For a guitar player, the challenge to write your own songs can certainly be an intriguing one – playing your own music on the instrument that you love. It can also be tremendously rewarding when you get it right.
Whatever it is that you have in mind when it comes to writing your own music on the guitar, you will find that it’s a wonderfully creative process. It will really encourage your ability to understand the rhythms and the sounds that you hear every day. Reading from a book when you learn the guitar can often make you feel robotic – you must obey the conventions and the details laid out in the book. If you write your own music, however, then you have all the freedom in the world.
Music, by definition, is meant to be free-flowing and creative – not just in the notes themselves but in creating emotional responses from the listener. There is no magic formula for songwriting, and that is one of the reasons why it is such an exciting process.
Despite the absence of the magic formula, there are a number of tips and techniques that you can learn in order to create your own music on the guitar:
· Think of a word such as, for example, ‘snow’. Now think of how you would represent snow musically on your guitar. Think of all the things that the word ‘snow’ means to you, and play that. You may start out with just a few notes and mistimed chords, but keep at it.
· Try some other words – ‘rain’ or ‘sadness’, for example – and try to create something which best represents those words in your own way. It doesn’t have to signify the same word to other people – music is best when it is objective. You’ll find that you will fuss around with the notes a bit, but eventually you will find a finger-picking motion that you like.
· If you are writing lyrics to go with your music, then there are two ways you can approach this: you can start out with the words and apply the music, or do the opposite: start with the music and fit the lyrics around that. What works for one person may not work for another, so experiment, try both and see one best fits your individual songwriting style.
If you’re still struggling, take a look at these more simplified steps:
· Find a chord that you are familiar playing (for example G or D) and experiment with it. Change some of the notes around and see what happens.
· Whilst you are doing this, leave one finger in the same place as you move others around to different strings.
· Now listen to the sound when you strum. Listen to the sound when you play individual notes.
· Now try the same again, but this time with a different chord, or even different notes.
· As soon as you hear something that you like, make sure you play it over and over again. This will commit it to memory.
· When you have this first series of notes in your head, you have the starting point for your song, and can build around it.
It’s all part of the creative process when you sing complete nonsense or the first things that come into your mind. Relaxing and enjoying it are probably the most important things to remember when it comes to songwriting on your guitar. Keep going – you’ll find that you will stumble upon a chord (or a variation) that you really like, or a lyric that fits perfectly. As soon as you do, make sure you write it down and build on it.
Another good tip is to get a friend to aid you. Some of the most beautiful and emotive songs in history were written as collaborations between two or more musicians. Not only that, but a friend who is particularly musically minded can give you some great impartial feedback on how you are doing.
Copyright 2009 Liam Gibson (Stage Guitarist)
