Songwriting Insights - Writing Original Songs With a Guitar, The Second Way
For the second creative process of songwriting with a guitar, we are going to cover the "Melody First" method.
If you create a free-standing melody before you do anything else, you can try different chord progressions and lyric ideas until you like one the best.
Although, you might just hit on good ones right away.
There are two paths to follow after creating a melody.
(a) You can create the chord progression and then the lyrics.
(b) You can create the lyrics and the then the chord progression.
It is good to be able to vary your songwriting method if possible.
That way you will tend to have more sparks of inspiration.
In composing your melody you can use your voice, guitar, or both.
Just use your guitar to play melodies and not chord progressions.
In using the guitar to create melodies it is helpful to know scales.
You can also use a "guitar ditty" as at least part of the melody.
If you have not learned scales on the guitar, just start singing or playing and let your melody soar.
If it sounds bad change it.
But, remember to save it in some way! Either record it with a recorder or on a cell phone, write it out on guitar tablature, or write it out with musical notation.
Some people rely on their memory, but many melodies have been lost that way.
(a) A young lady songwriter that I know likes to create her melodies and lyrics before doing any guitar work.
So, the lyrics are her second step after getting her melody.
Sometimes she asks me to do the chord progression part, since I have more experience with chords than she does.
She writes very nice melodies and lyrics.
, and chord changes, too.
(b) The next variation after creating the melody first is going right to composing the chord progression before touching any lyrics.
That can free you up to concentrate on the lyrics after every else is finished.
The best way to know if you can create this way is to give it a try.
Make an attempt to start humming a melody or creating one on your guitar.
See what happens.
I would love some feedback.
Yours In Songwriting, Joe Hunt
If you create a free-standing melody before you do anything else, you can try different chord progressions and lyric ideas until you like one the best.
Although, you might just hit on good ones right away.
There are two paths to follow after creating a melody.
(a) You can create the chord progression and then the lyrics.
(b) You can create the lyrics and the then the chord progression.
It is good to be able to vary your songwriting method if possible.
That way you will tend to have more sparks of inspiration.
In composing your melody you can use your voice, guitar, or both.
Just use your guitar to play melodies and not chord progressions.
In using the guitar to create melodies it is helpful to know scales.
You can also use a "guitar ditty" as at least part of the melody.
If you have not learned scales on the guitar, just start singing or playing and let your melody soar.
If it sounds bad change it.
But, remember to save it in some way! Either record it with a recorder or on a cell phone, write it out on guitar tablature, or write it out with musical notation.
Some people rely on their memory, but many melodies have been lost that way.
(a) A young lady songwriter that I know likes to create her melodies and lyrics before doing any guitar work.
So, the lyrics are her second step after getting her melody.
Sometimes she asks me to do the chord progression part, since I have more experience with chords than she does.
She writes very nice melodies and lyrics.
, and chord changes, too.
(b) The next variation after creating the melody first is going right to composing the chord progression before touching any lyrics.
That can free you up to concentrate on the lyrics after every else is finished.
The best way to know if you can create this way is to give it a try.
Make an attempt to start humming a melody or creating one on your guitar.
See what happens.
I would love some feedback.
Yours In Songwriting, Joe Hunt
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