A method for songwriting ?

didi13 · 11-30-2009, 09:20 AM

Hi,

I'm really interesting in song writing and as a music beginner could you recommend a good book or website for composing and arranging songs ?
I'm looking for tutorials about music writing more than lyrics.

thanks !

Stringbender · 12-04-2009, 10:31 PM

The Craft and Business of Songwriting. By John braheny - this is a great book that takes it from the simple-through to selling your songs professionally.

I'm pretty certain there is a Songwriting for Dummies book out there and probably hundreds of others that do just the same thing... honestly, I look at the "How to write" part only a little bit now and then to get fresh perspectives and ideas of arranging that I may not have tried. Most of the time I go back to "what is it about the classic songs that I like?" and I write the songs parts down: verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, solo, chorus/end
or something similar. A lot of times I go with this same format.

Intricate Insomnia · 12-30-2009, 03:12 AM

Do you mean how to put it all together, or how to write out the notes on the paper? Like, this? If the first, the previous post is pretty much all the help I could have given. If the later, learn to read music first.

TheLostSocietyMusic · 01-20-2010, 02:03 PM

Yeah, same as the thread above, the odd bit of "borrowing" helps keep the creative juices flowing and more often than not leads to fresh ideas. Clearly if it there is obvious plagiarism it can't be used, but tried and tested musical formulas work for a reason

Stringbender · 01-26-2010, 10:48 PM

I recall that when I was first starting to venture into songwriting (jamming when in my young-teens -I was in 8th grade and the following summer) it was taking Kiss, Bowie, Aerosmith and Zeppelin tunes (what we liked at the time) and we'd turn on the tape recorder and I'd make up lyrics while we played whomever's song. Obviously it was plagiarism,but we were kids- we weren't playing gigs or getting paid..hell we were still using trash cans for drums at that time. This process turned into meshing the first stanza music from THIS song with the chorus part from THAT song and "ok..let's change the drums"..and then making up your own lyrics to it.. it was crap..definitely..but it all evolves with time.
After a while of doing this something inside you will just click and you'll either understand it better or you won't.. I really can't put it any other way except that it takes experimentation, replication sometimes and time to flesh out, breathe and grow into the art form that it is. But I also recommend a few books for beginners to give you some ideas..some of these books can kind show you everything NOT to do (because they take the art and fun out of creating music) but the only way to know is to do.. and don't forget that you have plenty of cool folks here at that you can ask questions..if somebody says something in a book you are unsure of- feel free to ask..

mak.kreol · 04-03-2010, 02:55 PM

A good method is to try to analyse other styles (if your into composition/songwriting) and interpret them in a number of "practice" pieces, and then as you mature (i.e. as you have more knowledge) then it might come very easy (sort-off inspiration) but don't overlook analysing and never stop doing it. Think of all the artists that come and go, the very few that stay are the ones who develop through analysis. Think of Duke Elllington, Rimsky Korsakov, Tchaikovsky....

mak.kreol · 04-03-2010, 02:56 PM

Get a few charts from the web. There is a group on yahoo called "big band chart trading" or something like that and they swap arrangements. (it's not only big band by the way) You can then trinscribe those arrangements for your instrument and analyse it.

issac61 · 07-24-2010, 10:02 AM

The name of the book's "Composing By Lyric" part-4 for learning /composing music yourself without any assistance.

Stonetemplepilot · 07-26-2010, 04:15 PM

Dude, there's nothing in the world to teach you that. You just gotta listen to as much music as possible to catch this thing. What you're asking is like trying to learn how to walk or whack off - it all just comes with experience.

petersondenial · 08-10-2010, 11:38 AM

find some pdf tutorial ...it will help. in it

paulade · 08-10-2010, 11:25 PM

or... you could just look at a bunch of scores depeding on your preference... it wroked for me.

12-04-2009, 10:31 PM	#2
Stringbender Guitar Adept Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: whispered in dark corners Posts: 1,776 Thanks: 289 Thanked 218 Times in 188 Posts Rep Power: 146	The Craft and Business of Songwriting. By John braheny - this is a great book that takes it from the simple-through to selling your songs professionally. I'm pretty certain there is a Songwriting for Dummies book out there and probably hundreds of others that do just the same thing... honestly, I look at the "How to write" part only a little bit now and then to get fresh perspectives and ideas of arranging that I may not have tried. Most of the time I go back to "what is it about the classic songs that I like?" and I write the songs parts down: verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, solo, chorus/end or something similar. A lot of times I go with this same format. __________________ Only with the eyes closed can one begin to truly see.

12-30-2009, 03:12 AM	#3
Intricate Insomnia The Whimsical Mistress of Thought Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: An interesting question, to be sure.. Posts: 54 Thanks: 2 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts Rep Power: 10	Do you mean how to put it all together, or how to write out the notes on the paper? Like, this? If the first, the previous post is pretty much all the help I could have given. If the later, learn to read music first. __________________ "He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command." -The Prince

01-26-2010, 10:48 PM	#5
Stringbender Guitar Adept Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: whispered in dark corners Posts: 1,776 Thanks: 289 Thanked 218 Times in 188 Posts Rep Power: 146	I recall that when I was first starting to venture into songwriting (jamming when in my young-teens -I was in 8th grade and the following summer) it was taking Kiss, Bowie, Aerosmith and Zeppelin tunes (what we liked at the time) and we'd turn on the tape recorder and I'd make up lyrics while we played whomever's song. Obviously it was plagiarism,but we were kids- we weren't playing gigs or getting paid..hell we were still using trash cans for drums at that time. This process turned into meshing the first stanza music from THIS song with the chorus part from THAT song and "ok..let's change the drums"..and then making up your own lyrics to it.. it was crap..definitely..but it all evolves with time. After a while of doing this something inside you will just click and you'll either understand it better or you won't.. I really can't put it any other way except that it takes experimentation, replication sometimes and time to flesh out, breathe and grow into the art form that it is. But I also recommend a few books for beginners to give you some ideas..some of these books can kind show you everything NOT to do (because they take the art and fun out of creating music) but the only way to know is to do.. and don't forget that you have plenty of cool folks here at that you can ask questions..if somebody says something in a book you are unsure of- feel free to ask.. __________________ Only with the eyes closed can one begin to truly see.

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11-30-2009, 09:20 AM	#1
didi13 Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Rep Power: 10	Hi, I'm really interesting in song writing and as a music beginner could you recommend a good book or website for composing and arranging songs ? I'm looking for tutorials about music writing more than lyrics. thanks !

01-20-2010, 02:03 PM	#4
TheLostSocietyMusic Xan Sillem Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: London/ Buenos Aires Posts: 27 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Rep Power: 8	Yeah, same as the thread above, the odd bit of "borrowing" helps keep the creative juices flowing and more often than not leads to fresh ideas. Clearly if it there is obvious plagiarism it can't be used, but tried and tested musical formulas work for a reason

04-03-2010, 02:55 PM	#6
mak.kreol Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Rep Power: 6	A good method is to try to analyse other styles (if your into composition/songwriting) and interpret them in a number of "practice" pieces, and then as you mature (i.e. as you have more knowledge) then it might come very easy (sort-off inspiration) but don't overlook analysing and never stop doing it. Think of all the artists that come and go, the very few that stay are the ones who develop through analysis. Think of Duke Elllington, Rimsky Korsakov, Tchaikovsky....

04-03-2010, 02:56 PM	#7
mak.kreol Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Rep Power: 6	Get a few charts from the web. There is a group on yahoo called "big band chart trading" or something like that and they swap arrangements. (it's not only big band by the way) You can then trinscribe those arrangements for your instrument and analyse it.

07-24-2010, 10:02 AM	#8
issac61 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Rep Power: 2	The name of the book's "Composing By Lyric" part-4 for learning /composing music yourself without any assistance.

07-26-2010, 04:15 PM	#9
Stonetemplepilot Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Rep Power: 2	Dude, there's nothing in the world to teach you that. You just gotta listen to as much music as possible to catch this thing. What you're asking is like trying to learn how to walk or whack off - it all just comes with experience.

08-10-2010, 11:38 AM	#10
petersondenial Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 19 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Rep Power: 2	find some pdf tutorial ...it will help. in it

08-10-2010, 11:25 PM	#11
paulade Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Rep Power: 1	or... you could just look at a bunch of scores depeding on your preference... it wroked for me.

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