Category: Safe Haven
Hi again all,
I was wondering how song writers are able to compose melodies for songs and have the melody stay in their head. It's rather hard, remembering lyrics and the melody as well. Whenever I've had a melody come in my head, it usually leaves as fast as it came. I got lucky once, and dreamed a melody, yes, jaws or window eyes read it right, I actually had a dream once, where I was standing in a wide open place outdoors, I have no idea where, and I heard this song being played on a banjo, and it sounded kind of blue grassy. They sang the first verse, and I remembered the verse when I woke up and added 2 more verses to it. That's the only time I've ever been able to hold on to a melody.
wonderwoman
I've had the experience of dreaming a song, but I always manage to forget it.
That's sad to forget something when you wake up, like a song. It's strange how I can forget melodies when I'm awake, but remember a song from a dream. I wished I could've been lucky enought to dream more.
wonderwoman
Brett Anderson of Suede used to sleep with a tape recorder on his night table so he could sing or hum the melodies he was dreaming the minute he woke up and record them, then write the lyrics and hand them over t the band for instrumentation. "the Beautkful Ones" song from their 1996 "Coming Up" album is a genius example of how to turna simple hummable tune into a glorious pop song, he wrote it on a bus and gave the melody idea to their guitarist who made up this amazing guitar riff to it.
Often it's the other way around though, one comes up with a riff and then the lyrics and melody are written on top of that.
That's how I've always written my songs, especially since I'm horrible with words and lyrics and usually my friend writes the words.
cheers
-B
Have you ever thought of carrying a dictaphone with you then humming the melody when it arrives...Yes it sounds like childs play but ..
I do it constantly and then expand the melody on the piano, while leaving the dictaphone running, incase I lose track of the melody, or I feel the idea creeping off in another direction..
That tape recorder idea is a good one, just wish I had been more lucky atdreaming songs. The few times I thought of a melody, it just disappeared a few minutes after it came.
wonderwoman
I've not really composed many melodies. WHen I do I either write down the notes as letters or, what's easier, record myself singing it and write then otes later.
Caitlin
I've had that happen so often and I'm completely PO'd at not being able to recapture the melody ...Maybe you should carry the dicatphone with you incase something reminds you of the melody...
I can think of a melody, somethimes, but then, when go to put on sibelius or just play it, doesn't sound the same.
I compose instrumental pieces but i can't write lyrics. The way i compose is trying different melodies on my accordion or keyboards until i like something and after that i have to record it because i forget it very quickly.
Wen I was studying music, I had to compose songs as part of the course. My main instrument was electric guitar, I found that I could have a basis for a melody and a chord sequence in my head, then later I could remember it and play it on the guitar. What did annoy me, was the fact that I'd have a good melody in my head, and sometimes it was too complex for me to actually re-create.
I'm not sure if I"m jjust trying too hard or what, but I find composition ot be very difficult. My mind wanders, but I never come up with any melodies in my head. I just remember the ones ihear off of CD's.
Hello, interesting topic, only found it now, lol. I've never actualy tried composing a song. I can sit infront of the piano and play whatever comes into my head. At times when I'm sitting and quiet I have something that comes into my head but it doesn't stay long. I have dreamt of hearing music and it usually sounds brilliant, though can't remember it when I wake up. I've often wondered how does one compose something that the lyrics and the mellody fit together. Interesting.
see? thats what I do. Composing latin music is just as when you compose something else. The biggest issue for me has been the melody. i can come up with the chords (they are progressions that are used by anyone anyway) but i try to make them interesting. An example would be F major, B-flat major, C major, A major, D minor. Then it cycles around. I used this for the bridge and chorus (where the brass part usually instrumentates). The melody is a bit difficult. I remember melodies from other songs and then I experiment a bit. Once i have whatever idea comes to mind i move the notes up and down (some of them). Change the rhythm slightly or even play it backwards. It gives interesting results. It is normal I guess though to come up with little fragments of melodies that you have heard before. It is no doubt that most songs use such ideas nowadays. Try getting a popular song and listen to small phrases and try to think of other songs that use the same idea. More often, ideas are embedded in a sly manner. For example, if we go back to classical music, Mozart used the same melodic phrase nine times, at three different speeds to compose his most famous work, Rondo Alla Turca, or the Turkish March. The phrase you hear at the beginning (B A A-flat A C) is repeated throughout the whole song (in rhythm) and is often "disguised" ecause of the grace notes and constant repetition. His eficiency for composinig was astonishing! But back to this... I usually write whatever sounds like a nice song structure and then try adding a melody to that. It helps if you improvise, then pick up whatever phrase you like.