how to: make a good song


Virgoman
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Virgoman
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01/30/2005 11:45 pm
I need help makin some songs and riffs/licks i have never made one before.
# 1
Kutzki
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Kutzki
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01/31/2005 12:25 am
yo whats up man
maken songs is just about as hard as it gets but dont get discouraged yet

cus its like this

if you make a song you can make another

so just get over the hill and your on your way bro!

ok so there are a couple considerations before starting you even turn on your amp man

you gotta decide if its gonna be an instrumental, blues, metal, jazz, two guitars/ a piano, ect.
so you gotta figure out what typa song you looken for

you gotta decide if you even want lyrics, what the lyrics with be about,

then you can sit down and start written an intro, and usually a outro also hehe

the body of your song and the what goes along with it (a solo and watnots with effects)

k man so if you can be more specific on were this song is supposed to go i can get more in depth with ya
k man sorry thats all i got right now with the information provided dude
k man rock on :cool: have faith
i beleive you can write this rocken song
so dont give up
When it comes down to it, our guitar's will always be there for us. :rolleyes:
# 2
Re2point0
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Re2point0
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01/31/2005 12:37 am
its like playing guitar, the more you do it the better you get...


so just write write write
# 3
Kevin Taylor
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Kevin Taylor
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01/31/2005 12:53 am
If you're writing songs for radio etc... it's good to know the different song structures. AABA ABAB etc...
Write about something that's familiar to everybody. Stick to one format through the whole song... like if you start the song in the first person, don't suddenly switch to the third person...
And if somebody asks you what your song's about, you should be able to describe it in one sentence. If you wanna make money, try to make it so the song can cross over more than one genre.. like pop/rock/country, rock/aor/blues etc.. that way it'll get played on more radio stations and will appeal to more people.
# 4
donely
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donely
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01/31/2005 1:53 am
Originally Posted by: schmangeIf you're writing songs for radio etc... it's good to know the different song structures. AABA ABAB etc...


can elaborate more about this? :confused:
# 5
Kevin Taylor
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Kevin Taylor
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01/31/2005 2:31 am
Most pop tunes follow a basic format. They're usually indicated using:

A) AAA
B) AABA
C) V/C
E) OTHER..........

..or in other words, Verse/Verse/Verse, or Verse/Verse/Chorus/Verse etc...

There's exceptions but most hit songs follow at least one of the accepted formats cause that's what people have come to expect and it's what radio programmers want.

There's a whole bunch of stuff I learned years ago in songwriters workshops...
like coming up with a universal emotion that millions of people can identify with... summing up the songs title so you can remember it after hearing it once... sticking to a certain time frame, like the present or the past or future... sticking with one viewpoint like "I, you, they, she" etc... setting a certain 'tone' like romantic, ironic, playful, reflective etc...
Crossing the music over more than one chart so you maximize your sales...

You have to break the rules sometimes but if you look at any hit song from the past, almost all of em follow the same basic formats.
# 6
iiholly
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iiholly
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01/31/2005 4:38 am
Originally Posted by: schmangeIf you're writing songs for radio etc... it's good to know the different song structures. AABA ABAB etc...
Write about something that's familiar to everybody. Stick to one format through the whole song... like if you start the song in the first person, don't suddenly switch to the third person...
And if somebody asks you what your song's about, you should be able to describe it in one sentence. If you wanna make money, try to make it so the song can cross over more than one genre.. like pop/rock/country, rock/aor/blues etc.. that way it'll get played on more radio stations and will appeal to more people.



Screw the system!

# 7
Kevin Taylor
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Kevin Taylor
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01/31/2005 5:13 am
Most of the time I tend to agree.
But if you want to make it in the music business or get your stuff on radio or distributed through the larger retail outlets, you gotta sell out to a certain extent and follow the majority. Otherwise the only people hearing your songs will be your friends and family.
If ya go through some of your fav songs and check the format, you'll see most of them follow the same general 'rules'.
# 8
Virgoman
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Virgoman
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01/31/2005 11:15 pm
thanks ill try some of the stuf u guys told me :cool: but if u have any more input post it thanks again
# 9
donely
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donely
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02/01/2005 1:30 am
Originally Posted by: schmangeMost pop tunes follow a basic format. They're usually indicated using:

A) AAA
B) AABA
C) V/C
E) OTHER..........

..or in other words, Verse/Verse/Verse, or Verse/Verse/Chorus/Verse etc...

There's exceptions but most hit songs follow at least one of the accepted formats cause that's what people have come to expect and it's what radio programmers want.

There's a whole bunch of stuff I learned years ago in songwriters workshops...
like coming up with a universal emotion that millions of people can identify with... summing up the songs title so you can remember it after hearing it once... sticking to a certain time frame, like the present or the past or future... sticking with one viewpoint like "I, you, they, she" etc... setting a certain 'tone' like romantic, ironic, playful, reflective etc...
Crossing the music over more than one chart so you maximize your sales...

You have to break the rules sometimes but if you look at any hit song from the past, almost all of em follow the same basic formats.


the AABA is just example of chords structure am i right?
# 10
Hamberg
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Hamberg
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02/01/2005 2:31 am
its part structure for instance A= a verse and B = a chorus
Bass guitar is the answer to everything
# 11
Virgoman
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Virgoman
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02/04/2005 1:22 am
Originally Posted by: Hambergits part structure for instance A= a verse and B = a chorus



what do u think are some classic rock type structure :confused:
# 12
crazywolf
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crazywolf
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02/27/2005 6:18 am
Originally Posted by: iihollyScrew the system!


Thats right!!
You shouldn't make music to make money. If you are good, and end up making money, thats great. Money shouldn't have anything to do with the style of music, the song structure, the lyrics, or anything else. The only thing money (or the lack their of) should have to do with it is the equipment that is used.
1 Peter 2:16
# 13
Repeattwice
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Repeattwice
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03/13/2005 4:53 pm
How good of an artist are you? How well can you hear the idea in your head? How good are you at putting it on to the insturment? These are things you have to be good at to write good music, but most of all, how bad you want it? The bigger that fire is uder your seat the more those other things don't matter. Otherwise you can do it the robotic way, learning your key signatures first off, then learning scale degrees, then learning chord degrees, then learning cadences, dominate preporation, inversions, modulation, secondary domanints etx. which does not sound like fun to you and trust me it really sucked learning it. But take your pick I think if you want it bad enough you'll get good tunes out of your head and on to the fretboard. Good luck!
# 14
hendrix006
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hendrix006
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03/13/2005 9:28 pm
I don't know if it's just me...but I think writing songs is a whole lot easier when you are doing it with friends...that way you can have your point of view and a listeners
Fender Acoustic DG-20CE
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# 15
Jolly McJollyson
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Jolly McJollyson
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03/13/2005 10:01 pm
I prefer to write and edit first, THEN show my friends. Christ, I have a lot of posts in this section, hahaha.
I want the bomb
I want the P-funk!

My band is better than yours...
# 16
Pantallica1
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Pantallica1
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03/14/2005 9:59 pm
Originally Posted by: Jolly McJollyson Christ, I have a lot of posts in this section, hahaha.


*hint hint*

;)
Sometimes I hit notes only dogs can hear.
# 17
eboone01
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eboone01
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03/31/2005 12:59 pm
Play about three chords,then if you think they mix,start singin'! sing about the good or bad things in your life
# 18
Fortechaos
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Fortechaos
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03/31/2005 8:16 pm
Just come up with ideas, brainstorm and then see what comes together. One program which has helped my chops and songwriting IMMENSLY, is the Power Tab Editor. It's hard to use, but once you get the hang of it, it will work miracles for your playing. There's a huge community of all of those who use it at, www.powertabs.net You can get the shotware download link there as well. It allows you to write out tabs, and plays them back to you. It's like an extra guitar player to play whatever you want!

Yeah, writing a song is something personal, just remember to write down your ideas, and try to start thinking more of composition, making something come together as a whole. :D
# 19
Gareth Gravell
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Gareth Gravell
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04/05/2005 8:16 am
O.K. You got to blend the tune with the words. Some get the tune first others - other way round. Work out your phrasing and get a pattern going e.g. how many lines to your verse - what's the rhyming pattern in the song. A good way of starting to write a song is to look up some poetry and put some melody to those lines - then make up your own words.

Record yourself so that you don't forget any memorable chord sequences etc. Humm a melody line over your chords and build up a song in stages. Leave it , then go backto it a few hours or a day later. Listen to it again and you'd be surprised how you will get new ideas which will fill you with excitement. Remember we are not all like Dylan or James Taylor who can turn out classics in a few minutes. Song writing takes time and practice...just like learning to play an instrument. Good luck.
# 20

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