Was fooling around with Google today and decided to ask some simple questions including... 'How To Write A Song?'

This is what I came up with. It's an article / web site from a woman in California who teaches SongWriting called Robin Frederick... How To Write A Song

There is even a link to BIAB!

Nothing I didn't already know but thought it might of some help to newbies

Hope it helps

Sam

An added thought after re-reading that article:

Get hold of a MIDI track of a song you really like by an artist you really like and import it into BIAB. Check that it is correct by using the Audio Chord Wizard on the original. Now use the Style Wizard to make a style based on the style of that song, use the Re-Harmonist feature to change the chord progression for that song to a new chord progression based on the melody and then write a song using the remaining melody as a 'ghost song'. Last but not least (copywright issues), create a new melody for your song and... Hey presto!

Just another thought along this line

1) Enter the entire chordset for a song that you really like. No Melody.

2) Pick a style. Works best to pick a style that is different from the style of that original song, but not always necessary to do so.

3) Play that over and over and "find" a new melody that will fit the chord changes. Sing it, whistle it, or play that new melody you've come up with on your instrument over the changes to that popular song.

There are numerous examples of this throughout the history of the popular song, as well as in the classics.

It can be amazing how well a known tune "hides" from you in this fashion. That is yet another proof that we define the Melody as the song.


--Mac

I did that once with the chordal arrangement for 'The House Of The Rising Sun'. Really nice melody came out but people still recognised the chordal arrangement! That's why I suggest using the Re-Harmoniser

Sam

Try changing the STYLE, too. That arpeggiated intro to Rising Sun is a signature, accompaniment serving as musical hook. But might hide if it was a Latin Style, Jazz, Rock, Country, etc. Also try different Tempos with different styles.


Some things work and some don't, too. If it doesn't work, do something else, that's all.



--Mac

I did! Still people worked it out...

Not that its a crime of course. Nobody can copywright chordal arrangements

Come to think of it, the first time I ever sang at a gig here in Vienna was as a guest of Hans Salomon, the sax player who started out with Joe Zawinul, and a bunch of other celeb jazz cats. I sang 'The House Of The Rising Sun' and the guitarist didn't know the arpeggio version! The only way I could stay on track was by the following the drummer's fills...

Sam

First - you got to feel some kind of something - a mood, anything.
2 - choose a BIAB style that fits the mood and the rhythm
3 - put the bars in one at a time as you choose the chords based on where the emotion and lyrics take you.
4 - check out www.taxi.com for pointers on songwriting (alot of info on that website)

I usually use acoustic guitar for my creative palette but I 've come up with some good songs (objective opinion of course )
using this BIAB style sheet method.

Usually first line of the chorus becomes the hook BUT the chord pattern of stuff like "House of the Rising Sun" "Stairway to Heaven" are hooks unto themselves. So hard to conceal.

Stairway to Heaven is a good example of a "ghost" song that got resurrected to a new generation.

That "hook" is actually the base chord change to "Blue Skies".

For an example of using "House of the Rising Sun" again to good advantage, recall the Yardbirds' "For Your Love". There are still plenty of ways left to disguise that change, man. In this case, they used held chords and some percussion for a pseudo "world" sound, then coupled it to a boogie chorus.

Those of us who really study composition, I warn the rest, the knowledge takes a lot of the mystery and feeling of awe out of the thing.



--Mac

This is a big topic over at www.fawm.org, the challenge to write 14 songs in the 28 days of february. Someone posted a link to a BBC Radio web reference on songwriting. It is amazingly complete and would serve anyone well who wants fresh inspiration for songwriting.

Here's your link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/guide/song.shtml

I will be camping out on that site for awhile.

Well posted, Bob

I'd forgotten about that site. They've been around quite a while now. Right from the link page you give:

Quote:

---

Harmony - Don't be afraid to use a famous chord sequence as the basis for your song.

---

Sam