Tips for music writing

[tj4234]

I felt we needed one of these.

We are all musicians. Has anyone got any general tips for writing music?

For lyrics I note down phrases I like, cut them out, then put them in a hat, pull them out the hat and assemble them in an order(and make up linking sentences where needed). That's also how David Bowie does it.

[Insomniatic]

well when I'm writing a song, I take awhile after I get an idea, and see if I can make more out of it, like for example this song I made about the devil, I associated it with fire, and evilness, and flames so I got two more verses out of it, besides the original concept, cuz usually whatever idea you have, had related concepts, whether it be fire, or the line which inspires you, and if you can find ideas which relate to it, without being cheesy, it helps very well, to make a song come together if you are having trouble finding verses or chorus' in songs....or searching for idea's!

[Darsank]

i write a lot of poetry so i take that, mix around the stanzas to get a good chorus, and then once you have the words, the music just comes to you I guess...hee I'm not very helpful am I?

[merzi]

You know, I don't really have a method for music writing.
I just start humming a new rhythm and then the lyrics come together although I don't from where.
But the thing is that I must be really fast when I try to write down the lyrics...otherwise, they'll be gone by the time I'm ready with pen and paper.

But, when I really have a paper in front of me a really good song with rhyme (not good one) and everything comes out, like for example:

Letters not delivered
now being turned to ashes.
Ink and paper wasted.
So many feelings written.
Why was I so concerned...so upset
to tell her how I felt?
I don't forgive myself!

or

Starry night,
gleaming stars.
Weeping sounds
heard at night.
Is it you?
Is it me?
Tears dripping down our cheeks.
Do we really wiss each other?
No embraces,
no more laughs,
no more secrets told at night,
no more fights over a guy we saw.
I still miss you,
why didn't you say good-bye?

Pretty good songs and a total hit between classmates.
They think it rhymes but I'm not really sure.

[skistar123]

Originally Posted by tj4234

For lyrics I note down phrases I like, cut them out, then put them in a hat, pull them out the hat and assemble them in an order(and make up linking sentences where needed). That's also how David Bowie does it.

If God does it then it's fine by me :P

I'm not a strong lyricist myself and so I write music without lyrics...

[Grymmditch]

Everyone writes differently - for some, words first, then music; for others, the other way around.
But randomly mixing up verses seems like a bad way to write lyrics to me. Like a good book, the thought and idea of the song should build and develop as the song plays out. Although, I'm partial to instrumental music myself.

The best tip I can think of, musically is, try not to let the instrument always dictate to you the chord progression. Use your inner ear, try to imagine in your head how you think it should go from one chord to the next. It tests your musical ability and creativity to the limit, but it's good for the song and a great exercise to boot. Although sometimes, just randomly experimenting with different chords and/or fingerings can also yield good results. I just wouldn't rely on that 100% of the time.

[Insomniatic]

I think if your writing music you should base it around the style of the song your writing, so if its a very loving song, think of the music as being very loving and if its a song which has a really punchy beginning make it so, but really I don't think about composing musically, it kind of just comes with the writing! (I Do think about it though sometimes)

[punx92]

Originally Posted by skistar123

If God does it then it's fine by me :P

I'm not a strong lyricist myself and so I write music without lyrics...

keep practicing and you'll get better. I wasnt strong at first and i kept going at it and now id say im decent

[skistar123]

i prefer writing music on the computer because i can see what's going on - if i write it on my guitar or my piano i forget which chords play or what notes to play that will fit

[Perlidia]

Originally Posted by skistar123

i prefer writing music on the computer because i can see what's going on - if i write it on my guitar or my piano i forget which chords play or what notes to play that will fit

My boyfriend is so disorganized - no matter how many journals I buy him, I constantly find scraps of paper around the house with cords or scraps of lyrics written on them. He also uses his phone and saves cords etc into his messages.

I bought him a Dictaphone a few years back to use when he is jammin and now he has a shoe box full of little unlabeled cassettes.

His workstation is also covered in unlabled disks - which would take weeks to sort out.

[christygirl1993]

It comes together for me.But usually the music come first.Then I'll write out what I feel while playing the chords on the piano.Sometimes maybe just sing along with the piano and see.If I like the sound then I'll write it down the chords and lyrics and record it in my pc.

I found out that if I just write the lyrics,I usually cant make music for it.IDK why ..haha

Some just feel right while some I change the lyrics and music in the future to make it sound better.

[Harry852]

All I do is I write down a few words like: Happy, Sad, Exiting, Past Future, and then I write down the things that are happening, or happened in my life pesonally and then write a song about what is going on. Like for sad I would put "People that I miss" and then I'd write a sad song about people that I miss, or something. And then I would write down a few idea for lyrics and then reread them and pick the ones I really like and make it into a song. Then I keep rereading it and fix it untill I really like it. And try to make things ryme and sound good. I find it easier to type it than to write it though, because then it's easier to get rid of the things in the song I don't want.

[Patience]

Well I guess that's how you write a cliche song with cliche lyrics and a cliche chord progression...
I improvise on the piano, until come up with an idea I like, and then expand on that until I have an interesting tune/song.
I then think about something I'm interested in, then create a poem that fits the tune.

[MistressofRaven]

I have a few tips
1) When a melody comes to you write it down or record it right then. Sometimes when a piece of music comes to me I'll just let it play over and over in my head and by the time I want to transcribe it, I already don't like it anymore. That brings me to my second tip.

2) Remember how your music sounded when it first came to you. I have a tendency to hate my music I make after a while even if I really liked it at first. I have to remember that I'm so critical of my music because I made it and it comes from my head. But if it sounded good when I first thought of it, it will sound good to everyone else.

3) Lyrics and music usually come together for me. Even if the lyrics don't make sense, I still refer to them when writing new lyrics because they help me remember what I was thinking of at the time and the feeling I got from the music.

[jessi944]

I have multiple notebooks and leave them everywhere (in my room, my backpack, my locker, etc.). That way, when inspiration strikes, I'm always prepared. This way I don't have to write on napkins with borrowed pens anymore.
I don't normally think too hard for lyrics. Sometimes I just get them in my head, and that's where a song comes from. There are also certain places that inspire me though, like being in nature.

[cnewk]

Originally Posted by Darsank

i write a lot of poetry so i take that, mix around the stanzas to get a good chorus, and then once you have the words, the music just comes to you I guess...hee I'm not very helpful am I?

you actually are.... I took composition classes in college and that is how they suggested doing it

Originally Posted by Grymmditch

The best tip I can think of, musically is, try not to let the instrument always dictate to you the chord progression. Use your inner ear, try to imagine in your head how you think it should go from one chord to the next. It tests your musical ability and creativity to the limit, but it's good for the song and a great exercise to boot. Although sometimes, just randomly experimenting with different chords and/or fingerings can also yield good results. I just wouldn't rely on that 100% of the time.

Chord progression make the songs. There are specific chords that don't and do go along with others, I took 6 years of music theory and a year of composition. Although it is good to not let it rule you completely, it is good to keep it as your structure so your musical house won't fall. But it will come apparent when your song is complete and it doesn't work. Going into music in college after 6 years of just playing an instrument you get humbled really quickly when you realize that some of your songs are good but they are horribly written ( i am not saying that anyones music is horrible nor do i ever want to ) The people making songs for artists or artists that write themselves have had years and years of composing training or have heard by ear and know what they are doing and get paid big bucks because they know what notes sound gopod for the lyrics and style the song demands

Originally Posted by Grymmditch

Everyone writes differently - for some, words first, then music; for others, the other way around.
But randomly mixing up verses seems like a bad way to write lyrics to me. Like a good book, the thought and idea of the song should build and develop as the song plays out. Although, I'm partial to instrumental music myself.

The best tip I can think of, musically is, try not to let the instrument always dictate to you the chord progression. Use your inner ear, try to imagine in your head how you think it should go from one chord to the next. It tests your musical ability and creativity to the limit, but it's good for the song and a great exercise to boot. Although sometimes, just randomly experimenting with different chords and/or fingerings can also yield good results. I just wouldn't rely on that 100% of the time.

there is a ryhme and reason to musical progression

[HurrahforHermy]

For me, it depends a lot, but usually the the music comes first. I'll be playing around with chords on the guitar, and suddenly think, "hey, that sounds good!".

If I do write the lyrics first, then the music usually comes quite quickly, but if I write the music first, it takes some time to come up with lyrics. For example, for days I've been having this really great melody in my head, a sort of cheerful and jazzy melody (which is weird considering my music's almost always quite slow) but when it comes to lyrics, my brain goes blank. I can even imagine it being played on a piano (which I, unfortunately, can't play. I play guitar) but I can't figure out good chords for it on the guitar. You know thos songs that you think would sound great on one instrument, but not very good on a another? Well, that's the problem right now, lol.

I always write the chorus before the verses. Always. I don't know why, but it's just so much easier for me. I have to think more when it comes to the verses.
Also I think avoiding cliché lyrics is very important, you should try to be as original as possible.

[Grymmditch]

Originally Posted by cnewk

Chord progression make the songs. There are specific chords that don't and do go along with others, I took 6 years of music theory and a year of composition. Although it is good to not let it rule you completely, it is good to keep it as your structure so your musical house won't fall. But it will come apparent when your song is complete and it doesn't work. Going into music in college after 6 years of just playing an instrument you get humbled really quickly when you realize that some of your songs are good but they are horribly written ( i am not saying that anyone's music is horrible nor do i ever want to ) The people making songs for artists or artists that write themselves have had years and years of composing training or have heard by ear and know what they are doing and get paid big bucks because they know what notes sound gopod for the lyrics and style the song demands

there is a ryhme and reason to musical progression

Absolutely!

But not everyone has formal training in pro music, nor is it necessary. I've mostly trained myself, actually. I think it depends on the type and complexity of the music, as well. Rock and pop are much simpler than mainstream jazz or classical.
Few rock/pop musicians read music, even. A decent ear can guide you as to what chord progressions "work" or don't. some people just have it, some learn it, and some.. I guess are just tone deaf, so to speak.

Even then, look at early blues/jazz, where the first mixing of minor and major progressions occurred and would've been a real "no-no" by classical theory; yet today, you hear it all the time - in blues, jazz, and rock, and it sounds natural enough. Dissonance, when used to build tension, can be acceptable so long as it's resolved.
That said, I have heard songs on the radio where I went, "Ewww, that didn't work!" The grunge movement in the early nineties seemed to push the boundaries in that regard, and it didn't always work, IMO.

But in any case, my original point was to suggest to try and write music for the music's sake, that is, not to write "guitar" music, or "piano" music, but just music. It's not difficult to locked in to limiting or repetitive chord progressions when you let the natural limits of the instrument limit your imagination; in other words, don't let the mechanics of a particular instrument control you, even if it's the only one you play.
Examples: the guitar has certain idiosyncrasies that can be exploited, but it can also hinder your writing if you let it; even the piano can, like sticking to only the white keys or the black keys; while doing so will almost ensure working chord progressions, you're also limiting yourself.

Another tip, I think also mentioned above by others: I keep a tape recorder right next to my guitar amp, and one on the piano; whenever I get an idea I like, I record it. I don't rewind, I always leave the recorder ready to go at a moment's notice.
I can't begin to list the number of neat riffs I would've lost forever if I hadn't done that. I have a dozen cassettes full of bits and ideas. Sometimes I'll go back and play the tape 2 years later, and have to relearn what I'd come up with.

[mrsmalfoy96]

For me I do personal expierence that happened to me. Something that means a lot to you. If you do that it is a lot easier to write about. You should also play a lot of instruments. I play the piano and guitar. So when i start writing a new song I always play on the piano!