What do you need to start creating music?
By Janez Janežič
Have you learned to play guitar or any other musical instrument recently?
You probably wanted to learn to play an instrument because you wanted to play actual music either by improvising, playing other songs or composing it. Does that sound like you? Keep reading.
But how can you get from just owning an acoustic guitar to enjoying listening back to your own music and sharing it with your friends and fans?
To all beginners this may seem like a big mystery, but in this article I will try to introduce some of the aspects of creating music right from the comfort of your own room. I will briefly describe to you three different approaches to writing down and recording your musical ideas, which I regularly use in my own songwriting.
Hopefully it gives you a general idea of how to get started and maybe inspire you to start creating new music right away. Let’s get started.
A piece of paper and a pencil
The oldest possible way to write music is to actually write it on a piece of paper. This is a great tool for singer-songwriters, rock and pop musicians, who just want to grab a guitar and play their songs anywhere at any time, and maybe later go to the professional recording studio and make a record.
On paper you can write down your lyrics, add chords to them or use any kind of diagrams and sketches, just so you remember what you came up with. Then it is up to you to learn the parts, play them and maybe record them later.
Of course, you can also use standard notation or tablature if you want to write music that is a bit more sophisticated.
The goal of this procedure is usually just to remember your musical ideas and be able to communicate them to other musicians, who can either play with you or instead of you on concerts or recordings.
Pros
● You can do it literally anywhere,
● It’s free except for the paper and pencil,
● Can be very simple if you only write chords and lyrics,
● It’s fast: you don’t need to start your computer and open any kind of software to do it.
Cons
● If you want to write more complex music, it may require you to have a lot more musical knowledge,
● You still need to learn the parts on your instruments first, or have someone else do so, just to hear what you’ve written.
Music writing software
Writing music on your computer can save you many headaches. On a computer, you can write entire arrangements and parts for instruments that you don’t even know how to play or have limited knowledge of. It lets you write music which might be technically more advanced than you currently are. But that also pushes you to work harder and develop a better technique that will enable you to play your compositions.
In order to use this procedure and be productive, the knowledge of writing music notation and tablatures will be necessary. You will also need a computer for this (obviously), which may not always be an option for you if you are on the go. You do have apps for smartphones that will do the same thing for you on the go, but it can be frustrating to get anything done this way. As you might know, inspiration comes and goes, and speed is your ally when writing music.
However, once you have everything written down, it’s very easy to listen to it and make corrections on the go. If you want to go for more complex music, using a music writing software may be the best choice for you.
There is only one obstacle: expression.
Yes, you can write some phrasing elements like vibrato, slides and dynamics... but what you will hear from Guitar Pro will never sound anything like an actual recording good guitarists can create. So keep that in mind when you listen back to what you’ve written and try to imagine how it would sound recorded by an actual musician.
Pros
● You can listen back to your creations,
● It’s easy to make corrections and improvements,
● You can write any instrument you want in any way you want,
● It’s very easy to share the files with anyone once they are written.
Cons
● You need to have a computer by your side, which is not always an option,
● You will need a composition software, which may cost you a bit, but there are some free options like MuseScore,
● Requires the knowledge of writing musical notation or tablature.
Recording
Recording your musical ideas is the fastest way to remember them and use them in actual music. While it does not require any notation/tablature writing knowledge, it does require you to know how to play the parts and possess a lot of aural skills. You will need to actually play the music and you will need to play things you hear in your head on your instrument. But don’t let that stop you, start anyway and get better along the way.
Start with your phone.
Do you hear a new idea in your head? Sing it into your phone and record it. You will be able to do this anywhere you take your phone. Then, when you come home, you will be able to listen to it again, learn it, improve it and use it. Phone recorder is a life saver for any instant inspiration.
For writing entire songs, you might want to use some kind of Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software on your computer. These let you add more tracks, add digital instruments, copy and paste your parts (which may be very useful in the early stages of songwriting) and add effects.
The main advantage of this procedure is that you can already shape the final form of the song, which is very satisfying. You may even produce final demos for your band’s new album this way.
Of course, this approach does require some hardware. The first things that you would want to own are: an audio interface (for beginners USB audio interface would be the best), a microphone and some headphones. Don’t go too far with buying expensive equipment if you’re just starting out. Usually, audio interfaces already come in bundles with microphones, headphones and even DAWs, which will enable you to start your recording straight away.
You will need to learn to use the software though, but this can be overcome quickly, due to many tutorials available on the internet.
Apart from only recording the ideas, you can also use MIDI to write any instrument you want. And it’s easier to write MIDI than standard notation, once you get the hang of it.
You can also add beats and samples that were previously recorded, to help you realize your musical ideas and spice them up. The possibilities are limitless.
This is so far my own favorite writing procedure because I can make my songs sound good instantly and share them with my band members and our producer. The main downside to this approach is that all the parts need to be relearned by ear if they are forgotten, because usually nothing is written down in tablature or chord charts during the process.
Pros
● You can listen back to your creations,
● Apart from notes and chords, the expression can be captured as well,
● Paints the whole picture of what you wanted to write,
● You can create great sounding demos or even final records for publishing,
● Faster than writing notation.
Cons
● The most expensive option,
● The most complex option to set up,
● You mostly need to have a computer by your side, which is not always an option,
● Requires the knowledge of recording and mixing,
● You need to use ears to relearn the parts if you forget them.
Final notes
Now that you are more familiar with these three different procedures of writing music, may I suggest that you try to learn all three of them as they usually complement one another. Creating one song may take many steps and many different approaches. If you ever get stuck on a song using a single approach, try to change it and inspire yourself in different ways.
For example, here’s a process I used in one of my compositions:
I once had a crazy idea on how to generate an original rhythmical idea. I’ve written it down on a piece of paper.
Then I learned it on guitar and added some simple power chords. It sounded awesome.
Then I used the Guitar pro to write it down, add a bass track and drums.
I then presented the song to the band at rehearsals, where we learned it, practiced it and made some arrangement corrections.
Later we recorded the idea again on the computer and shaped it into a great sounding demo. I’ve also improvised a guitar solo on top of that.
I transcribed the guitar solo back again in Guitar Pro, where I improved and completed it. I then learned the solo again and practiced it for a while, so that I was able to record it again later.
Now go out and learn. Try different approaches, combine them, create your own creative process. Do not wait on the inspiration to come all by itself, because that way it probably won’t come at all.
Also, be sure to keep improving yourself as a musician. That way you can always be inspired by new concepts you learn. Find yourself a great music teacher that can inspire you and teach you how to be more creative on your instrument. This is proven to be the easiest and fastest way for people to finally be able to express themselves like they always wanted.
I wish you the best of luck, young songwriter!
About the author
Janez Janežič is a creative guitarist, songwriter and guitar teacher from Slovenia. If you are interested in learning from him in person about how to express yourself with your guitar and be creative, be sure to apply for his lessons: Dream Music – Šola kitare v okolici Novega mesta.