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GMC Forum _ CHILL OUT _ Giving Song A Name.

Posted by: K1R May 20 2011, 01:27 PM

Every song should have a name. When the song is about war you know how to name it, when the song is about love you know how to name it too. But what if the song doesn't have any words? What if it is an instrumental composition? How would you name the song then?
I've wrote an instrumental composition and stuck with giving a name.. How do you approach naming songs?

Posted by: MonkeyDAthos May 20 2011, 02:11 PM

random names FTW!

but only can give u some if i hear it first q:

Posted by: Sollesnes May 20 2011, 02:13 PM

Depends. I usually name my compositions from the feelings I have when writing it or listening back to it. It all depends

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic May 20 2011, 02:42 PM

Dirty Deads Done Dirt Cheap was the name of third studio album and song on the same album of AC/DC. This song is very famous, but not many people know that Angus Young watched a cartoon when he was young and one of the characters was "Dishonest John" who had a business card that said "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Holidays, Sundays and Special Rates". So this is where the name came from, and people sing it all over the world.
So the point is: all people will perceive your composition and name differently, no matter how you name it. You name it as it suits you

Posted by: Daniel Realpe May 20 2011, 03:03 PM

I guess it depends on the purpose you have for the song.

Maybe you want a "cool" name, to catch the attention of your fellow music lovers like "From galaxies beyond Sirius" or "Into the incarnation of dallah" which just came off the top of my head,

or maybe you want a very scholar name like in the 1600's, "Prelude in Dm op.33" which doesn't evoke any feeling or extra musical idea, so it doesn't interfere with what you want to express with the music,

maybe you want to go for the situational kind like "The fall from the mountain"

or maybe a particular relationship like "Song for the lady in blue" "Piano notes for my uncle"

Posted by: Ben Higgins May 20 2011, 04:30 PM

Very good question. Jason Becker was always coming up with crazy names... Eleven Blue Egyptians, Mable's Fatal Fable.. things that had a hook but not necessarily a meaning.

When I'm playing or writing something it usually evokes images of something.. it could be a time of day or night, atmosphere.. on a mountain, in the woods.. or it could make you think of an emotion.. or an act.

Once the music has conjured up some mental pictures, I use that to arrive at a name