Writing Music. Where to start?

[Siren Silently]

Well, I've been looking to get into writing, making and performing music for awhile. I worked all the summer and managed to buy some real nice equipment (MIJ Fender Tele, Peavey Classic 30, have a HSS Strat coming) to break into music. I have a few friends that I jam with and we have a lot of fun making (horrible) music, but we're deciding on getting a bit more serious with it.

The problem is we all have conflicting tastes. Our drummer likes shitty post-hardcore and pop punk music (Emery, Underoath to The Academy is, Anberlin, etc...), the other guitarist in my band digs a more traditional rock sound (Stone Temple Pilots, Audioslave, etc...), my tastes on the otherhand are very erratic and flexible.

Right now our songwriting method is, whoever comes up with a cool riff/idea gets dibs on that particular song's direction. I'd like to start writing some myself and make it sound somewhat good. I've been working on a single track and it sounds heavily influenced by the garage rock revival bands (Interpol, early Strokes). The problem, it sounds more like its ripped from those bands rather than influenced by them.

Where should I start to give my music more definition, more character? I know the very basic rudimentary theory (keys, chord progressions, time signatures, scales, modes). But I want to get better and sound better, where should I go from here?

[Tristan Needler]

Coming from someone who just wrote the first song he ever wrote, pick up and instrument (whichever you want) and just play shit. If you like something, roll with it. If not, keep playing shit until you like something else.

My main problem is a lack of musical ability, not a lack of coming up with stuff. Just flesh it out however you think it should sound in your head. I don't think you should over think it when you're just starting to write. If you try to plan it too much before you know how it works, I don't think you'll end up with a very satisfying result.

That's my opinion though, as someone who's written one song, and a few bits and pieces here and there. Take it for what it's worth.

[WishYouAway]

Well, I've been looking to get into writing, making and performing music for awhile. I worked all the summer and managed to buy some real nice equipment (MIJ Fender Tele, Peavey Classic 30, have a HSS Strat coming) to break into music. I have a few friends that I jam with and we have a lot of fun making (horrible) music, but we're deciding on getting a bit more serious with it.

The problem is we all have conflicting tastes. Our drummer likes shitty post-hardcore and pop punk music (Emery, Underoath to The Academy is, Anberlin, etc...), the other guitarist in my band digs a more traditional rock sound (Stone Temple Pilots, Audioslave, etc...), my tastes on the otherhand are very erratic and flexible.

Right now our songwriting method is, whoever comes up with a cool riff/idea gets dibs on that particular song's direction. I'd like to start writing some myself and make it sound somewhat good. I've been working on a single track and it sounds heavily influenced by the garage rock revival bands (Interpol, early Strokes). The problem, it sounds more like its ripped from those bands rather than influenced by them.

Where should I start to give my music more definition, more character? I know the very basic rudimentary theory (keys, chord progressions, time signatures, scales, modes). But I want to get better and sound better, where should I go from here?

You're already going to have issues if you don't respect your other member's tastes.

[remoteCONTROL]

yea. unless you're an amazing natural song writer and you can find a band that supports that, then get used to swallowing your pride when it comes to who gets control over which song. when we started this band, it was my cousin (most stubborn person i know) and me (the second most stubborn person i know) but we both agreed that compromise was going to have to happen in order to progress. i'm good at writing melodies and fitting words into song phrases, our drummer (my cousin) is good at seeing potential and what a song can be especially when it comes with throwing in new beats. our other guitar player adds leads, lets me know when lyrics are too cheesy, and takes a verse chorus verse chorus song and mixes things up.

a good thing that we agreed on before we started writing music is that if you dont like how a song is working out, don't try to force your opinion unless you've got good evidence to back it up. for example, if i didn't like how a song ended, i wouldnt be forceful about changing it until i could come up with a better ending and have a legit reason as to why it should be changed.

pretty much if you're in a band, you are IN A BAND. If you want to sound a specific way and have songs the way you wrote them, go solo. david bazan did and it's working out pretty well for him. but if you can compromise on sound and songwriting, you'll have a lot more fun because it's something you created together.

[The Boathouse]

The only way to get better at writing songs is to write more songs. Just write a ton of fucking songs. I try to write at least one a week. I keep working on them all the time, since I have no plans to record them, I just keep working on structure, melody, etc. Then, find some open mics, play them, and see how you get responded to.

In regards to the "conflicting" tastes of your bandmates...consider this.
I like post-hardcore, I like emo, I like pop, jazz, and blues.
My bassist likes funk and jazz.
My drummer likes Primus. That's about all.
My pianist and vocalist likes...I'm not really sure. He speaks in vague generalities about music in such a way that I think he doesn't actually even have a "favorite band."

Being in a band is a huge exercise in compromise, as said by others. Respect the differences in your group. My best advice is this: just jam together first. Jam and get to know each other and how your playing works with and against each other. Get to a spot where you guys are just channeling your OWN music, which will happen the more you play together. My bands best songs have risen out of a riff, out of a progression that happened totally by accident during a soundcheck, while we were warming up...So write songs, respect each other, and play a lot.

[Qfwfq]

If you like playing with your friends, then look at the diversity you have as a gift rather than a hinderance.

If you can enjoy playing music with each other then it shouldn't really matter what the music sounds like - and the cool thing about having different tastes/styles is that your sound as a band will be way more original and better off for it.

I think you should open up to building songs together. If you write a song, have some idea of what you want out of it, but don't sell yourself too hard. Bring it to your friends/band and play what you have for them. See what their ideas are for the direction of the song. Try everything you come up with, and find what works best for the song, not what most fits one particular persons idea of the song.

This is a process may certainly take a number of tries to really lock down and get productive with, but once you all start feeding off of each other it will be way better than anything one of you could do on your own.

[Siren Silently]

Thanks guys. How about for tangible advice to write better music? Should I continue to learn music theory in more depth or just jam around and find something that sounds cool?

[lew_1987]

Just go with what feels good but learn to know when something needs to be dropped, or when something isn't good.

[Qfwfq]

Practice makes perfect...

Theory can be helpful if you use it properly, but a lot of theory cats don't have the ability to step outside of theory and tend to write incredibly boring, predictable music (even when the theory behind what they're doing is interesting).

I'd say just sit around on your instrument, find something that you think sounds cool, and develop it.

As far as lyrics go, if you are truly dedicated to writing good lyrics, you need to be writing as much as often and also studying your favorite lyricists and writers in general. Find what you like about what other people are doing... Again... if you learn a ton of writing styles you can really use this to your advantage, but if you get too caught in the theory of it all you will come out of it with nothing interesting.

[Burn That Shit]

Conflicting tastes, much like everyone before me said, is inevitable and should be embraced. Just jam with your friends, write shit down when you find something you like, work off of it, and make some songs.

[alex.parent]

With the band I'm in, everyone has conflicts. We argue quite a bit, but in the end we get stuff done. It takes a ton of sacrifice to be in a band. What it comes down to is just write songs. You can always write more as you go and then get rid of stuff you don't like. And make sure to have fun! If you aren't having fun, just quit

[ReadyForAction]

The trick is to take your time and write/practice A LOT
Your first songs may not be your best, but just making it will give you enough satisfaction to want to continue with it

[The Boathouse]

Learn theory. If you don't know why chord progressions work, you'll always use the same ones, and your songs will suck.

[AgainstTheOcean]

Absolute biggest thing that people skip over. STUDY. Take your influences and study the structure of their songs. Don't rip them off, but try to understand the reasoning behind every fill, melody, bridge. Knowing great songwriting technique will take you leaps and bounds beyond anybody with a great deal of technical skill. Of course, you should strive for both precise playing and great songwriting.

[eraserhead]

I was never in a band in high school because I never knew anyone who listened to the same music as me and played an instrument. I mean it's ok if you have differing tastes, but if you don't share some common influences you're fucked before you started.

i always wanted to do general indie/rock/folk, and my bandmates always wanted to do pop-punk/metal. It was insanely irritating so now I just do my own thing.

[YouAteMyDog182]

You're already going to have issues if you don't respect your other member's tastes.


Not true(for the most part)

My drummer was hardcore into Dream Theater and metal and country(for some reason),
My bassist was all in love with emo and hardcore screamo.
I was just pure pop punk.

It worked out for two years!
haha.

But yea, depends on who your friends are really i guess.

[bassdrummer2333]

Well you still respected their tastes even though you didn't listen to it, correct?

And theory is key. I've been in theory for 3 months at a college level and it's taught me so much piano and I knew 0 piano from the start. Unfortunately my theory class uses piano as an example most of the time so I haven't completely figured out how to translate everything to guitar.

[YouAteMyDog182]

Well you still respected their tastes even though you didn't listen to it, correct?

And theory is key. I've been in theory for 3 months at a college level and it's taught me so much piano and I knew 0 piano from the start. Unfortunately my theory class uses piano as an example most of the time so I haven't completely figured out how to translate everything to guitar.

of course!
haha
well...except for most of the emo hardcore shit.

Yea i can't translate piano into guitar to save my life.
Unless of course we're talking about full notes like a b or g or whatever.
but something complicated, im out.

[AcidZero]

Every band says their song writing process is different. Some start with guitar riffs, lyrics, a drum beat, or just humming vocals. I have also had trouble figuring out where to start when writing songs.

[Siren Silently]

Thanks again guys.

I was never in a band in high school because I never knew anyone who listened to the same music as me and played an instrument. I mean it's ok if you have differing tastes, but if you don't share some common influences you're fucked before you started.

i always wanted to do general indie/rock/folk, and my bandmates always wanted to do pop-punk/metal. It was insanely irritating so now I just do my own thing.

Well after a few more jams it's looking pretty promising. Our drummer who's completely into the whole CHRISTIAN BR00TALITY THING has taken a backseat with his music tastes, hes down to play anything. The problem lies with the fact we cannot come up with anything that sounds remotely original or interesting.

[The Boathouse]

Interesting, original things take time. You have to be patient. It's taken a year of being "in the woodshed" for my band to find a sound that I'm really happy with. Now, pretty much every song we write, I'm very pleased with. The first year though, you have to find your own skin as a group. It takes time. Just be patient!