So after a lot of practicing, I finally managed to learn the tabbed version of 'Wake Me Up When September Ends' by Green Day and I am actually proud of what I managed to achieve.
The song has been one of my favourites ever since I heard it way back in about 2003, maybe 2004 because of the deep and meaningful lyrics. I don't think that many understand the true meaning behind the song so therefore instead result to mockery by using the song title every time October 1st comes around.
Billie Joe Armstrong, lead singer of Green Day wrote the song in memorial to his father who past away when Billie was 10 years old. Out of all the songs from the album American Idiot (which is a great album in itself), it is seen to be the most detached to the overall story and message of the album because of the deep and personal feelings involved. I think it's one of the most poignant songs in modern day about emotions and feelings and will forever be remembered.
So enough sadness on onto a bit of a happier note. Here is my acoustic cover of the song! (I will put the tab I used in my bibliography incase you want to have a gander and try for yourself).
Obviously I couldn't do the distortion or the reverb that is in the song as I only have an acoustic guitar however that is something that I'd like to do. If I was to do this again, I would definitely like to record this on an actual electric guitar (amp and all) because it would give it that authentic feel to it (even though my acoustic is my own take on it). If an electric guitar is not available then the next best thing would be a music program (like Audacity) where I could add effects instead. Not only would this be good, but it would give me a better understanding of the different effects and how they affect sound, but also, it would improve my knowledge about how to use the program.
For my next challenge...well I have no idea actually! Whatever it might be, I think I'll give my finger tips a bit of a rest. Plucking strings tends to leave painful imprints, especially when you practice for long periods of time.
Until next time!
Saturday, 15 November 2014
Friday, 14 November 2014
Songwriting & Tab writing 101
So what makes a good song nowadays? Is it that is has to be about love and heartbreak? Or maybe about society? Or maybe just a song about being 'All about that bass'.
There are 'six types of songs that shaped human nature - friendship, joy, comfort, knowledge, religion and love songs' (Levitin, 2008, pg. 7) and it's hard to argue against that. Even though there are songs that exist that do no immediately fit into that category it's maybe that they are just a sub-catergory of these 6 fundamental song 'topics'. Also, just because there are six categories, it doesn't mean that a piece of music can't fit into more than one. For example, the song 'Fix you' by Coldplay is a song that everyone is familiar with. When first hearing it, you could easily class it as a love song however the song was originally written for his ex wife as a result of her father passing away. Therefore, the song also fits into the category of comfort and also friendship, showing the diversity and complexity of how songs fit into a category.
So how does this relate to me? Well my previous post was about my writing and recording my first song so I thought it would be nice to share my thought process to help inspire others our there that may want to follow the same route as I've started on!
I stated that my song 'Home' was partially inspired by a dream that I had but also - like most modern day 'love songs' about my past relationship.
The hardest thing to do I think is how to start writing? Those first few words that you put down help shape the rest of the song, whether you know it or not.
As I had a bit of trouble with this, although a had an idea of what to write about, I decided to listen to a bit of music as a kind of musical catalyst. As I shuffled songs, the first song that came on was 'Budapest' by George Ezra. If you haven't listened to him before, I urge you to! He has a soul/blues vibe with a voice that is rich and almost sounds unusual because of the fact that he sounds older than he is. This kinda of almost blues/folk song inspired the song I wrote in the fact that the guitar finger picking is similar and so is the way I sung the song.
When it came to the lyrics, I found that a rhyming dictionary really helped! Of course sometimes it was obvious what to put that, a) rhymed and b) made sense, however other times, I was stuck and the dictionary helped. Also, I found that I was writing, the song didn't need to rhyme all the time in the ABAB style that songs usually follow. For example, in the first verse, I chose to rhyme both parts of the 'B line' then rhyme that with the 2nd B line (eyes, deny, mine...technically 'soft rhymes'). In the second verse however, the only use of rhyme is in the in the first A line (grey, days).
Writing in this unorthodox style has definitely helped to broaden my writing style because it's obvious from just only one song so far, that breaking tradition can be a good thing.
The chorus is the second hardest thing to do (after starting a song) because it is the thing that people remember if they remember the song at all (which has something to do with the fact that its repeated so many times). Therefore, to create a memorable and simple chorus was something I also struggled with. At first, I came up with one line that I repeated twice (which ended up just being the second line of the chorus) however as I got to the end of the song, I found that singing the same line 8 times became a bit monotonous. I think I was just messing around and came up with the words:
'to remind me, who I am'
Not only did this fit in the song, it made sense and I thought it was quite poetic (and yes, when I found out it fit into the song, I was smiling like the Joker).
(Capo on the 3rd fret - everything is relative to the capo, don't worry)
(Don't ask why the tabs stick out at the side, technology's fault, not mine)
This is what I came up for both the introduction and for the verses. It's a simple melody that may look complicated at first but it really isn't. It is basically a G and a C chord finger from the root note and the 2 strings immediately below. When I first came up with this, I liked it as it had a folky undertone that I thought fitted well with the song.
The next piece was that I had to tab out to fit in with the song was the pre-chorus. I wanted the pre-chorus to be a light melody to fit in with the happy tone of the tone. Again, it looks difficult but is such a D chord into a C chord.
This is the tab for the chorus which is probably the hardest and also the simplest of all of the 4 tabbed pieces that create the song. It is basically 4 chords however its simple as long as you keep your ring finger on the 2nd string, 3rd fret. After that, it's just a case of using both your index and middle finger on the 6th and 5th string on the 3rd and 2nd frets. You should find that you go in a box pattern, which isn't difficult at all.
This is the final piece of tab that is used in the song as is the riff after the chorus for the first time and finally at the end before ending on a G chord. It's a simple G chord anyway however all you're doing is taking your middle finger off the 2nd string, 3rd fret when playing the chord for the second time, then putting it back on again and the pattern repeats. What inspired this riff was the Acoustic version of 'Sex' by The 1975 that I did, where a similar style was used for the C chord.
So there you have it, an insight into my first song. When you break it down, it isn't as scary as it seems. Coming up with the first line of a song means you're on your way, to finishing it. Once you start, your brain is flooded with all these ideas on the song and it's your job as the songwriter to eliminate all the rubbish ideas, and save the best ones to jot down. Remember, a great song isn't thought up and written within an hour. Take your time, it's your song after all!
There are 'six types of songs that shaped human nature - friendship, joy, comfort, knowledge, religion and love songs' (Levitin, 2008, pg. 7) and it's hard to argue against that. Even though there are songs that exist that do no immediately fit into that category it's maybe that they are just a sub-catergory of these 6 fundamental song 'topics'. Also, just because there are six categories, it doesn't mean that a piece of music can't fit into more than one. For example, the song 'Fix you' by Coldplay is a song that everyone is familiar with. When first hearing it, you could easily class it as a love song however the song was originally written for his ex wife as a result of her father passing away. Therefore, the song also fits into the category of comfort and also friendship, showing the diversity and complexity of how songs fit into a category.
So how does this relate to me? Well my previous post was about my writing and recording my first song so I thought it would be nice to share my thought process to help inspire others our there that may want to follow the same route as I've started on!
I stated that my song 'Home' was partially inspired by a dream that I had but also - like most modern day 'love songs' about my past relationship.
The hardest thing to do I think is how to start writing? Those first few words that you put down help shape the rest of the song, whether you know it or not.
As I had a bit of trouble with this, although a had an idea of what to write about, I decided to listen to a bit of music as a kind of musical catalyst. As I shuffled songs, the first song that came on was 'Budapest' by George Ezra. If you haven't listened to him before, I urge you to! He has a soul/blues vibe with a voice that is rich and almost sounds unusual because of the fact that he sounds older than he is. This kinda of almost blues/folk song inspired the song I wrote in the fact that the guitar finger picking is similar and so is the way I sung the song.
When it came to the lyrics, I found that a rhyming dictionary really helped! Of course sometimes it was obvious what to put that, a) rhymed and b) made sense, however other times, I was stuck and the dictionary helped. Also, I found that I was writing, the song didn't need to rhyme all the time in the ABAB style that songs usually follow. For example, in the first verse, I chose to rhyme both parts of the 'B line' then rhyme that with the 2nd B line (eyes, deny, mine...technically 'soft rhymes'). In the second verse however, the only use of rhyme is in the in the first A line (grey, days).
Writing in this unorthodox style has definitely helped to broaden my writing style because it's obvious from just only one song so far, that breaking tradition can be a good thing.
The chorus is the second hardest thing to do (after starting a song) because it is the thing that people remember if they remember the song at all (which has something to do with the fact that its repeated so many times). Therefore, to create a memorable and simple chorus was something I also struggled with. At first, I came up with one line that I repeated twice (which ended up just being the second line of the chorus) however as I got to the end of the song, I found that singing the same line 8 times became a bit monotonous. I think I was just messing around and came up with the words:
'to remind me, who I am'
Not only did this fit in the song, it made sense and I thought it was quite poetic (and yes, when I found out it fit into the song, I was smiling like the Joker).
(Capo on the 3rd fret - everything is relative to the capo, don't worry)
This is what I came up for both the introduction and for the verses. It's a simple melody that may look complicated at first but it really isn't. It is basically a G and a C chord finger from the root note and the 2 strings immediately below. When I first came up with this, I liked it as it had a folky undertone that I thought fitted well with the song.
The next piece was that I had to tab out to fit in with the song was the pre-chorus. I wanted the pre-chorus to be a light melody to fit in with the happy tone of the tone. Again, it looks difficult but is such a D chord into a C chord.
This is the tab for the chorus which is probably the hardest and also the simplest of all of the 4 tabbed pieces that create the song. It is basically 4 chords however its simple as long as you keep your ring finger on the 2nd string, 3rd fret. After that, it's just a case of using both your index and middle finger on the 6th and 5th string on the 3rd and 2nd frets. You should find that you go in a box pattern, which isn't difficult at all.
This is the final piece of tab that is used in the song as is the riff after the chorus for the first time and finally at the end before ending on a G chord. It's a simple G chord anyway however all you're doing is taking your middle finger off the 2nd string, 3rd fret when playing the chord for the second time, then putting it back on again and the pattern repeats. What inspired this riff was the Acoustic version of 'Sex' by The 1975 that I did, where a similar style was used for the C chord.
So there you have it, an insight into my first song. When you break it down, it isn't as scary as it seems. Coming up with the first line of a song means you're on your way, to finishing it. Once you start, your brain is flooded with all these ideas on the song and it's your job as the songwriter to eliminate all the rubbish ideas, and save the best ones to jot down. Remember, a great song isn't thought up and written within an hour. Take your time, it's your song after all!
Sunday, 9 November 2014
My First Song!
So my last post was about my delving into the world of songwriting and ultimately encountering writers block on the way. I am pleased to announce that I overcame that particular obstacle and managed to both finish my song and record it!
I am actually quite proud of what I managed to create (I mean who wouldn't be) and it was actually a fun process which id like to recreate more (who knows, could have an EP out on iTunes very soon)
Without further ado, here it is, the first song I've ever written: "Home" (lyrics below)
I walked in and she was standing there, golden hair glistening in the sun,
With pretty eyes, I couldn't deny.
And when she smile it warmed my heart, that burning feeling deep inside,
I wanted her to be mine.
Every time I think of her it puts a smile on my face.
Well maybe I should tell her how I feel, just in case.
I love her, I need her, to remind me, who I am.
I love her, I need her to guide me, home.
My world was all black and grey, a blank canvas no sunny days.
But then she came into my life.
A perfect muse all full of colour, brightened up my life forever,
No dark days, ever again.
Every time I think of her it puts a smile on my face.
Well maybe I should tell her how I feel, just in case.
I love her, I need her, to remind me, who I am.
I love her, I need her to guide me, home. (x2)
So there you have it. The guitar playing was inspired by George Ezra and I think you can sort of hear it in the 'folky' stye that I've tried to reproduce.
The main inspiration for the song was actually a dream that I had where I was on a train and I met this girl who was sitting by a window and the sunlight was hitting her at an angle and long story short, the cliched meet, fall in love, spend the rest of our life together. (bizarre I know but not my weirdest dream)
I will in a separate post write up with pictures the guitar parts (such as the chords and the finger picking style in case anyone wants to have a go, haha)
Now I just have to find inspiration for my next song...why is my room so boring?
I am actually quite proud of what I managed to create (I mean who wouldn't be) and it was actually a fun process which id like to recreate more (who knows, could have an EP out on iTunes very soon)
Without further ado, here it is, the first song I've ever written: "Home" (lyrics below)
I walked in and she was standing there, golden hair glistening in the sun,
With pretty eyes, I couldn't deny.
And when she smile it warmed my heart, that burning feeling deep inside,
I wanted her to be mine.
Every time I think of her it puts a smile on my face.
Well maybe I should tell her how I feel, just in case.
I love her, I need her, to remind me, who I am.
I love her, I need her to guide me, home.
My world was all black and grey, a blank canvas no sunny days.
But then she came into my life.
A perfect muse all full of colour, brightened up my life forever,
No dark days, ever again.
Every time I think of her it puts a smile on my face.
Well maybe I should tell her how I feel, just in case.
I love her, I need her, to remind me, who I am.
I love her, I need her to guide me, home. (x2)
So there you have it. The guitar playing was inspired by George Ezra and I think you can sort of hear it in the 'folky' stye that I've tried to reproduce.
The main inspiration for the song was actually a dream that I had where I was on a train and I met this girl who was sitting by a window and the sunlight was hitting her at an angle and long story short, the cliched meet, fall in love, spend the rest of our life together. (bizarre I know but not my weirdest dream)
I will in a separate post write up with pictures the guitar parts (such as the chords and the finger picking style in case anyone wants to have a go, haha)
Now I just have to find inspiration for my next song...why is my room so boring?
Monday, 3 November 2014
Songwriting (And Writers Block)
In today's music industry, there are some performers who have their material written for them (some artists even pay to say that they co-wrote it which I think is dishonest) and there are performers who write their own material with occasional help from other writers.
Being a songwriter I think is one of the hardest things to do in the music industry. Not only does it require you to think of something totally unique and different, it has to draw out the power of emotion using only the words. In it's simplest form, songs are just poetry to music and it's amazing how the use of words in a certain way can have such a great impact on someone.
One of my favourite songwriters (and I assume many agree with me) is Ed Sheeran. I think he is a very talented songwriter who is able to recreate any feelings or emotions just by the way he writes his songs. He wrote every song on both of his albums '+' and 'X' (and some with a little help from other known artists such as Pharrell Wiliams for 'Sing' and Gary Lightbody & Rudimental for 'Bloodstream')
Here are some of the examples of Sheeran's writing that I am constantly amazed at, no matter how many times I listen to them:
Just some of the examples that prove that Ed Sheeran definitely is a talented singer and songwriter!
So I guess it's my time to prove that I can do the same (maybe not as well as him yet, but in time). I have already got some ideas of what I want to write about and have started to write. Things are slowly taking off and fitting together like a puzzle. I'm finding it an enjoyable/frustrating thing to do but soon I'll have my first song ever. Unfortunately, I have writers block which is the equivalence of having a broken limb if you're an athlete (okay, well maybe I'm being overdramatic).
Maybe I'll just listen to a bit of Ed to give me inspiration!
Being a songwriter I think is one of the hardest things to do in the music industry. Not only does it require you to think of something totally unique and different, it has to draw out the power of emotion using only the words. In it's simplest form, songs are just poetry to music and it's amazing how the use of words in a certain way can have such a great impact on someone.
One of my favourite songwriters (and I assume many agree with me) is Ed Sheeran. I think he is a very talented songwriter who is able to recreate any feelings or emotions just by the way he writes his songs. He wrote every song on both of his albums '+' and 'X' (and some with a little help from other known artists such as Pharrell Wiliams for 'Sing' and Gary Lightbody & Rudimental for 'Bloodstream')
Here are some of the examples of Sheeran's writing that I am constantly amazed at, no matter how many times I listen to them:
- " I don't get waves of missing you anymore, they're more like tsunami tides in my eyes" - U.N.I
- " I'm falling for your eyes but they don't know me yet?" - Kiss Me
- " When we're resembling cutlery on the sofa" - Sofa
- " Put your open lips on mine and slowly let them shut, for they're designed to be together" - Afire Love
- " I've been looking for a lover, thought I'd find her in a bottle" - Bloodstream
Just some of the examples that prove that Ed Sheeran definitely is a talented singer and songwriter!
So I guess it's my time to prove that I can do the same (maybe not as well as him yet, but in time). I have already got some ideas of what I want to write about and have started to write. Things are slowly taking off and fitting together like a puzzle. I'm finding it an enjoyable/frustrating thing to do but soon I'll have my first song ever. Unfortunately, I have writers block which is the equivalence of having a broken limb if you're an athlete (okay, well maybe I'm being overdramatic).
Maybe I'll just listen to a bit of Ed to give me inspiration!
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