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GMC Forum _ PRACTICE ROOM _ Well
Posted by: CathShadow Aug 24 2009, 07:49 PM
Well, I've now had a guitar for nearly a year - I've learned a few things, but I'm not sure how much I've progressed.
Also, I have wanted to write some songs, and (well my best friend wants me to write a song for her... and I really wanna... I started... but I don't know how to progress) ; I also don't know how to go further in the styles I want..
funny thing is I have trouble learning theory so i can do more than I know if that makes sense?
:S
Anyway I'm a little stuck and dunno what to do... I REALLY wanna do well with my guitar and I wanna finish the 2 songs but I dunno how to go further 
Posted by: Pedja Simovic Aug 24 2009, 07:54 PM
How about you post a video or audio recording of your playing? It would definitely help to hear what you composed and how far you got with that original song before moving on.
Good news is things that you mentioned need work are doable and with right guidance I think you can easily write songs and improve. Question is, what style of music are you aiming for?
Posted by: Tolek Aug 24 2009, 07:55 PM
All I can recommend is to learn some theory. Here is a good site: http://www.musictheory.net/.
But if you like, you can upload your ideas and I can help you to finish the songs and to widen your wisdom. 
Posted by: Pedja Simovic Aug 24 2009, 07:58 PM
Nice link Tolek, I see you bookmarked it ! 
Posted by: CathShadow Aug 24 2009, 07:58 PM
Good news is things that you mentioned need work are doable and with right guidance I think you can easily write songs and improve. Question is, what style of music are you aiming for?
Hmmm ok, Will do: I'll get them up as soon as I can....
Well, the styles I like are Rock esp metal, but also the softer more classic style of guitar like brooke fraser or hillsong, or nelly furtado (in some songs)...
Posted by: Tolek Aug 24 2009, 08:04 PM
Hehe.
That site is really awesome! Sometimes, I use it in order to train my ear. It still works well. 
Posted by: audiopaal Aug 24 2009, 08:12 PM
Also, I have wanted to write some songs, and (well my best friend wants me to write a song for her... and I really wanna... I started... but I don't know how to progress) ; I also don't know how to go further in the styles I want..
funny thing is I have trouble learning theory so i can do more than I know if that makes sense?
:S
Anyway I'm a little stuck and dunno what to do... I REALLY wanna do well with my guitar and I wanna finish the 2 songs but I dunno how to go further
You sound like me
I know a lot more than I "know", because theory isn't really my thing
Although I've learned bits and pieces as of late..
My advice is to play stuff/songs you like (lessons you like also) and not be too caught up in what you "should" know/learn etc. This makes it more fun to play and you'll learn lots of new things along the way.
It will make you a better player also, and you can learn theory in between and not too much at a time!
Sooner than later you'll find that you know how to progress a song,
because you've played a lot of them
Posted by: CathShadow Aug 24 2009, 08:13 PM
The first File one (please scuse the mistakes (I always get nervous when I record))
Posted by: audiopaal Aug 24 2009, 08:15 PM
That's pretty good man!
I liked that! Is that an original composition?
Posted by: CathShadow Aug 24 2009, 08:21 PM
number 2:
Video_18.wmv ( 1.68MB )
: 98
I liked that! Is that an original composition?
Thanks!
Yeah it is but I got stuck there lol... I wanna make it go further
Posted by: Chokehold Aug 24 2009, 08:28 PM
That was great! You are a lot better then I were after only a year.
Posted by: CathShadow Aug 24 2009, 08:36 PM
Thank you... that's kind of you
Posted by: Praetorian Aug 24 2009, 09:11 PM
Nice job for 1 year!
Also, you should go ahead and marry your best friend! She wants you to write a song for her...and there is no better spouse than a best friend!
Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Aug 25 2009, 01:08 AM
Very good playing for 1 year man! Have you checked the "Where to start topic" in the theory board?
For the song in the first video you can go for a full chords strumming chorus instead of fingerpicking. That should make a nice contrast, just fiddle around with chords to find ones you like for the chorus part. You are on the right path with those songs! Will there be some singing over it?
Posted by: CathShadow Aug 25 2009, 06:29 AM
For the song in the first video you can go for a full chords strumming chorus instead of fingerpicking. That should make a nice contrast, just fiddle around with chords to find ones you like for the chorus part. You are on the right path with those songs! Will there be some singing over it?
Yeah I was thinking about some chords in the first one as well... I found one or two nice onces but I wanna play around with them...
Yeah there will
I want the song to tell her story you know?Also, you should go ahead and marry your best friend! She wants you to write a song for her...and there is no better spouse than a best friend!
Ah thanks... hehehe yeah I've heard the same!
Posted by: Pedja Simovic Aug 25 2009, 12:38 PM
Very cool videos for one year of playing. I will give you more suggestions via PM in next couple of days.
Posted by: CathShadow Aug 25 2009, 03:31 PM
That'd be great. Thanks!
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Aug 25 2009, 04:26 PM
Your main problem is not knowing chords and scales properly. But not to worry, you play excellent for 1 year of playing! It is pretty normal to not know theory out of the bloom.
For your second video (video 18) you used G D and Em chords. This would be the G major key (or E minor key, depends what note is the key note). In both ways, the chords that can be used are these, check them out:
G - Am - Bm - C - D - Em - F#dim
many of them can be found on the open position, Bm being the only one you must barre at the 2nd fret. You can skip the F#dim for now.
One more thing I noticed you are doing is you are using lots of notes outside of chords while fretting chords to create a melody while playing chordal shapes. All these little notes are actually from E minor scale that you can see bellow:
So try to fret some of the chords I mentioned above, and try to use the notes from this E minor scale you will see that all the notes match very nicely. Try to make a cool and simple chord progression and if you want to make a song for a girlfriend, good thing to remember that it doesn't have to be filled with chords, instead focus on creating a nice cool vocal line. Also lyrics are very important for girls, so try to be as honest as possible with your textand write about true emotions, and it will be cool.
If you want more advice let me know, I will be glad to help.
cheers
Ivan
Posted by: CathShadow Aug 25 2009, 07:03 PM
For your second video (video 18) you used G D and Em chords. This would be the G major key (or E minor key, depends what note is the key note). In both ways, the chords that can be used are these, check them out:
G - Am - Bm - C - D - Em - F#dim
many of them can be found on the open position, Bm being the only one you must barre at the 2nd fret. You can skip the F#dim for now.
One more thing I noticed you are doing is you are using lots of notes outside of chords while fretting chords to create a melody while playing chordal shapes. All these little notes are actually from E minor scale that you can see bellow:
So try to fret some of the chords I mentioned above, and try to use the notes from this E minor scale you will see that all the notes match very nicely. Try to make a cool and simple chord progression and if you want to make a song for a girlfriend, good thing to remember that it doesn't have to be filled with chords, instead focus on creating a nice cool vocal line. Also lyrics are very important for girls, so try to be as honest as possible with your textand write about true emotions, and it will be cool.
If you want more advice let me know, I will be glad to help.
cheers
Ivan
Cool... thanks for the insight and advice.. yeah admittedly scales/chord knowlege is where I struggle
Posted by: CathShadow Sep 7 2009, 02:13 PM
How's this for timing -> I finished at least the first revision of the lyrics and I come accross this:
http://brookefraser.com/blog/archives/249
http://brookefraser.com/blog/archives/260
Brooke Fraser (one of my favourite female artists/guitarists/songwriters) wrote it about song writing lol
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