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.
They are shown the different parts of the drum kit, their role and how they are played.
They will learn fundamental musical terms and how they translate to music notation.

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.
The bass drum starts playing 4 to the floor, hit hats play on offbeats. Then they build the momentum using the bass and snare drum. Students are encouraged to develop a bass synth line and a keyboard part.

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:
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 rhythmic devices that can be used in their own songs. A good home work.

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:
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.

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.
How they can create simple melodic phrase (motif, riff). Then, how to add their drum beat in preparation to writing lyrics.

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
Students are guided through writing a melody using a C major scale over a C major chord sequence. They are given ideas for creating a catchy melody. How to create a bass line and use different instruments for texture.

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.
The lesson provides a 3 column structure based on a students choosing a subject to write about.
They are guided on how to brainstorm using decriptive words and sentences. How to bring them together, choose the music and practise to the music.

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.
The brief is to cross genres. Classical with modern.
They learn how to build the music, create a theme, use different sounds, textures and rhythms to create the appropriate mood.
They learn about structure and how to work to a brief. This lesson is a real life composition experience.

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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