My Songwriting

Hello all. I am a songwriter as you might have guessed. Its something that I really enjoy doing and think that i'm pretty good at, but i just have one problem. When i write songs, I can have a tune and everything in my head and it sounds great, but when i go and try to put music to it using my guitar, it never seems right. is this a normal thing, or am i doing something wrong?? I would love your of your help very much. Thank you for your time.

Originally Posted by: Saya MaloneHello all. I am a songwriter as you might have guessed. Its something that I really enjoy doing and think that i'm pretty good at, but i just have one problem. When i write songs, I can have a tune and everything in my head and it sounds great, but when i go and try to put music to it using my guitar, it never seems right. is this a normal thing, or am i doing something wrong?? I would love your of your help very much. Thank you for your time.

it might just mean you need to take more time and work on translating what you hear in your head into music. be patient with it...things are different when you actually play it and realize it isn't how you thought you'd have to play it. gotta sit back and just go with it and work it out till it's down. you'll hit the right chords after enough time.

Originally Posted by: Saya MaloneHello all. I am a songwriter as you might have guessed. Its something that I really enjoy doing and think that i'm pretty good at, but i just have one problem. When i write songs, I can have a tune and everything in my head and it sounds great, but when i go and try to put music to it using my guitar, it never seems right. is this a normal thing, or am i doing something wrong?? I would love your of your help very much. Thank you for your time.

I'd work on some theory exercises, and also do some ear training so that you can identify different intervals. That way you'll instinctively know which chord to use. This will take maybe a year or two, but it's ludicrously helpful in writing a melodically powerful song. Sometimes people come up with a chord progression first, and THEN add a melody. I've done it that way, too, but I find it detrimental to the strength of the melody to have to work around the harmony, especially since a harmony is there entirely to complement and expand on the melody.

Thank you both for your help. I'm sure it will be very useful. thank you thank you thank you!!! :)

I think it's every musicians goal to be able to get what's inside their head out on the instrument.

It's a hard thing to do, but a good grasp of theory will help you right along.

I would have to agree with those above, that a few theory exercises would be in order.

What you might wanna try in the mean time: sing the first note in a particular melodic phrase as it sounds in your head. In the beginning, you may have to sing a phrase until you get to a sustained note. Anyways, while you're singing this note, locate it on your instrument. This part may take practice, I used to start singing the first note I tried to play, and would have to start over. After you figure out what this note is, try a few chords that contain that note. Try a few chords that are from a key with that note. See how it sounds. Figure out more notes, from different parts of the song. Analyze those notes to figure which keys you could possibly be in. Sooner or later you'll start intuitively knowing which chords to use.

Make sure not to let keys and theory box you in, and have fun.

well ive been playing guitar now for about a year now, and ive been learning a great deal about guitar and music. first of all id like to mention that when i hear the song that i want to sing in my head i also think of the strumming style or the chords that i want to use with the song. not only that but also their are times that i just play the guitar and just start singing right out of the top of my head. that has helped me a great deal with figuring out how to set the tone of my voice with the tone of the guitar. also im a big finger picking fan, so when i finish a lyric i throw in a little scale just add a little bit of spice to it. in my mind their is no wrong way to play guitar and sing, so just pick up your guitar just start playing and see what pops up in your mind and just sing it. also, one thing you might want to do that is one very important factor is sing with a passion. dont be like some people and sing just to learn another song, sing because thats what you feel, or this is who you are, and trust me your music will mean a whole lot more.

baldo

I don't know if anyone else has said this as I didn't read all the previous comments in full, but a well trained ear will also prove to be quite beneficial. Knowing which notes are where on the neck of the guitar and learning to tell one note from another to any degree will certainly help you, and that's one of those things that just takes practice as well, but it pays off.