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Writing down your songs
| 30 Dec 98 - 10:45 AM | ||
| Bo | 30 Dec 98 - 12:27 PM | |
| Barbara Shaw | 30 Dec 98 - 12:29 PM | |
| Susan-Marie | 30 Dec 98 - 12:52 PM | |
| Bert | 30 Dec 98 - 01:06 PM | |
| alison | 30 Dec 98 - 06:35 PM | |
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Writing down your songs
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Subject: Writing down your songs From: Date: 30 Dec 98 - 10:45 AM Dear Mudcatters-- I've made my new year's resolution to get all my original songs WRITTEN DOWN in musical notation. (I've got the lyrics written down with chords, and I've memorized the melodies) HERE'S THE QUESTION-- How do YOU figure out time signatures and time values for the notes??? (pitch is no problem) Thanks in advance for any help you can offer! Vic |
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Subject: RE: Writing down your songs From: Bo Date: 30 Dec 98 - 12:27 PM I am the least accomplished musical notation fellow here but it occurs to me that the only way to really get your time signitures right is to brutishly accept an outside beat, say a metronome. Set the metronome to something that seems right start it running and see how the song works with the tempo. Somewhere you have to find an objective time source if you expect others to use it. A metronome will allow you to even watch the little hand and record full or partial beat. I think this is very hard for 'natural' writers to do because it involves making yourself (and your creation) responsible to the rest of the world at least as far as description. Bo |
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Subject: RE: Writing down your songs From: Barbara Shaw Date: 30 Dec 98 - 12:29 PM I use MusicTime Deluxe software, which lets me play back what I've entered. If it doesn't sound right, I keep changing it until it does. But I do start off with the right time signature (so far, always 3/4 or 4/4 for me). If you don't have software to do your music notation, try playing it from the music you've written, and if you don't read music, find someone else to play it. In fact, someone else playing it is the best bet, because you may just play it like you intend it to sound, rather than how you transcribed it. Good luck! Sounds like a good project. |
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Subject: RE: Writing down your songs From: Susan-Marie Date: 30 Dec 98 - 12:52 PM Here is a sure way to recognize me on an airplane: I am the woman tapping my finger against the meal tray, stopping every couple of beats to scribble something down. It looks wierd but it works for me. I hum the song to myself while beating a steady tempo and try to figure out the relative values for each note. I usually have to slow the song down a lot to figure out half beats. Once I have that, I mark the notes that have rhymthic emphasis and try to figure out the time signature and bar lines. Then I get someone to play it for me to see if it sounds right (now that I have SongWrite I can have the computer play it for me). It's a great way to spend a plane trip - if you're not the person sitting next to me..... |
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Subject: RE: Writing down your songs From: Bert Date: 30 Dec 98 - 01:06 PM I don't worry too much, I just sing it how it comes out but when I get stuck I'll try to dance to it. If I can waltz to it, then it's 3/4 time. Beware though, some songs don't keep the same time all the way through, which is OK if it works. Bert. |
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Subject: RE: Writing down your songs From: alison Date: 30 Dec 98 - 06:35 PM Hi, I like Bert's suggestion. If you can waltz to it.... it's 3/4....... and I'll add... If you can march to it... it's probably 4/4. and if you can jig around the room it's probably 6/8. slainte alison |
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