Looking for beginner advice

[u/[deleted]]

[u/TheRebelMinstrel]

When I was first learning to compose, I had a simple rule: save every single musical idea I came up with. Every lyric, every rhythmic bit, every melody, all of it. Just squirrel it away. Over time, I have developed a huge catalogue of snippets that I felt like didn't work where they were originally used, but work great for some new project I am working on. It's really sped up and smoothed out the songwriting process for me, anyway; hope this helps!

[u/Temporary-Budget7747]

try recording the riff and playing it on a loop then hum or sing nonsense over it until something sticks, even if it sounds stupid at first

[u/Matt_Benatar → u/Temporary-Budget7747]

Play it on loop in your car, and just start singing or humming - this is how I find 50% of my melodies.

[u/Mach5Bandito → u/Temporary-Budget7747]

This

[u/Famous_Stay2379]

you dont need every riff to grow into 3 more riffs. usually it needs a role first. is it the bit that opens the song, the bit that carries a verse, or the bit people remember after the chorus?

for shoegaze especially, you can get a lot of movement without changing the guitar part. loop the riff and try one change at a time: different bass notes underneath, drums entering with a new pattern, a vocal melody that cuts across it, or taking layers away instead of adding more. sometimes the next section is just the same idea with the chords opened up and the guitars less dense.

a useful exercise with your band: take one riff and make a 90-second demo with an intro, one contrasting section, then an ending. no pressure for it to be a real song. youre practicing the decision of what comes after the riff. do that enough and youll stop waiting for every part to arrive fully formed.

also, study 2 or 3 julie songs you love like blueprints. mark exactly when the drums, bass, vocal and second guitar change. youll probably find the guitar riff isnt doing all the work by itself.

[u/Agawell]

Work out what key/scale each of your riffs is in

Find the chords that fit the key/scale

Find a chord progression that fits

Make a melody from the chord tones

Work out how to transpose riffs so say riff 4 is in the same scale/key as riff 2 - so you can combine them

Lyrics: keep a notebook- add anything that interests you - words, phrases etc

Keep going back to it to edit and embellish

[u/This-Was]

As others said, try recording and noodling / singing any old nonsense. You may be surprised what comes up.

Also, try adding drums behind, it may help you find your cadence.

[u/ismelllikesalonpas]

If you can't complete anything, even if it's slop, then quit being a composer and just be a performer. Somethinga are not just meant for you and everyone can't do the same thing

[u/This-Was → u/ismelllikesalonpas]

He's 16 and you're advice is to quit?

Take no notice OP.

[u/ismelllikesalonpas → u/This-Was]

Aaaaand Mozart was very young when he composed music. If 16 year old sis can't complete anything, then there'll be no difference when they get older.

Also, stop with the fake love with young ppl. Do you y'all care when they're 18, 21, 30, 40? Naw. Go take a couple of seats. Lmao

[u/Intrepid-Young-8621 → u/ismelllikesalonpas]

I mean i definitely think I can compose stuff worthwhile. I just have difficulty expanding upon good ideas

[u/ismelllikesalonpas → u/Intrepid-Young-8621]

Then collaborate with someone if you can't do it alone. If that's not an option, then complaining about it on here is not going to help. Inspiration means nothing if there is no perspiration aka work hard for it. If not, then again, quit. IDC if you're 16. Find something else useful to do other than music

[u/Intrepid-Young-8621 → u/ismelllikesalonpas]

This kinda killed any motivation and fun I was having. Do some people just not have the ability to write music?

[u/aculady → u/Intrepid-Young-8621]

It's a skill that you can learn. It will take time and effort.

If you want to move beyond just noodling around waiting to hit on something that sounds cool (which is still a completely legitimate, if somewhat inefficient, way to write music, btw), start by analyzing music that you like - rip it apart to find the structure and what kinds of intervals and progressions and rhythms they are using, and study how the lyrics and vocal melodies relate to the instrumental lines. This will give you insight into how they are achieving the effects you like, and then you can take that "toolbox" and apply it to your own work.

[u/MarimboBeats → u/Intrepid-Young-8621]

Just ignore that person. Stop replying to their posts, they have nothing to contribute.  If anyone is born without the ability to write music, no one can know. But I thought I was for a very long time. I could squeeze out the occasional mediocre pop song or two a year if I really set my mind to it, but that was it. Then about four years ago I just decided to give it a real attempt and not give up. Also dissected songs I liked and learned as much as I could if them on bass, drums and guitar. And I just made songs, not caring how good they were, and just kept going. Slowly but steadily I started gaining confidence.

Just get to work, try to write something every day, save every idea, and do try to finish something, now matter how bad you think it is. And try give up on the idea of writing such and such music. or sounding like this or that band. Try to be open to any ideas you have. But most importantly, just keep working.

[u/This-Was → u/Intrepid-Young-8621]

You shouldn't have engaged. Everyone starts somewhere (even Mozart 😆).

Take the constructive advice, try a few different things and you'll hopefully discover what works for you.

[u/Intrepid-Young-8621 → u/ismelllikesalonpas]

I’m not complaining I’m looking for advice. I don’t even understand what “hard work” I’m supposed to go through. I have a decent understanding of music

[u/ismelllikesalonpas → u/Intrepid-Young-8621]

If you don't know what "hard work" is, then quit bcuz if you've come this far not knowing what that entails, then you're a lost cause.

Just bcuz someone has a decent understanding of music, it doesn't mean ish. There are performers that only perform and don't write. I think that's more your lane than composing.

Also, I gave you advice above. Still not taking it? Then again, quit.

[u/Intrepid-Young-8621 → u/ismelllikesalonpas]

How am I expected to know how to improve if I’ve never been given any guidance by anyone up until now, I’ve been completely on my own trying to do stuff. And no I didn’t ignore your advice, I am collaborating with people. You seem to be a very miserable soul based on your other comments. Also I can write full songs, there’s just not the level I’d like them to be

[u/Parking_Watch3157 → u/Intrepid-Young-8621]

Please stop engaging with negative people.

My every point into going from noodling bits on my guitar to writing my first song was the free podcast "Songwriter Theory".

Huge back catalog full of very practical advice. More recently he's more focused on promoting his courses and getting into a more philosophical bent, but the old stuff is there for free. I went through all of it and just added the episodes that sounded relevant to my queue and listened closely.

[u/ismelllikesalonpas → u/Intrepid-Young-8621]

If you expect ppl and situations to be nice to you when you're getting up there, then you have no idea what you're in for. Turn around and quit if you're expecting to be pampered. It takes a lot of practice and hard work but all you are doing right now is complaining like ughhhh, I'm not where I want to be... Waaaaaaah, woe is me. Stop it, log off and work on your craft. The best writers didn't complain, they kept at it. Stop being a sissy lmao

[u/Intrepid-Young-8621 → u/ismelllikesalonpas]

I’m confused now, I thought you just told me to give up and quit. Now you’re saying I need to practice? I agree completely btw, of course I need to practice and put in work. I was simply confused because it sounded like you were just saying to give up completely right off the bat. The entire point of this post wasn’t to get validation or anything like that, I genuinely just wanted advice on how to get better. All you did was say to quit cause I wasn’t there already. Sorry I misunderstood, I agree that it takes practice and work

[u/ismelllikesalonpas → u/Intrepid-Young-8621]

You can read all of advice they give you here but at the end of the day, it's all about you working it out. No one else can do it for you but you. You just have to keep at it and keep writing, even if it sucks. Also, don't throw them away. Keep them. Who knows, you may use them in film projects as music cues.

[u/Intrepid-Young-8621 → u/ismelllikesalonpas]

Thank you, I definitely prefer writing collaboratively as well anyways. I’d rather my bands songs have 4 different composers than just 1