TM

An Elementary Piano Library

Composing with Kids
Composing with Kids
Written and Illustrated by Andrew Fling
Five Recipes for Success
About this Edition
Composing music is a lot like baking cookies. If you want to bake a certain type of cookie,
you have to include a certain set of ingredients. The same is true with composing music.
In this edition students will be given five "recipes" to help them get started with composing
pieces with a variety of flavors. The projects require no understanding of music theory, with
the exception of a few basic piano reading/performance skills.
Lets Compose!
TM
Composing with Kids
Five Recipes for Success
An Elementary Piano Library
First Edition
Copyright 2013 www.WaveMusicStudio.com
All Rights Reserved
Written and Illustrated by Andrew Fling
Recipe
Hot Cross Buns Remix
So many songs that we enjoy are simply a scrambled up version of another popular song.
These songs have the same ingredients, but theyre put togther in a different way. With this
first composing activity all you have to do is take the ingredients of Hot Cross Buns and mix
them up in a different way to make your own piece. Easy!
Ingredients
Quarter Notes
Half Notes
Whole Notes
8 Measures Long
Two Chords: C (C-E-G) and G (G-B-D)
3 two measure phrases that are exactly the same
1 two measure phrase is different

Directions
Mix these ingredients up in a different way. Change the melody notes. Give the melody
notes a new rhythm. Write it down. Perform for parents, teachers, music classroom, or
upcoming recital.
Here's Hot Cross Buns...
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c
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Piano

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Recipe
Walk Like an Egyptian
Write a piece with the Egyptian sound using the Egyptian Scale (C-D-Eb-F#-G-Ab-B-C).
Ingredients
Eighth Notes
Quarter Notes
Half Notes
Whole Notes (sparingly)
24 Measures (ABA Form/8 Measures per Section)
Ostinato Accompaniment Throughout
Egyptian Scale (C-D-Eb-F#-G-Ab-B-C)
Directions
Build a new composition based on this scale and ostinato. Top with brilliant notation and
serve to happy parents. Students can use left hand piano part suggested below, and then
add a cool Egyptian scale melody over top. Delicious!
Note for Teachers
If students are writing eighth notes, it's best to switch to quarter notes only in the left hand
for those measures. It will sound better, and it will be far more playable.
Here are the ostinatos that youll use for the A sections and B sections of your piece...
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A Section Ostinato
B Section Ostinato
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Recipe
Surprise Inside
Write a melody that introduces a surprising new note late in the eight measure structure.
Lets take a look at Yankee Doodle as an example. It begins with a very limited range of
notes (C-D-E). After a little while the melody expands to include low B and G. The real
surprise, though, happens in measure six with the introduction of the F. Its played rather
quickly, but provides a wonderful moment of refreshment to the melody.
Ingredients
Eighth Notes
Quarter Notes
Half Notes
Eight Measures in 2/4 or 4/4 Meter
Melody using only C-D-E-F#-G-A-B (or fewer notes)
Key of C
Directions
The ingredients for your composition are very similar to the ingredients for Yankee Doodle,
so get to know Yankee Doodle a little by playing it on the piano. You might be able to use
one of the 3-4 note combinations in your piece. Your Surprise Inside will be an F#, giving
your piece a Lydian sound. That note should be introduced in your melody in measure 5 or
6. Decorate your music with colored pencil confetti!
Yankee Doodle
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4
2
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Recipe
Ostinato, Ostinato, Ostinato
This lesson makes use of an ostinato (repeated musical phrase) for the accompaniment,
and the Dorian scale for added color.
Ingredients
Eighth Notes
Quarter Notes
Half Notes
Whole Notes (sparingly)
Directions
Write an eight to sixteen measure piece. Use the following ostinato in each measure of the
bass clef, and the D Dorian scale for the melody. Begin your melody with A, and end it with
D. Practice and perform.
Here is the ostinato and dorian scale for your piece...
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D Dorian Scale
Ostinato
Recipe
Ragtime Mix-n-Match
This lesson provides kids with a perfect-every-time approach to composing. Student cuts
out pre-written ragtime phrases, and combines them in a way that sounds pleasing to them.
Ingredients
Pre-Written Musical Phrases
Directions
Cut out all of the pre-written musical phrases. Teacher performs each ragtime phrase.
Student begins by labeling all potential beginning phrases with a #1, and all potential ending
phrases with a #4. Next, select two middle phrases to complete an eight measure phrase.
(Some identical phrase have been included, should the student decide to include certain
phrases twice.) Tape the pieces together. Practice. Serve to happy parents!

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Mix-n-Match Phrases

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My Rag
Paste
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Paste
About the Author
Andrew Fling (pictured with his wife Tricia) is a
graduate of Arizona State University with a Bachelors
Degree in Music Theory and Composition, graduate
studies in Music Theory and Composition and K-12
Music Education. He has been teaching music, band,
and choir to elementary aged children in Arizona
since 1992. He is also the creator/owner of the
popular educational website MakingMusicFun.net,
which offers free sheet music, composer biographies,
worksheets and music theory arcade games to
educators and music enthusiasts.
Composing with Kids
Five Recipes for Success
An MMF! Elementary Piano Library Resource
Written and Illustrated by Andrew Fling
The MakingMusicFun.net Elementary Piano Library ofers two
graded lesson books and many supplemental resources that are
smartly designed to provide students with a highly successful and
satisfying musical experience.
Visit MakingMusicFun.net for more creative resources for
elementary music education.