Project 1: Reflection Journal and Analysis
Task 1:
For project 1 we looked at 4 different genres: Hip Hop, Rock, House and Country. We looked at a song from each genre and learned how to do basic song analysis but using more Timbre terms. Which before this project I never really understood Timbre as well let alone use Timbre terms in song analysis. We were then told to look at the characteristics of each genre and write about the brief History of each genre at home. We were also told to think about what genre we found the most interesting and wanted to pursue and then create for the final track of this project. I thought that the research went fairly well in my opinion as I used lots of sources for every bit of research and Harvard referenced each one. I had a bit of an advantage compared to everyone else in this aspect as I've been doing this for the past two years as I started on the Level 1 course so I knew the basics of what they wanted for research and song analysis-wise. We were also told to pick a song of the genre that we were going to choose and analyse it at home independently, which again I had an advantage as I've been improving my skills in song analysis as I've done it for the past two years so I know what the lecturers were looking for.
Task 1 Analysis and Self-Reflection:
I think I did quite well research-wise as I had included the important information and I used a variety of sources which I then referenced using the Harvard referencer. I just needed to keep my research in mind when I moved on to create my experiments for each genre. As if I don't keep linking my research to my experiments and then my final track for this project then I would fail because I wouldn't have explained why I used certain sounds for the different genre experiments and the final track and it wouldn't look like I had any reason behind using certain sounds for certain genres.
Task 2:
Task 2 was the practical element. Where I took what I learnt from my research and song analysis and used it to help form my experiments for each genre using the genre-appropriate loops for each experiment. I had to make 2 experiments for each of the 4 genres with different instruments for different elements of the genre. For example: Drums for the rhythm, Piano for the melody, Vocals, pads and chords for the harmony. We were told that we had to use Ableton to make Hip Hop and House experiments and for the final track if we chose one of those two genres. Or Logic to make the experiments for Rock and Country and for the final track if we chose one of these two genres. I made 2 experiments for each genre, 8 experiments all together using both of these composition programmes. I made the experiments focusing on two elements from the 5 elements that are in every track in every genre in one way or another for each experiment and chose the genre-appropriate instruments that would help to make up these elements. I then screen-shotted the composition process for each experiment of each genre in the 2 different composition programmes, and analysed what I did for each experiment in each genre, explaining what I'm doing with the screen shot for evidence and used the correct terminology whilst describing the process.
Task 2 Analysis and Self-Reflection:
I think I did quite well with the experiments as I chose the genre-appropriate instruments, made 2 experiments for each genre and I linked them back to my research when I was documenting and analysing the experiments and their screenshots. I also wrote about which of the 5 elements I chose to recreate in each experiment and what instruments I used to do this. I also explained how I looked for the loops, how I dragged them into the track, using the appropriate terminology for both composition programmes. Like what the different parts of them were called, such as the Main window for Logic and the Session view for Ableton and what happens to the loops in Ableton one I drag them into the Session view. I also explained how I extended the loop so it loops again and what I used to do that.
The only problem I really faced when dealing with this part of the project was the limited amount of loops Ableton had. Which caused a bit of an issue but luckily before we started, we were given more sample packs by the lecturers containing loops, primarily of Hip Hop and House, as those were the ones we had to make experiments of in Ableton. So I picked some from there and went on my way with making my experiments for House and Hip Hop in Ableton. Other then that I think I did well with the experiments and I also now feel more confident in making Rock and Country then I was before this project as I felt that I wouldn't get the genre right instrument-wise but now I feel more confident in myself. Other than the lack of loops in Ableton and the lack of confidence in making Rock and Country experiments I felt like I did well in this part of the project and I am happy that these experiments helped me gain more confidence in making genres that i'm not too confident in, even if they were just loops.
Task 3:
I chose to pursue the Genre of Hiphop as it was more interesting to me compared to the rest of the genres, I've had more experience in making Hip Hop and its sub genres of music and as a rapper I found it more interesting compared to the other three. So the first thing I did was open up Ableton. One problem I faced straight away was the lack of loops on Ableton. I chose some loops from sample packs that I had picked out from when we were given more loops by the lecturers so we had more loops to choose from for when we made our experiments in Ableton. I chose some loops from sample packs that were relevant to the genre that I chose to create.
From my Research and experiments I chose some of the most important instruments from Hip Hop to use in my track. One of which was the drums so I looked through the loops in the sample packs until I found one that sounded a lot like the kicks and drums from Hiphop and also one that I liked and I took that loop and dragged it into the session view into a channel rack seam where it became a clip. I then did the same for the rest of the instruments, making sure I had screen-shotted everything I had done before moving on to create my track and start structuring it. I had also set the tempo for the track before I started to make it using the knowledge I had gained from my research. And chose the loops that went with the tempo. I then started to structure the track, writing everything I had done and why as well as linking it back to my research. I documented everything with screenshots to provide as evidence showing what I had done. I then also said what I did to extend loops, move around loops when setting out the structure of the track, and also how I shortened some of the loops to get the track to how I wanted. All of that is in the documentation I had done with screenshots. All I did then was provide the link to the song after I was done making it at the bottom of the page.
Task 3 and Final Analysis and Self-Reflection:
At first I wasn't very comfortable with using Ableton to make a proper track as I've never really done it before especially with Hip Hop as Logic is more of my strongpoint. However the more time I spent making my track in Ableton, the more comfortable I got with using Ableton for composing my track, Which I've never really been comfortable with using Ableton like that before this project as I mainly use Logic for composition. But now I feel like I know what I'm doing and a bit more comfortable with using Ableton like that if I need to use it for composition in the future.
I also learnt how to analyse songs even better, mentioning the 5 elements; Rhythm, Melody, Harmony, Dynamics and Timbre. As before this project my song analysis wasn't as in depth and now after this project its a lot more in depth and detailed. I now have a better understanding of the 5 elements and what instruments make them up. Before this project I never really understood what Timbre meant and how to describe it or what terms could be used to describe it and I never really knew what the dynamics were, but now I know that it means how loud or quiet an instrument is and how well it fits in with the other instruments in the track and how much of a presence it has.
Also the formative feedback was helpful to me as I knew what I had to do to improve my work for example; to include the song structure and mention more about the 5 elements in the two Hip Hop songs I analysed as they were the most important song analysis' I had done. As they were for the genre of the final track I decided to make and they had to have as much in-depth analysis as possible by taking everything about song analysis I had learnt and from the other songs I analysed in class to make them as good as possible. I had listened and understood everything they were telling me as it was to improve my work and I had done everything they said to do. Everything I have learned from this 1st project will help make my work better in the projects to come. So all in all I think this project went fairly well in my opinion.
For project 1 we looked at 4 different genres: Hip Hop, Rock, House and Country. We looked at a song from each genre and learned how to do basic song analysis but using more Timbre terms. Which before this project I never really understood Timbre as well let alone use Timbre terms in song analysis. We were then told to look at the characteristics of each genre and write about the brief History of each genre at home. We were also told to think about what genre we found the most interesting and wanted to pursue and then create for the final track of this project. I thought that the research went fairly well in my opinion as I used lots of sources for every bit of research and Harvard referenced each one. I had a bit of an advantage compared to everyone else in this aspect as I've been doing this for the past two years as I started on the Level 1 course so I knew the basics of what they wanted for research and song analysis-wise. We were also told to pick a song of the genre that we were going to choose and analyse it at home independently, which again I had an advantage as I've been improving my skills in song analysis as I've done it for the past two years so I know what the lecturers were looking for.
Task 1 Analysis and Self-Reflection:
I think I did quite well research-wise as I had included the important information and I used a variety of sources which I then referenced using the Harvard referencer. I just needed to keep my research in mind when I moved on to create my experiments for each genre. As if I don't keep linking my research to my experiments and then my final track for this project then I would fail because I wouldn't have explained why I used certain sounds for the different genre experiments and the final track and it wouldn't look like I had any reason behind using certain sounds for certain genres.
Task 2:
Task 2 was the practical element. Where I took what I learnt from my research and song analysis and used it to help form my experiments for each genre using the genre-appropriate loops for each experiment. I had to make 2 experiments for each of the 4 genres with different instruments for different elements of the genre. For example: Drums for the rhythm, Piano for the melody, Vocals, pads and chords for the harmony. We were told that we had to use Ableton to make Hip Hop and House experiments and for the final track if we chose one of those two genres. Or Logic to make the experiments for Rock and Country and for the final track if we chose one of these two genres. I made 2 experiments for each genre, 8 experiments all together using both of these composition programmes. I made the experiments focusing on two elements from the 5 elements that are in every track in every genre in one way or another for each experiment and chose the genre-appropriate instruments that would help to make up these elements. I then screen-shotted the composition process for each experiment of each genre in the 2 different composition programmes, and analysed what I did for each experiment in each genre, explaining what I'm doing with the screen shot for evidence and used the correct terminology whilst describing the process.
Task 2 Analysis and Self-Reflection:
I think I did quite well with the experiments as I chose the genre-appropriate instruments, made 2 experiments for each genre and I linked them back to my research when I was documenting and analysing the experiments and their screenshots. I also wrote about which of the 5 elements I chose to recreate in each experiment and what instruments I used to do this. I also explained how I looked for the loops, how I dragged them into the track, using the appropriate terminology for both composition programmes. Like what the different parts of them were called, such as the Main window for Logic and the Session view for Ableton and what happens to the loops in Ableton one I drag them into the Session view. I also explained how I extended the loop so it loops again and what I used to do that.
The only problem I really faced when dealing with this part of the project was the limited amount of loops Ableton had. Which caused a bit of an issue but luckily before we started, we were given more sample packs by the lecturers containing loops, primarily of Hip Hop and House, as those were the ones we had to make experiments of in Ableton. So I picked some from there and went on my way with making my experiments for House and Hip Hop in Ableton. Other then that I think I did well with the experiments and I also now feel more confident in making Rock and Country then I was before this project as I felt that I wouldn't get the genre right instrument-wise but now I feel more confident in myself. Other than the lack of loops in Ableton and the lack of confidence in making Rock and Country experiments I felt like I did well in this part of the project and I am happy that these experiments helped me gain more confidence in making genres that i'm not too confident in, even if they were just loops.
Task 3:
I chose to pursue the Genre of Hiphop as it was more interesting to me compared to the rest of the genres, I've had more experience in making Hip Hop and its sub genres of music and as a rapper I found it more interesting compared to the other three. So the first thing I did was open up Ableton. One problem I faced straight away was the lack of loops on Ableton. I chose some loops from sample packs that I had picked out from when we were given more loops by the lecturers so we had more loops to choose from for when we made our experiments in Ableton. I chose some loops from sample packs that were relevant to the genre that I chose to create.
From my Research and experiments I chose some of the most important instruments from Hip Hop to use in my track. One of which was the drums so I looked through the loops in the sample packs until I found one that sounded a lot like the kicks and drums from Hiphop and also one that I liked and I took that loop and dragged it into the session view into a channel rack seam where it became a clip. I then did the same for the rest of the instruments, making sure I had screen-shotted everything I had done before moving on to create my track and start structuring it. I had also set the tempo for the track before I started to make it using the knowledge I had gained from my research. And chose the loops that went with the tempo. I then started to structure the track, writing everything I had done and why as well as linking it back to my research. I documented everything with screenshots to provide as evidence showing what I had done. I then also said what I did to extend loops, move around loops when setting out the structure of the track, and also how I shortened some of the loops to get the track to how I wanted. All of that is in the documentation I had done with screenshots. All I did then was provide the link to the song after I was done making it at the bottom of the page.
Task 3 and Final Analysis and Self-Reflection:
At first I wasn't very comfortable with using Ableton to make a proper track as I've never really done it before especially with Hip Hop as Logic is more of my strongpoint. However the more time I spent making my track in Ableton, the more comfortable I got with using Ableton for composing my track, Which I've never really been comfortable with using Ableton like that before this project as I mainly use Logic for composition. But now I feel like I know what I'm doing and a bit more comfortable with using Ableton like that if I need to use it for composition in the future.
I also learnt how to analyse songs even better, mentioning the 5 elements; Rhythm, Melody, Harmony, Dynamics and Timbre. As before this project my song analysis wasn't as in depth and now after this project its a lot more in depth and detailed. I now have a better understanding of the 5 elements and what instruments make them up. Before this project I never really understood what Timbre meant and how to describe it or what terms could be used to describe it and I never really knew what the dynamics were, but now I know that it means how loud or quiet an instrument is and how well it fits in with the other instruments in the track and how much of a presence it has.
Also the formative feedback was helpful to me as I knew what I had to do to improve my work for example; to include the song structure and mention more about the 5 elements in the two Hip Hop songs I analysed as they were the most important song analysis' I had done. As they were for the genre of the final track I decided to make and they had to have as much in-depth analysis as possible by taking everything about song analysis I had learnt and from the other songs I analysed in class to make them as good as possible. I had listened and understood everything they were telling me as it was to improve my work and I had done everything they said to do. Everything I have learned from this 1st project will help make my work better in the projects to come. So all in all I think this project went fairly well in my opinion.
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