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DIY Musicians thread

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dave1701

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I really have no big secret to share with you.

Sometimes I had a musical idea (or the band had a song with no lyrics yet) and I wrote something to suit. Sometimes, I just wrote a set of lyrics off an idea and we had to try to write suitable music or mothball the lyrics until the right tune was born.

I did find it tended to be easier to form the lyrical structure if I already knew the music or had a very good idea in my head what I wanted to hear (in terms of phrasing, tempo, tonality, etc). Then, it was a fairly simple task of working my thoughts into phrases that physically fit the music (ie the beat, tempo, rhyming phrases etc.)

Some stuff I wrote was simple enough "mathematically" that you could work it into nearly any common beat and tempo. Let me draw you a theoretical example.

Got home from work today, logged onto DIY
Handed out some sage advice to a budding musician guy
I hope he learns something, and finds his little part
But if I made no sense, then go and ask Anderkart!

Now- that took only a minute or two to compose. Since the structure is pretty basic and doesn't get into any weird timing or phrasing, it'll fit just about anything from Delta Blues to Pimple Pop. It's just a matter of how it's sung, at that point.

I know this is going to sound really retarded, but go ahead and try it. Take the verse above and try singing it to various musical passages. You shouldn't have too much trouble making it fit somewhere.

As far as how to use language to convey your thoughts into a chart-topping hit- sorry- that's all you!

My dog thinks I've finally lost it. Yes I did sing it. And you're right, it is easy to sing in whatever melody pops in my head. The rhyming, where did that come from. How do you know how many lines to rhyme before a new one? I am not bad at all with the english language, but I always end up getting frustrated. I'm not short on thoughts either. And I end up writing lyric that sound like generic green day.

My other big problem is I always end up with the melody of some other song. This is a problem for me when writing the lyrics and when trying to make unique music on the guitar. I guess it must come from all the years of playing lots of different covers. It seems like all the real estate on the guitar has been bought. I can't find a unique sound. All my favorite songs on the radio have some sort of riff, unique progression or something that makes it easy to pick out and whistle along to. How to they come up with that?

Thanks.
 

Doc Sprocket

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My dog thinks I've finally lost it.
She's right.:roflol:

The rhyming, where did that come from. How do you know how many lines to rhyme before a new one?
I'd love to be able to answer that easily, but I can't. It's a "feel" thing to me, which involves several factors including the intention of the song, beat, tempo, mood, etc.

I am not bad at all with the english language, but I always end up getting frustrated.
Never give up. I have been know to get partway thru a song, get writer's block, and put it down for anywhere from a day to years. Sometimes the inspiration to fix it appears, sometimes they hit the trash.

I'm not short on thoughts either. And I end up writing lyric that sound like generic green day. My other big problem is I always end up with the melody of some other song. This is a problem for me when writing the lyrics and when trying to make unique music on the guitar. I guess it must come from all the years of playing lots of different covers. It seems like all the real estate on the guitar has been bought. I can't find a unique sound. All my favorite songs on the radio have some sort of riff, unique progression or something that makes it easy to pick out and whistle along to. How to they come up with that?

People have been making music for centuries- "modern" music for decades. It's all been done, to one degree or another. Coming up with something entirely original is literally harder to do every day. Sooner or later, your original composition is going to "sound like" something from someone. I have two thoughts on this. One, that no matter what you do, odds are that SOMEBODY is going to think your new tune sounds like so-and-so, whether you think so or not. Second, if you have a good listen, there is a lot of published music that at least resembles other published music, but is just different enough to get away from it. I could give you a ton of examples. So, even some of our stuff touched on someone else's material.

We had a song called "Kickin' Stones" that was probably my favourite. It had a really solid riff, a hook that I could literally play endlessly and not get tired of it. It may have been coincidence (we certainly didn't intend to) but it bore a resemblance to Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold". Same key, same tempo, same mode, similar phrasing. In fact, I was playing it one day and came to that realization. To my chagrin, I realised I could switch back and forth between the two songs completely seamlessly and without missing a beat.

Then again, I found I could do the same thing switching from Stevie Wonder's "Superstition", and Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music". And yes, we DID have quite a bizarre repertoire!

Don't kid yourself- I wrote some real crap, too... I threw out at least as much as I kept, maybe more. Practice and experience. And for what it's worth, I would rather attempt home-vasectomy surgery with the rusted-out rear quarter panel of a 1978 Cordoba than listen to Green Day. Just sayin'.
 

anderkart

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:iagree: Toystory gave you some awesome advice.

All I can add Is dont worry too much about your lyrics rhyming. I think the lyrics in lots of songs end up being compromised (silly) just for the sake of rhyming. There's lots of great songs that dont rhyme at all, so dont get all hung up on that right now.

Another thing is you'll probably need to write lots of mediocre songs before you can write a really good one. Its kinda like welding, cooking or anything else, you'll improve with experience, so just write lots of songs whether you think they're any good or not.

You'll probably need some way to record so you can listen back and see what sounds good or not while your writing. You might be surprised how much different your songs sound while listening back compared to when your playing them.... It doesn't have to be an exspencive recorder, even an old cassette deck and a cheap mic will be fine. You just need to be able to listen to your tunes to help improve them and so you wont forget portions of your songs that are really good. Another thing is after you've written/recorded several songs you could go back and maybe use the verses from one song, with the chorus from another, the middle-8 part from a 3rd, and end up with a really good tune. We call this writing a song from our junkyard.

I have the same problem with my songwriting sounding like tunes already written by someone else too. You'll just have to work through it and find ways to change your tunes enough to where its different/unique. I've worked with lots of songwriters over the years, a couple of them told me they write by taking like 3 songs by other bands, use the cord progressions from 1 tune, the feel/strum patterns from another, and then alter the vocal melody from the 3rd tune to come up with a totally unique song to use they're original lyrics on...
 

Doc Sprocket

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dont worry too much about your lyrics rhyming. I think the lyrics in lots of songs end up being compromised (silly) just for the sake of rhyming.

You're absolutely correct, sir! Especially in umm, "Urban" music. Come to think of it, "music" oughta be in quotes there, too...
 

dave1701

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The only type of "music" I'm good at.

Boom Boom Boom!!!!

Yo! Don't be instultin' all my boys down in da hood
You know I can't make nothin' out of wood
I done shot my half brother's cousin named ed
But all day I lay sleepin' in my bed
I don't worry none about this life
Cause' I'm gettin' gummit handouts left and right

Yo you wish that you could be somebody like me
A trippin banga like my self, hell I'm a chimpanzee
I get to roll through town in ma grama's ride
When I get a flat tire I call my other brother's wife
Cause' I just can't be bothered with stuff like that
I confuse a wrench with a baseball bat

Boom boom boom!!!

Boom Boom Boom!!!
 

dave1701

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Stuff like that is what all the "cool" people around my town listen to. My town sucks.
 

Orange Krate

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Thankfully there are still people left who can write "cool" that way. Even at age 9 my kid gets looked at wierd when he talks about his favorite bands at school. I tell him to cherrish it!

There's an episode of the Red Green show where he sets out to stop pesky people who pull up next to you at a red light playing that boom boom boom music. He makes a giant bass speaker out of a kiddie pool and duct tapes it inside a mini van. When he slides open the door at a red light, it literally blows the pest away!!

Can't find video otherwise I'd share.
 

anderkart

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When I get stuck at a red light next to blaring (boom-boom) ghetto music I start blowing my cars horn horribly out of time to the song. It never fails to piss them off and illustrates the message that maybe others dont dig hearing their racket...
 

devino246

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When I get stuck at a red light next to blaring (boom-boom) ghetto music I start blowing my cars horn horribly out of time to the song. It never fails to piss them off and illustrates the message that maybe others dont dig hearing their racket...

Haha, good idea:thumbsup:
 

mister twister

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guitarist and proud, i play alot of led zep and brit rock.

the epiphone is my new baby, awesome christmas

the red and black feller is a epiphone bass

the strat is a 1983 mij squier bullet, just had the trem repaired.

EDIT: also in true diy spirit i made a diddely bo aka a board with a guitar string on it played with a slide, check em out on youtube
 

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Jcotz

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yo don't be hatin on the music, I be in da hood shootin shorty...

well, at least that's what my friend says when I tell him rap sucks.
 

mister twister

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great news

rock is still alive and kicking as in my lil brpther put a band together for a talent show and im being their mentor :thumbsup: theyre going to cover "rock you like a hurricane :2guns:
 

Jcotz

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I am in a band too! Our tastes differ a lot though. Our piano player loves jazz, our singer loves classical and classic rock, Our other guitarist loves classical and rock, I like alternative and indie.
 
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