TEACHER LESSON GUIDE

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.

If you are a School, College or Music Organisation please contact us for a free 14 day trial.