HELP: writing your own tunes

This is the place to talk about guitar playing not done by Dave! Topics about techniques, styles, theory, and other guitarists go here.

Moderators: onid41, jkanter

User avatar
Sugar Will
Posts: 83
Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2004 6:57 pm
Location: Chicago, IL.

HELP: writing your own tunes

Unread post by Sugar Will » Sun Jan 23, 2005 2:19 pm

I've made up a lot of "verses" that I want to build off of, and that's where I get stumped.

Do you always have to make a transition from the last chord of the verse? OR is that just a simpler way that's less complex? Just shoot me some feedback fellas...-thanks
......Alpine 2007 coming soon.

User avatar
kcw
DMBTabs.com Regular
Posts: 483
Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2004 10:35 am
Location: Maryland
Contact:

Unread post by kcw » Sun Jan 23, 2005 4:28 pm

Do whatever you feel sounds right. It takes a while to get the hang of your own style of writing. There isnt a right and wrong way to do it.
"A good friend stabs you in the front"

-Oscar Wilde

Kukini
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 3562
Joined: Sat Jul 17, 2004 11:03 pm

Unread post by Kukini » Sun Jan 23, 2005 4:37 pm

kcw wrote:Do whatever you feel sounds right. It takes a while to get the hang of your own style of writing. There isnt a right and wrong way to do it.
- Marq

User avatar
filmdude100cms
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 7909
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2004 10:26 am
Location: University of Alabama

Unread post by filmdude100cms » Sun Jan 23, 2005 5:52 pm

Kukini wrote:
kcw wrote:Do whatever you feel sounds right. It takes a while to get the hang of your own style of writing. There isnt a right and wrong way to do it.

User avatar
Speenis
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 49549
Joined: Wed Oct 02, 2002 4:07 pm
Political views: #MakeDonaldDrumpfAgain
Random movie quote to make you seem hip and "with it": Spalding.get.your.foot.off.the.boat!
Location: Cleveland

Unread post by Speenis » Sun Jan 23, 2005 5:54 pm

Anyone else think the title of this thread is pretty funny?
hofdaddy wrote:better tie your meat curtains together Whitney. cause one sip of Speen ale will make you gush out of your vagina

User avatar
mangold
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 6734
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2004 11:31 am
Contact:

Unread post by mangold » Sun Jan 23, 2005 10:27 pm

you dont need a transition, i like to put a barre harmonic inplace of one of the middle chords and then pause for a beat or two going into the chorus, i find that music is just as much the lack of noise as it is the noise.


and speen. yes, i dont kno why but yes

edit: is sugar wills av crack?
Last edited by mangold on Sun Jan 23, 2005 10:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
~Andy (The artist formerly known as praisedave)
http://www.andymangold.com

User avatar
a1075dd63aa12
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 16974
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2004 6:25 pm
Location: Beelzebub

Unread post by a1075dd63aa12 » Sun Jan 23, 2005 10:28 pm

BigSpeen3436 wrote:Anyone else think the title of this thread is pretty funny?
yea i see what youre talking about

User avatar
a1075dd63aa12
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 16974
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2004 6:25 pm
Location: Beelzebub

Unread post by a1075dd63aa12 » Sun Jan 23, 2005 10:46 pm

i dont really have much theory knowledge, but ill have an idea in my head, pick up the guitar try to play with whats in my head, then toy around with it, i dont think ive ever completely finished a song, because im never satisfied with it. just dont think about it too much, just go with it and see what happens, dont try to conform to what youve seen others do, do what you think sounds good, if everyone had the same style music would be really really boring

User avatar
HCHaikuWarrior
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 2089
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 5:09 pm
Location: CT

Unread post by HCHaikuWarrior » Sun Jan 23, 2005 11:43 pm

wkpggrvn2001 wrote:i dont really have much theory knowledge, but ill have an idea in my head, pick up the guitar try to play with whats in my head, then toy around with it, i dont think ive ever completely finished a song, because im never satisfied with it. just dont think about it too much, just go with it and see what happens, dont try to conform to what youve seen others do, do what you think sounds good, if everyone had the same style music would be really really boring
well said
"Black and white and the rainbow five
Colors in my eyes" l dm l

User avatar
Tranman66
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 1391
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 5:54 pm
Location: New Hampshire
Contact:

Unread post by Tranman66 » Mon Jan 24, 2005 7:42 am

filmdude100cms wrote:
Kukini wrote:
kcw wrote:Do whatever you feel sounds right. It takes a while to get the hang of your own style of writing. There isnt a right and wrong way to do it.
_______________________________________
~-.-~~-.-~~-.-~~-.-~~-.-~~-.-~~-.-~~-.-~
Put on some heavy strings and Jam the night away.
The KMT

User avatar
c_tietze
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 2245
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2004 2:36 pm
Location: Anytown USA
Contact:

Unread post by c_tietze » Mon Jan 24, 2005 11:20 am

The most simple songwriting tool is think of your verse as "A" and your chorus as "B"

Song formula:

A, A, B, A, A, B, A

But dude, do what works for YOU. I find the music helps me find a mood and the lyrics just come to me.
~ And rain washed away all her tears and I smiled done away was the sum of all my fears ~

User avatar
c_tietze
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 2245
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2004 2:36 pm
Location: Anytown USA
Contact:

Unread post by c_tietze » Tue Jan 25, 2005 2:38 pm

I thought more about this topic actually.

I find that good lyrics and even melodies come to me while I'm walking. Take a walk and keep a tape recorder handy.

Use those lyrics you already have and then use simple chord progressions with open chords and see what works and really try to play and sing how its "feels". Those are the best songs. Sad songs tend to be minor keys, happy major keys.

FOLLOW NO RULES. DO WHAT YOU FEELS GOOD TO YOU. :)

As you get better you can try more difficult progressions and use more comlplex chords to refine your own style ala Dave Matthews for example.
~ And rain washed away all her tears and I smiled done away was the sum of all my fears ~

User avatar
mangold
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 6734
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2004 11:31 am
Contact:

Unread post by mangold » Tue Jan 25, 2005 2:52 pm

the walk with a recorder is a good idea...
~Andy (The artist formerly known as praisedave)
http://www.andymangold.com

User avatar
Davy28
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 6703
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2003 9:49 pm
Location: Seattle (Home) University of San Diego (College)

Unread post by Davy28 » Tue Jan 25, 2005 5:34 pm

One of the hardest things I've found is finding a vocal melody that goes with music I write. It can be very tough at first when you write cool, complicated chord pregressions and riffs and can't figure out how to sing along with them. Sometimes you have to bite the bullet, step back and keep the riffs simpler so that coming up with a main melody is easier.
Forget about the reasons and the treasons we are seeking
Forget about the notion that our emotions can be swept away, kept at bay
Forget about being guilty, we are innocent instead
For soon we will all find our lives swept away

-DJM

User avatar
kcw
DMBTabs.com Regular
Posts: 483
Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2004 10:35 am
Location: Maryland
Contact:

Unread post by kcw » Tue Jan 25, 2005 9:07 pm

I find if you just hum with the main chord progression you can figure out what will sound good and put words to the rythm of the humming. If that makes sense to anyone else but me.
"A good friend stabs you in the front"

-Oscar Wilde

Post Reply

Return to “General Guitar Discussion”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 160 guests