How do you write music?

[Buffy]

Originally Posted by freeztar

You're a relative newbie so I'll explain: you get a cookie if you correctly guess the obscure pop culture reference. If you're stumped you're welcome to post your question in the "Oh *that's* Obscure, B!" thread...

A new design, new design,
Buffy

[CraigD]

Usually, I’ll just be singing and playing, often fumbling to remember some song, and begin to like the way its sounding (usually an acoustic guitar, sometimes a mandolin or an electric bass, very rarely a fiddle), and get an idea for some little story the music seems to suggest. Then, I’ll write a poem, following a regular metric foot with the usual variations for emphasis. Next, I mark it up with whatever chords inspired it, sometimes with little stretches of tablature for any phrase I don’t think I’ll remember.

Then, I try to play it in front of better musicians, hoping they’ll pick it up. In a couple of decades, this has only happened a couple of times.

I rarely record, and when I do, usually record several tracks with several people in realtime, adding a track or two later on my own for anything that seems to be missing. Wierdly, I seem to have next to no talent for live drumming, but seem to be able to add drum tracks to a recording, if not well, at least not badly.

[Tarantism]

lately i just do my finger work outs and stuff, which i do everyday, practicing scales, etc., and sometimes ill just come across a cool melody. but, i try not to write full songs, but rather approach it like a jazz song. i make a main melody and then when me and my friends get together we can jam it, with improvised solos. thats a lot of fun, and that way everytime you play a song its a little bit different, though basically the same thing.

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by Buffy

You're a relative newbie so I'll explain: you get a cookie if you correctly guess the obscure pop culture reference. If you're stumped you're welcome to post your question in the "Oh *that's* Obscure, B!" thread...

A new design, new design,
Buffy

Ah ok...It was so obscure at first that I thought you just posted weird phrases at the end of every post.
Fun little game it is!

I need a unit to sample and hold
But not the lonely one
A new design, new design

So, do you have oatmeal or chocolate chip?

Peeling off of my walls,
Freezey

[Buffy]

Originally Posted by CraigD

Usually, I’ll just be singing and playing, often fumbling to remember some song, and begin to like the way its sounding ... Then, I try to play it in front of better musicians, hoping they’ll pick it up...

Spoken like a true bluegrass afficionado...

Crash on the levee mama water's gonna overflow,
Buffy

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by Tarantism

lately i just do my finger work outs and stuff, which i do everyday, practicing scales, etc., and sometimes ill just come across a cool melody. but, i try not to write full songs, but rather approach it like a jazz song. i make a main melody and then when me and my friends get together we can jam it, with improvised solos. thats a lot of fun, and that way everytime you play a song its a little bit different, though basically the same thing.

I love jazz music but find it hard to write and record a jazz song by myself. I'm running into the same trouble at the moment trying to write a prog rock song. It's just so much easier to jam out a song with these genres. Sadly I only have my roomate to jam with and he stays busy all the time (playing jazz gigs ironically).

So to those that can answer the original question with prog rock in mind, I would love to hear your methodology.

[Buffy]

Originally Posted by freeztar

So, do you have oatmeal or chocolate chip?

Browser! Here ya go!

There behind a glass stands a real blade of grass,
Buffy

[Tarantism]

if you have all of the insturments that you desire, just write the song on each insturment and record the different tracks. then you could just write the entire song on paper, showing when each insturment is supposed to solo and just solo with that insturment at the appropriate time.

or even better, just try to find some musicains to jam your stuff out with you.

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by Tarantism

if you have all of the insturments that you desire, just write the song on each insturment and record the different tracks. then you could just write the entire song on paper, showing when each insturment is supposed to solo and just solo with that insturment at the appropriate time.

I suppose the problem is more an issue of structure.
Jazz is pretty structured, but prog rock can vary structure mid-melody. It's a bit daunting as I'm used to either working completely within structure, or with complete abandonment of structure. I need that middle road....

or even better, just try to find some musicains to jam your stuff out with you.

Anyone for a cell phone jam?

[Tormod]

Jazz is easy. Just write something like:

dm - F7 - am - G - C - em - F# - Eb - G - G# - A - A7 (and loop)

and sprinkle random amounts of this on each chord:
maj7
7b13
+
-
/D
13
sus9
add2

etc etc ad nauseum.

But not the lonely one,
T