Song Writing 3. Experimental music

Do you always write your music using the same instrument? Do you always use the same five – eight chords, and just change their order around? If that’s the case, then you’re doing it wrong! Now, you might be thinking to yourself – how can that be doing it wrong. It seems to work for 90% of all bands played on the radio.

And, this is true. But then, Nickelback gets played on the radio a lot, and do you really want to follow in those footsteps? (please say no! please say no!)

The best way to get out of your grove is to try something completely different.

If you normally create electronic loop based music, then try finding yourself a piano. If you often use guitar, try to find a loop based program. Or just try something completely different.

There’s an interesting program out there called Literature to Music. You can find it at http://www.literature2music.com/ and what it allows for is copy and pasting any text. You can then press the generate music (after playing with a slider or two to set tempo / instrument) and you will have a song created. Why is this important and not just a random hodge-podge of madness? Because you can use this as inspiration for anything you create in the future.

Might I suggest throwing your last essay into the generator, and listening to how it sounds? Or use a favourite book. Anything like that.

All of a sudden you can start building your own song around this. Change it where change is warranted, and keep it where it works.

By using something like this, you may find yourself looking in a direction you never would have even considered before. Honest and truly, keep your mind open, and see how far you can press towards the unknown.

A final suggestion: head on over to http://www.reallybored.net/games/punk-o-matic_music_creator and click on random. Now, work with this and work a song around it. Not your style? Use what they’re coming up with and try to slow it down, make it a tad bit more calm – whatever. This is just another way you can create something from seemingly “random madness.”


Online “music creators”
http://www.literature2music.com/
http://www.kongregate.com/games/Starburst/notessimo/
http://www.reallybored.net/games/punk-o-matic_music_creator

Song Writing #2

Song Writing 2. Basic elements of song writing

How to write a song. Well, this is clearly going to be a train wreck. How to write a song. There are so many ways to approach this topic, and they are all terribly different. More often than now, I would recommend that you never try to force a song. You just have to really feel the mood, and have that idea within you. At that moment, the song will almost write itself. Mind you, this will be a long song with twenty verses, and two bridges, with a chorus that never manages to remain the same.

These songs will require a good number of hours in editing, but they will speak to you in a very powerful way.

However! In this case you have to write songs. You need to write six. These songs will be written one way or another, so we will take a look at how to write a song, when you have a limited amount of time to get them out. Think of it as turning yourself into a song-writing factory!

First:

1. Are you writing a song based on personal experiences?
2. Are you allowing yourself to be inspired by others work?
3. Are you writing a song based on an event?

Once you’ve answered that question, song writing will become much much simpler.

Next, think simple…

VCVCBC

Yes, that right there? That’s how you write a song. But what does it mean? Why, it translates as Verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus.

Now why? Why are songs written like this? Think about what songs are trying to do. They are telling a story. It’s either personal, or event driven. It’s trying to create an emotional appeal. The Verse allows you to explore the issue, while the chorus allows you to view the repeating / concluding events. The bridge, it’s there to switch things up, change the pace again, and make a good final point before things settle back with the chorus.

If you write music, you may want to try coming up with the chords / music first, and then free styling the lyrics as you go (keeping what works, discarding what doesn’t.) If you want to write lyrics first, and then try to fit the music in after, that’s fine too.

There is no wrong way to write a song, as there is no wrong way to write a poem. In fact, you may want to simply take your poetry and add music to it. There you go, instant song.

Song Writing #1

Song Writing #1

You will be creating a music cd (or number of mp3s). You will need to create no less than six songs, each no less than two and a half minutes in length. These songs will require lyrics. As well, you will be responsible for creating the liner notes for your work.

Your assignment will be marked on the quality of the liner notes, as well as the quality of the lyrics / music in your songs.

What is Song Writing?

Well quite simply, it’s writing music. Your songs will require both instrumental accompaniment (be it a full band, or just an acoustic guitar. Even a synthesizer works well. Loop based music? Also good.) and written lyrics. The combination of those two elements will be classified as a song, for the purpose of this unit.

What will we be learning over the course of this unit?

1. Basic elements of song writing
2. Experimental music
3. Lyric writing: how to not be terrible
4. Recording and publishing in the digital age
5. Getting your music “out there”

start ‘er up

You have to create a cd, as well as liner notes. Now wait a second, just what are liner notes? Well, back in the day – before all these shifty series of tubes, known as the internet, came along – back before that man in Germany created a music encoding algorithm – music came, not for free, but for a cost. And it came on a plastic disk, or even plastic cassette. Now with these things, one would almost always get a little booklet.

Many times they were delightful and had pictures, and art, and even lyrics. There would also be jokes, and shout outs, or other such things hidden within these booklets. These booklets were called liner notes.

Some “See Dees” just came with a rectangle that had the cover art on it. These were upsetting, and did not justify the twenty five dollar purchase price. You do not want to emulate these.

Choosing song writing, you may find the liner notes is the most difficult part, as – in theory – you are already comfortable with music.

So what will your focus for this be?

You will need to choose a theme for your album. It’s important to note that albums are not just a random mashing of songs. Unless it’s a best of album – and those normally fall short. Especially in this digital age where MP3s make singles unnecessary.

So you will be thinking of what you want to say with your music. What you want your music to express. Please complete the following by the end of the class:

Album Topic: __________________________________________________

Detailed Explaination of what you’ll write about: ______________________

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Album Title: ___________________________________________________

Song ideas: ____________________________________________________

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