JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum Composing/ Songwriting Through the Years

I find myself more particular in what I accept or reject in my writing these days. Just this week I spent hours on four new tracks. When I finished these, I became aware, except for one, they weren’t doing anything for me. I would have liked all these tracks 20 years ago, but today I hear music different. The one I accepted is titled “Sad Asian Princess”. The rest end up in the trash.

How do you hear music different today than years ago?

Best, John

My theory is that the minute you start learning an instrument or writing, you never hear music the same way again.

I dint know about you, if you remember a time when you just listened.

No analyzing, no breaking down, no calculating in your mind whst the sing is doing, no awareness of lyrics, other than that's what you hear for that song.

But its sad in a way, yiu csn never listen just to listen, somethings always cooking.

As far as how do I hear my own music now, compared to then.

I will say it miss the rawness sometimes, things that used to come to me just came, no trying to guide it or filter it,.

I sometimes wish I could write like that while still having the craft ro tweak it.

It seems now it comes with craft already built in.

Thanks for sharing Fde!

Actually I compose the same way as I did 20 years ago. I just hear the results differently. Maybe because I've composed so much it takes more to impress me. Don't know...

Best, John

I hear more then I used too. I play acoustic guitar, and was always impressed by other guitar players who could figure out the chords of songs just by listening.

It’s like ok that is a D chord…but it sounds different played on a piano, because the piano player colours the chord with more notes making it sound full and rich and subtly different, I’d play the D shape on my guitar, and think, sorta sounds like, but missing something, must be the wrong chord.

But it is the right chord after all, without the additional colour a piano brings.

Just figured out the guitar chords for Kay-Lynn’s
Standing Here, which is her melody, played with Suno piano, I thought, I’ll never figure this out….but I recognized parts of her melody from an old Irish tune I once learned….so I was able to figure out the key. I learned it in the key of D. But my the notes I learned where off….darn all I had to do was drop it down half tone…and it fit! So yeah…must be Db…..tried the Db flat on my guitar, and it worked.
Then tried the 4 and the 5 chords and they worked too. That left just one chord, that to me is the most beautiful chord, just at the end of the verse…so nice, and just had to experiment to find it….


But I never would have been able to do any of that before.

Interesting Bill. BTW, most the time the key of a song is the name of the first chord. Start with a Cm chord and the key will most likely be the key of C - minor (3 flats). Start with a D Major chord it will most likely be the key of D Major (2#'s). And yes, the same chord played on the piano will sound fuller. It will be resonating / vibrating from more strings thus, overtones and harmonics. But of course, a guitar power chord coming from a 350-watt Marshal amplifier may sound pretty damn big - ha, ha.

John

you can play a d chord more fully if you want to. A triad is only three notes, but if you play an open E chord, your getting E in bass, B, G#,B again and E again higher register.

If you use a capo on first fret, then your e chord shape becomes an F with the same open sound that you cant get with a barre chord.

You also can play a D chord that you mention in normal position, but use your thumb to play f# on the sixth string giving it more tension. and a nice lead into a g chord where the bass would be g half step walk,

just a sampler of how u can play a d chord, same way a piano would. and dont forget alternate tunings can help you do chords that are impossibnle with 5 fingers

https://sl.bing.net/fUNFLAzgN3Y

F#-A-D-A-F# believe it or not is still a d chord.

Yes, about the open E chord on guitar. If you want a fuller sound, use a 12-string guitar. Or check out the sound modules for guitar.

Often a bass note will define a chord. If you stack E-G-B, that's an Em chord, with E in the bass. However, if you place a "C" in the bass, it becomes a CMaj7. Theory can be a bit complicated. But who cares. My philosophy: "Stop analyzing; just compose the damn thing!" -

True , I know enough theory to sound like I know what im talking about.

I think in high school forming one of my first bands we had a keyboard player who knew it all, taught me how to sing harmony.

This was in return for the songs in came up with. Wed play them and he'd want know what chord, I'd say not sure.

Was always trying exot7c chords back then, not really needed a syringe melody and having something to say, way more important.

But,
Open chords give the guitar something that no instrument has, and yiu cant explain it by saying it, just gotta hear it!

Couldn't have said it better myself Keith, even though im not quite sure what you said.

And the sustain pedal on the piano opens up a new level of fullness. It's like giving a pianist extra hands.

John