Olden days Minstrel - making up songs on the run

G'day it is beyond my ability to make up songs on the run like olden day minstrels because I am fully occupied trying to ......... play basic tunes.

But I was wondering what tricks did they use?


Who has had a go, can you get cues from your surroundings?

What chords can you adapt.

This has got stuck in my mind because I bought my pineapple uke from a pro muso who was also selling a mandolin and he had bought them for an act he did not go ahead with.

I would luv to hear any comments.

May draw some inspiration in rap music. (can't believe I just said that) - Some of the principles of what you want to do are more or less the same:

http://www.wikihow.com/Rap

Thanks Phil, yes there is a lot of overlap advice on the link. But I expect there are some specific hints.

Maybe simple is best. I think of Woody Guthrie- most of what he wrote was basic three chord stuff, but timeless simple tales about the life he led.

My own problem has been that I overthink it, coming from a writing background, I always want a song to really "say something"- most songs don't really say much of anything- the music is what counts.

I've been suddenly getting some good strum patterns going- after playing classical guitar fingerstyle for years, the uke has opened me up more to the strum aspect. If I slow down and can some of it with some lyrics, I may get a few songs going that way.

I think some storytelling in light rhyme to musical acc. was practiced and is kinda fun. Talking songs have been around a good while, & if one has a chorus to sing, it ties it all together.

Also there are the make 'em up as you go sing a longs. Like "Hey lilee lilee lo", in which people used to take turns making up verses. As I was a teen-ager with a uke around 1960, I led many a sing-a-long on school trips, & the lyrics were best forgotten later. But they were easy & fun -- just dirty.

(As a former teacher, I looked back over what I just wrote, & guess I am officially saying to hell with verb tenses)

check out various "talking blues" songs. The ideas is to play a 8 or 12 bar blues pattern and just free verse it. Comes pretty easy with practice and just say what you want it to. Don't over think it.