Do your kids have a favourite song or musical instrument? Maybe they love the sound of the piano, guitar, or drums.
Do they want to compose tunes and music but they might be overwhelmed by the idea? Well, Scratch is the way to go! Whether your kid is into pop, classical, or even video game music, Scratch lets them compose their own tunes and add a unique twist to them.
This means, with scratch programming, your kid can become a musician and a composer!
Not only does Scratch allow you to create music, but it also makes coding for kids both creative and educational! Let’s learn how.
Turn Your Favorite Music into a Scratch Project
As we all know, music is all about creativity, and so is coding in Scratch. When you combine the two, your kids get a powerful tool to express themselves.
Alt text: how to make a tune in Scratch
Working with Sounds
First thing first, where can you find the sound option in Scratch?
Click on the “Sounds” tab at the top of the screen.
Think about your favourite song or the sound of your favourite instrument. What if you could recreate that in Scratch, or even make it better by adding your own touch?
Scratch has built-in sounds and instruments like the piano, guitar, drums, and more. You can also record your own sounds if you want something truly unique.
Alt text: built-in sound options in Scratch
After selecting the sounds, you can use Scratch’s music blocks to put together notes and create a melody.
Creating a Melody
Let’s create a melody together!
Alt text: sound-related code blocks in scratch
First, choose a sprite that will play the melody. For example, you can choose a drummer sprite or even a singer sprite!
Then, use the “start sound” block to create a melody, and then to make the melody more interesting, you can add variations in pitch. Use the “change [pitch] effect by [10]” block to modify the pitch of the sound.
For some DJ effects, you can use the “change volume by [-10]” block to gradually decrease the volume or “set volume to [100]%” block to bring it back up.
If you like your beat very much, then you can wrap your melody and beat in a “forever” block so it keeps playing!
This is a sample melody that you can recreate too.
| start sound [drum]
change [pitch] effect by [20]
start sound [drum]
change [pitch] effect by [-20]
start sound [guitar]
set [pitch] effect to [120]
start sound [snare]
clear sound effects change volume by [-10] start sound [drum] set volume to [100]% play sound [B piano] until done |
Feel free to experiment by adding more sounds, changing the pitch in different ways, and playing with volume effects to make the melody your own!
Music Extension
Now, if your kid is ready to make some actual songs and record some tunes, then they can use the Scratch Music extension.
Alt text: Music extension in scratch
This extension adds new blocks specifically designed for playing notes, creating rhythms, and composing entire songs.
Once you’ve added the Music extension, you’ll see a new set of blocks dedicated to music creation.
Alt text: Music code blocks in scratch
Then, you can use these music blocks to put together notes or come up with your own tune. This is a small musical project you can test out for yourself:
| set instrument to [Piano]
play note [C4] for [1] beats play note [D4] for [1] beats play note [E4] for [1] beats play note [G4] for [2] beats play drum [Snare Drum] for [0.5] beats play drum [Bass Drum] for [0.5] beats rest for [1] beats play note [C4] for [1] beats set tempo to [120] bpm |
No song is complete without a beat!
What’s your kid’s favourite beat? Drums? Percussions? Well, you can add both of them using these code blocks.
Not only this but you can control the tempo (how fast or slow the music plays) to match the style of music you like.
Once you’ve got the simple beat ready, you can try experimenting with the pitch, speed, or instrument to see how it affects your song.
A fun task to do with your kids: You can upload your favourite song and then maybe remix it or add a new instrument or beat!
And voila! You kids just learnt about music theory, rhythm, and composition while also enhancing their coding skills.
Conclusion
Scratch is a powerful tool that allows you to unleash your creativity and learn the basics of coding in a fun and engaging way. Begin your journey in scratch programming with Codingal’s coding courses for kids, where you can unlock your full potential and learn something new at every step.
Keep experimenting, keep learning, and most importantly, have fun with your coding journey! At Codingal, we’re here to support you every step of the way. Happy coding!
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