Songwriting
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Other music related lounges
Forum Name: Music and Musicians Exchange
Forum Description: Talk with and get feedback from other musicians on the site
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40279
Printed Date: July 19 2025 at 08:00
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Songwriting
Posted By: Slayertplsko
Subject: Songwriting
Date Posted: July 26 2007 at 11:53
| Hi there! I'm just starting to write songs. If anyone could "show me the way" pleeze. Send me some books, or share some knowledge. Thx. |
Replies:
Posted By: Chicapah
Date Posted: July 26 2007 at 13:55
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Man, I wish there was a book to read or a course you could take but there isn't (beyond teaching you the basics of music). I must have written 200 songs in my younger days and I'll bet there's not 5 that I'd consider decent. I just didn't have the gift. It seems to be something you either have or you don't but the good news is that you'll never know unless you try. Mainly write from your heart and/or gut and don't listen to anybody who says they know the "secret" to writing tunes. If they did they'd be cashing a huge royalty check every month. Good luck! ------------- "Literature is well enough, as a time-passer, and for the improvement and general elevation and purification of mankind, but it has no practical value" - Mark Twain |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: July 26 2007 at 13:59
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Do you mean songs as in just the lyrics, or music and lyrics? ------------- What? |
Posted By: Slayertplsko
Date Posted: July 27 2007 at 06:00
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Music. There is a number of books on lyrics and related stuff, but a haven't found any useful on writing music. Anyway, I'm uploading the two I got on rapidshare for the case someone would be interested.
http://rapidshare.com/files/45330041/PDF.rar.html contains: The Art of Writing Love Songs The Complete Idiots Guide To Songwriting I dunno if it's any useful to someone. |
Posted By: Angelo
Date Posted: July 27 2007 at 07:07
|
^Is that legal???
------------- http://www.iskcrocks.com" rel="nofollow - ISKC Rock Radio I stopped blogging and reviewing - so won't be handling requests. Promo's for ariplay can be sent to [email protected] |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: July 27 2007 at 08:31
no, it's not. ------------- What? |
Angelo wrote:Posted By: coleio
Date Posted: August 02 2007 at 13:53
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There isn't any law to songwriting dude. The reason you can't find anything is because you seem to be looking for things to tell you how to write songs. But you've just got to learn how to write and play music, self -study in music theory. Simple. ------------- Eat heartily at breakfast, for tonight, we dine in Hell!! |
Posted By: Revan
Date Posted: August 02 2007 at 18:43
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^not true. People study composition you know...
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Posted By: coleio
Date Posted: August 02 2007 at 19:46
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Can you compose without knowing music theory?
------------- Eat heartily at breakfast, for tonight, we dine in Hell!! |
Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: August 04 2007 at 16:46
Well, it helps to know majors and minors and what works with what. I have minimal knowledge and I can still write stuff.
I have a program called Guitar Pro and I make songs with it. It's in MIDI form, but the compositions are what matters. Unfortunately, they're not prog, really. I've got to work at those.
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Posted By: purplepiper
Date Posted: August 05 2007 at 00:11
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anything you play can be a song. If you write a piece of music and play it roughly the same every time, you may declare it a song! I'm a terrible songwriter myself, but I consider myself a good musician. I don't have 'the gift'. I mostly just play crazy art rock crimson-esque stuff and call it all songs! I've heard 4 second songs before. Anything can be a song...there's no one way, unless your dealing in pop anyway, which you aren't, right? (shaking my fist at you) ------------- for those about to prog, we salute you. |
Posted By: Slayertplsko
Date Posted: August 09 2007 at 12:21
Of course I'm not!!  Gee, screw up all that pop stuff. Anyway, I just wonder how someone dares to call those gay-'groups' like Blue SOUL!
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Posted By: Shakespeare
Date Posted: August 09 2007 at 12:23
| I'm an ignorant drummer: my knowledge of musical theory away from rhythmic snuff is extremely limited, but I have been able to make some decent songs on Garage Band....you can hear them http://www.myspace.com/joshuascammell - here . |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: August 09 2007 at 13:03
In my experience drummers can be good at composing original riffs - they may not know the chords, but they get the rhythm and tempo ------------- What? |
Posted By: coleio
Date Posted: August 11 2007 at 12:33
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Just because you may not know the names and terminology, doesn't mean you don't know theory. You've taught or been taught what sounds good, by practice, just because you can't put a name to it doesn't mean it isn't theory. It's like people who can't write, they can still talk, but they just know letters, grammar, punctuation etc. ------------- Eat heartily at breakfast, for tonight, we dine in Hell!! |
Posted By: mystic fred
Date Posted: August 11 2007 at 12:40
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ahem.....
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0879306114/202-1895807-3362203 - http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0879306114/202-1895807-3362203
 -------------  Prog Archives Tour Van 
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Posted By: sircosick
Date Posted: August 11 2007 at 12:41
Say Ayreon  ------------- The best you can is good enough... |
Posted By: Salviaal
Date Posted: August 11 2007 at 12:52
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Whether you can write music without knowing theory - sure you can, but it takes longer sometimes and you will get stuck at some transitions without knowing how you want it to sound. So learn your basic theory at least, the functions of chords in each key, 7th chords, etc...Also work on ear training so you can more faithfully put down the image you have in your head, it helps.
But that's still not it. If you know theory, all that it will mean, is that you are able to make a harmonic progression and a melody on top of it. Study the forms that great composers used, or even some prog bands, you need to know when in a piece you want to use certain harmonic or rhythmic developments. |
Posted By: Passionist
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 07:46
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Wrong.
I have a friend who studied composing. He showed me some of his works, and methods, the ones that they taught at school. He was able to build a melody, then add a bass line under it, and then add chords to make a perfect song. Perfect as in a song that has everything that is needed, and nothing sounds bad, repetative, uncalled for or just boring. But that doesn't mean he'd need any of this when composing. Sure, for flawless pieces, but those can be done anyway. I myself studied enough theory to be able to create chord progressions that go together, or to tell the difference between a half and a full step. Myself I write lyrics to my songs first, if I do any. Then all I do is start singing them, and voila, I've got a melody. The best melody is the one you think of when you sing a poem or lyrics. Just learn to write that melody. In my case, as much as I do know about 7th or 9th chords or majors or minors or dims, it never affects my composing. I don't planon putting a chord after the other before trying out how it sounds. Though nowadays usually I don't try anymore, I just plug in the recording device and start playing. They come along. If not, I'll think about it a little. |
Posted By: Hirgwath
Date Posted: August 26 2007 at 13:23
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http://www.musique.umontreal.ca/personnel/Belkin/bk/index.html I haven't tried this, but it looks interesting. It explicitly states that it is not a "theory text" and is aimed at pragmatic music students. |
Posted By: Mon-Purple
Date Posted: September 08 2007 at 13:32
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I usally just write a song that i really like, sometimes i start off with a poem that pops into my head eitherway its not too hard
for finding your style just listen to the bands you like the most and throw some classical music in there too that = good music ------------- I've seen more wonders die... |