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Supplemental Materials

Blueprint

Analyze the structure of a song you love, then build a new one that follows it.

Activity

Directions:

Analyze a song and then follow that structure in a new song of your own. You can analyze the song in one of two ways:

  1. Soundtrap Analysis

  2. Detecting Repetition and Changes Analysis

Soundtrap Analysis:

This is the best way to go, but it requires you to find the song on YouTube. 

  1. Figure out the song you want to analyze.

  2. Find the song on YouTube and download it with a YouTube to MP3 downloader (strictly for educational purposes).

  3. Find the tempo by using these search terms on Google: [Song Title] Tempo

  4. Open a new Soundtrap project.

  5. Set the tempo to the BPM you found on google.

  6. Import the audio you downloaded of the song. 

  7. Split the region when the song changes, and rename each section with the appropriate section name by clicking Edit → Edit name.

[Click here] to see an analysis of Cheese Demon in Soundtrap.

Detecting Repetition and Changes Analysis:

This method is best for more obscure songs that aren’t available on YouTube. 

  1. Figure out the song you want to analyze.

  2. Find the song on a streaming service. 

  3. Create timestamps like in the Detecting Changes and Repetition Activity. 

  4. Create a new project in Soundtrap. 

  5. Set the tempo to 60 BPM (each beat will now be equivalent to seconds).

  6. Create regions that cover each section of the song in an empty track. You might need to do some adjusting. Remember, bars are usually in groups of 4.