How Do I Get It To Sound Like Music?

I've been playing a lot lately, but just at home - last night I wandered up to my local pub for the tuesday night acoustic jam session, and I was amazed how fast all the songs had got while I was away!

Playing with other people IS the answer - it's taught me a hell of a lot in the last year or so!

Playing at home by yourself, unless you're SUPREMELY dedicated, is good but you're not going to learn anything.....playing with other people, you learn quickly to adapt - it's kind of like being thrown in at the deep end when you can't swim! I was way out of my depth at first - but then I learned a lot of new songs, and I learned that even if you don't know a song that well, you can watch someone's fingers for the changes......

But if you are playing at home, I'd suggest playing along to those favourite Cd's - the ones I always play along to are Creedence Clearwater Revival - Greatest Hits, Eagles - Greatest Hits and Mott by Mott the Hoople - They're three of ny favourite albums, and I've been listening to them for so long I know every note and nuance in each song and can play them almost on auto-pilot......

Also, I think Smokingdog suggested this, download audacity - record a song of your own, or one of those songs you know well.....then use the multi-track facility....you'll be surprised at first how hard it is to keep time with yoursself! But, and here comes the P-word - after a little PRACTISE you'll be surprised how easy it becomes.....

Another good is to play along with the radio - you may not know all the songs that well, but try and play along with them anyway - it'll hone your sense of rhythm and help with your timing....

Ever been in the guitar shop and seen the ads? Usually there's a few people want a jam buddy - I bought new strings monday, and one ad caught my eye - this guy wanted a jam buddy, his taste in music seemed pretty close to mine, so I gave him a ring yesterday - we had a chat, and we're going to get together in the next couple of weeks - I'm looking forward to it, I'll learn from him, he might learn something from me......

I wish you well Pearl......and don't forget to keep practising! One day it WILL all come together - then you'll be posting songs on "Hear Here" and we'll all be complimenting you....have faith in yourself!

:D :D :D

Vic

I think to play "music" by yourself you have to play certain ways.

What I mean is, playing lead guitar by yourself will not really sound like music, even if you are good at it.

So write some simple songs to begin with, maybe a 3 or 4 chord progression. Come up with an interesting strum or fingerpick the chords. Try writing some good lyrics and singing along. If you sing well and just strum or fingerpick chords it will sound very good. By yourself it is a little difficult to go from rhythm to lead guitar. The bottom of the song will just fall out. So just play chords.

Another technique is chord/melody playing where you strum or fingerpick chords but also play the melody of the song. This is a good solo guitar technique.

I hope you understand what I am talking about.

i know what you're saying. in fact chord melody is an area that i've lately taken an interest in. i would chord melody everything if i knew how. for one, i have a chord melody verison of redemption song that i like to play. i've tried to chord melody after the gold rush but couldn't figure out how to, then Dave wrote the article. I do the song in arpeggios which fits it nicely i think.

after i wrote this post i realized that i should be working on writing my own songs, which is, after all, why i took up guitar in the first place. but it's like i have a mental block. i can't get myself to do it. i'm bad at lyrics. i have a chord progression that i like that i play over and over. it's C, a minor, d minor, G.

Pearl: Definitely write your own songs. So you like one progression? Use it. Record it, write some lyrics. Ignore the fact that they might be bad, noone is a William S. at his first attempt. Leave some room and play a solo over it, as good as you can. Polish it up and upload it. Then it's time for a new song. Start with an Em chord and only use open chords, see if you can find anything cool. If so, write lyrics again, add a solo. But now you'll also be writing a second part, a chorus. You'll start that in G, the rest is again up to you. Sing yourself. Even if you sound horrible, that's no problem at all.

By doing this again and again you'll develop your sense of harmony. You'll see what your strengths are, how you can apply them. Your music will be music instead of muscle movement. You don't need great skill, all you need is an idea, a thought, a feeling. Everyone has that, it's no talent or special skill. It's a side-effect of being human. If you need any help with the practical side of it, drop me a PM.

What Vic says is also very true. If you can't find people in your area, visit the 'online jams' section here. Find some folks who want to make an original song and just see how far you'll get. Keep it fun, keep a positive attitude and I promise you'll get better and better. And best of all, music will make more sense then it ever did before.

Re: Writing songs. It doesn't always come easy and (as the saying goes) the more you do it the better you get. Try the Songwriters section here.

As far as getting started, pick a subject, then a starting point, then a climax and finish it with an ending. The chorus should tie the whole song together. I like floating choruses (I came up with that term because I don't know what they are called), basically it's the standard chorus but, the ending of the chorus changes throughout the song reflecting the changes in the song.

I also agree about playing out or with friends. I've been playing for 2 and a half years and wouldn't be were I'm at now if it weren't from all the help I've gotten from my friends. I still can't believe how helpful everyone is. Nobody gets mad when I have a brain fart....... why?.......because they went through it too.

Sometimes i do face this problem.But i guess , that's because i have only one guitar and i want to play different sounds.

Nope. This is a common misconception -- and probably wishful thinking -- of many newbies. Never believe that "I only need a different guitar, additional guitar, that new effect, the amp with that cool tone to take myself to the next level of playing" or performance, creativity or whatever. It can often be just the opposite, and prove demoralizing when one finds the new gear doesn't really change a thing about one's playing. A guitar is a supremely versatile instrument in nearly every form. The new sounds and versatility that are fundamental to it arise from the player, not the gear. A classical guitar doesn't have to be played only in the traditional style. One can whack the rims, pop the strings, mute strum, create distortion by over-strumming, play glisses that sound a lot like slide. bend strings above the nut, tap, tap harmonics, tap the top, rap the neck ... or simply play blazing leads. It all works on that lowly little nylon-strung box, and quite well in many cases. Again, these are all things the player must do, not the guitar.

So work with what you've got, while you've got it. You have not yet fully explored your instrument or yourself. And even when you do have it together, hopefully you will still discover. Don't turn GAS or equipment envy into an excuse for stalled progress.

after i wrote this post i realized that i should be working on writing my own songs, which is, after all, why i took up guitar in the first place. but it's like i have a mental block. i can't get myself to do it. i'm bad at lyrics. i have a chord progression that i like that i play over and over. it's C, a minor, d minor, G.

I know what you mean. I have not written too many songs over the years, I have a block too. For me, the problem is that writing songs is too personal, too revealing. I have never been one to pour out my heart to others.

I really do not have too much problem with lyrics though. The few songs I've written, most folks give me compliments and say they are very good. I have always felt that lyrics are simply poetry. I read an interview with Justin Hayward the singer for the Moody Blues many years ago. He spoke of how people thought their songs were so deep and meaningful. Justin said that his songs were very simple rhymes, that's all. I have always remembered that.

Most poetry rhymes, but it doesn't have too. And most poetry has a beat. You may have heard of iambic pentameter, I remember studying that in High School Poetry.

Iambic Pentameter

So if you like to write the music and progression first, figure out the beat and length of each verse, or line of verse. Then write lyrics that fit this beat. And you can't go wrong with words that rhyme.

In the midst of the war...
He promised us peace,
And it came like a lover
From out of the East

With the face of an angel
And the heart of a beast
His intentions were Six Sixty Six

Just had to write that, one of my favorite songs by Frank Black. But I bet you can feel the beat and timing of these verses. As for rhymes, they don't have to be exact. Usually the vowel sound is what is important (peace, east, beast).

And it is ok to go back and make changes. When I do write songs I just write a rough draft. Often I will think of better lines, or just language that sounds better and go back and change a word or a line here or there. Sometimes the song is completely different when I'm finished. So don't worry about being perfect, just get something down on paper that fits the music. You will polish the song later as improvements occur to you.

[Thats good advice. I've never really tried to write songs, but I do write instrumental stuff. Listen to the Dixie Dregs, Vai, Satch, Jazz fusion, there's plenty of great music out there w/o words.

update: i may have found someone to play with! i answered an ad for "acoustic covers project" and i'm meeting someone named leah tomorrow!

LEEE-AHHH (in best Homer Simpson imitation)

Congrats and have fun with Leah. :D

yeah, congrats, and keep us posted on how it works out. :)

update: i may have found someone to play with! i answered an ad for "acoustic covers project" and i'm meeting someone named leah tomorrow!

Excellent. Grats

Geoo