Wednesday, 25 November 2015

Scratch

Join the Google Classroom for this class by using the code vk4kxl

Questions from the documentary will be on this page.

We will be watching the documentary film "Scratch" before visiting the Regent Park School of Music for a workshop and demo on DJing and Turntabling on Friday, Nov. 27 from 1-2PM.

When done the questions, try one of these online DJ tools to experience turntabling.

Mixify
Until AM

Monday, 23 November 2015

Playing with the four chords




SONGS in 4 CHORDS
Journey -- "Don't Stop Believing"
James Blunt -- "You're Beautiful"
Black Eyed Peas -- "Where Is the Love"
Alphaville -- "Forever Young"
Jason Mraz -- "I'm Yours"
Train -- "Hey Soul Sister"
The Calling -- "Wherever You Will Go"
Elton John -- "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" (from The Lion King)
Akon -- "Don't Matter"
John Denver -- "Take Me Home, Country Roads"
Lady Gaga -- "Paparazzi"
U2 -- "With Or Without You"
The Last Goodnight -- "Pictures of You"
Maroon Five -- "She Will Be Loved"
The Beatles -- "Let It Be"
Bob Marley -- "No Woman No Cry"
Marcy Playground -- "Sex and Candy"
Men At Work -- "Land Down Under"
Theme from America's Funniest Home Videos
Jack Johnson -- "Taylor"
Spice Girls -- "Two Become One"
A Ha -- "Take On Me"
Green Day -- "When I Come Around"
Eagle Eye Cherry -- "Save Tonight"
Toto -- "Africa"
Beyonce -- "If I Were A Boy"
Kelly Clarkson -- "Behind These Hazel Eyes"
Jason DeRulo -- "In My Head"
The Smashing Pumpkins -- "Bullet With Butterfly Wings"
Joan Osborne -- "One Of Us"
Avril Lavigne -- "Complicated"
The Offspring -- "Self Esteem"
The Offspring -- "You're Gonna Go Far Kid"
Akon -- "Beautiful"
Timberland featuring OneRepublic -- "Apologize"
Eminem featuring Rihanna -- "Love the Way You Lie"
Bon Jovi -- "It's My Life"
Lady Gaga -- "Pokerface"
Aqua -- "Barbie Girl"
Red Hot Chili Peppers -- "Otherside"
The Gregory Brothers -- "Double Rainbow"
MGMT -- "Kids"
Andrea Bocelli -- "Time To Say Goodbye"
Robert Burns -- "Auld Lang Syne"
Five for fighting -- "Superman"
The Axis of Awesome -- "Birdplane"
Missy Higgins -- "Scar"

ASSIGNMENT!

Grade 10s and NEW Grade 11s:

Make a Mixcraft file with the 4 Chords in C Major repeated 2 times
Create drum track to match.  (minimum kick, snare, hi-hat)


Here are the 4 chords.

Record each for one bar in this order.

Always use fingers 1, 3 and 5.

 1st bar
2nd Bar

3rd Bar

4th Bar
Repeat the four bar pattern one more time until you have 8 bars.

Now add a drum track to match it. 

Practice your chords while you listen to the track on loop.

You will be tested on your ability to PLAY these 4 chords next week. 


Returning Grade 11s and those with piano experience.

  • Create an 8 Bar Mixcraft file using the 4 chords in G Major. 
  • Create a drum track
  • Create a Bass Track using only the ROOT note of each chord. 


The chords one bar each are in this order  I, V, vi, IV ( G Major, D Major, E Minor, C Major)

Repeat the pattern once to make your practice file 9 bars long. 

WATCH OUT FOR THE F# in the D Major Chord!

Be prepared to play the chords next week. 
Chord in the key of G major on piano.


Scales, Triads, and Chords

In Western Music, songs are made out of scales and chords.

Here is a C Major Scale:



The 8 notes of this scale are the white keys of the piano, starting on C and ending on C one octave higher.

The scale follows a specific pattern of intervals which is Whole Step, Whole Step, Half Step, Whole Step, Whole Step, Whole Step, Half Step. Every major scale follows this pattern, no matter what note the scale starts on.  More on that later.

A TRIAD is made up of three notes like this:

Triads look like snowmen!

Each triad is made up of a Root, a Third, and a Fifth

The triad is always named after the ROOT.
This Triad has a C as the Root, so this is a C Triad.

Triads are what make up Chords that we use to write our music.

Triads can be written on any degree of the scale.




The triad is always named after the ROOT note.

Tuesday, 17 November 2015

Project 5: Missing Drummer


Adele’s drummer went missing just as she was going to redo the drums in her hit single “Rolling In The Deep”. Now she is drummer-less and she desperately needs your help! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to record a new drum part for this song.

Here is the project sheet.

Thursday, 12 November 2015

Drum Practice

Download a drumless track from the following Youtube by using a Youtube to MP3 converter.


Open the MP3 in Mixcraft.
Set the BPM to the tempo of the original.(search online for this : title bpm)
Listen to the original and practice adding a drum track to the song with your MIDI keyboard.
Shorten the track to stop after two verses and a chorus.
Record your track.
Submit the new track to Soundcloud.

Wednesday, 4 November 2015

Project 4 Drum Beats Assignment

Today we will have an intro to MIDI drums.  Here are the resources you will need after the lesson.
Pay close attention to the lesson.

Assignment:
Record each one of these drum patterns once AND copy and paste it so that it is TWO bars long.
Remember:

  • Always QUANTIZE to the 1/8 note after recording each part.
  • SLOW down for recording.
  • Press Oct -1 button for the correct sounds on the keyboard
  • Choose the appropriate Drum Kit Sound for each style of music.
  • Label each Track with the correct Drum Kit Pattern and Label each Sound Event box with the correct drum name. 
  • Your Final Project will be 10 bars long for Grade 10s and 16 Bars long for Gr. 11s
  • Speed up the tempo when you are done. 110 bpm is good. 
  • To be completed: Thurs. Nov. 12
  • Submit MX6 file. 








Grade 10s 1-5
Grade 11s 1-8











2. Kick, Snare, Closed Hi Hat Example: Get Lucky- Daft Punk or Can't Get you Outta My Head - Kylie Monogue














3. Kick, Closed Kit Hat












4. Kick, Snare, Closed Hi-Hat



5. Kick, Snare, Crash




Grade 11's do 6 - 8 as well.
6. Ride, Hi Hat Pedal, Rim Knock (stick)  Example: Pink Panther Theme



7. Closed Hi Hat, Kick, Rim Knock (Stick) Example: Buffalo Soldier - Bob Marley

 

8. Kick, Snare, Closed Hi Hat Example: Rock Me Baby - BB King
Watch out for 3 Hi Hat notes in each beat! Set your quantize settings to"1/8 triplet notes"