# Any excercise for learning to build a song?



## Quentinius (Mar 31, 2021)

Hi there, I am relatively new to the world of music ( I know the basic theory and such) but building or developing a song is major hurdle in my way and I want to train it in some way, that could constitute as "deliberate practice". Is there something, that could guide me in this quest? Maybe a book, course or just some excercise? Thanks.


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## andrijatheloki (Mar 31, 2021)

Quentinius said:


> Hi there, I am relatively new to the world of music ( I know the basic theory and such) but building or developing a song is major hurdle in my way and I want to train it in some way, that could constitute as "deliberate practice". Is there something, that could guide me in this quest? Maybe a book, course or just some excercise? Thanks.


Hey! Just analysis and research! 

Whatever genre you want to make, analyse the same, structure, rhythm, instrumentation , then sections/structure ,but instrument wise ,what makes the chorus chorus, what is the difference between verse and chorus, how it sounds, etc. Everything together!  Then also check the melody, when it repeats, how, that can tell a lot. again depends what is the genre, its different, but again, wether is pop, rock , its mostly the same structure. 

And then realize, if you block, where is the block in which section...etc but just practice and trial and error. 

Not sure if there are any books, but i believe it would say more less the same :D 

Good luck! 


p.s. its important to note that, you are not reinventing the wheel, no one is ( except some people trying in composition department where i used to study) but that is a totally different story, anyhow, everyone is using the more less the same structure, instruments, rhythms, you have to make your own variation lets say, but again using those same rules  If you know what i mean, don't be afraid to take from others, and learn, everyone does. just dont take the same melody hahah that is stealing 101 , so use what you have and check what others do! And research! 

Good luck!


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## Gabriel2013 (Mar 31, 2021)

My advice is: 
Grab a Beatles Book (all songs) and choose songs that you don't know (will be plenty unless you are a Beatles core fan).
I have a lot of books on the subject, and I can tell you there is nothing like learning from the source where a lot of those book are based on.

Use those chords/structure/form and build your own song from that.
Write as many songs as you can as an exercise. Don't go back and rewrite.

Like in the past, composers learn thru copy others, and then develop then own voice.

g


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## gohrev (Apr 8, 2021)

In addition to the great suggestions above, I would suggest the website mymusictheory.com, in particular this very page > https://www.mymusictheory.com/for-students/grade-5/58-12-composing-a-melody-general-tips

Best of luck!


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## Quentinius (Apr 8, 2021)

gohrev said:


> In addition to the great suggestions above, I would suggest the website mymusictheory.com, in particular this very page > https://www.mymusictheory.com/for-students/grade-5/58-12-composing-a-melody-general-tips
> 
> Best of luck!


Thanks, but isn't this too rigid? I mean yes, continuing melody and so on is great, but I liked what I heard in this one video, where the guy explains music theory - he had a channel but I forgot how it's called (he had the glass table above keyboard and a long dark hair) but he basically said that the pauses are pretty important and so you should try to wait as long as possible before playing another chord and not just "filling the page" if you understand


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## secondtiersound (Apr 9, 2021)

I am sorry to so bluntly self-promote myself, but I cover it pretty well in this video, better than writing it all here here. If you get turned off by that, then just ignore me 
The video is about orchestration, but it does apply to song creation as well.
Cheers!


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## Quentinius (Apr 10, 2021)

secondtiersound said:


> I am sorry to so bluntly self-promote myself, but I cover it pretty well in this video, better than writing it all here here. If you get turned off by that, then just ignore me
> The video is about orchestration, but it does apply to song creation as well.
> Cheers!



No problem. Thanks for replying, I love the community of the content creators on this forum! I will check that video of yours


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## Nick Batzdorf (Apr 10, 2021)

Plagiarize! (Don't hide your eyes...)

As a starting point, take a piece you like and steal the form - for example: percussive intro, static riff on root chord for 2 bars, basic 4-bar melody, repeat of melody with more instruments, build to chorus in half time, etc. etc. etc.

But use your own music, obviously.


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## PerryD (Apr 10, 2021)

Any kind of fakebook can be helpful in learning song structure. Just pick a genre that you want to pursue.


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## philamelian (Apr 10, 2021)

As a good exercise you can analyse a bunch of songs like 10-20 and note the structure, transition points and what is changing after those transition points. After a while you will see a pattern is emerging and this will help you to get your writing practice into that pattern. These might be quite different from one genre to another. 

From my experience there are some observations I can share. 
Core is very important in a song, say it the chorus, a catchy melodic or rhythmic pattern, the story or a mood. If you can excel from one of these aspects you would get a good song in your hands. If you can make a combination of these things are getting awesome. 
When you go music first things sometimes get a bit difficult for me when I am trying to adapt the lyrics on the music. However sometimes song starts with a small idea on lyrics and melody. Then I can upscale it easier. Second aspect alsa has been helpful when I work with others, because sometimes that core ideas are delivered to you and you can play with that and build the upper structure.


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## proxima (Apr 10, 2021)

I think the Thinkspace course How to Write Music covers a lot of useful ground at a very reasonable price.


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## bill5 (Apr 14, 2021)

andrijatheloki said:


> everyone is using the more less the same structure, instruments, rhythms, you have to make your own variation lets say, but again using those same rules  If you know what i mean


I confess I don't. Everyone isn't using the same structure, instruments, etc by any means (although sadly, that is more true today than it used to be).




Gabriel2013 said:


> My advice is:
> Grab a Beatles Book (all songs) and choose songs that you don't know (will be plenty unless you are a Beatles core fan).
> I have a lot of books on the subject, and I can tell you there is nothing like learning from the source where a lot of those book are based on.
> 
> ...


Good advice, except that last part. If I go back and don't like what I see, of course I'm going to rewrite. I've done it many times. Maybe I'm just not as good as some of you with that first draft


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## NekujaK (Apr 14, 2021)

All of the above advice is worthy of exploring. Just a few additional thoughts:

- You don't need to know music theory to write songs. It can be helpful occasionally, but certainly not necessary. Some of the greatest songwriters of our time have no knowledge of theory. Your most valuable songwriting asset is your ear and your creativity. Let your musical instincts be your guide.

- Become familiar with common song structures. AABA and ABABCB are probably all you need to get started. The main difference between these two is that instead of a chorus, the AABA structure uses a hook or tagline at the start or end of each verse. Dylan and early Beatles are great examples of this structure.

- Be inspired by artists & songs you enjoy and want to sound like. Borrow chord progressions from existing songs (chord progressions aren't copyrightable). Try writing songs that you imagine some of your favorite artists would sing.

- If you're also writing lyrics, pay strict attention to rhyming schemes. Definitely study Dylan for great examples of how to rhyme like a boss - I don't mean rhyming for the sake of rhyming (moon, June, spoon...), I mean rhyming with intent, purpose, and transparency. The other important aspect of lyric writing is singability. Good lyrics feel natural, roll off the tongue easily, and sound musical.

- If you intend to have your songs heard by others, instead of just writing for yourself, then put yourself in your listener's shoes as you write. What will surprise and delight them? What will keep them engaged and interested all the way to the end?

- Practice, practice, practice. Every songwriter will tell you their early attempts sucked. If you keep at it, you will improve. Don't be afraid to fail - not every song is going to be a winner. Just write another one.

Good luck!


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## bill5 (Apr 14, 2021)

Great post...a few thoughts:


NekujaK said:


> - You don't need to know music theory to write songs. It can be helpful occasionally, but certainly not necessary. Some of the greatest songwriters of our time have no knowledge of theory. Your most valuable songwriting asset is your ear and your creativity. Let your musical instincts be your guide.
> 
> - Become familiar with common song structures. AABA and ABABCB are probably all you need to get started. The main difference between these two is that instead of a chorus, the AABA structure uses a hook or tagline at the start or end of each verse. Dylan and early Beatles are great examples of this structure.
> 
> - Be inspired by artists & songs you enjoy and want to sound like. Borrow chord progressions from existing songs (chord progressions aren't copyrightable). Try writing songs that you imagine some of your favorite artists would sing.


Spot on.



NekujaK said:


> - If you're also writing lyrics, pay strict attention to rhyming schemes.


Nah.  Rhyming schemes are extremely flexible. I generally have some scheme but it varies a lot between songs and even within songs. ABAB, AABB, ABBA, AAA, etc etc. I would absolutely not get wrapped up in it. Songs don't even have to rhyme, although it's tough to avoid and a good rule of thumb.



NekujaK said:


> - If you intend to have your songs heard by others, instead of just writing for yourself, then put yourself in your listener's shoes as you write. What will surprise and delight them? What will keep them engaged and interested all the way to the end?


To each their own on this one I guess, but while I intend for others to hear my songs, ultimately I don't give a tiny flip about writing for them; I write what * I * think works best. But again I do this for my own enjoyment, no interest in making money etc, which would of course make a big diff.



NekujaK said:


> - Practice, practice, practice. Every songwriter will tell you their early attempts sucked. If you keep at it, you will improve. Don't be afraid to fail - not every song is going to be a winner. Just write another one.


Yes, except the "every songwriter will tell you their early attempts sucked" part. Probably mostly true, but a few of my best songs were written early on. Beginner's luck maybe.


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