Mon music theory approach to making music?

[vejichan]

This post is for people who make progressive rock and progressive metal music. Apologies for my post. My new years resolution is to improve as a guitar player and write better music. I am in the midst of writing my second album. My 1st album was done during the pandemic. I wrote, played and recorded and mixed everything and had friend to do all vocals. I had literally never wrote any original music in my life and during the lockdown i wasnt working and decided to give it a try. All songs on my 1st album is just me making stuff up and hitting record. Basically i had no clue or idea what i was doing.

I am a total beginer at playing guitar and music theory. I apologize for the numerous posts. Those posts are me trying to learn how to apply theory and make music. But i realize theory alone is not enough. Below are my questions:

* when you write music...where does the song concep start and how do you build/construct and expand and build that idea into an actual song? For me i would simple just noodle with the guitar while watching game of thrones or stanger things and come up with a riff idea...then i would just write another riff and use my ears and try to piece the riffs to make a song?

*i am trying to construct better sounding solos. I used to love fast and very technical shredding like yngwie, vai, gilbert etc. But for me and what i hear in my head, i prefer more singing solos..solos that you can hum to? Steve lukather and neal schon and some technical guys too who can shred and blend singing solos like Marco Stogli, kee marcello and Andy Timmons. I approach solos on my 1st album is basically after the song is done .i listen to the riff and think what would sound cool on top of that riff and try to sing it and then find the notes on the guitar...please share your approach.

Bascially i am looking at the non music theory elements of making music. Any advise and help is appreciated and my deepest apologies for torturing everyone with these basic posts.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

My process looks a fair bit like what you described: come up with a riff, come up with another riff that sounds similar, often developed from jamming on the first riff, smash them together, repeat until you have a song-like object. I trust my ear and my aesthetic sensibilities. I know what I like, and I let that guide me to the goods.

I find cannabis very helpful for that stage, less helpful for practice/polishing stage. I also find having another person to work with very helpful for the "WTF do I do now/how do I fit these together?" stages. It's easy to think ourselves into ruts.

Personal takeaways over the years:

-Most ideas are mediocre. Appreciate their ephemeral beauty as part of your process/journey, but be exacting and hold out for the gems.

-Edit. Boring intros, overly-repetitive parts, long wanky solos, anything that doesn't directly serve the flow and momentum of the composition, cut that shit.

-If you're feeling stuck, copy song structure ideas from bands you like. They probably didn't invent it either, you'll learn about how songs you like are constructed and develop your own voice along the way.

-Music theory can be helpful when you want to understand how or why something works, but it's not essential. Far more important is to trust and develop your ear, that's where your personal creative spark is going to come in.

-"This part sounds like this other part from a song I like." Yes it does, and so do many songs by far more successful artists who also wear their influences on their sleeves. If it's the exact part, yeah maybe don't use that. If they just sound similar and the part is otherwise ideal for what you're doing? Use that shit.

I'm repeating this advice to myself as much as I'm giving it to anyone here. I'd love to go back 5-10 years and fish-slap myself across the face with some of these.

 

[tedtan]

Music is ultimately about creating art for people to listen to, so if it sounds good, it is good.

Just keep in mind that you can’t please everyone; some people will like it, some will hate it, and most won’t care one way or the other. But don’t sweat that - it holds true with everything in life.