYv8)
moonlight love songs (2020, March 17). YouTube.
(https://youtu.be/FHQGA3gWANk)
Queen Official (2008, Aug.1). YouTube. (https://youtu.be/fJ9rUzIMcZQ)
Ms. Misachie (2016, Aug. 15). YouTube. (https://youtu.be/KmG8qnGReGQ)
Bikol Vibes (2020, Feb. 10). YouTube. (https://youtu.be/HSv13d2vAv8)
Lyric Writing, Songwriting (2020, April 3). YouTube
(https://www.learneverythingabout.com/lyrics-
songs/songwriting/song- structure-verses.html)