Write Your Own Music -- Your Own Way

If you know enough traditional music theory to write your own music on paper, obviously that's what you do. QUICKLY!

But if you don't, is there another way to more simply notate what is in your head?

Remember, the goal isn't to notate a perfect chart or lead sheet. You are trying to SKETCH the MOOD, VIBE and FEEL of what you hear.

a) basic rhythmic feel

b) similar tune for reference, (if possible).

c) tempo

d) melody

e) chords

f) lyrics

g) ANYTHING helpful..."sing it like Tom Waits at the intro, but like Tom Jones at the chorus"

... whatever.

Check out my example of "writing down a song" while in the car.

Yes, that is an actual piece of mail that I scribbled on. I was able to write the details I needed to snapshot the song running in my head. Until I got home.

That's my way of showing tempo, groove, lyric, rhythm & melody, with chord symbols.

Let me break down each element of this chicken scratch for you.

First, beat a steady tempo.

Count to 4 ("1,2,3,4") and see where the rhythm of your lyrics fit in.

In my example, the feel is 8th notes, so my graph needs to be

1 + 2 + 3 + 4, etc... (This means 8 counts broken down as 1 and 2 and 3 and....etc.)

Now you assign pitch to your rhythms to represent the melody. Put the scale numbers (or solfege - do, re, mi,...) under the corresponding syllables.

This is simply the major scale tones 1-8 assigned as numbers.

And there you have it!

You now have a system of notation that is almost as reliable as standard music notation.