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Step 1: Audience
In the research paper “Conceptualizing Creativity and Strategy in the Work of Professional Songwriters”, the author states that how does one become a songwriter and where does one apply for the job? Whatever the availability of courses, qualifications and “how to” books, the concept of a career structure, a path to a sacralized professional status, is not transparent.
It is not enough to have written a song, or even some songs: one must continue to write songs in order to inhabit the guise of being a songwriter. To be a songwriter is to assume one is able to continue to deliver songs. The delivery of songs is tied to the expectations and judgments of them by peers, interpreters and consumers who confirm that they are indeed songs and have value, demonstrating their cultural affect and economic effects.
The definition of songwriter is ambiguous, everyone could be a songwriter from different level. And songwriters look for inspiration from all over the world. Anything could be an inspiration for them to come up with a new melody or new lyrics.
There are patterns for pop songs. My thesis project is going to apply the pop song pattern into the algorithm to use in the pop song machine. The pop song machine can automatically generate chords progression, and according to the chords generate the note. Personally, when I do the songwriting, I tend to come up with similar melody according to the same chord. With this song machine, it could help songwriters to come up with different melody or give the songwriter some inspiration. The audience could be professional to amateur songwriters or even someone who is interested in songwriting but do not have any knowledge of it.
Step 2: Content, Medium and Form
I made an chords progression analysis of five pop songs.
Million Reasons - Lady gaga
Key : C
Intro : I - vi - IV - V (the 50's progression)
Verse : I - vi - IV - V
Chorus : IV - I - vi - V
Bridge : IV - I - V - vi - IV
Delicate - Taylor Swift
Key : C
Verse : I - ii - vi - IV
Chorus : I - ii - vi - IV
Post-Chorus : I - ii - vi - IV
Bridge : iii - vi - V
The Middle - Zedd
Key : C
Verse : I - V - II
Pre-chorus : I - V - II
Chorus : I - V - II - I - iii - II
Bridge : vi - I - V - II
End Game - Taylor Swift
Key :F
Chorus : I - V - II
Verse : I - V - II
Pre-chorus : I - V - vi - vii - I - V - vi
There's nothing holding me back - Shawn
Key : G
Intro : I - iii - II
Verse : I - V - iii - V - II - V - II - V
Chorus : I - V - iii - V - II - V - II - V
Bridge : I - V - iii - V - II - V - II - V
The commonly used chords progression is as below: (more far away branch is less uesd)
Ten most used chord progression in pop music
I – V – vi – IV (the Don't Stop Believing progression)
I – vi – IV – V (the 50's progression/old-school)
I – V – vi – iii – IV – I – IV – V (the Canon)
I – I – I – I – IV – IV – I – I – V – V – I – I (the Blues)
ii – IV – V (the Smoke on the Water progression)
I – IV – V – IV
V – IV – I
vi – IV – I – V (use to pivot different section of a song)
vi – V – IV – III
ii – I – V6 – bVII
My song machine
1. Randomly generate the first chord
2. According to the algorithm, choose the second chorus and so on.
Step 3: Research Aims
A. Primary Question: The production of pop songs world(including live performance experience, melody and lyrics)
B. Aim 1: The pop song pattern to create a pop song that break the stereotype.
a. Significance/ Phenomena you are exploring
pop song pattern(auto piano)
b. Approach/ How will you go about this? Your unique way.
Search for music theory that is commonly used in pop songwriting and also analysis the pop songs that I like to find out that specific pattern that make a hit in me.
c. Relevant Data (Projects, Case Studies, Previous Work)
C. Aim 2: How’s influence of the lyrics of the pop songs?
a. Significance/ Phenomena you are exploring
The emotion that evoke by the lyrics.
b. Approach/ How will you go about this? Your unique way.
Analysis the commonly use words in pop music, and research for automatically generate poet algorithm.
c. Relevant Data (Projects, Case Studies, Previous Work)
D. Aim 3: The live performance atmosphere that create by the concert(music, lighting, and the crowd)
a. Significance/ Phenomena you are exploring
The atmosphere of a concert.
b. Approach/ How will you go about this? Your unique way.
c. Relevant Data (Projects, Case Studies, Previous Work)
E. Possible Outcomes or impact-Lits possible impact, expectations ((for example you want this to have a few outcomes they could look something like this (1) change the way people think about songwriting. (2) anyone could be a songwriter even if they do not know much about music theory. (3) give songwriter more inspiration of melody composition.