Nyeongminlee

After I came up with the melodies, I listed all the instruments I can play or can practice to use in this project. That was piano, guitar, drum, flute, recorder and ocarina. Because I want the first verse be very quiet, likely to general ballad, I decided to use only piano. Then, on the chorus, the sound should be bigger and richer, so I decided to put the drum and guitar.I first thought I would write lyrics in Korean first and translate it to English, but the melody seemed didn’t fit well with English. Therefore, I finally decided it only in Korean.

When I fished planning the structures with time, I found that only with melodies, the song was about 4 minutes. 

 

Specifications for my project

 

• Ballad, sad love song

• Length - 3:00 to 4:50

• Lyrics written by myself, in Korean

• Use more than 2 instruments

• At least two technical sound effects

• First and second verses repeat the same melody twice, but with different lyrics.

• Two verses, two chorus and one last chorus with more effects on normal chorus

• Verses-6/8 tempo, chorus-4/4 tempo

• Rap on the second last chorus

• Short instruments playing without vocal part

 

 

Selection of Source

 

After I choose my goal and started researching, I was clueless. I always wanted to compose songs, but I never did anything for it. Even though the project is composing a song, which needs mostly my working time only, but still I needed to research about music information that can help me to start.

 

So, I started with the basic. First, I decided to listen to a lot of songs because I thought it is the easiest way to get the idea about music. I listened to any songs regardless genre because even I want to compose sad ballad songs, I want it not to be too downbeat and has unique rhythm. I know6mostly Korean songs, but there wasn’t any problem about language because I was looking for music, not the lyrics yet. While listening different kinds of songs I actually could get some details for the translation of verses and choruses. After listening several times, I actually started to look at the lyrics and structures to get the idea of my song.

After I got general ideas about music from different songs, I searched on the Internet about the music theory. Because I learned to play the piano, I knew almost all of basics. However, harmony was very different one. By piano and other music classes I had before, I learnt to read music. But to compose, I have to do the opposite, make a song to be read. This section was I struggled with. However, I found out that even I know all the theories, composing is still ‘creating’ brand new song. In other words, without all the theories, I can compose. Therefore, I just decided to start ‘creating’ after some research about music theories.

After I composed a song, I had to look for some tips to use iMovie to make video. There were several YouTube videos and blogs that helped me.

 

Application of Information

 

General ideas about song

 

The first thing I decided to do was listening to many different songs as possible, because I thought I can make better song when I experience more. For the very first step, I just played all songs in MP3 player raffle. Then, I picked about 5 songs in different genres. Then, I chose ‘ballad’ among them,7and looked for different songs in similar genre. These songs are what I looked more carefully and analyzed.

 

First song is called ‘Without words’ by ‘9th street’, which was an original soundtrack of one Korean Drama. I knew it from 5 years ago. This song helped me a lot because it has similar structure as I want. First, it is ballad. Second, I could find the way to change lyrics for verse 1 and 2 by this song. In verse 1, two parts that are very similar (A and A’) repeated twice. On second verse, second part of verse 1, A’, is repeated with different lyrics. (Look at Appendix # 3, please) In this song, A’ part in verse 1 and 2 has same pitches and same rhythm, so the number of syllables is same. Third, before the last chorus, it is talking about the regression of past, but in the last chorus, it is more about present. It can be analyzed as ‘this was what I had to do, but instead, I am doing this.’ It was quite interesting structure of lyrics. Fourth, there are many repetitions in lyrics of this song. In verses, because it is listing things, it has connecting words that sound similar. In the chorus, there are two similar parts, B and B’, and first two lines of both parts start with title of this song.

 

Second song is called ‘Don’t say goodbye’, by ‘Davichi’. It is also a ballad, but has unique beat. It is 4/4 beat, but because it repeats certain words twice. (Look at Appendix # 4, please) For example, in second line of A part, ‘말 하려고’ repeats twice that makes unique rhythm. Also, this song uses orchestra to make the music richer. One other thing about this song is that it has very big range, gap between low and high range.

 

‘Don’t forget’ by ‘Baek Ji-young’ also has similar structure as I want, but a bit different. (Look at Appendix # 5, please) It starts with chorus before verse 1 starts. The first chorus is one octave lower than other choruses. Also, the last chorus is one key up, and the last line of it repeated once more with an octave down. This song gave me the idea about different way to structure the song.

 

‘Hurts’ and ‘Liar’ by ‘Shinhwa’ are ballad songs with rap in it, which helped me for second last chorus with rap. (Look at Appendix # 5 and 6, please) In Hurts, rap and vocal parts are separated, which doesn’t fit with my specification. However, it is a ballad with very metamorphic lyrics, and especially I like the lyrics of rap part. Therefore, it helped me to write lyrics, especially for rap, with the idea about rhyme. In ‘Liar’, it is almost with half of rap and half of vocal. I don’t want the kind of rap in this song, but I learned a lot about rhyme. And in the last chorus of ‘Liar’, rap is quietly under vocal, which perfectly suits with my specification. It is very short, but very repetitive with rhyme.

 

Music Theory

 

After I got general idea about songs by listening to different kinds of songs, I started to research about the rules and theories that can straightly help me ‘composing’. There are a lot of online sources. ‘Songwriting Handbook Vol.1’ from Berklee Online is one source suggested me about lyrics. (Songwriting Handbook Vol.1, n.d.) It informed about rhymes, melodies and structuring notes. However, I couldn’t really understand everything because I can understand the words, but I don’t9know how it actually works with music. There were many tips of pop music composing Internet too. One of them is Harmony Explained: Progress Towards A Scientific Theory of Music. (Wilkerson, 2012) It had very detailed and professional information, but it didn’t really help me because it is too scientific and hard to understand. I didn’t need information in that depth. I read over all of the resources, but mostly, they explained complicated theories in musical terminologies, so most of them didn’t help me a lot to have idea of composing. However, they reminded me about the music theory, which some of them I knew already and some were not, that encouraged me to ‘start’.

 

 

Achieving the Goal

 

My goal was to make a 3-4 minute song, with 2 verses, chorus, and rap. I did make a song, which fitted all specifications. Because the song is in Korean, that not everyone can understand, I made a video, which shows the process and also videos that I play instruments and sing with lyrics for subtitle. On the first 30 seconds of the video, it is shown that I used some technical effects on the music. I used piano, guitar and drum to play the song. Specifications my video have been met:

 

• Ballad, sad love song

• Length - 3:00 to 4:50

• Lyrics written by myself, in Korean

• Use more than 2 instruments

• At least two technical sound effects

• First and second verses repeat the same melody twice, but with different lyrics.

• Two verses, two chorus and one last chorus with more effects on normal chorus

• Verses-6/8 tempo, chorus-4/4 tempo

• Rap on the second last chorus

• Short instruments playing without vocal part, maybe between last two choruses

 

Even though I met all specifications, I still need some improvements. First, because the situation I was on isn’t suit to record different parts over and over, so there are some parts are out-beat. Also, because I just use my small earphone to listen while singing, I can’t listen to the music and my voice at the same time well, so there are some parts that vocal is a bit out of pitch. If I could had had better circumstance with better technical sources, the product might be better.

 

 

Reflection on Learning

 

The biggest thing I learned through this project is how hard it is to compose a song. I know that for one song, usually for pop songs, many people work together, take different parts, like players of each instruments, composers, lyricists, music arrangers, and if the video is made, directors, VJs, editors are also needed, and singers. I had to do all of their jobs. I could get help by others for example to make video, but I wanted to do everything with my own hand and learn how hard it is to compose a 3-4 minute song. And, I actually learned that for a short song, so much effort is needed.

 

Necessary effort for composing isn’t an only thing I have learned. To compose a song, I had to listen to songs, read songs, not just reading the notes and lyrics but the entire structure and composition of11different instruments. Because of this project, I had to be closer to music. I had learned music, but not for pop music. (I mostly learned classical music) It was really a good chance to learn professionally about pop music. I can feel more things than before when I listen to any kinds of pop song, in any languages. I especially found about pop song that:

 

1. Most of songs are in 4/4 beat

Because I first had the melody, which was 6/8, I first wanted to make the whole song in that beat. (but later, after I got the melody of chorus, I decided to change to 4/4 in chorus parts) When I first thought about the piano and guitar part, I think this is why I first come up with everything in 4 beats because I am used to those songs.

 

2. Songs are poetry with pitches

I knew it already because many teachers said it, but I felt it again through this project. When I had to analysis the structure and lyrics of songs, I was very surprised how words are connected with each other, not only in meanings but for the rhythm, pronunciation and repetition. I studied about music, but I also learned about literature, the beauty of words.

 

Not only about ‘music’, but I also learned to:

 

3. Making Video

Making video wasn’t part of my first plan. However, because I decided to make one, I learned many skills to use iMovie. Before, I already knew how to put videos, transition and subtitle. However, I had to learn how to put several videos at same frame to show different instruments and overlap videos,12etc. My project is about composing music, but I also learned a lot of things about making a video, with different clips at the same time, with subtitle and music.

 

4. Using Garage Band

 

Garage Band is what I mostly used for the composition. I used it before, but just for recording several things altogether. However, for this project, I had to put different instruments and different effects, split and merge tracks, and put all instruments in correct beat. I wasn’t perfectly done, but I learned and practiced using this application a lot. Also, I learned how to connect some instruments to the computer and play on Garage Band, piano and drum. Because the electronic piano in Choir room doesn’t work, I connected to my laptop and found that it works. Also for the drum, I looked for the jack a lot, and finally found the same one used with my printer. When I connected the drum to my laptop with it, I found I could record with some different drum sounds. I couldn’t use it well because I can’t really play drum, but it was good opportunity to found the technical way to use in other way.

 

My global context, Community and Service, also incorporates with it. My five-minute video shows the whole process I did which consumed time and effort. The lyrics and melody can make people, who love someone else or sad because of broken up, think sympathy. But also, audience can think that the music can be composed by anyone. I am not an expert at all; the music isn’t as good as pop songs sung by professional singers. However, I’ve done whole 4 and half minute song only by myself, without any help.

 

 

Bibliography

 

Songs:

 

1. 한승호 (Han, Seung-Ho). (2009). 말도 없이 (Without Words) [9th street]. 미남이시네요(you’re beautiful) OST. Seoul, Korea.

2. 전해성 (Jun, Hae-Sung). (2011). 안녕이라고 말하지마 (Don’t Say Goodbye) [Davichi]. Love Delight. Seoul, Korea.

3. 김도훈 (Kim, Do-Hoon), 최갑원(Choi, Gap-Won). (2009). 잊지 말아요 (Don’t Forget) [백지영 (Baek, Ji-Young)]. Iris OST Part 1.

4. Eddie Gala, Emile Ghantous, Alex Niceforo, Francisco Bautista. (2012). Hurts [신화 (Shinhwa)]. THE RETURN.

5. Moon, Eric. (2004). Liar [신화 (Shinhwa)]. Brand New.

6. Mraz, Jason. (2008). I’m Yours. We sing, We Dance, We Steal Things

7. 정엽 (Jung, Yeop). (2011). Nothing Better [Juris]. Nothing Better.

 

 

Online files:

 

8. Composing Music – Tips For the Composer. 2013. Music Learner, [blog] Sep. 14, 2013, Available at: http://www.pianowizardacademy.com/blog/music-learners/composing-music-tips-for-the-composer/.

 

9. Composing Music – Tips For the Composer. 2013. Music Learner, [blog] Sep. 14, 2013, Available at: http://www.pianowizardacademy.com/blog/music-learners/composing-music-tips-for-the-composer/.

 

10. Music radar. 2013. 10 experimental composition tips and tricks. [online] Available at: http://www.musicradar.com/tuition/tech/10-experimental-composition-tips-and-tricks-571992/.

 

11. Songwriting Handbook Vol.1. n.d. [pdf] Berklee. https://welcome.online.berklee.edu/songwriting-handbook.html.

 

12. Soundonsound. 1999. 20 Tips On Songwriting. [online] Available at: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan99/articles/20tips.458.htm.

 

13. Wilkerson, D. S. 2012. Harmony Explained: Progress Towards A Scientific Theory of Music. [online] Available at: http://arxiv.org/html/1202.4212v1.

 

 

Movie Making:

 

14. iMovie '11 Advanced Tools Tutorial. 2012. [video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQlZTaFzRj8.

 

15. Support.apple.com. 2014. iMovie '11: Add a picture-in-picture clip. [online] Available at: http://support.apple.com/kb/ph2243.

 

 

Appendices

 

Appendix # 1 : The video film I made

 

Appendix # 2 : Analysis of song I composed