Assignments for Music 248

Stay tuned for updates throughout the semester to the assignment sheet.

All assignments are due the Friday of the week following the week they are assigned.  You can avoid problems by turning them in early so that your grade won't be affected if some emergency comes up on the day they are due.  No late work will be accepted.  Papers must be turned in during class or in office hours.

Staple the pages for each week's assignment together.

Assignment 1 - 10 points

Assignment 2 - 10 points

Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn

Compose your own melody and lyrics using the harmony of "Take the 'A' Train". To make your line more "interesting", consider using non-harmonic or altered tones.  Include: 4 or 8 bar introduction 3 choruses: head / solo / head ending title lyrics: try stressing important syllables with longer duration, strong beat position, and/or higher pitch composer's name (you! ) source of lyrics (can be anything but scat as long as it is correctly written) chord symbols above melody copyright information (i.e. "Lyrics and music ©2002 Your Name") analysis of non-harmonic and altered tones: above any note that is not chord tone, write in the abbreviation for the type of non-harmonic tone and/or how it has been altered Work through the "Quick Start" tour in the Sibelius manual in the keyboard lab.

Assignment 3 - 10 points

Notate your melody from new "'A' Train" melody from last week using Sibelius in the Music Lab.  Mount your file system and download the score (newtrain.sib) (as type source), saving it to your st__ directory.  Open the score in Sibelius, and notate your melody on the empty staff at the top of each system where the score says "Flute" (you can change that to a different instrument if you want to find out how).  Do a "save as..." to save the file with a different name: assign3.sib.  Your work will only be evaluated if you use the proper filename. The form of the online score is head-trumpet solo-head.  Do something in the space left in the first four bars to create an introduction.  You can do this by hand, or by copying and pasting bits of the score, or by going into Band in a Box and generating something new.  You can use the Band in a Box file that was used to generate newtrain.sib if that helps.  Your melody can "lay out" (not play) during the middle chorus where the trumpet solos.  [ MIDI file ] Change the title and composer's name in the Sibelius file.   Compose a new melody for John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" on paper by hand. To make your line more "interesting" incorporate some altered tones. Write the melody on one staff with the chord symbols above. Bracket the top melody staff with a second staff below in bass clef. Write out all the chords on the bottom staff staying within the same one-octave range (for example B to B). Label the functions of the chords below the bottom staff Give your piece a new title and claim copyright

Analyze Assignment 4 - 10 points

Create a score in Sibelius with a new melody for the chord progression in J.S. Bach's "Prelude in C major".  Use one of the supplied accompaniments or create your own using Band in a Box.  Give your piece a new title and credit yourself as the composer.  Save your piece with the filename "assign4.sib".

You may wish to analyze Gounod's "Ave Maria" (you need Adobe Acrobat to read) in terms of chord and non-chord tones for ideas on constructing you own melody.

To know what notes to pick from for your melody, analyze "Prelude in C Major" by J.S. Bach.  Compose a new melody for using the same progression in Sibelius.  You can use the pre-fabricated Band in a Box accompaniment, or go into Band in a Box and change the feel--use our Band in a Box chord progression file to get started if you want to save time. Take the tour if you'd like to see a demonstration of this process.

Other files you may use if you wish:

• "Prelude" block chord harmony web page - use this to analyze the chord progression, it's also an exercise in using slashes in chord symbols
• "Prelude" block chord harmony Sibelius file
• "Prelude" Band in a Box arrangement as a Sibelius file - you can use this as a background in Sibelius for your new melody, just create a new instrument to open up a new staff to write on
• "Prelude" chord progression in Band in a Box - use if you want to change the feel of your accompaniment.  Pick a new style for the accompaniment, save it as a standard MIDI file on disk, then open that file in Sibelius, and then create a new instrument for your melody

• MIDI file of Bach's Prelude -- you could open this in Sibelius and use for an accompaniment, if you like the arpeggio style.
• Sibelius transcription of "Prelude" MIDI file -- the rhythm is off but you still have some arpeggiation, you can save this file and open it in Sibelius
• Web page with Sibelius transcription of "Prelude" MIDI file - you can see this in your browser

To view the Sibelius scores on these web pages you need to have the Scorch plugin installed.  If you haven't put this into your browser yet, go to the Sibelius site and download it.

Assignment 5 - 10 points

Example

• Make a xerox copy of the lead sheet to turn in. Analyze the harmony in terms of functions, putting in the Roman numerals below the melody .
  
• On a separate sheet of paper make a schematic diagram showing the order of sections and how many measures each one lasts. Add details to the diagram if possible by listening to a recording of the piece, making notes as to the texture as it evolves (i.e. where do background vocals, other instruments, special effects, etc. take place?)

In Sibelius, change the instrument you used for your melody in assignment 4 to a transposing instrument.  Turn transposing on by clicking on the "Transp" button, and the key signature should change accordingly.  Extract the part for just the transposed melody instrument, and print out the score.  You will work on Sibelius in the piano lab upstairs.  Printing comes out on the laser printer in the music industry lab downstairs, across from the music department office (assuming there is paper--you may want to keep a supply of paper of your own on hand in case it runs out).  Turn in the printed score of just the extracted part.  See the Sibelius manual and help pages and the tutorial page for instructions on how to extract a part.

The homework is now accumulative for the rest of the semester.  You can follow along with a sample project.

Assignment 6 - 10 points

• Create a chord chart on staff paper for a new arrangement of the piece you picked in Assignment 5. It should include an introduction, some part of the original form, modulation, continue with the original form, and an ending. Each line should begin with a bar number.
  
  Example
  
  
• Draw a schematic diagram and show the number of measures of each section. Indicate where the modulation occurs.

Assignment 7 - 10 points

Look at the documentation for Band in a Box by following the alias shortcuts on the desktop for the Band in a Box tutorial videos and manual.  The graphics below are from the PC version of Band in a Box.  There are some hints and tips that show how the Mac version looks.

• Create a Band in a Box arrangement of your chord chart from Assignment 6. You may be able to save time in the modulation by copying and pasting. Pick a style that you think will sound good with your melody--it does not have to be the same as the original recording. You are continuing to make a new arrangement for the piece.
  
  
  

• Above are the default values when you start up the program.  Change the title in Band in a Box (by clicking on "Untitled" above the display of the current style on the screen) to be the title of your piece. Click on the ".STY" button to see the options for styles.  Change the last bar by clicking on the "32" and then selecting the last bar in your piece.  Click on the checkbox by "Loop" so that it won't keep repeating the piece, and click on the "3" and then change it to "1" so that it will only play through once and stop.  You may wish to adjust the tempo (now at 140 beats per minute) and key signature (now C major).  After these changes, that part of the window will then look something like:
  
  
  
  New title: "Meat It", Miami Sound Machine style, quarter note = 120, key signature of Eb major, play through one time, no looping.
  

• Save the piece in Band in a Box format on your area of the file system. The name of the file should be assign7.XXX ("XXX" being place holders for whatever Band in a Box gives you--it is a record of what style you chose).  Leave the file in your st__ folder, it will be graded there.
  
  Example

Assignment 8 - 10 points

Study the Quick Tour section at the beginning of the Sibelius manual to learn how to use the various types of note entry.  See how the manual is arranged, including the contents of the different sections and the index at the back.

• Reopen the Band in a Box file you created in Assignment 7. Do a "save as..." as a Standard MIDI file. The file extension should be ".mid" rather than ".SG?" which you had for a Band in a Box file.
• Import your MIDI file into Sibelius by opening it. Create a key signature for the piece. Add a title, composer, chord symbols, and give yourself credit as the arranger.
  
• Create two new instruments, one for the melody and one for the harmony. Pick the brass family, select a B^b trumpet, "add" it twice to the list of instruments, and then click on "create" to put it on your paper. You should now have two staves for trumpets in addition to your rhythm section parts generated by Band in a Box.
  
• Enter the melody for one section of the piece (one of the two parts of the original song that were separated by the modulation). When deciding which section to do with two trumpets, consider that the other section of the original form (on the other side of the modulation from the one you're thinking of putting the two trumpets) will eventually have five saxophones playing the melody.
  
• After entering the melody for the first trumpet, enter notes on the second trumpet staff to create a harmony part.  Give the second trumpet a harmony note for every note of the melody.  Make the notes of the second trumpet below the notes of the first trumpet--if they are higher than the first trumpet they will seem like the melody, instead of being a harmony part. 
• You may create the second trumpet part by copying the first trumpet part (clicking in the first bar and then shift-clicking on the last bar, then copying) and then pasting it into the second trumpet part.  This will save you having to enter in the different rhythmic values in the second part to match the first.  You can then click on the first note of the second part to select it and then move it (down) with the down arrow key.  Move to the next note with the right arrow key, and move it down, and so on.
  
• Create new text: add a title, the composer, and arranger's name
  
• Save your work as a Sibelius file with the filename assign8.sib.  Leave the file in your st__ folder, it will be graded there.  There is no paper to turn in.
  
  Example

Assignment 9 - 10 points

Open your file from assignment 8. Do a save as in your folder on the server giving the copy a new name: "assign9.sib".

• Create three new instruments staves for trombone 1, trombone 2, and trombone 3. Write notes for three trombones to back the section you wrote in the last assignment for three trumpets using three part harmony. Use appropriate rhythmic figures based on the style of your music. Leave the file in your st__ folder, it will be graded there.
  
  Example
  
  
• Turn in a copy of the original lead sheet.

Assignment 10 - 10 points

Save your file ("assign9.sib") from last week as "assign10.sib". In that file, add a section for five saxophones (two altos, two tenors, and one baritone). You can use four part block writing and double the melody an octave below for the lowest (baritone) saxophone. Use some "drop 2" voicing.  Leave the file in your st__ folder, it will be graded there.

Example

Assignment 11 - 10 points

Add fills to one of the two sections of your piece, either behind the [2 trumpets/3 trombones] or the [5 saxes]. Use chord tones on long notes and strong beats, otherwise pick notes that fit with the chord symbols. Save the new version with the file name "assign11.sib" in your st__ folder and turn in a print out an extracted part for the filling instrument. When you go to the menu choice File...Print the output will come out of the laser printer in the Music Industry Lab downstairs.

Assignment 12 - 10 points

Add rehearsal letters to your score from Assignment 11. Save the file in your st__ folder with the name "assign12.sib".  Change the names of the instruments on the first page (i.e. "Alto Saxophone I", "Alto Saxophone II", "Tenor Saxophone I", "Tenor Saxophone II", "Baritone Saxophone", "Trumpet I", "Trumpet II", "Trombone I", "Trombone II", "Trombone III", "Piano", etc.).  Change the names on the second page to abbreviations (i.e. "Alto I", "Trmb I", "Pno", etc.).

Assignment 13 - 10 points

Analyze four different versions of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Corcovado", as we did in class with "The Girl From Ipanema". There is a cassette in the Music Industry lab labeled "Music 248" with the recordings, or you can deal with the mp3 versions.

• Make a schematic of the long version (4:13) as recorded on "Getz/Gilberto".  Show the order of the sections and details as to the textures you hear.
  
• Make a second schematic of the short version (as released on 45 rpm) (2:20) as we did in class by making a copy of the schematic of the long version and then crossing out parts that were edited out.
  
• Compare the style and feel of the Getz/Gilberto recording with those of Frank Sinatra and Elis Regina as we did in class. Comment on the orchestration, vocal styles, tempo, and any other noteworthy differences.

Assignment 14 - 10 points

Add catalog information to your arrangement.   Add chord symbols to the piano part.  Add dynamic markings and articulations.  Save the file as "your_last_name.sib" (substituting whatever your last name is before the ".sib"), and then do a SAVE AS "your_last_name.htm" in HTML format (I recommend English rather than German--Sibelius gives you the choice). USE ALL LOWER CASE LETTERS FOR YOUR FILENAMES, INCLUDING YOUR LAST NAME.

Assignment 15 - 10 points - Due Wednesday, May 8

Make a final version of your piece as a web page and Sibelius score, as you did last week. This week, transpose the parts (i.e. trumpets and saxes) by clicking on the transpose button before saving. It's located on the right side of the toolbar, just above your score in Sibelius.

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Before you start, the button should look "plain"

After clicking, the button should look "indented", and the key signatures will change on the staves for any transposing instrument:

Re-save your piece as a web page, again using your last name (all lower case letters) for the file name.  This will create two files, one a web page with a .htm extension, and another a Sibelius score with a ".sib" extension.  For example, if Robert Willey was doing this assignment, he should end up with two files: "willey.htm" and "willey.sib".

Finally, deploy your two files from this assignment on the world wide web.  To do this, transfer them by FTP to Mozart's web documents directory.  Test your uploading by clicking on your name on the class page and verifying that your project opens up (you must have Scorch installed to see the score if you are not in the lab).

Make a copy of any files you wish to save from your stXX folder, as they will be erased at the beginning of next semester.  Do this by taking a floppy or Zip disk (be careful to use the right drive) to the Industry lab downstairs, mount your folder on the Mac G3 with the floppy/Zip drives attached, double click on your folder, select the files you want to transfer, and drag them onto the icon of the removeable media.  Double click on the icon of the floppy/Zip to see what's listed there, to make sure you were successful.

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