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Author Topic: What do I need to know 2 be a song writer?  (Read 3524 times)

Offline Juvenile

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What do I need to know 2 be a song writer?
« on: December 07, 2003, 12:40:22 PM »
I want to start using the keyboard to write music, I read some where that I need to know my circle of keys inside out.
Lord help me learn the piano.

Offline jamesearljonesjr

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Re: What do I need to know 2 be a song writer?
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2003, 03:37:26 AM »
Quote from: Juvenile
I want to start using the keyboard to write music, I read some where that I need to know my circle of keys inside out.


You don't need to know anything about "Key" or even play an instrument to write a song.  If you have an Idea and you can hum/sing it, thats all you need to write it.  Get a tape recorder and start recording the parts.  If you are like most people you've been listening to music all of your life and your muscial ability is much more advanced than your technical playing ability so don't let your playing ability get in the way or your songwriting.

-----

Check out one of my LGM journal entry from earlier this month:


12-03-2003 " . . . whats already in us."

I've been reading alot of forum posts on a bunch of different music sites and these are some of the things I've been thinking about in response to the stuff I've read.

When we play we're just giving physical form to what is already in us. Your ear
is constantly working--picking up things that you may or may not be concious of.  The whole point of mastering your instrument is to allow yourself to get out of your own way and just play whats in your heart (mind/ear).  Whenever you hear something you like, your brain records it and puts it away.  When you gain facility on an instrument and start to play scales and chord exercises, etc., you will naturally gravitate toward sounds and intervals that you like.

You may not know exactly why you like them or where or if you heard them before but their will be something familiar about the sounds that attract you.   The more you play scales, chords exercises and songs, the more you'll find physical forms (chords/runs/ryhthmns/melodies)that are in you.

I learned all of this by playing multiple instruments (Piano/Guitar & Bass/Trumpet/Drums/Singing).  I haven't mastered all of these instruments but I have gained enough facility to express myself and what I found is the same expression manifest itself on each instrument.  The rythm that I use when I play piano is the same rythm I use when I strum my guitar and when I freestyle on the drums.  The only differences I notice have to do with the physical form of the instrument being played.  With my guitar I can play some chords and sing and use the body of the guitar and the strum pattern in a percussive way that allows me to express myself in a way thats impossible on the Trumpet.  But on a wind instrument like the Trumpet, I can produce phrases of sound with an aural sensitivity that can't be matched (at least not by me) on the Guitar or the Piano.  

The music that is in you is in you regardless of  what instrument you use.  I relearn this every time I find a phrase I like on the guitar that later, unconciously, shows up in a fill on the piano or the rhythmn of the phrase ends up as a fill on the drums and vice versa.


ps:  What do you think about writing a song together right here in this forum?  We'll pick a common form, like ii, V7, I in C, pick a theme and start writing.  what do you think?



- James


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Offline Juvenile

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What do I need to know 2 be a song writer?
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2003, 07:35:28 PM »
yeah that sounds great, i have no idea of where to start please begin the first line.

I was thinking about buying this book, b4 i start my lessons, please check it out.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0595263844/ref%3Dsr%5Faps%5Fbooks%5F1%5F1/202-2652792-6006243
Lord help me learn the piano.

Offline Suleyman

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part is online
« Reply #3 on: December 09, 2003, 01:39:43 AM »
Check out the online materials from that book at

http://www.angelfire.com/fl4/moneychords/lesson.html

That looks like enough to keep anybody busy for a while.
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