Do you have any idea how hard it is to....

[Ghost]

...compose a song, when you can't read or write music, let alone play an instrument?



Yes, I'm trying to compose a rock song about a 340 powered Mopar.  I got the tune in my head, the opening lines, and a few scattered lines that need to be connected.  The only problem is I don't know how I'm gonna get it from my head to paper, so that it can be played.....



Anyway, here are the opening lines:

I started it up, and I revved it hot! I'm running hard and I just won't stop!
My 340 screamed, and my tires smoked! I'm doing 90 miles an hour down an open road!

[Oldschool]

Ghost---what music theme are you sensing here?  Should we be working with a Sammy Haggar--Can't Drive 55 melody or Sweet Home Alabama melody, or country melody,   whatcha thinkin'?.  .....................Oldschool

[Ghost]

Actually, I was thinking more of an AC/DCish hard rock style.  I got the tune in my head, and can even kinda sing it in the type of voice it should be sung by, but, I don't sing very well, and doing my "evil hard rocker" voice hurts my throat after a while.

[Oldschool]

Stay on that track.  I like the idea and where you're going here.     When I read the words, I kinda get a little of the old Blackfoot--"Train-Train" thing running though my mind.    Perhaps Red will venture by shortly--he's a guitar guy.  We'll pick his brain............Oldschool

[JS27N0B]

Don't ask me, I couldn't carry a tune in a suitcase.

[RedLine]

Ghost you sure are adventurous...  attemping songwriting without musical theory and experience is certainly hard, but it can be done, but it is alot easier if you know what you dont know.  Then you can go find it.  Its good though that you have the tune in your mind-  its probably like other songs you have in your mind.  The good news is that most rock songs, including your AC/DC preference, can be categorized into a relativly small group of chord patterns.  So if you know the kinds of songs you think your new song should be "like" you can get to coming up with the underlying chords on which you tune or melody will be supported.

Now here's just 30 seconds of music theory summarized --  most of our music is based on a scale of 8 out of 12 possible notes.  The particuar selection of those 8 notes determines what most people will "feel" when they hear those notes in a certain order.  Sad, happy, driving, laid back, etc - emotions that can come from certain choices of notes. Thats about it for notes- notes make your melody or tune and there are endless arrangements of them.   Next, chords, which are made of special combinations of notes, when played in certain order, also create a certain kind of feeling.  Well there are a relativly smaller number of chord combinations...   So if you know the song you are trying to get close to, we can take its chord pattern or chord progression, reverse engineer it, to get you what you need for your song.  Examples are all over the internet of existing you know songs and their chord progressions.  The standard chords often labeled 1 thru 8, and most rock songs have a 1-4-5 or 1-3-4-5 pattern. 

For instance here Rich Scott takes you through some common chord progressions and the types of feelings they have.  He includes songs that you will know that have those progressions.  like Rock and Rock Ballad

Now you just have to organize the song with a standard pattern of Intro- verse - chorus - verse -chorus - lead solo - chorus - ending.    Hope this gets you started!

[Ghost]

The mood I'm trying to set is one where you just wanna FLOOR the gas pedal when you hear the song.  The AC/DC song that the tune is closest to is Hard as a Rock.

Breaking down the opening, line by line, you might get the idea.



I turned it on.
I revved it hot!

I'm running it hard...and I just won't stop. (all together, no pause as in the previous line)

My 340 SCREAMS! (emphasis on screams)
My tires smoke!

I'm doing 90 miles an hour...down an open road! (road is streched out slightly)

Those lines are just accompanied by the drum beat.  After "road", the guitar and bass start.  The bass compliments the beat, but gives more variation, and the guitar holds the tune.


Somebody needs to invent some kinda mind reader device, so I could just record this.

The main problem, is that I don't have the chorus at all.  Neither the words, or the music that fits.

[Ghost]

BTW, I bookmarked those sites, Red.  Thanks.

[RedLine]

ok- so we can use that song to develop yours.   there are a some really good lead guitarists on the board to help us.

[TeeWJay426]

You're certainly ambitious Ghost, if not even a little  .... seriously, I admire that kind of creativity and desire. I CAN read music, have a little theory training behind me, have played the trombone since I was in grade school, and I STILL couldn't write my own song to save my........tail.

[Pistol Gripper]

I like the idea !!

How about we all write a verse or a few lines, just to see where everyone's heads are at?  I know I'm hearing a different song than you are, but here goes:

I've put faster cars behind me
So don't get in my way
It's a hide boilin Mopar
Not a Chevrolet

P.G.

[4Cruizn]

I think there is alot of different songs that the lyrics would work with and I can probably make something up that would sound good!! 

[RedLine]

PG -- your lines sound like the beginning of a chorus  or better yet  -- a bridge that goes straight into a wild solo -- maybe created by 4C.

This AC/DC song is basically 1-4-5 in key of E.  but its' reversed-  stats with the 5 chord-  B- (listen) which sets up some tension, cuz you want to here it resolve to E.
so maybe after that driving B chord in the verse -- the chorus (once our mopar 340 is crusing!) could drop to an E-A riff like zztop la grange.  then another verse in B-  (perhape about overtaking a non-mopar, tempting a race) then a bridge  (PG's lines) drop to A for a solo.   Eventually you got to come to a finish-  either "red stop light or red cop light".

[whitesatinmopar]

C'mon all you music guys, get together on this idea, great begining Ghost ! This could be c-c.c theme music/song that plays when we first sign in. I'd help out but usually when I play the radio it breaks, 

[Ghost]

Inspiration struck me at work today, and I managed to finish the basic part of the song.  The chorus is still MIA, however.

These are the next lines, after the intro.


I shifted to Fourth, then hammered it down
I'm living it up, I love that rumoblin sound!   (rumbling is spelled the way it has to be pronounced, here)

I'm on the highway to hell, I'm an outlaw who's free.
Get outta my way, because there's no stoppin me!


Then the chorus would start.  After the chorus, we'd have the music solo.  Then, the next lines.


I'm king of the road, the fastest there is.
Many people have tried, but they just couldn't match this.

Come on just try, try to catch me.
You can try all you want, but you will NEVER SUCCEED!


Then, the chorus again.  And, the finale.



Thoughts?