Genre specific considerations
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can analyse genre specific considerations and apply these ideas to my composition to a brief.
Key learning points
- Different musical genres have typical stylistic conventions such as instrumentation, structure, harmony and rhythm.
- Some features may be dictated by the brief (eg. 3/4 time for a waltz, or use of 12 bar blues for a blues song).
- Composers can follow stylistic conventions closely or adapt them creatively to make their music more original.
- Making clear stylistic decisions early on helps ensure the composition sounds coherent and convincing.
Keywords
Genre - a category of music with shared charcteristics
Stylistic convention - a common musical feature that is typical of a particular genre or period
Instrumentation - the combination of musical instruments used in a piece of music
Structure - the way the music is organised
Common misconception
Pupils may sometimes feel that it is cheating to use genre specific conventions, imagining that every idea must be wholely original.
All composers will consider elements of genre specific conventions when composing, even if it is to work against them. Using musical ideas that are familiar to a genre can help establish style and provide a good creative starting point.
Teacher tip
Encourage pupils to research genre specific conventions first, by listening to music from the genre to see what features they can identify themselves, and then researching further if needed.
Equipment
Pupils may need access to notation software or a DAW. They may need access to their instruments to develop ideas.
Licence
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