| Explore West African Rhythms
Song Writing Activity
Study the Lyrics
of "Daa
Dwene"
- Listen again while you follow the notation
and lyrics below. Notice the four melodic phrases.
- Note that each of the four phrases
contains five notes. Therefore, you could write a four-line
verse to go with the entire melody, with each line having
five syllables. An example of the first two lines is:
I have al-ways known
What the sun has shown.
Write New Lyrics
- Use the "Daa Dwene" melody to write
original lyrics to accompany your chosen arrangement.
- Based on your critical listening
in Section 3, select an arrangement of "Daa Dwene" you like
best.
Arrangement
1: pitched percussion instrumentation
Arrangement
2: modern electronic instrumentation
Arrangement
3: bass and guitar instrumentation
- Decide whether you want your lyrics
to rhyme and whether you want the feeling of your lyrics
to complement or contrast with the feeling of the arrangement.
For example, if the arrangement has a modern sound, you
could use lyrics with a traditional theme.
- As an option, use vocal sounds instead
of words, such as "La" or "Nah."
- Write a few different sets of lyrics,
placing each syllable on the appropriate blank.
- Review your work and choose a final
set of lyrics.
- On your worksheet, complete the Performance
Activity section.
- Optional: Play your chosen arrangement
and perform your song for others.
Web Links Extension
National Museum of African Art http://www.si.edu/nmafa/africart.htm
Visit this site to get a "feel" for Africa and find inspiration
for writing additional lyrics. You might find specific visual
images that you can use in your song or use the images at
the site to help you invent a story told by your lyrics.
You can now choose another Performance
Activity.
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