GCSE Composition workshop 4 - How to write a bass line

by Liz and Tim @HuntSchoolMusic

Teaching the first term of composition at GCSE can be really tricky. It's a delicate balancing act of reinforcing, reassuring and encouraging increasing levels of student autonomy. We've tried all sorts of approaches but it has taken us until now to actually document six of our first term composing workshops. I'm sure we'll have changed our minds in another 9 months...

Workshop 4 is very similar in style to workshop 3. We start at the very beginning with a root note in the bass that reinforces the chord above it. After that we look at three simple tricks - a bit of movement around the bass note, using a pedal note and bass lines that interact with or double melodic lines.