Write a Song to My Lyrics
Although there are instrumental songs that contain no lyrics, we will refer to songwriting as a combination of words and music. As we discussed in our lyric section, the marriage of words and music is the main focus. We can achieve this happy relationship by taking numerous avenues to get there. Popular music relies on a progression of chords that repeat throughout the song. This gives the listener a familiar pattern to feel comfortable with. There are complicated chord progressions that work for many styles of music such as jazz and classical music, but for our songwriting discussions, we’ll stick with the most popular type. There have been hit songs that used only one chord or maybe none at all. Many songs are built around the production, which includes different sounds and beats.
Writing a song melody. Coming up with a memorable melody is not an easy task in songwriting. If you play an instrument that you can develop a melody on such as a piano or guitar, the process is made a little simpler. There is no secret or formula for writing a great melody. It can come from anywhere at anytime if you are focused on it. Sitting down at a piano and singing a phrase or line that you’ve written can spark a melody and actually lead you through a progression of chords. Strumming your guitar chords and singing a melody from scratch and then filling in the words later is a method many have used as well.
Having a recording device to capture inspired moments is a must. I sometimes sit at a piano and play for hours. I will then go back and listen to what I was recording and see if there were any inspiring moments of melody to choose from and develop into a full fledged song. If I already have some lyrics in mind, then I’ll try to sing something with the chords I’m experimenting with. I guess we become a scientist in respect to discovering new musical elements.
MySongGram tries to take the style and genre you are shooting for and orient the song in that direction. That goes for the production of the song as well.
There are many sounds associated with the many genres of music. For instance, in rap music you’ll hear sounds that represent the regions from where the rap artist originates. In Southern Rap music, there is a heavy presence of what we call the 808 bass and the associated instruments including clap, a thin sounding synthetic hi-hat and cymbal with a bass drum that has very low sub-sonic notes attached so that even a melody or chord structure can be based around the beat without any chord producing instruments. West Coast rap is quite different along with Hip-Hop and rap from other regions of the country. I worked in Philadelphia with one of the best freestyle rap artists Kurupt along with Dr. Dre, and needed to adjust my beat making and music tracks to fit that region’s authenticity. So when a Hip-Hop artist comes to us, we are prepared to adjust and use the proper production techniques to achieve the right sound for their genre.
That goes for all other styles of music as well. Dance music covers a wide range of sounds that are built up from a bass drum that becomes the foundation. Usually played on the quarter note of every beat, the sound of the bass drum may reflect the type of dance song it is. There are just as many genres for dance music as there are for rap. Sometimes dance may fall into an electronic genre or in some cases fall into the alternative music style from artists such as “LCD Soundsystem” or “Passion Pit”. It can also fall into the Rap and Hip-Hop genre where we hear emerging artists from England like “Tinie Tempah” who use dance beats and the drum & bass styles to rap over.
Today there are no boundaries to infuse different genres or styles into modern music and songwriting. Even the classic country songwriting of Hank Williams and Johnny Cash were combining certain elements together without really knowing it. They fused folk, blues and music from the back hills to form their unique story telling songwriting, so there’s no genre of music immune from crossing and combining styles. That’s what makes each artist unique and different by bringing something new for the listener to feast on.
MySongGram uses the latest recording techniques and sounds to achieve a final product that competes with what is on the charts today. Our songs and music productions have been in blockbuster movies and award winning Television shows and commercials. We use the same approach to help the songwriter and artist achieve their musical goals. We live and love music to the fullest and have made a lifetime commitment to help others who share this feeling.
Music moves us in a host of ways. Goosebumps allow us to experience the power of words and music that can last a lifetime. Our senses react to words and music as if it were food for the soul and air for our lungs. MySongGram strives to guide our clients through a journey of sound and experience the rewards of songwriting and recording.
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