IntegrityMusic.com

denim98 · Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 19

A song starts with a phrase of melody.

Sometimes God gives us only a single phrase of melody and we would have to transform it into a full song - 4 stanza, chorus and a bridge. How can we do that?

The easiest way ( and the laziest way ) is to repeat the first line 4 times with different words till you get a full stanza and repeat that stanza 4 times. A church friend of mine did that as he couldnt read music notations. He thought all lines in his stanza were different as they have different words. But when his song was written down, it looks the same for every line.

The problem with repetitious lines is that it becomes monotonic after a while. If you listen to the same phrase for 4 times ( in a stanza ) and for 4 stanzas and a couple of times ( listening to the song ) , that would be like 4 x 4 x 4 = 64 times ! Such songs would not be on one's fave list for long.

Arrangers deals with such songs by breaking the monotony by changing the rhythm or adding a bridge, inserting an instrument solo or replacing them with harmonic lines.

Of course, it would be best if we could write all the 4 lines in a stanza differently. There are songs that all lines in the song are totally different from one another but these are rare !

One way to solve this is to introduce minor changes in the melody. The second phrase in a stanza is written slightly different from the first phrase by adding or subtrating notes.

A better way is to make use of its harmony notes. Let say if we start the first phrase in the key of C with a C note, we start the second phrase with an E note ( a third major of C ).

Another way is if the first phrase is generally ascending ( generally the notes going from low to high) the second phrase should be generally descending ( notes going from high to low ).

If we still do not have ideas on expending the first phrase, just change the rhythm a little to produce a slightly different second phrase.

eramoh · Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 1 Location: LAGOS, NIGERIA

thanx guys u have bin really helpful...hit me up with more talks about God and worship on eramohjulius@yahoo.com

im eramoh ,gon b 20 in 2 days from nigeria and i want an ipod for my birthday to help me listen and grow in dis ministry d Lord has committed into my hands

pls i need all d help i can get from u older ones to help me become who i am spsed to be
God bless
_________________
!GOD'S m@STeRp!eCE~

denim98 · Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 19

Most people write songs without consciously thinking about scales. This is because most songs are written in the Major ( ionian ) scale or the Minor Scale. The Major scale would produce contemporary sounding tunes.

But, we can actually write songs using scales like the blues scales, the pentatonic minor scales , hiroshi scale etc.

If we want to write a song that sounds 'bluesy', let say in C major, we try to make write our songs with these notes - C Eb F G Bb ( Ascending ) and C Eb F Gb Bb ( Descending ). Of course we may add a couple of notes which are not in the blue scale but overall, your songs employing these notes would sound bluesy.

If we want to make our song sound 'asian' , use the Pentatonic Minor Scale.

Incidentally, if we play the Pentatonic scale rather fast , we get classic Rock riffs !

To write simple jazz, use all the modals - dorian ,phygrian, Lydian, mixolydian, aeolian and Locrian scale to write your songs.

DTNorton · Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 1

denim98,

With all due respect, I think your generalization regarding starting beat and piano/guitar is inaccurate. To say "A guitar-written song does not start on the first beat because the guitarist would first strum his guitar on the first beat and sings on the next." sounds quite strange to me. Are you saying a guitarist would be incapable of strumming and singing at the same time? This statement doesn't make sense to me. Could you elaborate? And what about someone that is equally capable on both guitar and piano?

I am a pianist, and do not play guitar. As an example, I will use the songs on the last CD I recorded, and we will assume that I am a typical pianist/composer. Only one of the eight songs actually start on beat 1. Five of them have vocal pickups that start on beat 3 /12, 4, or 4 1/2, with the emphasis on beat 1. I'm willing to count these as beat 1. Of the other two songs, in one of them every chorus phrase starts on beat 4 1/2. In the last song, the bass riff for the chorus starts on beat 4 1/2, and every melody phrase in the chorus starts on beat 2. So we'll say 75% on beat 1.

"How Great Is Our God" by Chris Tomlin: the melody has a pickup on beat 4 1/2, with emphasis on beat 1. If you count that at not starting on beat 1, then you need to count five of my songs as not starting on beat 1 - and I'm a pianist. If you count this as starting on beat 1, then you have contradicted yourself.

Taking Tomlin's entire "Arriving" CD, we throw out "Indescribable", as he didn't write that, so we don't know what instrument was used for composing that one. Of the ten left, six start definitely off-beat, two have a pickup on beat 4 1/2 with emphasis on 1, and two start on beat 1. So we'll way 60% off-beat.

You probably didn't mean to indicate that this rule applies to every song, but I think even as a generalization it isn't very accurate.

Blessings,
Dave
_________________
Don't shoot me - I'm only the piano player.

denim98 · Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 19

chrisbris77 · Joined: 12 Sep 2006 Posts: 1 Location: Singapore

Hi blessed ones,

Im new to this forum and was somehow lead to go to the Integrity website and discovered this forum.

In short, I've alwasy had the desire to write songs and have always loved to sing since I was a little girl. When i got born-again, i had the one deisre to write songs for women to minister to them and show them God's love. I played the Piano till Grade 5 and has since stopped when I grew up and got busy with work, etc.

Nevertheless, I've been sort approached by various people/companies to produce the song Lyrics which I've written but didnt feel the peace to do so with them as I felt there was no common focus to minister. Their focus was more on album sales, but mine was not. Of course, I suppose royalties and rewards comes with album sales but I believe God provides and that's not the point of it all in the first place if I were to write and sing songs from my heart and what God has place in me all these years.

So, I've got a whole list of songs (but without music notes). When i wrote the song lyrics, most of them i had tune/melody when I wrote the words but as I'm not trained in "music-writing", i didnt write any chords etc,

I believe God lead me to chance upon this forum and I pray and believe that He has someone out there who is reading this and shares the same vision and desire He planted into me and I ask for His wisdom and directions for it is to His glory only.

Shalom,
Christina (Singapore).

John Sellers · Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 1

In my experience, inspiration usually comes from what God is doing in your own congregation.

You can tweak it a bit when you go into the studio, but it's best to leave it "as is" for the most part. It's either going to speak to the Body at large or it's not meant to go beyond that.

There is a local anointing and a national anointing and a worldwide anointing.

It's really not up to you anyway, so don't sweat it!!!!!

Laughing

_________________
John Sellers
johnsellers@letpraisearise.com
Let Praise Arise (Hosanna 2) now available
www.letpraisearise.com

bassman@mlode.com · Posted: Oct Sat 07, 2006 11:55 pm Post subject:

I am new to this site as of today. I have been involved in worship, both as an occasional worship leader and as a member of a praise band, but after experiencing a rebirth at a Promise Keepers Conference this weekend, have come to realize that I have not utilized the gifts God has given me. I LOVE HIS MUSIC!!!!! and I LOVE PRAISING HIM! I want to share my love for praise and worship, but just don't really know how to go about it, other than leading worship or playing bass and singing. I feel compelled to do so much more.

Do most songwriters really just "drop what they're doing" and write down the lyrics or music (or both) right then and there when they come to mind? The one time I did that, it was 3:00 in the morning - - I couldn't sleep a wink until I got up and put pencil to paper. Some posts I read make it seem so simple, but nothing really can be that simple, can it?

God Bless all of you and thank you for your responses in advance!

In His grip.

Steve

HC Pete · Joined: 15 Mar 2006 Posts: 9 Location: NSW, Australia

Hi Steve,

No, it's not always as simple as it first appears. For some people it can come naturally, for others it takes some work, or there are even times where things need to be restructured in order for them to understand the concept.

I don't know about most songwriters, but there will be some writers that "drop what they're doing" and begin writing. In some cases it can be in response to something they previously listened to, read, or an event having some form of impact on them.

bassman@mlode.com · Posted: Oct Sun 08, 2006 8:00 pm Post subject:

Hi HC Pete,

Thank you for your response!! I've had a full day to reflect on things and after church, speak and pray with our worship leader and my friend. I guess the best thing I'll be able to do is pray, listen, stay in the Word, and ask God to use me as He sees fit.

Too often, I think I try and put Him in a box, and God definitely will not be limited........period. Finito. End of Story. I am just so jazzed that I have this awesome chance to participate - - in whatever capacity He sets out for me.

Thanks again.

God Bless.

Steve

denim98 · Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 19

bassman@mlode.com · Posted: Nov Sun 05, 2006 12:49 am Post subject:

Denim,

What an awesome commentary/reply/bit of wisdom for this thread! I studied music (albeit, years ago) and have never seen this information so succinctly written in one place and with such few words. Hooks are very important - - and can for the musically untrained, mean the difference in being able remember a song, or not being able to remember it. I must agree that the greater the range of a song, to a fashion, the more interesting it can be. On the other hand, one can write a piece wherein the range exceeds the capabilities of some singers, for example, The Star Spangled Banner, which encompasses and octave and a fifth. Being a bass-baritone, it often kills me to try and sing that song in the key some performers use (I guess that's what falsetto is for!). I love listening to some of Australian Michele Tumes' songs off her first album ("Listen"). One might believe she wrote these more as an instrumentalist, given the unorthodox voice leading she uses and the amazing departures from what one would expect for bridges, etc. in her songs. On the other hand, there are some wonderful, simple works out there which do not encompass such a great range. "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation", a great hymn known probably by all, uses only the range of a major 6th for its melody, if I'm not mistaken. "Be Thou my Vision" uses only an octave + one (9th).

We can carry things even farther. I firmly believe that Bach never wasted a note. Here is an instrumentalist, who wrote over 2,000 works, all dedicated to God. Most of his choral works are in many ways, deceivingly simple - - try singing them well. I had the privilege of singing in several wonderful choral ensembles, yet Bach's motets and some chorales "killed" us in terms of the practice we required to "get them right."

Music is what we make it - - how we write it, what we say with it, the intent we place behind our composition, and the feelings we desire to create in the listener.

God Bless.....

Steve

glorybe · Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 1 Location: Richland, Washington

I am not Musicly inclined. So when I write out words for songs, I can only write out the lyrics, and look for some one to do the score for it and to some to give the words a song tuitle.
_________________
I hope to hear from composers soon.
Thanks from Mike Walter

denim98 · Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 19

glorybe, maybe what u meant was u are not musically-trained.

I believe u are musically-inclined. Or you wouldn't have tried to write songs.
If you are really serious about writing songs for the Lord, it's still not too late to attend music classes. Seriously.

Be formally trained so that u have the skills and knowledge needed to write songs.

denim98 · Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 19

It has been quite a while since i wrote my last article on this subject. There are many approaches to writing songs. There is no right or wrong. As long as your end result is a beautifully-crafted inspiring song.. hey who cares?

Anyway , here I am going to share my approach to writing great songs.

Theme
Have a good theme to write about. Even if you are not a lyricist, have a theme for your music. That would keep you in focus. Before you write , list down and contemplate on words that are connected to the theme. This would give you more musical and lyrical ideas. One song one theme - No more !

Start with a catchy chorus
The main 'course' of a song is its chorus. Hey, if u got a catchy chorus, the rest would come to you rather easily - and you have a great song ! So start writing a catchy chorus first. The chorus is always the 'hook'.

Range
Determine the vocal range of the song. Be realistic. Do not write songs that are beyond 1.5 octaves. Not many singers can sing these. Use key changes if your song has a wide range.

Target Audience
Is it a congregational-sung song or is it a soloist song? A congregational song has simpler melodies, longer notes and narrower range.

Short phrases
Songs for singing should not have long phrases that doesn't allow comfortable breathing. Songs with too short phrases aren't good either coz the melodies sound 'disconnected'

Conversational Lyrics
Write lyrics as if you are talking to your audience to get your message across easily. Don't use bombastic words that you'll never use in your daily conversations.

Rhymes sounds great
Rhyming words makes each phrase connects sonically and glues the lyrics together.

Write chords based on melody not melody based on chords
Do not restrict your tune by pre-setting its chord progressions. I view pre-determined chord progressions as restricting creative tunes.

Use tasteful repetitions to reinforce melody
Use repetitions tastefully to reinforce the main melody of the song so that it sticks in the mind of the listeners long after they finished listening. Do not overdo it till you bored the listeners at their very first hearing of your song.

Refine and Re-edit
Great songs are not written in 20 minutes ! They are written and refined for some time.