Musical Theory

[Tweanut]

I've been playing guitar a little over 3 years now, and I think I have enough experience to try and write my own songs. I'm looking to put more structure into my songs, and overall become a better songwriter. I'm mainly looking for good books/articles on musical theory, but if you got anything else that would help the songwriting process I would appreciate it

[Stealth-Emergence]

At 11/21/06 03:23 PM, Tweanut wrote: I've been playing guitar a little over 3 years now, and I think I have enough experience to try and write my own songs. I'm looking to put more structure into my songs, and overall become a better songwriter. I'm mainly looking for good books/articles on musical theory, but if you got anything else that would help the songwriting process I would appreciate it

It's useful

One Book I would recommend is The complete idiots guide to Music Theory

though to get you started on it a little sooner you could check out these 2 links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_theory

http://library.thinkquest.org/15413/theory/th eory.htm

Hope that helps!

[Stealth-Emergence]

whoops I've noticed the second link has an additional space in it

so if you just omit that space in the address bar of your browser that'll work fine

[Tweanut]

Thanks much!

[Carbo]

At 11/21/06 03:34 PM, Stealth-Annihilator wrote: whoops I've noticed the second link has an additional space in it

so if you just omit that space in the address bar of your browser that'll work fine

you always helping others :D ......................well its not a bad thing

[chutzpah]

Here, I practically just wrote you a book:
EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE
That's really the best thing.

The best book I've found on it is "The Guitar Grimoire" I forgot the real/full name but theres several of them including a chord one which I never bought but skimmed through. The books are good even if you don't play guitar. I lost the book so I don't know the info, but you'd find it at a music shop easily, all I know is the whole series has the word 'grimoire" in it.

But still, thats just good for learning chords and and scales, which are essential. However, if you really want to broaden your horizons and get good at writing more than guitar music, you'll want to learn several diverse instruments, two of which almost have to be drums and piano. For writing music, piano is the best. Personally I played cello, then guitar, then bass then drums and then got into electronic music, all exactly two years apart with some piano throughout my whole life.

Also, listen to all kinds of music, the AP is good for that too, but professional is obviously better. Don't just stop at rock or whatever it is you like, listen to something you don't like whether it be techno, rap, classical (especially classical) or something crazy like fucking native american music. You can learn something from every genre, as long as the music itself is decent.

Lastly, structure... It may or may not be the hardest thing for you. I found it to be the hardest thing to learn. My advice is to let your music flow and if you can't do it naturally, then stick to a verse/chorus stucture. This is where experience is most important. After a while you'll develope the ability to make good transitions with intros, outros, bridges, interludes, etc.

I'll end this how I started it. Experience... write a shitton of songs daily. Almost every artist has a few long, dry periods where they simply have no inspiration or will to write music. Try to write a song anyways, If you can find out what it is that best inspires you and let it rule your life. If its pain, let your pain be a creative outsource. If its love then think of heartbreak as a good excuse to write music. If you're looking to write lyrics too, then write all the time. Poems, lyrics, essays, short stories, raps, everything even if its not your "style."

Well.. thats how I do it anyway, and if you don't like my music then you probably shouldn't listen to my advice.

[Stealth-Emergence]

Chutzpah has given some pretty sound advice here

regardless of whether you like hit music or not, his suggestions are still relevant.

Chutzpah >:( dude bad bad man don't tell him " if he hates your music ignore your advice"

it was sound advice, I dunno about the book to which you refer but the experience things stands, I've been writing for a while, and I more often than not write using a piano or my guitar just to work out the gist of whatever piece I may be working on

although not 100% of my tunes are decided on the 2 instruments I listed but more are that aren't

[CyriltheWolf]

Theory is a way to describe what you hear.
That said, classical music has much to say about theory. If you want to hear some good stuff that is primarily based upon theory, look to the Western composers of the 18th century. After that it gets more open. So that's my short suggestion.

[chutzpah]

At 11/21/06 04:13 PM, Stealth-Annihilator wrote: regardless of whether you like hit music or not, his suggestions are still relevant.
Chutzpah >:( dude bad bad man don't tell him " if he hates your music ignore your advice"

Yeah, that was mainly regarding my comment about finding inspiration which I figured may have come out weird. I just read the Chuck Pallaniuk novel "Diary" and it heavily influenced my ideals on the whole... well inspiration thing. If you haven't read the book you have no idea what I'm talking about, which is exactly my point.

But anyway, you reminded me of something I think is pretty important. I still use my guitar to write piano music, piano to write guitar music and both to write electronic music. The point is its important to be able to know music well enough to transfer it from one instrument to another and see it laid out in a different way. If I think of a cool melody and bassline and lay it out on Fruity Loops, I sometimes get my guitar and hit notes untill I can think of a counter-melody/harmony then program it into FL, which is entirely based off the piano.

I also thought of something else I should have said, which is about my friend and collaboration partner mig297. He writes some badass music, stuff I could never think of, but never cared to learn a single scale or aspect of music theory in his life. He only has played a small amount of guitar in his life, hes just been making a shitload of songs on Fruity Loops for, well, as long as I've known him basically. So don't focus too much on learning theory. In the end, it's just theory. I think it helps to know, but experience is the thing that gives you the greatest edge.

OK I think I'm done now... sorry for spamming this post as if I really am writing a book here, haha.

[WinTang]

There was also a thread in this Forum on music theory, which is overall very interesting to read...
I'ma look it up now...

Got it, it's actually two fairly long threads

First one - a very detailed initiative by EmoNarc who doesn't seem to post here anymore.
Second one - starts off mostly off-topic, then picks up with a funny discussion on inverting a pretty rare triad, the augmented chord, and after that goes more in-depth on theory in general, many thanks to MusicalRocky, who also started the thread.

[CapnCrunchDaPimp]

I just fumble around with riffs and whatnot, usually lyrics come later, just use big words

[DJCityScape]

At 11/21/06 11:10 PM, CapnCrunchTehPimp wrote: just use big words

or short words and stretch them out.

biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrdddddd ddzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[HouseMasta]

At 11/21/06 11:17 PM, DJCityScape wrote: or short words and stretch them out.

biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrdddddd ddzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lllllllllllllawwwwwwwwwwwwwllllllllllll

DJCityScape check ur PM