Write Something Sad

Sometimes writing something sad can make you feel really good! Sometimes writing something sad can make you feel more sad, but in a good way.

How do you write something sad? Sometimes it's about the way you play.

Here is a list of suggestions:
1. Slow tempo
2. Play in a way that is heavy, relaxed
3. Pick a minor key
4. Keep it sparse and simple
5. Melodies with long notes and gentle transitions might work better than staccato or jagged melodies
6. A slow bend up to a note can sound sad sometimes
7. Sliding up or down to a note in your melody can sound tired in a sad way sometimes

This is extremely open ended. You could write a chord progression or a whole song. It could be an instrumental ballad or a single, solitary melody played to some slow acoustic chords. Whatever you do, if your creation feels sad, submit what you've written to the community forum and we'll all have a listen. If you tried to make something sad and you're not sure you've nailed it, submit it anyway! Maybe the community will have some more technical suggestions for how to make it sound sad!

If you're stuck on how to do this, keep in mind that your body language and the way you play will often translate more than what notes you play. So it might help to imagine how it feels to be sad and see how your body feels. Or if you're already feeling sad, pour that into the guitar and see what happens.

Yes, music theory is important, but ultimately music is about expressing yourself. The suggestions above will help, but trying to translate how your body feels when you're sad into playing the guitar can take some practice!

The idea here is to experiment, explore and have fun.

Read More

Write something in a Major Key

Submit your creations to the community forum. These don't have to be perfect songs. They could be a rough sketch you spent five minutes tinkering with, then recorded on your cellphone. It could be something you hum while you strum. You're welcome to go all out with drums, bass, and keys using fancy recording software, but you never have to!

This one is pretty straightforward, but here are some ways to approach it:

Beginner: Write a simple three, four, or five chord progression using only chords from a Major Key. If you need a refresher, check out the first lesson of Music Theory Monday for a reminder on how chords in a key word - then check out lesson 3 on 7th chords if you want to get slightly fancier.

For example:

Triads in the key of D Major: D Em F#m G A Bm C#dim
7th chords in the key of D Major: Dma7 Em7 F#m7 Gmaj7 A7 Bm7 C#half dim

A chord progression in D Major might like like: D D Em A D D Bm G

Intermediate: Write two chord progressions that complement each other using chords from a major key. Something like verse and chorus. If you like, write a melody over the top.

Advanced: Write a whole song or set of sections with melody, bass, rhythm - just make sure you're in a Major Key! Secondary Dominants are allowed and I would accept some modal chord borrowing (like a mixo bVII) or even some sneaky blues stuff.

Please be prepared to explain how and why your creation is in a major key, as well as any other quirks about your creation! Part of the goal here is for you to participate within your current understanding of music theory. Writing CERTAINLY doesn't need to be this way all the time, but these challenges are supposed to help you apply what you're learning, so it's best to set out to write within your ability to explain.

Make sure you're submitting something you've written based on your interpretation of this assignment. The goal is to write something new, not to submit something you've already written.

Read More

Write A Melody On One String

This week's challenge is: Write a melody on one string

This is pretty self explanatory but here are a few approaches:

1. The Easy Way: write a simple melody on one string. This could be completely unaccompanied. Just a nice, simple melody recorded to your phone. It could be freeform without a chord progression, or you could have a specific chord progression in mind while still submitting just a lonely melody.

2. Intermediate: Pick one of my Jam Tracks and write a melody to it. The melody only needs to be somewhere between 4 and 16 measures, certainly not the duration of the whole track. Perform the melody on only one string. You could record this to a cell phone, or use recording software. Whatever is comfortable for you.

3. Advanced: Write your own accompaniment for your one-string melody. You could even try a verse chorus or A section B section type thing. If you write two sections, each section's melody could use a different string. This could be with recording software, a loop pedal, etc.

4. Advanced II: You could write a whole song and have the intro riff be a one-string melody. If this challenge inspires something like that, go for it!

5. Advanced III: I suppose you could write a melody on the high E or B string and surround that melody with chords up and down the neck. If you try this option, keep your melody simple or you'll have a hell of a time trying to grab chords all over the neck. Or keep your chord progression simple and try to write in a key where you can use a lot of open notes.

Read More

Write A - I vi ii V - Chord Progression

Read More

Write Something with a Secondary Dominant

Write something with a secondary dominant in the chord progression

If you need a refresher (or just a first-time-fresher), check out my Music Theory Monday lesson about Dominant Chords. If you're new around here, that lesson might not make a lot of sense without being familiar with Music Theory for Guitar first, and then getting into Music Theory Monday. You can find the ideal order to watch all my lessons here.

Read More

Sliding

This weeks' Community Challenge is simple: write something that involves sliding.

This could be:

1. A simple chord progression with chords that slide from one place to another
2. A full song with a guitar melody that slides around
3. A simple 8 bar sketch of something where some guitar sliding is involved

It's pretty vague. As long as you write a little something with sliding involved, you're doing the community challenge.

Read More

Natural Minor

This week the challenge is simple: write something in Natural Minor

That "something" could be:

1. A chord progression you've crafted using only chords from Natural Minor

2. A nice melody you've written using the Natural Minor scale

3. A whole song with chords, melody, and bass line using only Natural Minor.

You don't need to write a whole song, you don't need to use recording software like in my GarageBand lessons, but you can if you want. A cell phone recording is completely acceptable. The idea is just to write something!

If this was a drawing exercise, a sketch on the back of a napkin would be just as acceptable as a finished work. Just write something!

Natural minor is the most straightforward of the minor keys, as it contains all the same notes as its relative major. Check out episodes 04, 05, and 06 of Music Theory Monday if you'd like a refresher on the difference between Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic Minor.

Read More

Extreme Dynamics

This weeks challenge is to write something with extreme dynamics.

This goal is fairly simple, but important. Dynamics make music feel human, and thats one of the more important things about making music. Also, lets give a definition:

Dynamics are the musical idea of loud and quiet, but that also means that the music might feel intense when it's loud (like strumming harder, singing louder, etc) and the music might feel relaxed or almost cozy (or creepy) if the guitar is strummed or picked very very softly and the singing voice is at nearly a whisper.

You can take the "extreme" part with a grain of salt. I don't need you to yell or shout, but I would like to see some distinct contrast between a loud or intense section and a soft, gentle, quiet section. You could also have a middle dynamic section if you choose. Just write something with dynamic contrast.

This week, you could:

1. Write a melody with a combination of very soft and very intense parts

2. Write a chord progression or two with soft gentle sections and loud sections

3. Write a whole song with perhaps a very soft, quiet prechorus and an explosive intense chorus. Or something like that.

Whatever you do, keep it fun and focus on intensity. No need to go overboard or reach too far outside your comfort zone. Just write something with a combination of soft parts and intense/loud parts.

Some other things to consider and terms to learn:

Crescendo (/krəˈSHenˌdō/) : increase the volume and intensity of a section over a period of time.

Decrescendo : decrease in volume and intensity over a set period of time.

In proper sheet music, there are markings for dynamics like pp, ff or mp. Read more about it here.

Read More

Write Something in Dorian Mode

This week's Community Challenge is: Write something in Dorian Mode

This means, write a chord progression, a melody, a whole song - whatever you like! Something simple, something complex. As long as it's in Dorian, you're good!

I love Dorian mode and I've noticed that music like funk and soul tends to be in Dorian mode very often.

Compare the chords in Em to the Chords in E dorian:

Minor: Em F#° G Am Bm C D
Dorian: Em F#m G A Bm C#° D

You've got Em, G, Bm, and D in common

Except in Em, D is D7 (dom) and in E Dorian, A is A7 (dom)

The most simple Dorian chord progression (an excellent starting point) is a i IV progression:

Em A7, for example

If you want to get fancier, you can do the "Dorian reveal" progression:

Em G D A7 (Mad World Verse does this progression i III VIII IV but in the key of F#m)

This progression is nice because it lets Em really feel like home, then ends with the A7.

Sometimes people call Dorian Mode "Hopeful" because of that major IV chord. I like to think of it as Hopeful Minor or Cool Minor because to me, Dorian is like Natural Minor but more interesting.

If you want to mix and match Natural Minor and Dorian mode, that is OK for this challenge! But do not mix it with Harmonic or Melodic Minor. (Thats ok in general, but don't do it for this challenge)

Read More

Open E Bassline

For this challenge, you're going to start by playing a consistent beat with your picking-hand's thumb on the low E string. Then, while you're doing that, try playing an E minor or major pentatonic scale, or part of one.

If you've never tried this before, it can be difficult, but once you get a hold of the concept it can be quite fun. If it's really difficult, first plan the scale or scale fragment to play, practice it a bit without the bassline, then try to incorporate the bassline. This one is a little more challenging than usual, but give it a shot!

Those of you who feel like you're getting the hang of it, try writing a little melody instead of playing a scale.

For those of you feeling really adventurous, try making a melody using on and off beats.

Read More

Write Two Different Parts of a Song Using The Same Chord Progression

This week's community challenge is simple:
Write two different parts of a song using the same chord progression

It doesn't need to be a full song! Just two sections of something. This is just practice!

Here are a few ways to approach it:

1. Guitar only
Write a progression with a simple strumming pattern, then try a different strumming pattern for the next section OR use different voicings up the neck like in CAGED Basics

2. Guitar and voice
Write a chord progression to use for both parts of the song, but write a unique melody for each section

3. Recording software
You could do all of the above, but with bass, drums, keys, etc. Have one simple section and one filled-out section.

Read More

Write something using 7th chords

This weeks challenge: Write something using 7th chords

This could be:

• A simple chord progression
• A simple chord progression, but played as arpeggios
• A combination of riffs and chords, as long as you use at least one 7th chord

• A whole or partial song using partly or mostly 7th chords! Bonus if you include the 7th of a chord in the melody

• Basically write whatever you want this week as long as it has some 7th chords

I want to keep it simple this week. If you haven't had a chance to participate, this is a great community challenge to start with.

Read More

Write A Riff For Your Song

This week will be fun but still a challenge. Your goal is to write a riff for at least a section of your creation.This could be interpreted as loosely as you like.

Here are a few ways to look at it:

1. Write an intro riff, then play a chord progression during a melody. If you don't feel comfortable singing OR you haven't delved into recording software, you could just write a riff followed by a chord progression in the same key.

2. Write a simple riff as a turn around/ending section of a chord progression. This could be as simple as Am Am Dm riff.

3. If you want to be more adventurous, you could write a chord progression with a melody over the top, then write a riff to replace the chords.

But what is a riff?
A riff is an incredibly vague term, which is great! It means this challenge might be based on your interpretation. Often the word "riff" is accompanied by another word to clarify it. For example, above I talked about an intro riff, a turn-around riff, a verse riff.

For an intro riff, your role is to take over the spotlight. That could be playing the melody the vocalist will be singing later in the song (maybe the chorus melody or part of it, for example)

For a turn around riff, your role is to (usually) turn attention away from the singer for a second or sort of let your audience know "we're going to repeat this section now" or "we're moving on to something new now."

For a verse riff, this could be thought of as a rhythmic figure that you play for each chord, kind of like a bass line. Specifically, you could write a bass line, but for guitar to play instead of chords! For example. You could play R 5 R 3 for each chord instead of actually strumming the chord and you'd be playing a riff instead of a rhythm part. If you're sticking to a set pattern per chord, I tend to think of that as a vamp, which is just a more specific term under the umbrella of "riff." But not everyone uses the word that specifically so watch out.

Read More

Mixolydian

This week's Community Challenge is to write something in Mixolydian. That's it! You can either stick to exclusively mixolydian the entire time, or you can write in a Major Key (or even minor if you wanna get fancy) and use Mixolydian substitutions.

Read More

I, ii, V and vi Progression

A few weeks ago I issued the first community challenge where I asked Patrons on the community forum to write a chord progression using only the I, ii, V and vi chords. Those of you who participated wrote some AMAZING, fun, and beautiful music.

Read More