Transcribing
In this lesson we will transcribe the well known nursery rhyme “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” using Song Maker.
Let’s Listen
About “West End Girls”
“West End Girls” by the Pet Shop Boys was written in April 1984. The song features synthesised sounds which you can hear throughout.
The song’s lyrics are about the pressures of inner-city life and were inspired by T. S. Eliot’s poem “The Waste Land”.
The song has won many awards including a Brit Award in 1987. It was awarded Song of The Decade, between the years 1985 and 1994, by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.
Can I complete a song using Song Maker?
In music, to transcribe, is to write the notes of a song down as you listen or play. We will transcribe the very familiar, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”, in Song Maker. First, let’s sing it!
Really focus on the melody (the tune). When does it go high and low in pitch?
Does it move in little steps or does it do big jumps?
Track the movement with your hand.
What do do
- Log in to The Henge (press the button at top right).
- Then come to this page from
Year 4 / Transcribing. -
Click here for Music Lab
and open
Song Maker. - Copy this starter!
Alternatively, click here to open it already started.
What song is it?
Yes! It’s “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”.
Your task now is to finish the song.
Top tips:
- Think in chunks! Work on each line of the song at a time.
- Are there any repeated lines? Copy what you have already got right.
- Is the pitch of the music going up or down?
- Is it moving in steps or going in big jumps?
- Think back to when you were singing the song.
- Are any notes repeated (the same)?
- Are there any moments where there is silence?
How to save your work
Song Maker keeps your songs online in the cloud, possibly forever! But… to find your song again you need to save a complicated URL. Luckily… The Henge can cope.
- Click
Savein the bottom right corner of Song Maker. - On the next page, click
Copy Link. - Keep your Music Lab tab open and come back here.
- Click this link -> Song Saver .
- Click
Add Songin the top bar. If you don’t see it, check you are logged in! - Put the text cursor into the
Song Maker Linkbox. Paste [Ctrl-V]your song link.- Click the
Savebutton.
Remember to keep all your tabs open!
Did you know?
The recorder gets its name because it was used by early composers when transcribing tunes and melodies. They played the tune on the recorder, listened and then recorded it on musical notepaper. Do you see what they did there?