songwriting 101 - Country Music Hall of Fame

SONGWRITING 101:
An Introduction to Words & Music
Lessons
INTRODUCTION
The following songwriting lessons are helpful in preparing students for Songwriting 101. The pre-lesson encourages
students to think about what they already know about songwriting, while teaching them about the specific parts of a
song. Completing the pre-lesson ensures that the Songwriting 101 session will be a productive co-writing experience
with a professional songwriter. The post-lesson reinforces what students learned and allows them to reflect on the
songwriting experience. The KWL chart helps students activate background knowledge and combine new information
with prior knowledge. It is important to complete all columns on the chart as a class, especially the “L” column,
following the session with the songwriter. Songwriting 101 teaches students the basics of songwriting as
a creative outlet to express emotions and strengthen skills learned in traditional language arts classes.
Songwriting 101 is a precursor to Words & Music, the Museum’s flagship school program. A step-by-step lyricwriting experience, Words & Music supports standards in English language arts and music, and culminates with
an interactive performance by a professional songwriter who presents student lyrics as finished songs. For more
information on Words & Music, visit countrymusichalloffame.org/wordsandmusic.
STANDARDS
COMMON CORE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR MUSIC EDUCATION
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.1
Engage effectively in collaborative discussions with diverse partners.
Standard 6
Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.10
Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and
understanding.
Standard 7
Evaluating music and music performances.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.5
Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking
about a text, using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe
how each successive part builds on earlier sections.
Standard 8
Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and
disciplines outside the arts.
Standard 9
Understanding music in relation to history and culture.
Songwriting 101
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Country Music Hall of Fame ® and Museum
Songwriting 101 Pre-Lesson
LESSON
40-45 MINUTES
1. Lead a class discussion with students.
OBJECTIVES
•
Students will work together and share what they
already know about songwriting.
•
Students will determine what they want to learn
about songwriting.
•
Students will analyze song lyrics.
•
Students will demonstrate an understanding
of new vocabulary and concepts related to parts
of a song.
PREPARATION
Make copies of the KWL chart for each student group
and one large KWL chart to be filled in with class
responses.
Select a song to use for the lesson based on your
students’ interests and grade level. Suggested
songs for this unit include the following:
•
“Check Yes or No,” written by Danny Wells and
Dana Hunt, recorded by George Strait
•
“Don’t Laugh at Me,” written by Steve Seskin
and Allen Shamblin, recorded by Mark Wills
•
“White Horse,” written by Liz Rose and Taylor
Swift, recorded by Taylor Swift
•
“The House That Built Me,” written by Tom
Douglas and Allen Shamblin, recorded by
Miranda Lambert
Copy song lyrics for each student and secure a
recording of the selected song to play for the class.
Ask them to name some of their favorite songs. Ask them
what they like about the songs. Notate the discussion as it
occurs. Encourage the conversation until the list of songs
represents a range of musical genres.
2. Have students break up into groups of no more
than five people.
Give each group a KWL chart (see attached). Each group
should fill out the K and W for what they know (K) and
what they want to know (W) about songwriting. Once
students are finished, groups can share their answers in
a class discussion. Make a class chart of the discussion.
3. Once students complete the K and W columns,
review the parts of a song.
If students are familiar with the parts of a song, continue
to #4.
•
The title is the name of the song.
•
The theme is the main subject of the song.
•
The hook is the part of the song that catches, or
“hooks,” listeners’ attention and makes the song easy
to remember. The title and hook are often the same,
and the hook is usually repeated throughout the song.
NOTE:
The title, theme, and hook should work together to let
listeners know what the song is about.
•
The verse uses details to support the title, theme, and
hook. Songs typically include multiple verses, which
usually incorporate important information about the
song’s subject, such as who, what, where, when, why,
and how.
•
The chorus conveys the main subject of the song. The
chorus is usually simpler than the verses, and it often
contains the title. The chorus summarizes the main
subject while the verses provide the supporting details.
•
The bridge introduces a twist that gives an unexpected
perspective on the theme. It usually occurs toward the
song’s end, and it has a totally different melody from
the verses and chorus. Not all songs have a bridge.
Songwriting 101: An Introduction to Words & Music
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Songwriting 101
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Country Music Hall of Fame ® and Museum
4. Share a copy of song lyrics with students.
6. Discuss theme and message.
Students should read the lyrics, and then follow
along as a recording of the song is played. Have
students circle the chorus and underline the hook
and title. Discuss correct answers after everyone has
completed the exercise.
Mention that theme is what the song is about, and
message is what the song says about the theme. For
example, the theme of the Taylor Swift song “Our
Song” is relationship. The message of “Our Song”
is that relationship can be defined by experiences
together as opposed to a singular item. Finally, go
back to the song from the previous steps, identify
the theme and message.
5. Ask students to draw a box around
rhyming words.
Once students have finished, work as a class to
identify the song’s rhyme scheme (e.g., ABAB,
AABB, etc.). Inform students that the chorus,
verses, and bridge (if there is one), may have
different rhyme schemes.
Repeat steps 4 through 6 with additional songs if
time allows or if students require more practice.
7. Prepare students for the Songwriting 101 session.
Let students know that the songwriter will
collaborate with the class on content of the song,
the style of music, and other aspects of songwriting.
Students should prepare ideas for the song and
questions for the songwriter.
Songwriting 101: An Introduction to Words & Music
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Songwriting 101
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Country Music Hall of Fame ® and Museum
KWL Chart: Songwriting 101
K
W
L
What I Know
What I Want to Know
What I Have Learned
Songwriting 101: An Introduction to Words & Music
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Songwriting 101
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Country Music Hall of Fame ® and Museum
Songwriting 101 Post-Lesson
LESSON
25-30 MINUTES
OBJECTIVES
•
Students will discuss what they learned as they
listened to, analyzed, and wrote songs.
•
Students will reflect on the session with the
songwriter and the songwriting experience.
PREPARATION
Return copies of KWL charts from previous lesson to
student groups to be completed
1. Lead a class discussion or assign a writing
exercise on the following questions to reflect on
their songwriting experience and the Songwriting
101 workshop.
•
W hat did you enjoy about writing a song?
•
The next time you write a song, will you work
alone or in a group? Why?
•
Was songwriting easy or hard for you? Explain
your answer.
•
W hat skills are important to have to be a
successful songwriter? How would you define
success?
•
Do you think all songwriters write hit songs?
Explain your answer.
•
Would you rather be a songwriter, a singer,
or both? Explain your answer
2. After answering the questions, gather students
in their groups to complete the KWL chart.
Ask them to fill in what they learned (L) to
finish the exercise. Ask students to share aloud.
Post responses on the class chart and answer any
final questions.
Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum education programs are funded in part by:
Museum programs are funded in part by the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation; Marylee Chaski Charitable Corporation; the Chet Atkins
Music Education Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee; Connie Dean-Taylor, in memory of her father, Country Music Hall of Fame
member Jimmy Dean; Dollar General Literacy Foundation; HCA Foundation; Mick Foundation; Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission; Nashville Predators
Foundation, Publix Super Markets Charities; Southwest Airlines; T&T Family Foundation; and Wells Fargo.
Technology Partners: Cisco; NewTek; Personal Computer Systems, Inc.; and Promethean.
Copyright © 2016 by the Country Music Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.
Songwriting 101: An Introduction to Words & Music
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Songwriting 101
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Country Music Hall of Fame ® and Museum
Lyric Sheet
Check Yes or No
Dana Oglesby / Danny Wells
It started way back in third grade
I used to sit beside Emmylou Hayes
A pink dress, a matching bow and her ponytail
She kissed me on the school bus, but told me not to tell
Next day I chased her ’round the playground
Across the monkey bars, to the merry-go-round
And Emmylou got caught passing me a note
Before the teacher took it, I read what she wrote,
“Do you love me, do you wanna be my friend?
And if you do, well then don’t be afraid to take me by the hand
If you want to, I think this is how love goes
Check yes or no.”
Now we’re grown up and she’s my wife
Still like two kids with stars in our eyes
Ain’t much changed, I still chase Emmylou
Up and down the hall, around the bed in our room
Last night I took her out in a white limousine
Twenty years together, she still gets to me
Can’t believe it’s been that long ago
When we got started with just a little note,
“Do you love me, do you wanna be my friend?
And if you do, well then don’t be afraid to take me by the hand
If you want to, I think this is how love goes
Check yes or no.”
“Do you love me, do you wanna be my friend?
And if you do, well then don’t be afraid to take me by the hand
If you want to, I think this is how love goes
Check yes or no.”
Check yes or no
Check yes or no
Check yes or no
Check yes or no
Songwriting 101: An Introduction to Words & Music
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Songwriting 101
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Country Music Hall of Fame ® and Museum
Lyric Sheet
Don’t Laugh at Me
Allen Shamblin / Steve Seskin
I’m a little boy with glasses
The one they call the geek
A little girl who never smiles
’Cause I’ve got braces on my teeth
And I know how it feels
To cry myself to sleep.
I’m that kid on every playground
Who’s always chosen last
A single teenage mother
Tryin’ to overcome my past
You don’t have to be my friend
Is it too much to ask?
Don’t laugh at me, don’t call me names
Don’t get your pleasure from my pain
In God’s eyes we’re all the same
Someday we’ll all have perfect wings
Don’t laugh at me.
I’m the cripple on the corner
You pass me on the street
I wouldn’t be out here beggin’
If I had enough to eat
And don’t think I don’t notice
That our eyes never meet.
I lost my wife and little boy
Someone crossed that yellow line
The day we laid ’em in the ground
Is the day I lost my mind
Right now I’m down to holdin’
This little cardboard sign.
[Chorus:]
I’m fat, I’m thin, I’m short, I’m tall
I’m deaf, I’m blind, hey aren’t we all?
[Chorus:]
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Songwriting 101
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Country Music Hall of Fame ® and Museum
Lyric Sheet
White Horse
Liz Rose / Taylor Swift
Say you’re sorry, that face of an angel
Comes out just when you need it to
As I paced back and forth all this time
Cause I honestly believed in you
Holding on the days drag on
Stupid girl, I should have known (I should have known)
I’m not a princess, this ain’t a fairy tale
I’m not the one you’ll sweep off her feet, lead her up the stairwell
This ain’t Hollywood, this is a small town
I was a dreamer before you went and let me down
Now it’s too late for you and your white horse to come around
Maybe I was naïve, got lost in your eyes
And never really had a chance
My mistake, I didn’t know to be in love
You had to fight to have the upper hand
I had so many dreams about you and me
Happy endings now I know
I’m not a princess, this ain’t a fairy tale
I’m not the one you’ll sweep off her feet, lead her up the stairwell
This ain’t Hollywood, this is a small town
I was a dreamer before you went and let me down
Now it’s too late for you and your white horse to come around
And there you are on your knees
Begging for forgiveness, begging for me
Just like I always wanted but I’m so sorry
‘Cause I’m not your princess, this ain’t a fairytale
I’m gonna find someone someday who might actually treat me well
This is a big world, that was a small town
There in my rear view mirror disappearing now
And it’s too late for you and your white horse
Now it’s too late for you and your white horse to catch me now
Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa
Try and catch me now
Oh, it’s too late to catch me now
Songwriting 101: An Introduction to Words & Music
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Songwriting 101
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Country Music Hall of Fame ® and Museum
Lyric Sheet
The House That Built Me
Tom Douglas / Allen Shamblim
I know they say you can’t go home again
I just had to come back one last time
Ma’am I know you don’t know me from Adam
But these handprints on the front steps are mine
Up those stairs in that little back bedroom
Is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar
And I bet you didn’t know under that live oak
My favorite dog is buried in the yard
I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it’s like I’m someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself
If I could just come in I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me
Mama cut out pictures of houses for years
From Better Homes and Garden magazine
Plans were drawn and concrete poured
Nail by nail and board by board
Daddy gave life to Mama’s dream
I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it’s like I’m someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself
If I could just come in I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me
You leave home, you move on, and you do the best you can
I got lost in this old world and forgot who I am
I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it’s like I’m someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself
If I could walk around I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me
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