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SSWillows

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Idk if this belongs here, but since i want this to be a hobby, I'll put it here.

Does anyone here do song writing and music crafting as a hobby? Like with no intention of selling the songs, just something for your personal enjoyment?

I"mlooking for new hobbies this New Year and I think this is one that I want to take up. Music is such an amazing part of my life that I even dream new songs. I want to start bringing them to life for enjoyment.

Have any of y'all done songwriting as a hobby? If so, how did you like it? Any tips to get started? Websites to help out with crafting the song? Other tips?
 

WarmHeart

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You can learn a lot about songwriting on Youtube. Those videos are very helpful.
 

Nana Peazant

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Have any of y'all done songwriting as a hobby? If so, how did you like it? Any tips to get started? Websites to help out with crafting the song? Other tips?
What's your natural form of starting songs now?

Do you start with chords on piano or guitar?
Use a DAW to record your progressions, then loop.

With a sung melody?
Record your voice on your smartphone. Then put in a DAW and add chords, drums, other instrumentation.

With lyrics?
Use Songcraft or another writing tool to store lyrics. (I just use notepad) Start singing your chorus melody and record.

There is a songwriting group here
People were reluctant to anonymously share a clip of a song just to gain entry so it sort of busted. A few are professionals who were worried about people recognizing their voice but most are beginners and intermediate. We had a professional generous with his time but he sort of ghosted. He may be on tour come to think of it. We're inactive but I hope we resurface as an EP in a month challenge group.

 

Sza's Freckles

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What's your natural form of starting songs now?

Do you start with chords on piano or guitar?
Use a DAW to record your progressions, then loop.

With a sung melody?
Record your voice on your smartphone. Then put in a DAW and add chords, drums, other instrumentation.

With lyrics?
Use Songcraft or another writing tool to store lyrics. (I just use notepad) Start singing your chorus melody and record.


People were reluctant to anonymously share a clip of a song just to gain entry so it sort of busted. A few are professionals who were worried about people recognizing their voice but most are beginners and intermediate. We had a professional generous with his time but he sort of ghosted. He may be on tour come to think of it. We're inactive but I hope we resurface as an EP in a month challenge group.


The group I am in did not require that. Is there a different group? This one is intimate.

And thank you for your response. @Supreme Reign started this one, I believe.
 

Nana Peazant

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SFR beats have info, and Beat Starts.
The group I am in did not require that. Is there a different group? This one is intimate.

And thank you for your response. @Supreme Reign started this one, I believe.
Ah I'll hit her/him up for entry. I want a group similar to r/bedroombands. They knocked out so much music in 2019 it was insane. A few of them were even Grammy nominated. They have a rule of responding within 48 hours.
 

MysteriousMW

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Thank you for the @. I’ve been working on my songwriting...it’s been tough to write recently.

my bf sent me this on songwriting and recommended Writing Better Lyrics by Pat Pattison
 

Sza's Freckles

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Ah I'll hit her/him up for entry. I want a group similar to r/bedroombands. They knocked out so much music in 2019 it was insane. A few of them were even Grammy nominated. They have a rule of responding within 48 hours.

We are small so it kinda ebbs and flows but overall I love the energy of it. It kinda veers on the side of production, publishing and promotion but I think that concept would be a welcome addition and can further support and give others the community they need (y)

A233C049-9343-4300-B452-DA3104F04B20.jpeg
 

DavidsViolin

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@ Nana Peazant, thanks for the tag. I'll admit, I got off track last year due to personal issues. I wrote a song last year, but expressing it through music (using the violin) has been very difficult. I'm currently taking a music composition course; goi it back to the basics.
 

Nana Peazant

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Thank you for the @. I’ve been working on my songwriting...it’s been tough to write recently.

my bf sent me this on songwriting and recommended Writing Better Lyrics by Pat Pattison

I'd recommend Popular Lyric Writing by Andrea Stolpe before Writing Better Lyrics. Pat Pattison was her teacher and she also teaches at Berklee. Hers is more straight forward. She develops one of Pattison's methods called destination writing. Pat will have you making a list of 20 words that rhyme until you're delirious. With Stolpe's method you'll be writing complete lyrics in 30 minutes to an hour.

Pattison's most famous student is *strums guitar* My penis is a white supremacist Jon Mayer.
 

Blooming

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I was singing on our praise and worship team for awhile. It helped me with song structure and helped my vocals.
Last year was the first time I really started writing. I cannot play an instrument, but I am trying to learn the keyboard. Years ago, I used to hear music melodies in my head with instrumentals. They would come randomly. My friend told me to start recording the tunes. It comes out sounding strange. I had about 40 of those "tunes." Last year I took one of those tunes, matched it to a really nice song that was mostly instrumental and wrote our family reunion song. They said they loved it. We went to the studio and recorded it. That was really big for me at this late stage of my life.

I now have written about 6 more songs since last year. Rather than doing the melodies in my head now, I find beats I love and write music to them. I have topics I write about in the songs...mostly inspirational or gospel. I usually let them marinate for a few weeks and make changes if I need to. I thought I was more of a jazzy styled person, but actually my better songs are more R and B or Piano based. My daughter critiques them or adds things she likes to them.
 

letsgetaway

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I'd recommend Popular Lyric Writing by Andrea Stolpe before Writing Better Lyrics. Pat Pattison was her teacher and she also teaches at Berklee. Hers is more straight forward. She develops one of Pattison's methods called destination writing. Pat will have you making a list of 20 words that rhyme until you're delirious. With Stolpe's method you'll be writing complete lyrics in 30 minutes to an hour.

Pattison's most famous student is *strums guitar* My penis is a white supremacist Jon Mayer.

Thanks for the resources. I tried Pat's coursera songwriting course and I was so bored to tears that I didn't get past the first week.
 

MysteriousMW

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I'd recommend Popular Lyric Writing by Andrea Stolpe before Writing Better Lyrics. Pat Pattison was her teacher and she also teaches at Berklee. Hers is more straight forward. She develops one of Pattison's methods called destination writing. Pat will have you making a list of 20 words that rhyme until you're delirious. With Stolpe's method you'll be writing complete lyrics in 30 minutes to an hour.

Pattison's most famous student is *strums guitar* My penis is a white supremacist Jon Mayer.

thank you! so much. do you use splice for production and sampling loops?
 

Nana Peazant

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Thanks for the resources. I tried Pat's coursera songwriting course and I was so bored to tears that I didn't get past the first week.
same. I think I completed it but after way too many lists of rhyme pairs.

The funny thing is that the destination writing method is HIS method. Stolpe just starts it at a different place than Pattison does. She begins with a 6 minute freewrite then sculpting the lyrics from there.

There's another one of Pattison's students namd Graham English. He bills his method as writing a complete song with lyrics, chords and melody in an hour. This is also a Pattison method just renamed and begun from a different point. He begins with selecting a song title then working backwards from writing the chorus.
 

Nana Peazant

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thank you! so much. do you use splice for production and sampling loops?

I use Mixcraft and still learning Studio One. I'm a bit of a vinyl purist and like to compose loops from playing chords or sampling records but Mixcraft also has a big built-in library of loops. Mixcraft used to be billed as Garageband for PC. It's grown well beyond that now.

Splice has it's own built-in DAW right? There's so many DAWs on the market now it's insane. Stick with an interface that you feel comfortable with.

If you don't have a Mac, some free ones off the top of my head are LMMS, Trackiton? Reaper* (sorta free per Reddit because nobody ever pays after the trial is done) et. al.
 

MysteriousMW

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I use Mixcraft and still learning Studio One. I'm a bit of a vinyl purist and like to compose loops from playing chords or sampling records but Mixcraft also has a big built-in library of loops. Mixcraft used to be billed as Garageband for PC. It's grown well beyond that now.

Splice has it's own built-in DAW right? There's so many DAWs on the market now it's insane. Stick with an interface that you feel comfortable with.

If you don't have a Mac, some free ones off the top of my head are LMMS, Trackiton? Reaper* (sorta free per Reddit because nobody ever pays after the trial is done) et. al.

I believe it does have a built in daw, but I just use it for the loops. I need to look into Mixcraft. I have a MAC and use GarageBand as my DAW right now.

I had a cracked version of ableton live, but lost it when my mac updated. I'm going to bite the bullet and just buy Ableton Live b/c it's a lot easier to arrange with (they have a payment plan option).

Do you worry about over using loops? I have to admit it does feel a bit like cheating, but some of the pack are really good and from producers I love.
 

Nana Peazant

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I believe it does have a built in daw, but I just use it for the loops. I need to look into Mixcraft. I have a MAC and use GarageBand as my DAW right now.

I had a cracked version of ableton live, but lost it when my mac updated. I'm going to bite the bullet and just buy Ableton Live b/c it's a lot easier to arrange with (they have a payment plan option).

Do you worry about over using loops? I have to admit it does feel a bit like cheating, but some of the pack are really good and from producers I love.

Some people go down a rabbit hole in sound design and never complete a song. Do what makes you happy. Or you'll be making vegan drum skins.


PT5UbSERg7At_Xg1sx97ilwYdihc8yUIogENRSzkTNE.jpg
 

SSWillows

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Woah! I thought my thread was dead!

Thank you to all of you for responding and dropping knowledge!

*hugs to all ya'll*
 

7thSense

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Idk if this belongs here, but since i want this to be a hobby, I'll put it here.

Does anyone here do song writing and music crafting as a hobby? Like with no intention of selling the songs, just something for your personal enjoyment?

I"mlooking for new hobbies this New Year and I think this is one that I want to take up. Music is such an amazing part of my life that I even dream new songs. I want to start bringing them to life for enjoyment.

Have any of y'all done songwriting as a hobby? If so, how did you like it? Any tips to get started? Websites to help out with crafting the song? Other tips?

Oh wow. This has been a hobby of mine for a few years now. Me and a few online folks made a game out of a mock music industry with our songs. Can I PM you?
 

Belle Heir

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I put it down for a while but resumed. Is there a forum/group that advises how to market music for sale, editing, production, creating demos etc?
 

YoCuzinFaith

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Years ago, I used to hear music melodies in my head with instrumentals. They would come randomly. My friend told me to start recording the tunes.

This is what I've always done and still do. I would like to actually make music to go to what pops in my head. As for lyrics, I make them up as I go. Sometimes I write the lyrics down (after voice recording so I don't forget the song) and add to my original "chorus", but mostly record them. Music is my first love so I tend to remember even my oldest recordings and sometimes songs I made up as a kid come back to me and I remember the moment I made it up. My music inspiration is gospel (grew up in the church) and R&B.
 

Blooming

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This is what I've always done and still do. I would like to actually make music to go to what pops in my head. As for lyrics, I make them up as I go. Sometimes I write the lyrics down (after voice recording so I don't forget the song) and add to my original "chorus", but mostly record them. Music is my first love so I tend to remember even my oldest recordings and sometimes songs I made up as a kid come back to me and I remember the moment I made it up. My music inspiration is gospel (grew up in the church) and R&B.

Wow....that's amazing. So you keep the lyrics near you? I've been writing the lyrics in a book I keep near my bed. I started vocal lessons too. I sing okay, but needs strength.

I am only doing inspirational music. I wrote 10 songs since November and I hope to get them copyrighted and published as soon as this COVID-19 stuff is over. I threw 2 away.I wrote a song today.

I often forget and have a hard time memorizing lyrics to a song. I still have the same issue with my own music! I still have to keep practicing. I also keep the original notes to see the progress.
 
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Nana Peazant

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Just a reminder that ProTools, Logic, Reaper, Ableton and Cubase all have free versions available because of Covid.

There's also always free ones like Garageband and LMMS, Luna and Trackiton. Behringer is developing a free DAW as well.

Some offers end as soon as May 15 so try to check it out soon.

Also if you've been longing for a plugin, go to their site and see if they have a free version or reduced cost during quarantine.

 

O.o

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Just a reminder that ProTools, Logic, Reaper, Ableton and Cubase all have free versions available because of Covid.

There's also always free ones like Garageband and LMMS, Luna and Trackiton. Behringer is developing a free DAW as well.

Some offers end as soon as May 15 so try to check it out soon.

Also if you've been longing for a plugin, go to their site and see if they have a free version or reduced cost during quarantine.

Here are a bunch of free music apps and sample packs while we’re all stuck inside
6
Hunker down with some new digital toys

By Dani Deahl@danideahl Updated Apr 3, 2020, 12:11pm EDTShare this on Facebook (opens in new window)
acastro_181016_1777_music_0001.0.jpg
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Life looks very different right now as the novel coronavirus has millions around the world stuck indoors. Festivals, clubs, and even house parties are banned in many cities, leaving musicians (and music lovers) housebound and searching for creative outlets. Over the past few weeks, several music companies have responded by offering freebies in order to, as Korg said, provide “a musical way to occupy your mind.”

Below, we’ve rounded up an array of apps, plug-ins, sounds, lessons, and even digital audio workstations (DAWs) that are currently free to give tools to musicians and those looking to learn musical skills during the pandemic. A few were already free, but the majority are only free for a limited time. There are tons of deals available, so get ready to hunker down with some new digital toys. Keep checking back as the list is regularly updated.

APPS AND SOFTWARE
SAMPLES
ALREADY FREE
  • Berklee College of Music offers more than 40 open online courses, including “Creating Sounds for Electronic Music,” “Introduction to Ableton Live,” and “The Art of Vocal Production.” Make sure to check the start date for courses you’re interested in registering for.
  • Traktion recently launched its Waveform Free DAW for OSX, Windows, and Linux.
  • AudioKit’s Synth One app for iOS
  • Beat and loop mixing app Music Maker JAM for iOS and Android (free, but offers in-app purchases)
  • Tenacious Frog’s TF7 Synth (free, but offers in-app purchases)
  • Pitch-processing app Voloco for iOS and Android, which I fell in love with after an auto-tuned cat went viral on Twitter
  • Social music creation platform BandLab is free and has lots of cleared loops and samples that can be used without worry.
  • Sample and plug-in platform Noiiz has tons of free sample packs. You’ll have to create a free account to download them.
  • GarageBand, of course.
  • Korg’s music production software and plug-in collection for iOS, Korg Gadget 2 Le
  • Music making and remixing iOS app Launchpad
  • Cockos’ Reaper DAW has a free 60-day trial period with no registration or personal details required.
  • Drum machine app Patterning is free on iOS (with in-app purchases to unlock extra features).
  • There are loads of royalty-free sounds at Free Sample Packs.




NEXT UP IN TECH
 

YoCuzinFaith

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Wow....that's amazing. So you keep the lyrics near you? I've been writing the lyrics in a book I keep near my bed. I started vocal lessons too. I sing okay, but needs strength.

I am only doing inspirational music. I wrote 10 songs since November and I hope to get them copyrighted and published as soon as this COVID-19 stuff is over. I threw 2 away.I wrote a song today.

I often forget and have a hard time memorizing lyrics to a song. I still have the same issue with my own music! I still have to keep practicing. I also keep the original notes to see the progress.

So after I record a small sample of the song I thought up, sometimes I'll go back and type up some lyrics. I never complete any of my songs, but I always seem to remember the sound just by either re-reading the lyrics or by listening to my voice recording. Music makes me feel something, so usually my songs are "produced" from that feeling, which might explain why I remember them so vividly. It doesn't work all of the time, but even then it just takes me a little while to remember the tune I was going for.
 

Meimei0316

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I want to be a music journalist when i grow up but as a hobby i want to sing.I have fun singing.
 

halfgemini

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i've been looking for recent/active threads concerning songwriting because i would like to start tapping into writing and singing. if you guys are still interested in creating a priv group, let me know please. i wouldn't mind setting it up either.
 

Sza's Freckles

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i've been looking for recent/active threads concerning songwriting because i would like to start tapping into writing and singing. if you guys are still interested in creating a priv group, let me know please. i wouldn't mind setting it up either.
I am here for the assist!
 

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