Can anyone help me get started writing music?

[Demon]

Ive always wanted to write some music (not only bass) and make some songs. But does anyone know where to get started? What theory do i need etc? I was thinking of using Guitar Pro 5, and maybe planning on playing keyboard to later, which also could make musicwriting easier i figured. So how do i get started? What do i need to know to make it easier? Imean, making things up in your head isnt to hard, but getting it down on the instrument/guitar pro.

[Depth_Charge]

I have little music theory knowledge. I usually come up with the hook for a song then bash it out on the bass for a while.

I've only composed one song in front of GP5 without playing it first, but then I couldn't play it properly

I find to input my songs into GP5 I mainly rely on setting the correct tempo, correct note duration and knowing how to select changes to notes within the Graphic User Interface (stacatto, ghost, mute, dead notes etc).

I usually write up the bassline first, get it sounding about right, then assign a "click track", close my eyes and listen to it for potential drum lines.

You can always download GP5 tabs to see how other people tab it out. Some people are quite meticulous when "tabbing out" standard notation...other people like me just do whats needed to get by.

IMO the main limitation I have is lack of understanding of chords. I often find it difficult to assign more than a power chord to the guitar tracks I write, even when referring to chord charts I often still fall back to power chords when I would prefer not to ... so the more theory you know the easier you will mark out your songs in GP5 and the more choice you have over note and chord selection.

Another limitation is time. I often "lock" a song down to that option becasue doing it over another way is time consuming in GP5. But the results can be sometimes worth it.

Hope this huge post helps you a little. Feel free to PM with questions on GP5 I've used the software for a little while now...

[lemur821]

You only need as much theory as you have. More knowledge is better, but if you wait until you know "enough" then by the time you do know a lot of theory you won't have a clue what to do with it.

I'd say that you want to know at least enough to make observations about the style of music you want to write.

[BassChuck]

Think about all the notes you know. Now stop thinking about the ones that don't work for your music. Bingo.... there's your song.
In other words, you'll get better ideas from improvizing than from reading books about music.

[lemur821]

Originally Posted by BassChuck

Think about all the notes you know. Now stop thinking about the ones that don't work for your music. Bingo.... there's your song.
In other words, you'll get better ideas from improvizing than from reading books about music.

I wouldn't say that. Reading about a style can give you a framework in which to explore. It's a lot easier to push the limits when the limits are smaller.

[Headroom]

Originally Posted by lemur821

It's a lot easier to push the limits when the limits are smaller.

Exhibit A: The Blues.

[jsbass]

Everything is usually based off of a guitar riff. So, pickup a guitar and try to be creative to write riffs, and then add bass lines etc.

[Demon]

Originally Posted by lemur821

You only need as much theory as you have. More knowledge is better, but if you wait until you know "enough" then by the time you do know a lot of theory you won't have a clue what to do with it.

I'd say that you want to know at least enough to make observations about the style of music you want to write.

I already know what kinda music: Metal, and maybe even some darker themed orchestra music, you know, like Nox Arcana.
But anyway, i only have an acoustic, but maybe that will work.

[lemur821]

Originally Posted by Demon

I already know what kinda music: Metal, and maybe even some darker themed orchestra music, you know, like Nox Arcana.
But anyway, i only have an acoustic, but maybe that will work.

That's a good first step. Now learn a little theory so you can study it. That's what I'm talking about.

[Depth_Charge]

The acoustic should be alright for coming up with ideas and hashing them out.

[Demon]

Okay. Do you think a keyboard would be a good investment? (mostly for the orchestral thing, since it can copy alot of instruments etc).
And what would be a good website that really explains it for someone that pretty much knows jack about theory? Iknow all the notes, a,a#,b,c,c# etc, but not more

[Bassist4Life]

Originally Posted by Demon

Okay. Do you think a keyboard would be a good investment? (mostly for the orchestral thing, since it can copy alot of instruments etc).
And what would be a good website that really explains it for someone that pretty much knows jack about theory? Iknow all the notes, a,a#,b,c,c# etc, but not more

http://www.musictheory.net

You don't NEED music theory to write a song. If you need to write out parts for other musicians, then you'll need to have a strong background in theory and orchestration.

The stuff you'll want to put on paper will probably be a lot more advanced than you're notation skills. If this is something you want to do in the short term, maybe you can get a friend to transcribe your parts for you. I've heard that people get paid big bucks to do transcriptions.

Joe

[Demon]

THanks guys! Very helpful as always. Ive decided im gonna write dark sounding "classical music"(if thats what its called) / Dark ambient, you know "evil" sounding.
With that i dont mean sad music.
Really enjoy that stuff (and metal), but this seems to be more fun writing than metal at the moment. Maybe ill mix em both=) So i dont need theory atm? Thats great. But as you said, ill probably have to learn it if i ever want other people to play it If that ever happens.

Are there any programs that can help?

Next investment will most likely be a keyboard since this music probably wont have any guitar, if any, very little, and keyboards can imitate many instruments (atleast synths?).
Btw, what do you call the music played by big symphonic orchestras? Is it called classical or something else?

[VanillaO]

Whenever I'm plum out of good ideas for the day on the electric boys, I whip out the acoustic and just fiddle, fingering patterns, different notes, etc. This is also partially due to a project I'm working on with a close friend, but it's also nice to just get away from it and try to expand and think up different methods when all of my lines and riffs start sounding too familiar to one I've already written.