As a complement to danjer's "Lyrics?" thread, here's one for melody. Now I sometimes find lyric writing hard, but basically I think I've got it nailed down. The problem for me is coming up with the music - everything I write tends to fall into the same dun dun dun category. There are things I'm already trying to get better at writing melodies, like learning to play my instrument better, and learning a bit of music theory. But does anyone have any other techniques that they use to get out of a melody writing rut?
― snoball, Friday, 19 October 2007 22:35 (seventeen years ago) link
Geir on speed dial.
― John Justen, Friday, 19 October 2007 22:36 (seventeen years ago) link
Phrasing is where it's at.
― St3ve Go1db3rg, Saturday, 20 October 2007 07:58 (seventeen years ago) link
I write melodies by:
1. Starting on the 5th or root of the song's key signature chord. 2. Confining most melodic movement to stepwise or arppegiated. 3. Relying heavily on leading tones, suspended 7ths and suspended 9ths. 4. Not being afraid to keep an entire phrase on one note for textual emphasis.
― HI DERE, Monday, 22 October 2007 18:58 (seventeen years ago) link
Watch tv while listening to your backing track works for me.
― Jubalique die Zitronen, Monday, 22 October 2007 20:43 (seventeen years ago) link
I outsource.
― Jordan, Monday, 22 October 2007 20:45 (seventeen years ago) link
i just put the guitar down and start humming out loud til i get something good, then figure out what should go underneath it later. but i don't really know nothing about theory, so i don't really have any other good options
― danjer, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 18:26 (seventeen years ago) link
Great advice, thanks everybody!
― snoball, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:43 (seventeen years ago) link
(pssst - don't actually call geir.)
― John Justen, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:45 (seventeen years ago) link
It haunts his reverie.
― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 24 October 2007 13:39 (seventeen years ago) link
i was about to say that I don't usually have a problem with melody. That said, I have an excellent backing track laid down that I want to work on, but all it needs are a few drums and a lead vocal. The drums I can work in later, but the lead vocal is tricky. The backing track is fairly complex and has a lot of choral hamronies (as is my wont) so trying to find something that doesn't mimic and fade into these is tough.
― the next grozart, Wednesday, 24 October 2007 18:52 (seventeen years ago) link