How to Write Songs and Teach Yourself the Guitar

Should you write the lyrics first, or the music? This is often something I contradict myself with, and it all depends on the songwriter. When bands write songs together they usually split the music and the lyrics between them. My concern is that sometimes, when you have written the music and lyrics separately, you can tell. The words sound very broken and sometimes rushed, because the singer is trying to fit the lyrics and syllables into the music.

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I find the best songs I write come from jamming on a guitar or playing on a piano and singing along. Singing anything that sounds good. Even gibberish. Once I have the structure of the song, I then start putting meaningful lyrics in place of the gibberish. Sometimes I even keep some of the gibberish. Take the band Sigur Ros. If you have never heard of them, I suggest you legally download some of their music now. They believe the vocals are an instrument, and they treat it that way. The singer sings utter gibberish, but it sounds good. It sounds totally improvised and natural.

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Another good way to get ideas for a song is to start jamming with others. Think of a little riff. It could be something at random. Get the other band members to join in with something that fits in.

Lyrics wise, I think you should do what I said. Use gibberish at first to work out the melody and syllables, then when you have finished the structure of the song, write around the gibberish!

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There's a lot of software available that aids in writing songs like Garage Band for the Mac, and Cubase for Windows. You might want to check out our Guitar Player World's song writing for guitarists.

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* Teach Yourself the Guitar

Playing a really nice guitar rhythm with the songs can be so fulfilling. But to get to that place it will take some time. Do you sometimes feel that your practicing consists of boring mindless exercises and your improvement on the guitar is slow?
There are three ways you can improve your playing.
First you can find a local instructor and get them to show you the techniques they used to stay focused on training.
Second you can download some free lessons from the internet. When you want learn to play guitar, the internet is a lifesaver. Compared to finding a formal guitar instructor, setting up a schedule, and travel time to the instructor and back home, online guitar lessons are a breeze. Not to mention the amount of money you save when you download guitar lessons. But free lesson can sometime lack in substance, you get what you paid for.
Third option is of course to find a superior guitar teaching site and pay a bit of money for the videos and lessons, but the results can be unbelievable. These professional lessons are inspirational, easy to follow and great motivators.
Ask yourself this question. What type of guitarist do I want to be? The answer will determine which type of program or course you should choose. Your ability level, desire and overall attitude will determine which course is right for you.

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