Wednesday, November 28, 2012

H8tred from the Blue, Turned in to Something New.

When you count off the top of your head the list of things that can go wrong in a day, the tips of your fingers usually get filled pretty quickly. I, however, am an octopus. On each one of my tenticules, there is another hand. Therefore, opposed to ten fingers, I have forty. And trust me, by the end of the day, I'm near running out of pinkies. Music is fading, and its not enough anymore to drown out my daily problems. Easy tasks become war. So, I found another way to release the build up.

I've been writing songs/poems (that could potentially turn into music). There's just something about letting everything go! Writing it all down on paper and burning it, or ripping it up, crumpling it. Wow! So satisfactory! Writing music is one of the hardest things to do. Having a background in English really helped me, (even if my grade 12 class consists of my background!).

I've always questionned how to 'write' a song. I've been looking for inspiring tips, asking around with my others friends who also enjoy the creation of music. And together, we've composed an informal guide to song writing.

1. Think about your past. There's always an event, something dear to us that influences us. Channel your emotions and use this event, person or whatever you choose as your muse.

2. Find a melody. Contrary to popular belief, the music must (normally) come first. This will help you by establishing the rhythm of the intro, verses, chorus, bridge and fade out; making things easier for the writing process.

3. Before you start writing, I actual find it really helpful to jog down all of your ideas. In english, this process is called brainstorming. Once you've decided on your muse, everything that comes to mind should be written down on this paper. It creates a visual aid to your production.

4. Write. Don't hold back! That's what editing is for. If you have an idea in your mind, you must share it with your paper! The paper and pen are your new best friends!

5. Review. Go over what you wrote, and make sure you play it with the tune. It's much like reading your essay out loud. You will never know if things flow together if you don't check the fluidity of the sentences, in this case, verses.

6. Title choosing can be extremely difficult. Do not rush this process! If it needs time, that's what you'll have to give it. Why might you ask? You're deciding on one or a couple words to describe your entire masterpiece! Don't rush it and come up with a pressured title, but you don't want to leave it to the last minute either. Time management is key, people!

7. File your song away and never look at it again....................NOT! Show your friends! :) Put it on YouTube if you want. Having something to refer to as 'your own', is the best feeling in the world.

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