Creating music!

[ufo]

Every week, I take piano lessons, and lately I've been subconciously considering pestering my daddy for guitar lessons (though that would require me spending my money on a brand new guitar. Ack!).

Every once in a while, I try to sit down at my piano and play something that sounds good. Rock-y, classic-y, anything. And I fail HORRIBLY! It like getting six anti-critical hits in a row.

Does anyone have any suggestions, lessons anything, that could possibly... give me an idea. I'm not sure what kind of thing could do. And please don't mention hard work, I've been trying for a year.

[FdL]

My advice is threefold.

Lessons.

Do it a lot.

Learn to play songs you like.

[Brickwall]

How long have you been doing it? Cuz I've only been taking actual lessons for a month now, and I'm getting close to making basic music. Ask for tips on making stuff up, not just memorizing notes and songs. My teacher gave me some of those, and they help.

I think music theory eventually tells you all that stuff, but you can learn it in advance.

[zeratul]

First, learn to play songs you like as FDL said, then just play. Don't think, just let it flow. If you find a riff you like, write down the tab. Simple as that.

[Tom_Violence]

I've been making music in various shapes and sizes for coming on ten years now, and one thing is for certain - don't expect to be able to just make things up from the get go. That takes not only a good competency in your instrument choice, but also a decent knowledge of conventions in the style you're going for.

Reading your post, I still don't know exactly what it is that you're trying to do. Do you want to actually write full pieces, or just be able to sit down and randomly knock out some kind of tune?

[Volug]

I would be glad to give you advice, but i doubt it would help..... at all.

since i kinda learn my own way.

I just listen to the song i really like, and look up the tabs on a website, and try to play along to it....
and somehow i learn faster, then normally starting from scratch....
though i never made my own song.... I might though.

I play the electric guitar and people say I'm 'One of the best'

though i freakin doubt it. There being nice.
I'm good, but not one of the best:smallbiggrin: .

EDIT:@V: i played for a year:smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin:
though i do have an unatural talent for dexterity.
my typing speed is 96 WPM with 2 errors:smallbiggrin:

[ocato]

While I don't play the piano, I do play the guitar. I don't claim to be the Music Man, but here are my types.

1. Learn chords. Certain chords go together well, I think of them as friends. D-C-G are good friends for example (not necessarily in that order). There's probably chord 'families' or something that you would look into, but I'm not that big an expert of musical theory.

2. Learn scales. Solos and riffs are usually just fragments of scales. Notes all exist in big friendly families and sound good when they play together.

3. Simple is good too! This is more of a guitar suggestion, the piano sometimes requires a bit more intricacy, but you can definately make a song with three chords (look at AC/DC).

Just have fun, play what you like, and remember that great musicians play for years and years and years before they are good.

[eidreff]

Ive played guitar on and off for more than 20 years now... )does that make me sound old?) one of the best bits of advice is to pratice (some-one already said that i know). This applies to any instrument. You're not only usig muscles in slightly unnatural ways but it also helps to build upmmusclar memories that help you instinctively put your hands/fingers in the right places.

about making your own stuff up or figuring out other people stuff. This is about "ear". Again practice. I start by trying to figure out the melody if its not to complex, listen, tinkle about, listen, tinkle about, listen tinkle some more. Then conect the bits up.

In the UK there are some exams that kind of try to give an idea of the standard you play at. These include aural (listening) sections. you don't have to identify which note is being played just by hearing it, but learning what intervals (the gaps between notes) sound like can really help figure out melodies and chords. then all you have to do is work out (trial and error sometimes, my favourite) what note the piece starts on and you're away.

P.S I have never yet managed to make a living out of music, but would dearly love to do so :smallsmile:

[valadil]

I had to try guitar at three different points in my life before I actually got into it. I've been playing for about a year now and while I don't claim to be any good people who listen to me keep telling me otherwise.

The simplest advice I can give is to play songs that you like. It'll keep you enthused and motivated. They won't all come out sounding right, but that's okay. I have no idea where you'd go about getting piano sheet music but for guitar there's a plethora of tab archives online. Hell, you could probably even get the chord progression to songs you like from a guitar tab site.

[FdL]

While I don't play the piano, I do play the guitar. I don't claim to be the Music Man, but here are my types.

1. Learn chords. Certain chords go together well, I think of them as friends. D-C-G are good friends for example (not necessarily in that order). There's probably chord 'families' or something that you would look into, but I'm not that big an expert of musical theory.

2. Learn scales. Solos and riffs are usually just fragments of scales. Notes all exist in big friendly families and sound good when they play together.

3. Simple is good too! This is more of a guitar suggestion, the piano sometimes requires a bit more intricacy, but you can definately make a song with three chords (look at AC/DC).

Just have fun, play what you like, and remember that great musicians play for years and years and years before they are good.

Good advice. On chords that go together well (rhymes with My Michelle :p), I have my own theories I'd like to share with you.

For me the "friendships" are like this:
G & C, A & D, E goes with A too, D goes also with G.
I'm talking about open, first position chords.

Now, is there some theoretic reason behind this intuitive relation of chords? (Amotis??)

[eidreff]

Now, is there some theoretic reason behind this intuitive relation of chords? (Amotis??)[/QUOTE]

Yes in a word.

Without writing a thesis

every scale A thu G has the same type of progression/pattern of intervals, this means that sharps and flats the black notes on a keyboard get put in to keep the progression of intervals the same. In most music (especially calssical and really simple blues/rock) the most common chords are the first, second, fourth and fifth chords of a scale

i.e in the key of C you'd use C, D, F and G
in the key of A you'd use A, B, D and E
etc.

in a simple sense the chords work well like this because they fit well into the pattern of sharp or flat notes in a scale. If you can work out the chords of a song you can tell what key it is in, and it can also make workin out tunes easier. also it can give you an idea of what not to play if you wanna do a solo.

Can give you more detail about this if you want but i am at risk of sounding like a text book!

Edit, the pattern for minor keys is slightly different but the chords work in a similar way.

[Moff Chumley]

I'm assuming you are inteding to improvise. I can barely play a piece of sheet music, but I'm pretty good at improvising.

1) Chords. If your in a minor scale (which you should be), a good chaord progression is a minor triad, then take two half-steps down and play a major triad. Repeat.

2) I am curently improving a melody with one hand on the Korg I keep next to my computer. Practice makes perfect.

3) Learn and memorize a scale. May a recomend a jazz scale, which becomes a C minor scale, which becomes a D# major scale. Also cool is a C# maj. or D# min scale (there is vertually no difference)

[black wagner]

Basic song writting really isnt that hard. Coming up with a good hook or melody is harder, but the basics are not.

1. Pick a key
2. Know the Chords in your key
3. Know the notes in the cords.
4. Remember the basic I,IV,V progression rule. Which means, basically, that chord I is your home, it is the strongest chord in your key. Chord V is your second strongest, but anytime you use V, your next chord should be I. V just gravitates to I.

[BubbaK]

Definitely learn the guitar and eventually learn scales, just keep jammin :smallbiggrin: