H O W C A N W E U S E T H E E L E M E N T S O F M U S I C T O C O M P O S E A N O R I G I N A L S O N G ?

WHAT IS A FOLK SONG?

WHAT DEFINES A FOLK SONG?

• Short – only 4 to 6 lines in each verse or chorus• Simple – lyrics, rhythms, and melody are easy to

learn and remember• Factual – lyrics are based on facts (events,

cultural ideals, or lessons)• Fun – some fictional or nonsense terms, or

exaggeration of facts, are added to make the music fun to sing

FOLK SONG PROJECT

• Decide on a topic – Choose something that you learned recently (from any class) that you thought was interesting.• Write your lyrics – Use facts from your topic,

and write 4 to 6 lines of lyrics. Remember to include some exaggeration or fiction to your lyrics. Choose your rhyme pattern to fit your style.• Add a melody– Make up a tune to your song, or

put it to the tune of a song you already know.

GRADING

• Your project will be graded on these 4 categories

• Lyrics (20 points) – Lyrics are based on fact with some fiction or exaggeration added for fun. Lyrics follow a specific rhyme pattern and beat (all lines should be the same length)

• Rhythm (20 points) – Rhythms are easy to follow and track. Rhythms fit with the rhyme pattern of the lyrics (all lines have an equal number of beats)

• Melody (10 points) – The tune is easy to remember and follows a set pattern.