Putting music to lyrics.

[SonEric84]

Alright, so I've written so many lyrics over the years and I've been playing guitar for a while as well. I actually have a pretty good musical ear and can play plenty of things just by hearing them, but one of my problems with song writing always seems to be this: I'll have a melody for my lyrics and can hear the chords to back it in my head perfectly, but when I go to play those chords in reality, they're not the same tone or key as they are in my head. It's like my brain is in the wrong tuning (I like to play around with different alternate tunings too) or something, I suppose it could be my lack of theory knowledge and such...but I want to know if this happens to anyone else and if you have any helpful tips?

[Tristan Needler]

Well you could always change the key the song is in, or invest in a capo or something haha. I don't know though, I'm not really good at writing that way. I've only ever wrote one riff that way, and in the end, I ended up playing/recording it about two steps lower than I heard it in my head.

[SonEric84]

Well you could always change the key the song is in, or invest in a capo or something haha. I don't know though, I'm not really good at writing that way. I've only ever wrote one riff that way, and in the end, I ended up playing/recording it about two steps lower than I heard it in my head.



haha Yeah, I've really just been trying like crazy to "find" the right key. I don't know, when I write the lyrics I already have the idea for what I want it to sound like in my head, so writing it any other way just to get around my apparent incompetence would just feel wrong. I appreciate the input though.

[The Boathouse]

Oh man. Welcome to the struggle of every musician, haha. I've found the best way to make that sound in my head happen is to find the root note of that first chord, and then find each not from there. Your mind's ear will realize when you hit the right ones, so just stay alert. It's frustrating at first, but it'll get easier the more you do it.

[lew_1987]

It's 'one of those things'... I think you just have to feel it out.

That's what she said.

[SonEric84]

Oh man. Welcome to the struggle of every musician, haha. I've found the best way to make that sound in my head happen is to find the root note of that first chord, and then find each not from there. Your mind's ear will realize when you hit the right ones, so just stay alert. It's frustrating at first, but it'll get easier the more you do it.

Yeah, it's definitely frustrating and sometimes discouraging, because I know what I'm hearing is the perfect fit. haha I guess I'll just have to keep at it and hope that in time it gets easier. Thanks.



It's 'one of those things'... I think you just have to feel it out.

That's what she said.


haha That never gets old.



Thanks guys.

[Tristan Needler]

Yeah, it's definitely frustrating and sometimes discouraging, because I know what I'm hearing is the perfect fit. haha I guess I'll just have to keep at it and hope that in time it gets easier. Thanks.






haha That never gets old.



Thanks guys.
Do you have a piano you can try it with?

[Chigwinkle]

Cant say I've ever written a song this way, as I don't have a brilliant musical ear. But, like Tristan said above, try it out with a piano. Work out the actual notes you are singing in your head, write 'em down and work out the chords from the key of those notes.
I can't say its a particularly easy method xD But you might as well give it a try :)

[Qfwfq]

As long as you can find the notes/chords, I would try transposing them and playing them in several different keys to see where it feels best for your vocals and the music. This may or may not require a capo, depending on what you're playing.

[SonEric84]

Unfortunately I don't have a piano or one available that I could use.

[11:11]

I have the same exact problem. Pretty much do what everyone else has said- find the root. Then do arpeggios or something until you find something similar, and just keep building off of it. That's the best I've got.

[Tristan Needler]

The only thing I can think of is don't try to "play" the guitar. You'll play whatever chords and then they probably won't be right. Play a note, then another, then another. That's why I thought piano, since if you don't know how to play it, it might be easier to "invent" the chord.

Also, take breaks, since after a while I'm sure nothing will sound right. At least that happens to me. Keep in mind your chord may require more than one guitar/instrument.

[pulsar]

Sometimes I have this problem, but when I do I'll just mess around with the key or tuning. Before I formed my new band I was writing all my songs in drop C tuning. When we found a female vocalist I had to bring the songs up to D in order for them to sound right, but it was worth it. Just take your time and experiment.

[chrisstahl]

It's a tricky thing. Sometimes I will have a vocal melody, or guitar riff in my head, and I'll hum it into my voicemail or something, and when I sit down later, I have to adjust the key for the best suited chords. I know my vocal range and know where I am comfortable and usually have a good idea of what key a song should be in. I can't read music and don't know jack about theory but I generally know what sounds right. A song can be played in any key like for example something easy... Dammit by blink 182 I think is in the key of C. the chords are C, G, A, F.

If it was in the key of D, then the chords would be D, A, B, G.

If it was in G, it would be G, D, E, C (i think)

Don't let it frustrate you too much. You'll figure it out.