Sibelius. Am I right? This program is infuriating, sometimes. It’s taken me years to build up a solid workflow with it. But I don’t want you to have to do that, too.
That’s why I’m sharing 5 useful shortcuts I use when I’m writing with Sibelius. These aren’t crazy in depth or anything, just ones that I find help me get the program out of the way of composing.
Be sure to subscribe to the youtube channel, like the video, and leave a comment with the shortcut that helped you the most; whether it’s on this list or not!
“Good artists copy, great artists steal.” This is a common saying, but what does it actually mean? Don’t worry, we're not actually committing a crime or anything like that.
Let's demystify that quote – and I’ll teach you how to “steal” someone else’s music and make it your own. Making you, according to this quote, a great artist! And who doesn’t want that?
Be sure to subscribe to the youtube channel, like the video, and leave a comment if you’ve ever “stolen” music before. I’ve 100% done it and there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s an integral part of advancing as a songwriter.
It's the last day of 2020 and most of us sure are glad to hear it.
This week we're talking about how we can write more music in 2021 and whether or not that desire is coming from a healthy place. I'll share specific tips to help us achieve this goal and some guidelines to help maintain balance and harmony in our lives.
I want to thank you so much for being here and hanging out with me. I can't do it without you.
But I have one more favor to ask: If you haven't already, head on down to Youtube to like this video and subscribe to the channel. It helps so much and Youtube is where I'm confident we can do the most good.
Help me make 2021 a year of growth for Just Write Music. It's up to us.
Let me know what you thought about this video by commenting down below or in the Youtube comments.
Today, we're diving head first into the audio world so we can get our home studios up and running. A home studio is an essential tool for a songwriter or composer at any level. These days, it's a necessity.
But there are so many options and so much gear to explore – how are we supposed to know what we need and what to get? That's why I'm here. I lay out the four main components of any home studio, and I promise it won't break your bank.
Whether you're downsizing your current rig for a new space, or building your very first home studio, I'll give you actual products you can check out that will get you where you need to go.
Where are you on your home studio journey? Let me know down in the comments!
Also, it would mean a whole lot if you clicked on the title in the video and subscribed to the youtube channel. There's a lot of good we can do there and I need your help to do it.
You may think I'm crazy, telling you to write bad music, but stay with me...
We all want to write our masterpiece, but oftentimes I find that many don't understand how to get there.
Today I breakdown that path in a simple and easy to understand way. There's no real secret to it, but I see a lot of creators struggle to feel good about their art. We're going to address that and more today.
Be sure to subscribe to the youtube channel by clicking on the title in the video, and if you want to be super awesome, head to the video on youtube itself and hit that like button. It's so so so helpful :)
If you're just beginning your journey writing music, or are just getting into writing on a computer for the first time, this is the first question you need to answer:
Should I use a DAW or Notation Software?
This week, we're unpacking both kinds of software and highlighting what they do and which one might be best for your situation.
In fact, it's entirely possible you need both! (Yo)
By the end of this video, you'll have a clear understanding of which to choose and why. At the very end, we'll talk about some software options. More than that, we'll specifically discuss free software so you can get start writing music on your computer (or phone – yes, phone) without spending a penny.
Comment below to let me know what program(s) you use to write music and what you think of some of the programs I mentioned in the video.
If you're new or have just been creeping for awhile (I see you), for sure subscribe to the Youtube channel. It's where we can have the biggest impact and where I need the most help. Consider it a personal favor :)
This week, we're into Part 2 of our series on using chords like the pros do. Remember, all of this information is only meant to help you solve problems. The intent isn't to rely solely on these functions to write music. They are analytical structures meant to help us understand music phenomena we hear.
Last time we covered the major scale, the chords built from each scale degree, and how to put together a basic chord progression. Today, we're diving in deeper, learning how to use substitutions for our tonic, subdominant, and dominant, to create more varied atmospheres and expressive qualities. We'll also talk about our naming systems and why we use more than one. It's useful, I promise.
I honestly love talking about this stuff because it was a huge step for me as a musician to understand the music I was listening to, writing, and performing. The better understanding we have of our music, whether it's technical, or emotional, gives us a bigger well to draw from as we express ourselves. It brings more intention into our writing, rather than using trial and error when we hit a snag.
Using music theory as a writing aid can sometimes feel at odds with artistry. Who wants to write using formulas and prescribed rules?
Don't worry, that's not what I'm asking you to do.
In the video, I go over how we can use theory in a practical way to help keep our writing sessions moving. In fact, I give you three ways to do this!
I've always been of the opinion that our knowledge of music should help us write with intention. To know what we're writing and its constituent parts is important, regardless of the language we use.
Let's use theory to solve problems as we write, so we can just keep on writing! We're essentially using theory to smooth out the hiccups that naturally occur in our writing session.
What do you think of using theory as a writing aid like this? Comment down below with your thoughts!
Writer's block sucks. We've all been there. Sitting down to write, excited to hear what's going to come out of our session, then nothing, nothing good, or not what we want to happen. So what can we do?
This week I'm going to give you 5 ways to prevent writer's block, or get out of if it you're currently suffering from it.
I'll be honest, some of this stuff we've talked about before, but I'm a believer in a holistic approach to music creation, which is why so much of what we talk about revolves around how to organize and think about our process, including our lifestyle.
Writer's block used to be a big problem for me. But I can say with confidence that after using these tips consistently, I haven't had much of a problem, since.
What's your experience with writer's block? Comment down below to let me know!
Lately, I've been getting some feedback from people who are totally at the beginning of their journey. So this week, I want to talk about the underlying process we all use to write music, and demystify it.
Our inner ear is what we "hear" in our head when we have a song stuck in our head and that's the key to where your music comes from.
But it's not all that easy to begin, which is why I think there's so much mystery surrounding the writing process from the public at large. And while that's great for cultivating a brand and engaging with people, it's not so great if we're mystified by our own writing process.
The key to growing as a music creator is becoming aware of your inner ear and developing it, so we can better translate it into the physical world.
Comment below with what you think about the video...
Back when I was first getting serious about songwriting, I wanted to gobble up all the theory I could, because I wanted to be good at my craft.
But when I'd try to apply what I'd learned, or write with it, it just didn't work; something was missing.
By the time I was getting my degree in college, I was no closer to solving this problem. That's because I was going about it all wrong.
It turns out, I was making three crucial mistakes that was inhibiting me from using theory effectively in my process. Today, I want to share those mistakes with you. My goal is to help you avoid years of trial and error, of frustration, that I had to go through.
Comment below with your experience trying to implement theory in your process. I'm very curious to hear if you guys made the same mistakes I did!
Inspiration is often a tough concept to talk about. We all know what it feels like, but we feel totally powerless about when it comes and goes. Today, we're going to redefine inspiration.
By doing this, we're changing our perspective on it. This in turn allows us to get to the bottom of what inspiration actually does for our music. Or, more specifically, the underlying process it catalyzes.
When we get to the heart of inspiration and the physical process that helps us create our music more efficiently, we're able to bring awareness to it. Then, we can understand and learn to tap back into it, more often than not.
One thing is for sure, it feels good to have more control over your creative process, and it's a big step up from just waiting around for inspiration to strike.
Comment below with your thoughts on inspiration, and what you think about redefining it to empower ourselves and take control of our process.
We are officially back in gear after a few months of production hiatus due to the pandemic. Thanks so much for being part of Just Write Music, it means a ton.
You probably already know the answer to the question in the title. Of course, knowledge of music theory isn't necessary to write a song, but I'd still argue that it will only elevate your music.
Even when you don't use theory to write, you're often still using the same concepts when following your ear. It's inescapable!
In the video, I'll give you three reasons why your music will be better off if you start learning theory. To be honest, I am 100% on my high horse about this. I get that.
I'm also passionate about songwriters having the tools of their craft and tired of pretentious academics hoarding them, in all but name.
Let me know what you think by commenting below...or if you want me to make that ear training video :)
As you may have noticed, there's been a significant decrease in the amount of content I'm putting out.
I want to address this to make sure you guys know what's going on with me.
I also discuss where Just Write Music is heading in the future and what kind of content you can expect from here on, as well as how often.
You being here is always such an inspiration to me. It really blows me away when I get to hear from people who genuinely benefit from what I do. It's why I do it.
I have a confession to make: I'm behind schedule. I had a totally different video planned out, but it just didn't happen. It's all written, though, so stay tuned for that in the next couple of weeks.
I wanted to take this opportunity to share a piece that I finished earlier this year. It was a testament to a philosophy that I will be bringing into this community in the near future: Process.
The piece is for a Piano Trio; piano, violin, and cello and taught me a lot about the proportions of a song or piece, especially when they're on the longer end.
Don't be afraid to set lofty goals, just remember that it's the small steps you take that actually lead to them.
Let me know think of my piece by commenting below :)
Apologies for the radio silence. The current pandemic has left me busier than usual (which is common for many in the online space).
For now, you may only be see a video every other week. But, I'm going to try my hardest to make that content as valuable to you as possible. To that end...
I want to tackle something really controversial today, something that really eats at me whenever I hear it. And maybe you've heard this phrase from someone you know, or even said it to yourself:
"I don't have any musical talent."
I hate this so much, because it's simply not true. First of all, talent is the wrong word to use. You'll find out why in the video :)
We give ourselves a lot of reasons to keep us from doing the things we want to do; whether that's writing a song, symphony, or anything that could be a positive force in our lives.
Is there something you've always wanted to learn how to do, whether that's musically or otherwise, that you've put off or told yourself you simply couldn't do? Let me know in the comments.
Let's discuss why talent doesn't actually exist, at least, not in the way that we think it does, and why you have everything you need to make your dreams come true, TODAY.
Last week, we covered a method called "Follow The Chords," where we wrote out a chord progression first and then wrote a melody to it. This takes away a lot of options in terms of the notes we can hit that will sound good, which helps us make better use of the ones that do.
This week we're diving right into the deep end and talking about using established forms to write a melody. Forms have been around for a long time and take a bit of front-end music theory in order to use them to their fullest degree, but that doesn't mean you can't understand and utilize them if you don't.
Forms are extremely useful, especially if you're in a tight spot. They explicitly outline exactly what to do to make a melody that sounds fantastic. Think about it like a formula; all you have to do is start punching things in.
In this video, we're going to discuss how a Sentence is constructed and how we can use it to create a melody that sounds fantastic. A musical sentence consists of two basic phases, each with it's own parts:
Presentation Phase – This consists of a basic idea, a one or two measure phrase, that will then be restated.
Continuation Phase – This phase cuts up the basic idea using fragmentation, and then we throw everything away to get to our cadence, a type of musical pause.
What did you think of form? Do you think these forms can be useful outside of composing classical music? Leave a comment below and let me know!
Last week, we covered an extremely popular and versatile technique for writing melodies. I called it, Follow The Notes.
Today, we're going to cover another popular technique, one that you may not even know that you're using:
Follow The Chords.
This is a very common technique among songwriters, particularly those who play multi-string instruments capable of playing chords, like keyboard and guitar. While it may seem similar to Follow The Notes, it has some pretty key limitations that will result in drastically different results.
(No, I'm not sorry for the pun XD)
With this technique, you write the chord progression first, and then write the melody to go along to it.
This is far more limiting than Follow the Notes. But that's not a bad thing. Limitations are actually a really powerful tool; they allow us to limit our options, which in turn lets us use those options more creatively. In other words, it focuses the melody to what will sound good with the chords.
What did you think of this technique? Have you used it before?
Leave a comment below with any thoughts, feelings, or observations you may have. Any and all feedback you have is welcome, as it helps me provide you with better content.
For the next part of our "How To Write A Melody" series, we're talking about an extremely common method for writing melodies. In fact, if you've written any amount of music at all, I can almost guarantee you've already used this method.
So, what gives, why talk about it?
Because, when you do something with intention, the result can be extraordinary.
I like to call this method "Follow The Notes," because that's exactly what this method consists of:
You just start hitting notes and see where they take you.
This may seem basic, but remains one of the most popular methods of music and melody making among beginners and professionals alike.
The difference between those two groups, however, is that professionals don't rely solely on it; but when they do, they have a well-developed inner ear––how you "hear" music inside your head––to guide them in the process. This means the notes they're following aren't the ones they're playing on an instrument, but the ones in their head. This key difference, and the ability to use your inner ear, is often what separates a beginner from a professional.
Following the notes is partly an exercise in developing your inner ear, which is integral to taking the music in your head and putting it out into the real world.
Check out the video:
What did you think? Have you ever used this method for writing a melody? If not, will you now?
Let me know in the comments! Thoughts, feelings, observations; all feedback is welcome.
Welcome to the new Musical Engineering! After taking a couple years off, I decided to get back in the game and pivot to focus more on the in's and out's of songwriting and composing, rather than focusing mostly on audio engineering. Here's why: It's what I'm truly passionate about.
Now, that doesn't mean we won't cover any audio engineering at all; but, we'll focus mostly on composing in a DAW using MIDI, basic recording and editing, but also getting your music––whatever genre it's in––to sound professional in the audio world.
This is a necessity if we're going to get our music out there on a budget!
Without further ado...
One of the hardest parts of getting started writing music that I actually thought was good and enjoyed listening to was writing a melody. It tends to be the first thing people latch onto when listening to music, so it's important to make sure our melodies are up to snuff.
In this first part of a multi-part series, I go over the very basics of melodic structure. Understanding the parts of a melody, even at the most basic level, is helpful in figuring out what a melody we wrote might actually need to be more effective.
In the video, I go over three basic aspects of a melody:
The Set Up
The Climax
The Resolution
Melodies are like stories, and you can think of these structures as a kind of beginning, middle, and end.You can find these three parts in a ton of melodies, but it's important to note that not every melody will have this type of structure. But, for the most part, you'll find these structures in much of popular music and classical music that's considered "tonal."
Check out the video:
If you want to know more about what is or isn't "tonal," or if there's anything else you want to know about in terms of songwriting, composing, or audio engineering, shoot me a comment or email:
Musical Engineering is a collaboration and I want to hear from you!
Thanks so much for being here. We're all in this together.
