Improvisation Activities - try each one and record the results
I really believe that improvisation is the most useful tool we have as writers. Here are some ideas for incorporating improvisation into your regular daily writing schedule.
I really believe that improvisation is the most useful tool we have as writers. Here are some ideas for incorporating improvisation into your regular daily writing schedule.
- Create a short 2-, 3- or 4-note melodic fragment, then sing or play that fragment repeatedly over an ever-changing chord progression. While much of what you generate in this way will be unusable, you’ll suddenly come across one progression that clicks, and it can form the basis for a new song.
- Create a short phrase of words, and improvise various melodies to accompany it. See what the effect is to place certain words high in pitch, with others lower. Keep changing melodic shapes, and make note of any that seem to click.
- Create harmonic sequences by taking a 2- or 3-chord progression, and then move it higher or lower. For example, let’s say you’re wondering what to do with the following: Am F Am. Follow it up with a progression that transposes that a 3rd higher: C Am C. Now another 3rd higher: Em C Em. For the fourth “transposition”, do something that moves it back to the original Am chord easily: F C G. That’s called sequencing, and it can give your short chord progression some legs.
- Create a rhythmic pattern (or dial one up on your synth), and improvise a bass line that works well with it. The bass line will imply chords, and the rhythm you’ve created will dictate the feel. Start adding chords, and improvising lyrics. You’ll be surprised by how quickly this method actually generates song ideas.
- Partner up with another songwriter, and bounce lyric ideas off each other. It’s fun to try it this way: Create a backing rhythm either on your synth, or simply a “slapping” rhythm on your legs. Then one of you speaks out a line, and the other one has to immediately answer it with their own line. “I got you, and you got me”… “Anywhere I’m with you is where I wanna be…” You can set it up so that one of you always speaks the same line, and the other has to keep generating a new answering line. It’s a lot of fun, and particularly because half the time you’ll get tongue-tied and a lot of garbage will come out. But in amongst the garbage you’ll discover lines that work. It’s potentially hilarious, because some things your brain comes up with can be quite funny. “I got you, and you got me”… “A bird in the hand is not in a tree.”
before_you_accuse_me.pdf | |
File Size: | 25 kb |
File Type: |
Witness
witness.pdf | |
File Size: | 43 kb |
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Personal-choice Song Arrangement
1. Find the chords – www.ultimate-guitar.com isn’t blocked (I don’t think…) and works well – look for rating stars to determine accuracy
2. Set number of measures in first section in GarageBand – make it a big number since you can always shorten it
3. Determine the key – often the first chord
4. Set the key in GarageBand
5. Alter chords as necessary in GarageBand to match chords of song and make playing easier
6. Set tempo – tapping method would probably be a good idea
7. Record extremely simple version of chord accompaniment for guidance
8. Record melody – what this sounds like is up to you
9. Fill out the sound – this is the actual arrangement process
1. Find the chords – www.ultimate-guitar.com isn’t blocked (I don’t think…) and works well – look for rating stars to determine accuracy
2. Set number of measures in first section in GarageBand – make it a big number since you can always shorten it
3. Determine the key – often the first chord
4. Set the key in GarageBand
5. Alter chords as necessary in GarageBand to match chords of song and make playing easier
6. Set tempo – tapping method would probably be a good idea
7. Record extremely simple version of chord accompaniment for guidance
8. Record melody – what this sounds like is up to you
9. Fill out the sound – this is the actual arrangement process
Compare and Contrast Sheet
Create a note in Notability titled "Listening Journal" if you don't already have one. Import the following file into that note and fill it out
Create a note in Notability titled "Listening Journal" if you don't already have one. Import the following file into that note and fill it out
comparison_matrix.pdf | |
File Size: | 198 kb |
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Pep Band Files
fortunate_son_chords_ver_3_by_creedence_clearwater_revival_tabs__ultimate_guitar_archive.pdf | |
File Size: | 99 kb |
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on_the_road_again_chords_by_willie_nelson_tabs__ultimate_guitar_archive.pdf | |
File Size: | 89 kb |
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down_on_the_corner_chords_by_creedence_clearwater_revival_tabs__ultimate_guitar_archive.pdf | |
File Size: | 97 kb |
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Transcription Files
sir_john_1.mp3 | |
File Size: | 89 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
sir_john_1_slow.mp3 | |
File Size: | 120 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
sir_john_2.mp3 | |
File Size: | 79 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
sir_john_2_slow.mp3 | |
File Size: | 112 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
sir_john_3.mp3 | |
File Size: | 84 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
sir_john_3_slow.mp3 | |
File Size: | 120 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
sir_john_4.mp3 | |
File Size: | 58 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
sir_john_4_slow.mp3 | |
File Size: | 64 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
sir_john_5.mp3 | |
File Size: | 116 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
sir_john_5_slow.mp3 | |
File Size: | 165 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
sir_john_6.mp3 | |
File Size: | 105 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
sir_john_6_slow.mp3 | |
File Size: | 150 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
sir_john_7.mp3 | |
File Size: | 28 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
sir_john_8.mp3 | |
File Size: | 46 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
sir_john_9.mp3 | |
File Size: | 77 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |