Writing Songs, Yet I Play No Instruments...

[BraveEager]

Hey!

I'm a new member here, (a formal hello!), and I joined this forum to find some guidance being that I'm a fairly new songwriter.

I'm young... (21), and I have been surrounded by music my whole life...

I've always been a singer first & foremost, always have been, but I don't want to be a one-trick-pony.

I truly love the art of music, but I'm TRULY frustrated. I write, but I don't play an instrument. I tend to rewrite existing song melodies to existing song instrumental, but that has gotten and can only get me oh so far.

Is there any alternate ways to song write? I feel like I can't get much further with my methods... and I'm not even sure that if I decided to record a demo in the future, I could use any of the songs I've written already, because they're written to existing instrumentals.

What's a man to dooooo?

If anyone has advice, I'd be truly grateful!

BraveEager.

Edited October 27, 2010 by BraveEager

[Retrosaurus Rex]

Formal hellos go in the introduction board, observe the etiquette...

Anyway, voice is an instrument... if you can come up with a good melody you should be able to work out some harmony just by plunking around on the keyboard (piano, that is)... that would give you the basics of a song... Anyway, you're only on the first steps of a long journey, enjoy it!

[BraveEager]

Thanks you guys!

I appreciate all the help!

I've always heard about the collaborating thing, but still don't really know how to go about that...

[Retrosaurus Rex]

I've always heard about the collaborating thing, but still don't really know how to go about that...

There's a good topic in the lyric forum relating one person's practical experience in this...

To expand on what BUDD just said, it's not something that just happens, you have to find people who share your interest, have compatible temperament, etc... this may be easier or harder depending on where you live, but once you start looking you'll probably be surprised how many people you find in your local area who are involved in music on some level... it's also good if they're better at music than you are, you'll get a better idea what to do to improve. Hang around a music store, go to shows... don't try to force yourself on people, just make some friends... doors will open. In the meantime, improve your craft, lyric writing, singing... take some singing lessons, or study another instrument. Even if you don't really achieve competence it will give you some vocabulary to talk to other musicians...

[Coises]

Well, at 21 I suppose you have a few good years left in you...

If you really want to write music — not just lyrics — then learn to play an instrument. You don’t have to become good enough to perform (though you never know, you might surprise yourself).

Guitar and keyboard are the obvious choices. Guitar has an easier “learning curve”: it takes less time before you can get useful sounds out of it; but keyboard gives you a better feel for how music “works.”

If you want to learn keyboard to learn music (as opposed to becoming a performer), you can start with something as simple as a Yamaha Personal keyboard. (If at all possible, though, I recommend going to a local retailer where you can try out the equipment, rather than buying online for this sort of purchase. Also, I’m not recommending that particular instrument — I have no experience with it — I’m just giving an example.) You won’t be taking one these on the road, or into the studio, but you can learn what you need to learn to write songs.

To repeat... don’t plan on using a sub-$200 instrument to perform or record; nor would I recommend anything like that for practice for someone who already knows he or she wants to work toward performance. But to get a grip on how music works — and to find out if you might have a flair for performance without putting out a lot of money — one of those little electronic marvels would be perfect. With some study and a little practice, it could definitely help you to write songs.

[MikeRobinson]

Another thing to consider is that the electronic computer can, in many ways, "lift you over-and-above your music lessons." If you can write it, say using (free!) software such as MuseScore, and if you get a high-quality Sound Font (also free!) to go with it, then ... the computer can play it pretty darned well. Not only can it approximate the performance of an instrument that you know how to play, but also it can emulate an orchestra's worth of instruments that you (probably) never will. (Bassoon, anyone?)

Therefore, if you really want to learn "how to write music," then there's really nothing stopping you from starting on that journey right now. (That journey will, by the way, never end . . . nor will you ever grow tired of it.)

Sure, it helps, considerably, to learn how to play an instrument. It is a wonderful thing to be able to play well, if you've got the hand/eye coordination, manual dexterity and patience to do that. But "performance" and "song writing" are really two different things.

Now, sure... there's no equivalent to having a good performer perform your work, because he or she will "go beyond what's written on the page" (and the computer can't). But, if you can write it, then you can always find someone else to perform it. Lots of the good music that you find on the Internet is the product of collaboration.

One of the best books that I could commend to you is Jimmy Webb's Tunesmith: Inside the Art of Songwriting. (Fair warning: it's dense reading.) This title is "literally true," not only because it's written by a guy who's done some very well-known and complex music, but because it shows how music writing is a craft, and therefore, something that can be learned. Even if you don't play anything.

Edited November 3, 2010 by MikeRobinson

[lutecore]

Why not just pick up a guitar or piano and learn a few chords? That's really all you need to know to write songs. Read some basic guitar lessons on the internet and start creating your own progressions and then sing over them.

I bet there is a musician near you that is looking for a singer to collaborate with. Maybe try posting on craigslist or a local school or something. I'm in that position myself looking for a singer and if we lived in the same place I would say hit me up...but...ya

[Shane]

Got a problem? Solve it!

I don't REALLY play an instrument as i'm slowly learning acoustic guitar, but already i can tell it's helping me write lyrics despite me not knowing many chords etc, it just gives you a good sense of what would and could happen. It's a great instrument and you should start to learn Even if you don't like the idea of you playing a guitar AND singing yourself and would prefer to collaberate with someone then atleast it would help with communication as you'll have a further understanding

[Nick]

I have been lucky enough to meet various people who write and perform and give an example - Linda Kelly writes WONDERFUL songs with wonderful tunes and plays nothing at all.

She writes from her soul and finds the tunes in her head. Most of them she performs unaccompanied with her friend Hazel (check out Hissyfit - Northern Tide is one of my favourite songs in the world)

People can harmonise the songs after but she has the knack of writing great words and strong tunes - the unadorned power of the tune is just there.

Is Imagine by John Lennon the piano bit (how he wrote it apparently because he didn't know what you were supposed to do so did something different) or is it the words - or the melody line? You can harmonise a good tune loads of ways. Melody is king and you can play those in your head with no instrument.

If you don't play an instrument I'd suggest it might get in the way as your ideas could well outrun your ideas faster than you can become technically competent.

Hum in your head. When it works hum it to someone else. There are lots of people who can take that and go with it.

The words and the tune are it for me

Edited December 2, 2010 by Nick