music corner

Tips on Writing Music

Category: Music —

Some ideas and advice to enhance your music writing experience:

Write the Lyrics For Your Song

Many musicians write their own melodies as well as the lyrics. If you already have lyrics, consider them when writing your melody. Some questions to ask yourself before composing the music are: What words do I want to focus on? Are there note lengths or timing that will accommodate certain words better than others will?

Consider the following line: I DROVE my CAR down the HIGHWAY. The emphasized words DROVE, CAR and HIGHWAY give the listener an idea of what is going on, even if these are the only words they hear. On the other hand, if you sing the same line but emphasize different words: I drove MY car DOWN THE highway. The listener might have no idea what you’re singing about.

You can emphasize words with a louder note, changing the note itself, a longer note or including a rest before or after the note. Experiment with your song and see what sounds the best.

Listen to and Learn from Other Composers

There is something to be learned from every single musician or band out there. Listen to how your favorite musicians construct their songs—examine the style, the tone, how different instruments work together and so on and so forth. You can implement many of the same ideas into your own music or even take some of their riffs and tweak them to fit your style. This is a great way to come up with new melodies.

Use Music Composition Software

Music composition software can be a musician’s best friend. These programs aid in the writing process by organizing your work and allow you to see what you’re playing. Quality software packages provide features including a metronome to keep beat, playback, so you can listen to what you’ve composed, input, so you can hook your instrument or microphone directly to your computer and notate a song you play or sing and tons of editing tools so you can easily compose a riff.

Look for Musical Inspiration

Before writing a piece of music, it’s critical to feed your mind inspiration. Inspiration comes from all around us: our emotions, relationships, nature, people and experiences—some songs are even about surreal situations. A big part of finding inspiration is putting yourself in situations that rouse inspiration and then recognize it when it comes.

We all have different people come into our lives; relationships have always been hot topic for songwriters. To generate other ideas get out of the house, go somewhere, and do something. This could even be something as simple as walking in the park or down the street. You’ll be amazed where inspiration can be found.

Have Fun

You first started writing music because you love music. If you’re not enjoying composing music, then do something else for a while. People tend to do what they love best.

There is no Wrong Answer in Music Composition

Writing music is one of those things you can do and never make a mistake. Some melodies are catchier than others are, and everyone will write some bad stanzas. It’s all right; that’s why we have revisions. Remember this while writing music: it will make you feel better and help you avoid writer’s block.

Define Your Music Composition Goal

Are you writing music for yourself or for other people? This alone will totally change the tone and style of your music. If you are writing for yourself, you have more freedom to write what and how you want.

In contrast, if you are writing for other people, it is a good idea to identify your target audience and write music they will enjoy.

Seek Advice and Opinions

People are always willing to give advice and opinions; take their comments into consideration when writing music. Give your music to family members and friends to get their opinion of your songs. Though people close to you may be biased, their comments are still valuable.

Do Something Different

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut and all of your songs begin to sound the same. Even if you’ve found a great combination of notes or a catchy beat, changing it can be good and help you grow as a composer.

An easy way to try something new is pick up an instrument you haven’t played before. Sometimes you find yourself playing the same old keys or strumming the same chords on your guitar. A different instrument can lead you to melodies you may not have thought of otherwise.

Practice, Practice and More Practice

There is no substitute for hard work and practice—it is the only formula that will guarantee you will become a better songwriter.

Music Arranger

Category: Music —

A music arranger, also commonly known as a composer, creates musical compositions based on his knowledge and application of music theory. The music may be strictly instrumental or have lyrics composed by the arranger or outside sources. He may work alone or with a partner or group of musicians.

Since music is a large part of many mediums, a music arranger’s job is frequently multifaceted. He may be called upon to arrange or create music for live concerts or studio recordings. The music heard in television and films is frequently the work of a music arranger. The music he creates may be based on his personal auditory vision or reflect the wishes of the person or company for which he works.

The creative process of a music arranger is generally highly individual. How he proceeds to write or arrange a musical piece depends on his style as well as the goals of the composition. He may work from written notes or professionally-produced recordings. The process also can begin as a tune that repeatedly plays in the mind of the arranger.

Regardless of the process, the arranger generally pinpoints the desired effects and proceeds from there. He decides what tempos, tone balances and rhythms to use. The voices and instrument selections are chosen, along with what harmonic structures will work best.

Some arrangers prefer a conventional method of music composition and transcribe their ideas onto paper by writing musical notes to create songs. Other musical arrangers prefer to use synthesizers and computers to arrange and compose musical pieces. The computerized method gives the arranger the freedom to easily experiment with different applications and quickly evaluate tunes and arrangements.

A music arranger is sometimes asked to take a previously written piece and adapt it for a new medium or application. This may require him to alter compositions written for orchestras or bands to accommodate the needs of a choral group or vocalist. Other commonly requested adaptations involve taking a piece originally written for a certain instrument, such as a piano, and converting it to a format for another instrument, such as a guitar.

Sometimes style changes are requested. The arranger is frequently asked to take a piece, for example, that was written in a jazz style and rearrange it for a rock format. Incorporating these changes commonly requires the arranger to enlist the assistance of other arrangers or composers.

A person in this position normally has years of musical training. He may also have experience as a musical performer or have background in music production in a studio or stage environment. Although a music arranger may work in one particular genre, it is common for him to apply his expertise in a variety of music categories and venues.