General Music Chat

Awesome Topic! Congratulations.

I have been focusing on melody lines and then developing the underlying progression after. Since a melody can be in several keys, I find interesting changes and cadences. I first researched the idea after seeing a documentary of Gershwin on PBS. Later on, I also discovered that most classical and jazz musicians wrote this way—melody and then progression. It wasn't until the popularity of the Verse/Chorus/Bridge and the decline of instrumental music format that artist lost the desire to write melody first. I enjoy the challenge of writing melody first, I get to rely on the ear as well as theory, and finding the words to fit the notes in lyric writing.

Thats somehting i havent explored much Santos, thanks for sharing that! I may have to try your approach, melody and then build the progression. Thanks!

Good luck JW. record and post it here

My method begins with being naked.

BUMP!

I just write what comes to my head. Sometimes it's just some lyrical content with melody. sometimes it's the full meal deal. If I don't write or record it immediately it's lost forever.

The band does best by just letting it happen when it does.
Spontaneous combustion makes the best fire.

Bump !

bump

My Daughter speaks fluent gibberish. Makes for great tunes

In between bumps I will suggest a way of finding the lyrics.
This is for some the hardest part of writing a song.
Write a vinette.

Decide on your subject or main topic. Write it in the center of a page.
Circle it and then draw 5 short lines like sun rays from it. Draw a circle
at the end of each line and inside write a related phrase or word. For
example if the center topic is Love. Two of the relations could be Hate
and Mariage. Now from each of these relations draw 3 ray lines. Now
you write at the end of each of these lines a deeper more detailed
related phrase related to that phrase or word.

Now you have 21 on topic related thoughts to find your lyrics with.
Now with your big artistic brain you should be able to at least
construct a good skeleton of lyrics for your song.

This is an exercise that will help even the most novice writers.

Nicely played klugmo.

Kradlekap, welcome! And that's cute.

Well there is writing chords first and then letting the melodies come or vice versa. But I also like experimenting with composing AT the instrument as opposed to at the computer on FL Studio or MakeMusic Finale and vice versa.

Sometimes it's hard for me to challenge myself to play harder things if I'm only writing at the keyboard because I tend to play with fingerings I'm very used to, which obviously doesn't happen if I write on the computer.

The advantage I see to writing on the instrument is improving your hand-ear connection to your instrument which definitely helps with improvising.

For the most part, I record guitar riffs onto cassette (it's quick/no hassle) just to document it. I have cassettes that go way back to 1998. I use this method as a catalog of sorts when Im working with other people, and have managed to pull together full arrangements. As for lyrics, that comes to me in many different ways, jams, alone with an acoustic, or just something someone says that sets me off on an idea. With the country western/rockabilly band 'Tula Vera', (That project was pre-internet, so if anyone finds anything on it, please post it. What I do have is on cassette tapes.)

I mostly contributed lead guitar and a couple of rockabilly-type lyrics.

Mary's got a guy,
But she keeps on calling me back.
Mary's got a guy
But she keeps on calling me back.
Well....she says no one will give her what I got.

Simple writing. Rockabilly isnt heavy cerebral music, but its fun.

Well, it all comes down,
To nickels and dimes,
And how much can I spend on you tonight.
My Girl Lisa
If I aint got any money she'll go somewhere else tonight.


( BTW, all lyrics have been copy-written, recorded, and performed)

For the most part, I record guitar riffs onto cassette (it's quick/no hassle) just to document it. I have cassettes that go way back to 1998. I use this method as a catalog of sorts when Im working with other people, and have managed to pull together full arrangements. As for lyrics, that comes to me in many different ways, jams, alone with an acoustic, or just something someone says that sets me off on an idea. With the country western/rockabilly band 'Tula Vera', (That project was pre-internet, so if anyone finds anything on it, please post it. What I do have is on cassette tapes.)

I mostly contributed lead guitar and a couple of rockabilly-type lyrics.

Mary's got a guy,
But she keeps on calling me back.
Mary's got a guy
But she keeps on calling me back.
Well....she says no one will give her what I got.

Simple writing. Rockabilly isnt heavy cerebral music, but its fun.

Well, it all comes down,
To nickels and dimes,
And how much can I spend on you tonight.
My Girl Lisa
If I aint got any money she'll go somewhere else tonight.


( BTW, all lyrics have been copy-written, recorded, and performed)

I have cassettes that go way back to 1978

For the most part, I record guitar riffs onto cassette (it's quick/no hassle) just to document it. I have cassettes that go way back to 1998. I use this method as a catalog of sorts when Im working with other people, and have managed to pull together full arrangements. As for lyrics, that comes to me in many different ways, jams, alone with an acoustic, or just something someone says that sets me off on an idea. With the country western/rockabilly band 'Tula Vera', (That project was pre-internet, so if anyone finds anything on it, please post it. What I do have is on cassette tapes.)

I mostly contributed lead guitar and a couple of rockabilly-type lyrics.

Mary's got a guy,
But she keeps on calling me back.
Mary's got a guy
But she keeps on calling me back.
Well....she says no one will give her what I got.

Simple writing. Rockabilly isnt heavy cerebral music, but its fun.

Well, it all comes down,
To nickels and dimes,
And how much can I spend on you tonight.
My Girl Lisa
If I aint got any money she'll go somewhere else tonight.


( BTW, all lyrics have been copy-written, recorded, and performed)

I have cassettes that go way back to 1978

Thats quite prolific.

I only write when inspired. I seldom sit down just to write a song. Song ideas hit me when I'm doing stuff around the house. Sometimes the root is from something I heard on the TV, sometimes it begins with a one liner that pops into my head from no where. (The vast expanse between brain cells regurgitating refuse from weeks, months, or years gone by.)
I usually get the first line, then work a melody from that. If I feel I might forget it, I hum the melody into my DAW until I am ready to work it out. When I get slammed and can't come up with enough lines to complete it or it loses direction, I put the words in a folder along with the cpb file of the melody for a later date.

Works for me.