writing songs

[12fret]

I want to make up my own songs to play and not other peoples the whole time. How do you do it. I know you have to play in the same key but what chords are in what key???
O yea, these forums are great! Can someone starting posting more of them> come on now, I have two in a row.

[Werner]

You can find out what chords in a key are by this formula:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
M m m M M m d

The M is major and m is minor and d is diminished.
You can also find it out by finding the circle of fifths which shows what chords are in a key.

[I_cant_play]

One thing that's a bit more complicated is the chords in a minor key because there you need to use 3 minor scales to build the chords. When making songs people often switch from one scale to another. The 3 scales are Minor scale, harmonic minor and melodic minor. Each of these have a pattern like the major scale pattern Werner wrote out. I can't seem to remember the patterns but here's a great site for the kinda stuff you need.

http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~desmith/guitar/chords/chords.htm

hope that helps:D

[smfulla]

well technically you don't have to stay in key =]
A really nice chord progression is Cmaj7 Bbmaj7 Abmaj7 Dbmaj7

[svenkabob]

with the major 7ths, it is voiced slightly off, but those roots are the first four in Ab major...

--steve

[kai_subfusc]

how about you try writing songs starting with the 3 chord theory...(i iv v)
which means let's say in A it would be i:A iv:D v:E
then u can add a relative minor(vi) which in this eg wuld be an F#m
these four chords should go really wel with other and works all the time.. if you wanna create a simple song try this... enjoy writing..


M m m M M m d
that isnt always the case is it? i came across some songs which have both like say Am and A inside... so how are we going to determine the key ?
i think its more of how the progression sounds like? hmm..dunno

[kai_subfusc]

argh...screw..
the above is iv: D
smilie came out instead...

[svenkabob]

that isnt always the case is it? i came across some songs which have both like say Am and A inside... so how are we going to determine the key ?

True, you don't always have to stay in a key. For example, some songs used the idea of stacked 4ths. One progression I know using this is Dm,G,C,F,Bb,E. This just takes a chord, then you its perfect fourth, then the next perfect fourth, etc... (altho its vcaries at the end, Bb perfect fourth is Eb).

--steve

[kai_subfusc]

hmm..okae..
how does the melody work that way?
and lets say theres such a progression, how do i form licks or solo over? :confused:

[svenkabob]

that, my friend, is a good question, but one I am unable to answer, as I am but a lowly rhythm guitarist, a la Guitar George in the Sultans of Swing...

--steve

[kai_subfusc]

hmm..does rhythm = lowly.. ? i dun think so..:)
aniwayzx..why is onli the D a minor? why not major?

[svenkabob]

i don't know, there's another minor (Am) later in the song, but there's also a an A major. It must just be the sound they were lookign for. I like it, at least.

--steve

[bogaerts]

First, learn the number system (you can find it on most guitar sites). Then, I would start with some simple melodies built around the I,IV, and V, then see what a II sounds like and move on to some ballad type songs which would introduce the III and VI idea. Even if the style of music is not what you would normally listen to, it would still get you coming up with some melodies and lyrics of your own.