OGenPlus – Teacher Lesson Guide
Our handy guide to curriculum areas covered and engaging music making lessons for students.
To quickly find a lesson in OGenPlus, type the lesson number into the Lesson Tab Search.
TYPE OF LESSON | WHERE TO FIND | LESSON NO. | LESSON NAME | CURRICULUM AREAS SUPPORTED | RECOMMENDATIONS |
RHYTHM | |||||
Quick Fire Lesson | Lessons | 2 | Quickfire Drum Beat Lesson - 4 Easy Steps | COMPOSITION Students will learn 4 easy steps to create a drum pattern using the bass and snare drum and hi hat cymbals. They will learn fundamental musical terms and how they translate to music notation. | Allow. 10 min. Ensure this is one of the first lessons your students do. Understanding the core principle of putting together rhythm underpins their song writing. If time is limited. |
In Depth Lesson | Lessons | 1 | The Drum Kit and Rhythm | COMPOSITION Students will learn 4 easy steps to create a drum pattern using the bass and snare drum and hi hat cymbals. | Allow 20 min: Ensure this is one of the first lessons your students do. Understanding the core principle of putting together rhythm underpins their song writing. |
In Depth Lesson | Lessons | 5 | Create a Dance Beat | COMPOSITION Students are shown how to build a dance beat. | Allow: 15 min: Get activity for students. It is a quick lesson, but allows for exporting into another DAW or a dance music writing project. |
In Depth Lesson | Lessons | 6 | Rhythm Devices | COMPOSITION Students learn about different rhythmic devices and a textures. They learn about using the drum kit and rhythm to impact composing and song writing. Students learn how to use the toms, rim, tempo, ride cymbals, to impact the music. | Allow 20 min: |
In Depth Lesson | Lessons | 11 | Using Mixed Percussion | USING PERCUSSIVE SOUNDS Students learn about using percussion as a device in their music. We look at bongos, congas, the triangle and shakers, and they can be used to enhance and impact rhythms. | Allow 20 min: |
In Depth Lesson | Lessons | Using Latin Percussion | USING PERCUSSIVE SOUNDS | Allow 20 min: Advance techniques to use rhythm in composition. A good lesson to encourage students to create loops that can be put in another DAW. Or help students to understand different percussive instruments, how they are played and can be used in their own songs. A good home work. |
TYPE OF LESSON | WHERE TO FIND | LESSON NO. | LESSON NAME | CURRICULUM AREAS SUPPORTED | RECOMMENDATIONS |
MELODY AND HARMONY | |||||
In Depth Lesson | Lessons | 4 | The Core Elements - Melody Harmony and Rhythm | Song Writing/Programme Music Students learn what a scale and chord are and how they relate to each other. They will learn the difference between major and minor. They will learn about triads. They will explore ways to shape a melody using short and long notes over a chord in C major and minor. | Allow 25 min: Get your students to do this before any songwriting lesson. Whether it is using technology or using physical instruments. |
Quick Fire Lesson | Lessons | 3 | Quickfire Creating Music | Song Writing/Programme Music Students are shown a simple device on how to use chords to write a song. | Allow 15 min: Get your students to do this after either 'Drumbeat in 4 Easy Steps' or Rhythm & drum kit lesson. It get shows them how to create music in small steps. |
In Depth Lesson | Lessons | 7 | What is a Chord Sequence? | Song Writing/Programme Music Ways to write a song using a chord sequence 1 5 4 6 | Allow 25 min: Get your students to do this before any soingwriting lesson. Whether it is using technology or using physical instruments. |
In Depth Lesson | Lessons | 8 | Creating Bass Lines | Song Writing/Programme Music Students learn how to use bass in their compositions. They learn musically what they are doing and the role the bass plays. | Allow 15 min: Get your students to do this before any songwriting lesson. Whether it is using technology or using physical instruments. |
TYPE OF LESSON | WHERE TO FIND | LESSON NO. | LESSON NAME | CURRICULUM AREAS SUPPORTED | RECOMMENDATIONS |
SONG WRITING & COMPOSITION | |||||
In Depth Lesson | Help Menu | Arranging the Music | COMPOSITION Students learn how to create loops, move and split bars, and edit music in the OGenPlus Clip Arranger | ||
Quick Fire Lesson | Help Menu | Recording your Voice | SONG WRITING Students learn how to record their voice in the OGenPlus Clip Arranger | ||
In Depth Lesson | Lessons | 9 | How to Write Lyrics | SONG WRITING Students at taught about how to write for a Chorus and Verse. | This is a great project to do over half a term/semester. Do this is conjunction with 'Quick Fire Composing, The Importance of Tempo, Drumbeat in 4 easy steps and the Chords & Scales lessons. The outcome can be students recording their own songs in teh Clip Arranger or Performing within the class. |
In Depth Lesson | Lessons | 12 | Quickfire Composing | SONG WRITING Students are guide through the steps to write a song in OGenPlus. How to create drum beat, a bass line, keyboards in preparation for writing their lyrics. | Allow 2 lessons. This is for a song writing project. Do this lesson conjunction with 'The Importance of Tempo' and 'How to Write Lyrics' lessons. |
Quick Fire Lesson | Lessons | 10 | The Importance of Tempo | SONG WRITING This a whole class activity that you can run from the class projector. The class are guided through saying lyrics at 3 different tempos. Fast, Slow and Mid. It is a lesson to do either before they start their lyrics, or once they have their lyrics and are about to write their music. Or as they are rehearsing their lyrics to their music. | Allow 15 minutes. It is a good lesson to bring the class together. |
TYPE OF LESSON | WHERE TO FIND | LESSON NO. | LESSON NAME | CURRICULUM AREAS SUPPORTED | RECOMMENDATIONS |
COMPOSING TO FILM | |||||
In Depth Lesson | Help Menu | How To Create Music to a Film | COMPOSING Students are provided with ideas and tips for writing music to the film in OGenPlus. | Get students to watch this video before they start the film music writing lessons. It offers tips that are geared towards using OGenPlus to write for the film. | |
In Depth Lesson | Lessons | 13 | Music for CAR ADVERT - LUXURY CAR BRAND | Your students are provided with a brief to write a 40 sec piece of music. They are given an idea of the mood required and are provided with a selection of instruments to compose with. They can change if they wish. | |
In Depth Lesson | Lessons | 15 | Music for a Nature SERIES - FOREST WORLD | Your students are provided with a brief to write a 40 sec piece of music. They are given an idea of the mood required and are provided with a selection of instruments to compose with. They can change if they wish. | |
In Depth Lesson | Lessons | 20 | Music for a TRAINERS ADVERT | Your students are provided with a brief to write a 40 sec piece of music. They are given an idea of the mood required. | |
Quick Fire Lesson | Lessons | 18 | Walk Through NEW SPORTS SHOE BRAND Advert | Your students are provided with things to think about when they compose to this film. A professional composer runs through ideas on how to create a mood and feel using the different rhythms, grooves, FX sounds and textures. How to use tempo, pace and how to edit your work effectively. | Get students to watch this before writing for Car Advert Lesson |
Quick Fire Lesson | Lessons | 14 | Walk Through LUXURY CAR BRAND Advert | COMPOSITION Your students are provided with things to think about when they compose to this film. A professional composer runs through ideas on intro and outros, how to create a theme, transitions, how create a mood using the FX sounds and textures. How to use tempo and pace. | Get students to watch this before writing for Nature Series |
Quick Fire Lesson | Lessons | 17 | Walk Through NATURE SERIES Title Tune | COMPOSITION Students are given a guide through watching a video about how to create short composition to film. The music is a luxury sports car. | Get students to watch this before writing for Trainers Advert Lesson |
In Depth Lesson | Lessons | 19 | Compose Music for NEW SPORTS SHOE BRAND Advert | Your students are provided with a brief to write a 40 sec piece of music. They are given an idea of the mood required and are provided with a selection of instruments to compose with. They can change if they wish. |
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