12 Bar Blues

Composition Project

Name:- _______________

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12 Bar Blues Composition Project

In this project you are going to compose a 12 bar blues. You will learn the key features of the 12 bar blues by performing them on your instrument. You will then use music software to create a score of your composition and will print it off to enable you to rehearse and perform your composition with your classmates.

By the end of this unit you should be able to:-

1) Compose a 12 bar blues.

2) Work as a small group to rehearse your composition.

3) Perform your composition confidently to the class.

4) Identify key features of the 12 bar blues compositional approach and use them in your composition

5) Use music software to write your music.

6) Read and write music in the bass clef.

7) Check your own and other people’s work and give constructive feedback suggesting how the composition/performance can be improved.

Task 1 – 12 Bar Blues Analysis Listen to an example of a 12 bar blues and follow the score for it on the next page. Complete the missing words in the boxes, then highlight examples of the concepts on the score.

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There are ____ beats in a bar.

The drum kit uses a ________rhythm. The acoustic bass uses a ___________ _______

12 Bar Blues

The piano part emphasises the off beats. This is called ____________________

In the last bar, all the parts play a note that lasts for ____ beats. This is called a ________________.

This piece uses the ________ scale.

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Task 2 – Think! Pair! Share!

Think!

Think about what concepts and instruments you might want to include in a 12 bar blues. Write your ideas down in the space below...

Pair!

Pair up with someone and discuss your ideas.

Share!

Share your ideas with the rest of the class. Task 3 - Structure As you have heard in the listening tasks, the blues is based on a common chord pattern called the 12 bar blues. In a 12 bar blues the chords are played in a set order.

I I I I

IV IV I I

V IV I I Play the scale below – D major. When we are in the key of D, you can see that G is the 4th note of the scale and A the 5th.

So, we say that when we are in the key of D...

Chord I = D Chord IV = G Chord V = A

a) Using what you have just learnt, write in the basic pattern for a 12 bar blues in the key of D, using the chords D, G and A. The first chord has been put in for you.

12 Bar Blues Chord Pattern in the Key of D

D

I

IV

V

Instruments Concepts

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Task 4 –Writing chords You have already learned to play the scale of D major. Basic chords are built up using notes 1, 3 and 5 of the scale. Therefore the chord of D is played using D F# and A

1 3 5 D E F# G A B C# D

Play the scales of G and A major as written below, then draw in the chords of G and A.

G A B C D E F# G

A B C# D E F# G# A

Learn to play these chords on the keyboard or guitar and how to move between them quickly, then flip back to the last page and learn to play the chord pattern for the 12 bar blues. Your teacher will give you time to practice this and then you will perform this together as a class along with your teacher. Make sure you play in time with everyone else! Task 5 – Adding Chords to Your Music Software a) Create a new file in your music software programme. If it asks you what key you

are in you will need to choose the option of D major. b) Add in the chords of the 12 bar blues using semibreves (4 beat notes). The

information from tasks 3 and 4 will help you. Depending on your software, you might be able to play them directly in from a keyboard or you might need to input the notes manually.

Extension

To make your chords sound “jazzier” add in the note that is a semitone lower than the 7th note of the scale. E.g. for the D chord add in C, which is a semitone lower than C#. This chord is now called D7.

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Task 6 – Adding a Drumkit Part

Drum notation doesn’t use the treble or bass clef, but instead uses it’s own special notation. The notes below show you where some of the parts of the drum kit get notated on the stave. Bass Drum Snare Drum Ride Cymbal Crash Cymbal a) Try performing the following bass and snare drum rhythm using your right foot

and your left hand (complete with pen or pencil for a drumstick!) on your desk.

b) Once you have mastered it, input this part into your music software.

c) Try tapping out the following ride cymbal rhythm on your desk using a pen or

pencil in your right hand. You will need to “swing” your quavers (half beat notes) so that they sound jazzy! Think of “cheese toast-ie, cheese toast-ie”.

d) Input this part into your music software. Depending on your software, you may

need to add the direction to swing the quavers – a symbol that looks like this. e) Your completed drum part should look like this. Try playing it at your desk or on a

drumkit:- Depending on your software, you might be able to use copy and paste to add this rhythm to the other bars. Extension You could try adding crash cymbals at key points Ask your teacher to show you how to add a drum fill in bars 4 and 8.

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Task 7 – Bass Clef Here are the notes of the bass clef. Write in sentences to help you to remember the note names. Lines G_______ B_______ D_______ F_______ A________

Spaces A_______ C________ E________ G_______ Task 8 – Adding a Walking Bass As you have heard, a walking bass is often used in jazz. A typical walking bass starts on the 1st note of the given chord then plays the 3rd, 5th, 6th, flattened 7th, 6th, 5th, 3rd. a) Look at the example below, for a walking bass in D. Write the note names in

underneath then learn to play on your instrument. b) Now write out a walking bass for the chords of G and A on the staves below. The

first note has been given to you. Walking Bass in G

Walking Bass in A

c) Learn to play these on your instrument and then play them in the correct order for the 12 bar blues (refer to page 3). When you get to the chord of A, you will only need to use the first bar of the walking bass you have written above.

d) Now add a walking bass part to your chords and drumkit part. Either play or

manually input this part into your music software. e) Listen to your piece and check that all your notes are entered accurately.

Partner Check

Ask your partner to check your work so far, making sure that the chords, drums and walking bass have been entered accurately. If it doesn’t sound right, something will probably need fixed!

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By this stage you have created your basic 12 bar blues accompaniment. You may wish to export this as an audio/MIDI file to email to yourself. If you have an instrument at home you can try improvising along with the track or working on the following tasks with it. You can also log on to the following websites which have blues backing tracks for you to improvise along with... You could even try playing with one in a different key!

http://www.torvund.net/guitar/index.php?page=Backing_blues

http://jammer.net.ru/en/mpjam_blues_misc.html http://www.12bar.de/backing_midi.php

Task 9 – Note lengths Write in underneath each note and rest how many beats it lasts for.

Notes Rests

_____ _____ ______ _____ ______ ___+____ _____ _____

Task 10 – Composing Rhythm Boxes Fill in the 3 rhythm boxes below with different rhythms so that each box adds up to 4 beats. Once you have completed this, learn how to clap your rhythm and clap it to your partner. Rhythm Box 1 Rhythm Box 2 Rhythm Box 3 4 4

Partner Check

Ask your partner to complete the following:- Tick “I have checked the rhythm boxes and each one adds up to 4 beats.” “I have listened to my partner clap their rhythms and they can clap them accurately”

Task 11 – Writing Your Melody In the analysis sheet, we saw that bars 1 and 3 used the same rhythm and that each line finished with a longer note. a) Choose what order you would like your rhythm boxes to come in, making sure that

you repeat one of the boxes and that you have a longer note at the end of the line.

b) Order of rhythm boxes:-

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c) Write the rhythms onto the first single line here.

f) Learn to play the blues scale as given below.

g) Now try playing the rhythms you have written using any combination of the notes of the blues scale. Once you have decided on an idea that you like, transfer this onto the stave, directly under the rhythm for that bar.

h) You will remember from the analysis sheet that line 2 was the same as line 1. Copy

the same notes you have written in line 1 into line 2. i) To complete line 3, choose one rhythm box and use it for bars 9, 10 and 11, finishing

the line with a semi-breve (4 beat note) in bar 12. j) Now choose what notes you want to play line 3 and write them in.

Partner Check

Ask your partner to complete the following:- Tick “I have checked the melody and it uses only notes of the blues scale” “I have checked that lines 1 and 2 are the same”

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Task 12 – Adding Your Melody It is now time to add your melody to your music software to complete your 12 Bar Blues. If you are inputting your notes manually onto your score, you will have set the score to be in the key of D. As a result of this, all the F’s and C’s will automatically be made into F#’s and C#’s. To make them natural, which you need for the melody of your piece, add the natural symbol to each F and C (see below). Natural symbol Task 13 - Composition Self Assessment Now that you have finished your 12 bar blues, take time to listen to it. Are you happy with how it sounds? It may be that some notes from your melody clash with your chords creating “dissonance”. Sometimes this can sound ok in a composition, but sometimes you will need to change some notes in the melody to make it fit. In the box below write down the bar numbers of any bits that don’t sound right, then try to fix them. Task 14 – Print off! When you are happy with your composition, print it off and give it to your teacher to check.

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Task 15 – Rehearse You should now get into small groups to practice your compositions. Listen carefully to each other so that you can help and encourage each other. Remember that a good performance should include

Accuracy in pitch and rhythm A steady and appropriate tempo Dynamics – you can add these as you rehearse

Task 16 – Perform! Your teacher will record your group performing your piece to the rest of the class. Write down 2 things that you thought went well with your performance and your partner’s performance. Then write down 1 thing that you think you and your partner need improve in your next group performances. Discuss your grid with your partner. My Performance Partner’s Performance

Wish

“I Can...” Self assessment grid Complete the grid using:- A = I can do this really well B = I am beginning to do this well or C = I need to spend more time on this

Pupil Teacher

... compose a 12 bar blues

... work as a small group to rehearse my composition

... perform my composition confidently to the class

... identify key features of the 12 bar blues compositional approach and use them in my composition

... use music software to write my composition

... check my own and other people’s work and give constructive feedback