AboutBill Pere Expertise Can answer questions on : Technical aspects of lyric and music compostion; How to give and receive objective critique; Arranging and production; Concrete vs abstract imagery; Use of metaphor; Rhyme techniques; Song Structure; Collaboration; Songwriter Associations; Promotion; Guitar technique;
Music Business;
Experience President of the Connecticut Songwriters Association and Director of the Connecticut Songwriting Academy; Named one of the Top 50 Innovators and Guiding Lights of the Music Industry in 2008 by Music Connection Magazine; Author of "Songcrafters' Coloring Book:The Essential Guide to Effective and Successful Songwriting."
Named Independent Artist of the Year,by the 2003 national Independent Music Conference; 30 years as a professional singer-songwriter; 16 original CD's released;
Have had songs placed on other artists' CD's. Twice named Connecticut Songwriter of the Year.
20 years as Executive Director of the LUNCH Ensemble. Have attended more than 200 presentations by top industry professionals and have critiqued thousands of songs. Have written and produced dozens of stage plays and hundreds of concert events; Have coached hundreds of aspiring songwriters, and collaborated with several award winning writers. Have written commissioned songs as an Official Connecticut State Troubadour. Music Director of youth choirs and music camps.
Organizations Connecticut Songwriters Association (President); LUNCH Ensemble (Local United Network to Combat Hunger -- Exec, Director); CMEA (Connecticut Music Educators Association); Folk Alliance; Association For Psychological Type; Songsalive;
Publications Songcrafters' Coloring Book: The Essential Guide to Effective and Succesful Songwriting
Songwriters Market (2001, 2002); Connecticut Songsmith; Contemporary Songwriter Magazine; Songwriters Musepaper;
Songcrafter's Coloring Book; Strategies for Teaching Guitar;
Education/Credentials Masters Degree Molecular Biology; Certified MBTI Practitioner (Myers Briggs Type Indcator); Connencticut Secondary Public School Teaching Cerftificate; Author: "Songcrafters Coloring Book: The Essential Guide to Effective and Successful Songwriting:
Awards and Honors Named one of the Top 50 Innovators and Guiding Lights of the Music Industry in 2008 by Music Connection Magazine; Independent Artist of the Year, (2003 national Indie Conference); Official Connecticut State Troubadour, appointed by CT Commission on the Arts, 1995 ; 1982 and 1992 CT Songwriter of the Year; 2000 Award for 20 years of Outstanding Service to Songwriters;
2002 CSA Award for Outstanding Contribution to Education through Music; Numerous awards for outstanding community outreach through music; 1997 Citation from Connecticut Legislature for exemplary dedication to community outreach through music. 1995 Renaissance Award for multiple music achievments in a single year. Invited Presenter and Mentor at various Music Conventions
Question How would one go upon writting a melody. And, how would i come up with a chord progression. I know all about the different cadeneces, all about most basic music theory so please dont try to explain everything or hold information back because you're afraid that i wouldnt understand it.
Thanks a bunch
--Anthony Rohr
Answer Anthony,
Thanks for your question. There are two basic ways to approach this type of task -- neither one is better than the other. It up to each individual to decide which one best fits their way of working. Both give good results.
1) Melody first: find a melodic phrase or motif that you feel comfortable with, that you can sing (la-la-la) or play with one finger on the piano. Put it in a key that's easy to work with. Once you are comfortable with a basic melodic idea, start to add a chord progression. Find the main beats in your melody and look at the note that is there -- then you have many choices as to how to harmonize it. If the note is , for example, an "a", you could use an "A" chord where the note is the root, an F chord where the note is the 3rd, or a D chord where the note is the 5th. Or, if you want a minor feel, you can use Am, F#m, or Dm.
For a blues/tension feel, you can use B7 ("a" is the 7th of the chord) or Bbmaj7 or Esus4 or a Gadd9. Any of these will harmonize that note. You pick the mood you want to project. Work through your melody harmonizing the main notes until you have a full accompaniment.
2) Chords first: Play some chord progressions to find something that works for you -- you can stay totally within a key (Key of C = C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim) or use borrowed chords, i.e. chords whose root is outside the key.
Totally up to you. When you have a progression that you are comfortable with , just start humming (la-la-la) melodic phrases over the progression until you get something that you like -- if you have trouble, then pick a note in your first chord and "follow" it from chord to chord to help get you started. Being able to sing a melody is a good way of knowing that it is "working" as a melody and not too disjointed.
These are the two most common ways to get a melody/chord piece going.
Good luck with your composition.
Bill Pere
President, CSA
National Indie Artist of the Year
