Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
#4435 01/24/08 04:17 PM
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,900
WienSam Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,900
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


Follow That Dream

Sam
Karaoke King

--------------------

Turning that corner again - I have to keep following that dream, no matter what
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,900
WienSam Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,900
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


Follow That Dream

Sam
Karaoke King

--------------------

Turning that corner again - I have to keep following that dream, no matter what
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
M
Mac Offline
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
M
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
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

Mac #4438 01/25/08 11:54 AM
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,900
WienSam Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,900
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


Follow That Dream

Sam
Karaoke King

--------------------

Turning that corner again - I have to keep following that dream, no matter what
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
M
Mac Offline
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
M
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
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

Mac #4440 01/25/08 12:36 PM
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,900
WienSam Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,900
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



Follow That Dream

Sam
Karaoke King

--------------------

Turning that corner again - I have to keep following that dream, no matter what
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,696
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,696
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.


Ian
My "Original Tunes" Site
My gene pool needs more chlorine.
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
M
Mac Offline
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
M
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
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

Mac #4443 01/25/08 07:04 PM
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913
R
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
R
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913
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.

Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,900
WienSam Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,900
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


Follow That Dream

Sam
Karaoke King

--------------------

Turning that corner again - I have to keep following that dream, no matter what
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7
Newbie
Offline
Newbie
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7
I am so glad I found this topic! I have one complete chordal harmony and I am trying to get some lyrics for it AND find a drum track for it...I know I should have started with a drum track but I was working on some chord progressions one day and this harmony developed. I also have some lyric pieces that I jot down whenever they come into my head. Problem is, many of the ones I wrote a couple years ago were on scrap paper and are since lost! I have a mini notebook now.

FYI...I have been playing guitar for just over 2 1/2 years so I am not all that good.

I hope this topic grows...it really is a great resource!

Thank You!

Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
M
Mac Offline
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
M
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
If you want to write GOOD songs, then never write anything down until after it is in the can and the recording company sec needs the lyrics for the cover art folder.

Because if it is GOOD, you will remember it.



--Mac

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.

ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.

PG Music News
Band-in-a-Box® 2024 Review: 4.75 out of 5 Stars!

If you're looking for a in-depth review of the newest Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows version, you'll definitely find it with Sound-Guy's latest review, Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows Review: Incredible new capabilities to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs.

A few excerpts:
"The Tracks view is possibly the single most powerful addition in 2024 and opens up a new way to edit and generate accompaniments. Combined with the new MultiPicker Library Window, it makes BIAB nearly perfect as an 'intelligent' composer/arranger program."

"MIDI SuperTracks partial generation showing six variations – each time the section is generated it can be instantly auditioned, re-generated or backed out to a previous generation – and you can do this with any track type. This is MAJOR! This takes musical experimentation and honing an arrangement to a new level, and faster than ever."

"Band in a Box continues to be an expansive musical tool-set for both novice and experienced musicians to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs, as well as an extensive educational resource. It is huge, with hundreds of functions, more than any one person is likely to ever use. Yet, so is any DAW that I have used. BIAB can do some things that no DAW does, and this year BIAB has more DAW-like functions than ever."

Happy Easter! Holiday Hours...

2024 is well underway - it's already Easter Weekend!

Our Customer Service hours this weekend are:

Friday, March 29: 8-4
Saturday, March 30: 8-4
Sunday, March 31: closed

Regular hours resume Monday, April 1st - no joke!

Convenient Ways to Listen to Band-in-a-Box® Songs Created by Program Users!

The User Showcase Forum is an excellent place to share your Band-in-a-Box® songs and listen to songs other program users are creating!

There are other places you can listen to these songs too! Visit our User Showcase page to sort by genre, artist (forum name), song title, and date - each listing will direct you to the forum post for that song.

If you'd rather listen to these songs in one place, head to our Band-in-a-Box® Radio, where you'll have the option to select the genre playlist for your listening pleasure. This page has SoundCloud built in, so it won't redirect you. We've also added the link to the Artists SoundCloud page here, and a link to their forum post.

We hope you find some inspiration from this amazing collection of User Showcase Songs!

Congratulations to the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!

We've just announced the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!

There are 45 winners, each receiving a Band-in-a-Box 2024 UltraPAK! Read the official announcement to see if you've won.

Our User Showcase Forum receives more than 50 posts per day, with people sharing their Band-in-a-Box songs and providing feedback for other songs posted.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed!

Video: Volume Automation in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows®

We've created a video to help you learn more about the Volume Automation options in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows.

Band-in-a-Box® 2024: Volume Automation

www.pgmusic.com/manuals/bbw2024full/chapter11.htm#volume-automation

Video: Audio Input Monitoring with Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows®

We've created this short video to explain Audio Input Monitoring within Band-in-a-Box® 2024, and included some tips & troubleshooting details too!

Band-in-a-Box® 2024: Audio Input Monitoring

3:17: Tips
5:10: Troubleshooting

www.pgmusic.com/manuals/bbw2024full/chapter11.htm#audio-input-monitoring

Video: Enhanced Melodists in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows®!

We've enhanced the Melodists feature included in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows!

Access the Melodist feature by pressing F7 in the program to open the new MultiPicker Library and locate the [Melodist] tab.

You can now generate a melody on any track in the program - very handy! Plus, you select how much of the melody you want generated - specify a range, or apply it to the whole track.

See the Melodist in action with our video, Band-in-a-Box® 2024: The Melodist Window.

Learn even more about the enhancements to the Melodist feature in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows at www.pgmusic.com/manuals/bbw2024upgrade/chapter3.htm#enhanced-melodist

Forum Statistics
Forums66
Topics81,397
Posts732,533
Members38,442
Most Online2,537
Jan 19th, 2020
Newest Members
danielsk, Mark Morgan, zagrajbarke, Ernest J, Izzy
38,442 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 200
Al-David 124
DC Ron 115
rsdean 85
dcuny 85
Today's Birthdays
(charlie), WobblyGstring
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5