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Articles, music tips
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Guitar
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How's that
hit song coming along? Last
time, to refresh your memory, we kind of broke-the-ice
on the subject, and talked about some of the basic tools
that might come in handy for composing. I also shared
with you a personal preference for choosing a chord progression
as a starting point, and offered some hints regarding
logical choices for both the chords themselves and the
personality of the voicings. Let's continue our conversation
in the second of this three-part article.
Time Signature & Logical Structure
Time signatures. 4/4, 3/4, 6/8, 2/4, 12/8, 5/4, 7/4, cut
time, common time... Confused yet? Let me make life a
whole lot easier for you, the composer. About ninety percent
of what you hear on the radio and CDs is in 4/4 time,
also called common time. Simply put, it's four-beats-to-the-bar.
Now you can dwell, if you wish, on the likelihood of writing
originals in the other time signatures (which you will
do at some point), but I'd highly recommend that you follow
the conventional order to start. And speaking of conventional...
Structure and organization. Yes, these traits most certainly
exist in all successful compositions that you're likely
to hear. You'll do well to observe what they are and pattern
your song after a formula that your listeners are inclined
to be drawn to. Will this damage your chances of being
perceived as original? Well, if you alienate your audience
by veering from the normal time signatures and structures,
you may see yourself as original, but you probably won't
be successful.
Intro, verse, chorus, bridge, hook, etc. All building
blocks of an original song. Take some time to analyze
other tunes and you'll find that almost every progression
in any song section is divisible by four. Think about
it. Four-bar intros, eight-bar verse, chorus, or bridge.
Thirty-two, sixteen, or twelve-bar song lengths. On and
on. When you start to section-off your ideas, try as hard
as you can to make those sections conform to the accepted
standard. By doing so, you not only increase your chances
of success with this song, but pave the way for solid
songwriting in the future.
Dynamics & Harmonic Density
One of the most common mistakes that novice songwriters
make is in overlooking dynamics and what I like to call
the "harmonic density" factor when moving from verse to
chorus to bridge. You simply can't afford to bore your
listeners and not offer some surprises and diversity when
moving from one section of the song to another. If you're
clever, you'll hide a powerful chord and save it for an
upcoming section. It can be as simple and traditional
a device as using interplay between major and relative
minor (e.g. C & A minor in the key of C) to something
more complicated. Whatever you choose to do, the last
thing that you want is to have one section sound too close
harmonically to another. Another thing to keep in mind
is that, just like during an improvised solo, repetition
can be a highly dynamic tool for songwriting. But be sure
to confine your repetition within a section (especially
during the hook).
Another easy way to instill dynamics between sections
is by juggling the harmonic density. How? Easy. Generally
speaking, if your verse has a lot of density (chord changes
every two beats), make sure your chorus has less (every
four beats), or vice versa. This way you allow your song
to open up from time to time, and not become too constricted.
The Almighty Bass Line
So, bass players get no respect, eh? Well, make no mistake
about it. In an ensemble situation or composition, the
bass is often the singular most defining piece of the
pie. In even the most simple pop song scenario, the bass
is at least the very glue that holds everything together.
And if the song is in the dance, funk, blues, or jazz
genre, the harmonic makeup and syncopation of the bass
part is critical to the overall feel and personality of
the final product.
Most of my colleagues and students know how much I enjoy
the bass. My preference, strictly from a playing standpoint,
is performing in a situation where I can be spontaneously
creative (usually jazz-related). All of that takes a backseat
when I'm composing, however. In that context, all that
concerns me is being a team player and hitting a home
run with the bass part. That can be anything from composing
the funkiest line that I can imagine, the hippest jazz
walk that I can hear, or just holding a whole note for
four beats. Whatever works! Next time: more on bass, melodies,
etc.
About
the author
Mark Stefani is a jazz guitarist and eduactor in Portland
Oregon. He has written many books in the guitar educational
field. In 1987 his career was spotlighted in Guitar
Player Magazine where he was described as possessing
a 'versatile style on both electric and acoustic guitars'
in addition to having a 'master's touch'. For more
info and to contact Mark go to www.visionmusic.com |
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