Original compositions...

I've been trying to write my own music (instrumentals) lately but I can't seem to get it. I have some cool riffs, but I can't get a decent structure. Are there any tips or secrets to song composition? Should I learn a bunch of new scales? Any input would be greatly appreciated .

I almost always start with just a riff or section of the piece and then figure out what key I'm doing it in. Then I just play around with the scales and strum chord patterns until something sparks my interest or just seems to fit well with the riff. I start worrying about the structure later until enough pieces of the song are starting to be developed. That's when I just record a small sound bit and then critique and go from there.

I hope it doesn't sound like a haphazard method.

You know, Jake said in his DVD "Million Miles Away" that he has "lyrics" for a lot of his songs. It seems to me that having lyrics to a melody would help you create something far more cohesive. For example, in a typical song, you have a verse and chorus sort of structure and that lends itself to a "theme" for your tune. It gives you something that runs from start to finish and makes it much easier to build all the elements of a song. You can create a nice "hook" - an expression used to describe that catchy part of a tune that is easiest to remember or just "grabs you" and keeps your interest. A chorus is often like that.

Building a song around a melody rather than a riff gives you a much better over-all tune.

How are you doing on this, bro?

seeso said:

How are you doing on this, bro?

Click to expand...

I've been doing alright. I just keep adding and modifying little riffs here and there.

Right on. Keep us informed, and let us know if you have any questions.