Music Banter - View Single Post - trying to learn basic music theory so i can become a songwriter....

mellofello · 06-08-2008, 08:40 PM

Use your major scale. Alot of songs are written with three major chords which correspond to the I, IV, V of the major scale. for instance in the key of C the chords would be C, F, G. and generally a song starts on I.

now the way I write songs is to get a melody in my head and try to use the I, IV, and V to fit the melody. Now if none of those chords work try VI. In this case A, you will find that it usually wants to be a minor chord in popular music.

so if C, F, G doesn't work try Am. if that isn't it try D which may be a 7, so D7. If you are just learning songwriting try to adjust the melody to fit within a few simple chords. Another good way to write songs when you are starting is to take a song you know. Write your own lyrics to it, and after you have done that change the melody. original lyrics + original melody = original song.

06-08-2008, 08:40 PM	#2 (permalink)
mellofello Groupie Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 9	chords Use your major scale. Alot of songs are written with three major chords which correspond to the I, IV, V of the major scale. for instance in the key of C the chords would be C, F, G. and generally a song starts on I. now the way I write songs is to get a melody in my head and try to use the I, IV, and V to fit the melody. Now if none of those chords work try VI. In this case A, you will find that it usually wants to be a minor chord in popular music. so if C, F, G doesn't work try Am. if that isn't it try D which may be a 7, so D7. If you are just learning songwriting try to adjust the melody to fit within a few simple chords. Another good way to write songs when you are starting is to take a song you know. Write your own lyrics to it, and after you have done that change the melody. original lyrics + original melody = original song.