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Okay, I wanna learn how to compose songs.

Music Theory
HeavyGuitar  
15 Jun 2009 17:20 | Quote
Joined: 29 Jan 2009
Norway
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How can i learn notes and compose songs, not just like a riff with a melody over, but alot more complexed music and with alot more instruments like epic film music and classical music...yeah, and one more thing....i wanna do it in guitar pro 5:P...is that like impssible or is it possible?

Kinda wierd question, but i feel like a have a musical bomb inside of me and i can't get it out even though how many riff or songs i make on my guitar so i figuerd out that i wanto learn how to compose music and just not make anything on my guitar for a while. Anybody that can get me starting? Is there a lessons which can learn me notes?

And yes, learing to compose music doesent take 10 minutes, but if somebody could just push me in the right direction...plz:)
(Im about to explode)

God bless you all:)
BodomBeachTerror  
15 Jun 2009 19:37 | Quote
Joined: 27 May 2008
Canada
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its possible with guitarpro. with guitar pro i pretty much play something on my guitar, write it out on gp, put it on loop and play it back, then pick up your guitar again and play something over it. then put that in, and so on.
to me it seems in classical and film music is to go above and beyond. music really shouldnt be limited to single scales, keys, tempos and time signatures. maybe some people will disagree with me but you can pretty much do whatever you want.

that probably wasnt all that helpful
Empirism  
16 Jun 2009 04:46 | Quote
Joined: 23 Jun 2008
Finland
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Idea (optional) - Rhythm - chord progression - melody or riff - lyrics - arrangement - adding bridges or other tricks (optional) - mixing - mastering

Thats my method.

btw, complexity is bit wide consept and can be done with many different ways...

Cheers
Empirism
brodyxhollow  
16 Jun 2009 06:48 | Quote
Joined: 04 Feb 2008
United States
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composing is the art of building a song from the ground up. there are many schools of thought when it comes to this art, as well as many different applications.

so where do you start? from nothing. you take what you hear and build upon it.

i would recommend learning some theory first, such as dominants, tonics, subtonics, etc. once you know these, that will be a major breakthrough in learning how to compose. for now, i would just recommend finding good harmonies that work together, and alternate how they lead into the next harmony. without theory, i would recommend a lot of experimentation. recording helps a lot, as well as following the old rule of thumb, if it sounds good, go with it.
JustJeff  
16 Jun 2009 07:37 | Quote
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Take 2 semesters of music theory at your local university.
HeavyGuitar  
16 Jun 2009 16:12 | Quote
Joined: 29 Jan 2009
Norway
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Thx for great answers people:)

To Jeff, thats not an optionxD
blackholesun  
16 Jun 2009 20:38 | Quote
Joined: 04 Jan 2007
United Kingdom
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Moderator
Look at what makes great songs work. Immerse yourselves in The Beatles, etc.
league  
17 Jun 2009 08:28 | Quote
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You could take some LSD and blow your mind. LOL.

Seriously though, I've been in a similar situation. Writing songs is very difficult at first(among other things lol). Listen to different types of music and expand your mind.

I know it sounds like a hippie trip but I'm serious. Music theory helps a great deal, at least it does for me. Learn chords other than major and minor.

Approach writing from different angles.
For example write lyrics first then maybe they'll inspire the music or vice-versa.

Write music based on modes and know your fretboard so you can discover new notes and learn techniques like FINGER PICKING. That helps in writing classical music.

Discover the movements of music and unless your song sounds like something from Primus, add all the weird stuff you feel like.

Remember that playing an instrument and making music requires some technical knowledge. You can't get away with the hippie mentality that "nature makes music."

JustJeff  
17 Jun 2009 10:15 | Quote
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HeavyGuitar says:
To Jeff, thats not an optionxD


Why not? That is your best option. You want to learn music, go take music theory classes. It's the only way to have a private tutor without actually have a private tutor. It will teach you everything you need to know plus more about basic music composition/structure/analysis.

What makes classes at a university not an option?
Gill555  
18 Jun 2009 21:28 | Quote
Joined: 15 Apr 2009
United States
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probably money
HeavyGuitar  
19 Jun 2009 11:56 | Quote
Joined: 29 Jan 2009
Norway
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JustJeff says:
What makes classes at a university not an option?


I have been home playing guitar for 2 years and i haven't cared about school, my grades sucks assxD I can't come into any universityxD
goatrider  
21 Jun 2009 18:30 | Quote
Joined: 07 Jul 2008
United States
Karma
Hello. Guitar Pro is a good tool for kind of "putting it down on paper" i guess. It does a lot for you, so you can sit back and see how the program has done whatever its done.

Philosophically, whatever comes out of my head is what I go with. Sometimes I'll sit down and write a masterpiece and sometimes it will be a 4 chord acoustic melody like G D Am C . Just know that the simple things can still be satisfying.

Now, if you are talking about major composition with full accompaniment in standard notation, you need to go to school for that. Not saying that it's impossible to learn on your own but the only person I know of that did it own their own is Beethoven - catch my drift, lol? Whatever you decide to do, keep it up to the fullest extent, and remember that music can remain so simple and fully satisfying.
JustJeff  
23 Jun 2009 08:53 | Quote
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HeavyGuitar says:
I have been home playing guitar for 2 years and i haven't cared about school, my grades sucks assxD I can't come into any universityxD


Are you kidding me man? You really think that's what's holding you back? Any Community College will accept you in a heartbeat. They would love to take your money. Enroll for a year, see how it goes. Do it part-time take like, 2 classes a semester on the side with your work/guitar playing.

You never know man, you may end up liking it and want a degree in music. Never pass up something just because you THINK they won't take you. At least try.
RA  
25 Jun 2009 02:27 | Quote
Joined: 24 Sep 2008
United States
Karma: 16
yeah it's not that hard to get into em you just have to try and if it means going to cc for a semester then do it if you don't that a poor excuse. also conservators don't put that much of a strain on grades they still count but the worlds not lost they care more about credentials so get out there and play/start getting lesson from a respected teacher and then start teaching if you can at a respected place they love that.

Beethoven wasn't self taught far far from it if memory severs he started formally under Hayden (Mozart died and Beethoven was stuck with some i think family oblation(no quote) when he could of seen him). The only musical autodidact large scale composer i can think of right know is Frank Zappa but there is many more. there are tons of books on composition just look for them if you want to teach yourself start with researching the right book

soy.el.che  
27 Jun 2009 15:28 | Quote
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epic film music isnt that hard, it is basically to come up with a haracteristic melody and then you variate the chords on the background from minor to major, slow to fast according to the scene of the movie, be it romantic, sad, heroic, fast, etc. chords are sometimes done combining different instruments notes, ex: violin 1 plays E 2 plays B 3 plays g# theres E major. thats only part of some basic, not strictly necessary stuff i know
league  
28 Jun 2009 10:35 | Quote
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Soyelche I completely agree with that last post.


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