Hello to all,
Let's try something different this week - a bit of a musical stimulus, if you will. I'm assuming that most of our current participants primarily write on a stringed instrument of some sort (guitar, ukulele, etc.,). What I'd like you to try to do is to use the following arpeggios as a starting point for your writing: Amadd9 Am(maj9) Am9 Am69
E - - - - 0 - - - - - - - 0 - - - - - - - 0 - - - - - - - 0 - - -
B - - - 0 - 0 - - - - - 0 - 0 - - - - - 0 - 0 - - - - - 0 - 0 - -
G - - 5 - - - 5 - - - 5 - - - 5 - - - 5 - - - 5 - - - 5 - - - 5 -
D - 7 - - - - - 7 - 6 - - - - - 6 - 5 - - - - - 5 - 4 - - - - - 4
A 0 - - - - - - - 0 - - - - - - - 0 - - - - - - - 0 - - - - - - -
E - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
You might want to start out using all eighth notes (one and two and three and four and) just to get the feel of it but you can choose to change the rhythm around as you see fit.
Use these arpeggios as an introduction or for the first part of your opening verse, or for entire verses should you so decide.
The point here is to listen to what you're playing and see what kind of mood it sets you in for your song lyrics. This sample is in Am, but you can, should you decide to do so, capo your guitar to raise the key should you see fit.
Lyrics are obviously going to be based on what you're hearing and feeling, so there is no specific assigned topic.
As always, I look forward to reading and to hearing what you come up with.
Peace
:note1: Stairway to Heaven :note1:
A bit. More like a single riser than a stairway :wink: Could be a bit of "Time in a Bottle" or even "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" - just a basic descending chromatic bass line but using the open B string of the guitar to create some (hopefully) more interesting chord voicings. Feel free to substitute your own!
Peace
A bit. More like a single riser than a stairway :wink:
LOL :lol:
Could be a bit of "Time in a Bottle" or even "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" -
Ah yes! I hear them now. I must have been something about having guitar in hand that triggered that familiar Stairway arpeggio :wink:
Well with those three songs mentioned, it definitely lays out a pattern of pensive/melancholy lyrical themes.
Well with those three songs mentioned, it definitely lays out a pattern of pensive/melancholy lyrical themes.
Ah, but does it have to? That's the question and part of the fascination with the songwriting process. Did playing the music trigger a response in you emotionally or does its familiarity to other pensive tunes bring about the "pensive/melancholy lyrical themes" approach? Is it possible to hear these arpeggios and, simply because of the mood the writer is in, go with something happy or even neutral and / or observational?
Of course, there are no set answers for this, but it does give one lots to think about. And it's the examination of our personal writing process that can help us to explore other avenues of songwriting, which in turn (hopefully) leads us to creating songs we might never have attempted before.
And have some fun while doing so!
Peace
That pattern hasn't triggered any particular thematic thoughts. I don't normally go beyond open or bar chords. My piano keyboard sensibility has issues with the G string playing a higher note than the B string. I need to get beyond that.
Not to worry if it doesn't trigger anything. That happens more often than most songwriters will care to admit!
Using the various open strings of the guitar to create more interesting chord voicings is a basic step towards exploring the instrument's full potential, which obviously benefits one as a player, but also creates a lot of possibilities for songwriting.
And many of these voicings are essentially "open position" in that they rely on open strings to help create their voicings. For instance, if someone's got a song that uses the chords A, D and E, he or she could embellish that song by using these open chords:
Aadd9 (x07600)
Dadd9 (xx0770)
E7(076700)
Playing around with chords like this, one can also create more interesting strumming or finger picking patterns than he or she might usually do with "regular" chords.
This, of course, isn't to say that any one way is better than another, but since the purpose of this forum is to grow and explore, it seemed an ideal way to approach this subject. And we'll hopefully be exploring more as we move into the following months.
For whatever it's worth, your piano keyboard sensibility may take to the idea of hands crossing over into each other's "territory" (the left hand in the treble clef, for instance). That idea seems to work for many guitar (and piano) students.
Peace
