The word “songwriting” includes the word “writing”.
Let’s take a look at that skill, that is, of writing.
Think of one of your favorite songs that you didn’t compose. Pick one that you feel you have the most theoretical knowledge of.
If you were required to be in a room with no piano, guitar or internet/computer/printer access and told to “write down” that song, could you do it?
If you are a little iffy on your abilities to document this favorite song, pick a different song, maybe a folk song from your childhood. Make it easy and try again. Can you accurately write it down?
What would your final product look like?
Would you use manuscript paper? Pencil? Pen?
How neat will it look?
If you use manuscript paper, would your product resemble a three stave vocal/piano rendition, similar to sheet music?
Would it look like a lead sheet with a melody line, lyrics under the notes, and chord names above the notes?
Would you have a hard time documenting the song without a piano, guitar, or electric technology as a reference tool to find melody notes and chords?
OK. Enough with hypotheticals. Try doing this for real.
How did you do?
We’ll explore your answers and what they reveal in the next post: Songwriter’s Notebook – First Answers.
Let’s take a look at that skill, that is, of writing.
Think of one of your favorite songs that you didn’t compose. Pick one that you feel you have the most theoretical knowledge of.
If you were required to be in a room with no piano, guitar or internet/computer/printer access and told to “write down” that song, could you do it?
If you are a little iffy on your abilities to document this favorite song, pick a different song, maybe a folk song from your childhood. Make it easy and try again. Can you accurately write it down?
What would your final product look like?
Would you use manuscript paper? Pencil? Pen?
How neat will it look?
If you use manuscript paper, would your product resemble a three stave vocal/piano rendition, similar to sheet music?
Would it look like a lead sheet with a melody line, lyrics under the notes, and chord names above the notes?
Would you have a hard time documenting the song without a piano, guitar, or electric technology as a reference tool to find melody notes and chords?
OK. Enough with hypotheticals. Try doing this for real.
How did you do?
We’ll explore your answers and what they reveal in the next post: Songwriter’s Notebook – First Answers.
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