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How much experience do you need on an instrument to be able to write a pop song?

analogue

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Some people say that you need years and years of practice to be able to write your own music on an instrument but then other people say that after only a few months of practice you can write a pop song

So how much experince do you need to be able to write music for a pop song on an instrument?

Thanks alot
 
Some songwriters don't play an instrument at all and hum the parts to musicians or an arranger to write out as sheet music. In some cases one person writes lyrics (Bernie Taupin) and the other writes the music (Elton John).
 
DuranDuran said:
Some songwriters don't play an instrument at all and hum the parts to musicians or an arranger to write out as sheet music. In some cases one person writes lyrics (Bernie Taupin) and the other writes the music (Elton John).
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Pretty much sums it up really i am a pro Piano player and can play in different styles but if you're looking to make it big in Music i suggest you keep an open mind and grab what ever opportunity you can :)
 
I have wrote songs by singing the music parts. I'll sing the guitar parts, the keyboard parts, the bass parts etc but then my friend who has been playing piano for years really looks down on my method and says that i'm not a real songwriter because he says that real songwriters play instruments

but seeing the responses in this thread is starting to make me think that my friend is talking out of his ass
 
I've been writing music for about 15 years and when I started I didn't play an instrument well, although I picked up piano and guitar along the way as tools to show others what was going on in my head! I believe music theory is most important in order to be able to compose, though you can gain that education through formal training OR from being exposed to music and making your own connections about how it's constructed.
 
You dont need to play an instrument at all. As already mentioned, Michael would beatbox and record himself on a tape. So, the greatest pop songs of all time were written without using an instrument.
 
If it feels right do it, don't listen to other people, who are usually pretentious muso's who know nothing about music.

You cant teach someone to write a song.
 
To write a song you dont need to play any instruments, see i play piano, but most of the songs i write start out of nowhere, in many different places and mainly it starts with me singing... :)

vncwilliam, Michael played instruments, not to compose i think, but he did played intruments, read the booklets of his albums specially the lastest works :)
 
analogue said:
Do you know what artists use the type of method?
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Some of the old Motown writers like Norman Whitfield did this. Although James Brown could play organ & drums, he hummed or would scat what he wanted to his bands as he didn't know how to read or write music notation.
 
michael jackson played keyboards.

if you can tap out a beat and play basic chords you can compose.

on guitar learning basic bar chords which are 2-3 strings on the top e is how many songs are composed.

james brown wasn't much of a player however he could scat the groove,etc..


clive davis is musically tone deaf and is a lawyer however he is one of the industrys greatest record men.

you gotta have the ear and know melody,hook and groove
 
mistermaxxx said:
michael jackson played keyboards.

if you can tap out a beat and play basic chords you can compose.

on guitar learning basic bar chords which are 2-3 strings on the top e is how many songs are composed.

james brown wasn't much of a player however he could scat the groove,etc..


clive davis is musically tone deaf and is a lawyer however he is one of the industrys greatest record men.

you gotta have the ear and know melody,hook and groove
Click to expand...

Agree... thats why I dont understand why people dont give him much credit musically. He played a big part in creating his music.
 
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