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Why do you write music?


EvilSoup

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I always love to hear about those who can write out of feelings such as anger or depression or sadness. Generally, if I am feeling those things, I'm too preoccupied to want to sit down and write. I need to be in a relatively peaceful frame of mind. Which doesn't happen often enough, I'm afraid.

Generally, I think I'm more motivated to write songs by the idea of a potential audience--writing something I think people will enjoy, and perhaps also the ego boost of knowing that it came from me. I'd rather just write a good song people will enjoy than write about my feelings. Many times my personal feelings find their way into the songs anyway, but it's often not intentional.

I think keeping a blog or journal is a more direct form of self-expression for me. I don't have to worry about metaphor or imagery, or rhyme scheme, or avoiding cliches--I can just say straight out what's on my mind.

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I definitely feel a need to create. However, like Kay Redfield Jameson points out. There is a correlation between the creative mind and the bipolar mind, but not all bipolar sufferers consider themselves a creative mind. So does it happe...yes, but is it ingrained in my disorder...I'm not sure.

 

In any case, I don't like to glamorize the disorder, because honestly, there is nothing glamorous about it. Anyone who has it, knows what I mean.

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Hey,

I can relate to your high school experience. I am "The man" and I write alot of music to impress others. However, the main reason I write music is to glorify God. I am not a christian rock guy! I just want to write music in a sense that it is a social commentary and uplifts my savior.

As far as rythm goes, there is nothing wrong with using power chords of dropped d tuning. I use them for faster songs. The main thing in all of my songs is that I have a killer guitar solo. Good lyrics and kick ass riffs are also highly important. My inspirations musically come from Metallica, Alice in Chains, Black Label society, Led Zeppelin, Dream Theater, Satch, and many others.

Good luck getting your inspiration back. Write songs about what is important to you. Ultimately, it only matters what you like when writing music

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I think I would explode mentally if I didn't get it all outta my head.

I literally go through four of five notebooks a month.



I think that songwriting is something that some people are just meant to do.




And we certainly don't want any exploded brains all over the walls. :eek:

KAC

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As far as rythm goes, there is nothing wrong with using power chords of dropped d tuning. I use them for faster songs. The main thing in all of my songs is that I have a killer guitar solo. Good lyrics and kick ass riffs are also highly important. My inspirations musically come from Metallica, Alice in Chains, Black Label society, Led Zeppelin, Dream Theater, Satch, and many others.

 

 

I disagree with you man.

unless the lyrics are truly amazing and don't need music to compliment them (which certainly wasn't the case with the inspirtations you listed), just playing power chords in drop D is incredibly stale.

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I disagree with you man.

unless the lyrics are truly amazing and don't need music to compliment them (which certainly wasn't the case with the inspirtations you listed), just playing power chords in drop D is incredibly stale.



yeah but... I'm not into anything he listed but I think it has less to do with the chords you use than how you put them together. Guys in nickelback and Radiohead use the same notes, but one of those bands makes better songs and albums. Which one it is is up to you... :cop: I don't wanna start a flame war lol.

so its not that using power chords in drop D is stale... its just that the people that do it have no creative spark and make stale songs. (for example)

all IMO of course. lol.

basically what I was trying to say was that we're all using the same notes, but some people make better songs.

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yeah but... I'm not into anything he listed but I think it has less to do with the chords you use than how you put them together. Guys in nickelback and Radiohead use the same notes, but one of those bands makes better songs and albums. Which one it is is up to you...
:cop:
I don't wanna start a flame war lol.


so its not that using power chords in drop D is stale... its just that the people that do it have no creative spark and make stale songs. (for example)


all IMO of course. lol.


basically what I was trying to say was that we're all using the same notes, but some people make better songs.



I agree.
But I'll come right out and say it,
Nickelback sucks.
hahaha;)

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Speaking from the ignorance of a non-guitarist, what is drop D tuning? And how do I recognize it when I hear it? Just curious.

 

 

standard tuning is EADGBE (low to high)

 

drop D has the low E tuned down to D, so it's DADGBE.

 

At least that's what I think it is anyway lol.

 

It makes it sound "heavier".... not sure what that means but. I suppose it sounds deeper and richer, maybe? I don't use alternate tunings much, but I sometimes play around with open tunings (so you can strum the open strings to make a chord)

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There is nothing inherently wrong with using Drop-D tuning. There are some very creative songs in drop-D. However, it got played out with nu-metal/rap rock bands at the end of the 90s and early 00s who used it simply to make the music heavier and much more "bass-y." (couldn't think of a better word, ha!)

 

However, Nirvana's "All Apologies" is in drop-d tuning and it's such a creative song. Instead of relying on the lower tuning to make the song "heavier," he used it as a low harmonic to deepen sound and create a wider tone in the intro and verse riffs.

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Yea, of course theres the ego part. Thats why I'm PLAYING guitar. But definatley not why I'm writing music.

I hear tones and melodies in my head that I want to put down into notes, I have hundreds of pieces for different classical instruments and guitar that I have never shown anyone. So nope, I don't really belive in that ego stuff, perhaps for some people.

I'm only 17 and may not be as experienced as you guys, but I have definatley got a taste for music; I know what I like and I know whats good.
I think some of my {censored} is good and I don't need any audience to listen to it all; but perhaps some. ;)

Hope I didnt go too deep, people tend to do that nowadays (nothing wrong with it). :D

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Yea, of course theres the ego part. Thats why I'm PLAYING guitar. But definatley not why I'm writing music.


I hear tones and melodies in my head that I want to put down into notes, I have hundreds of pieces for different classical instruments and guitar that I have never shown anyone. So nope, I don't really belive in that ego stuff, perhaps for some people.


I'm only 17 and may not be as experienced as you guys, but I have definatley got a taste for music; I know what I like and I know whats good.

I think some of my {censored} is good and I don't need any audience to listen to it all; but perhaps some.
;)

Hope I didnt go too deep, people tend to do that nowadays (nothing wrong with it).
:D



Welcome, looking forward to hearing some of your work....There's a share your music sticky at the top of the forum:

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34548

KAC

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I don't write music, but composer amazed me in a sense that I hope that someday i'll be one ..

Raquel

If you haven't checked out book trailers, or if you want to see some really cools ones I've found a few places that are really good. My favorite is on YouTube at www.youtube.com/booktrailers, but I also like the new ones on the BN.com site at www.bn.com and go to the BN Studio, and I love the Borders Media site too. VidLits are pretty cool www.vidlits.com. http://www.youtube.com/booktrailers

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I'm only 17 and may not be as experienced as you guys, but I have definatley got a taste for music; I know what I like and I know whats good.

 

 

always remember....everything is "good" to someone. You'll see many musical snobs put other people's music down, because it's simplistic or poorly performed, etc....but, I always say " if you like it, then it's good"...leave your mind open to all of it, because in every style there are great writers and players.

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