| "The Piano= Excellent Songwriting tool. By: Skye Delamey Music Connection magazine (August 2010 issue) The piano is the most complete instrument because you have your treble, bass, rhythm, lead, and more. If you play the piano, or are learning how, take advantage of what an amazing songwriting tool you have at your fingertips...literally! Did you know you can write a bass line, a solo, create your rhythm using a metronome, write your fills, and have a full and complete song with this one amazing instrument? Then, bring in your other instruments or players. Take your bass line and play bass to it. Take the treble solo and have your guitar player play lead guitar to it. Or simply let your players use your ideas as a foundation on which to elaborate.". The Piano: ultimate songwriting tool.
1. Introduce yourself to the complex instrument that is the piano. There are many instrument throughout history that are said to be the ancestor of the piano. From a xylophone, to a variety of harps and harp instruments. From a Hydraulis to a panpipe. The piano has been around since the beginning of man. It is the most complex of instruments because it is made up of so many keys- 88 to be exact. The piano consists of a combination of "natural" notes (the white keys), higher pitched sharps and bluesy flats (the black keys). Rock n roll started with the piano way back when. Think Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard. The piano is fascinating because it can be goth..think Beethoven's "Symphony no. 5" or it can be elegant, think "Blue Danube". It can be rock-think "Golly Miss Molly," or "Great Balls of Fire." It can be a song like John Lennon's "Imagine," "Break On Through" by The Doors, or an Alicia Key's modern classic. The Piano is so versatile, so rich, complex. So intense, scary, yet heavenly, some times manic, often soothing. I remember being fascinated from childhood by the keys on my dad's accordion, wishing I could play whatever instrument that was. It has been a dream come true to know how to play this heavenly beast that is the piano, and to write songs, create music on it as a tool. I encourage songwriters who know how to play, to take advantage of what an amazing songwriting tool the piano is. I encourage those who don't play, who are interested, to learn how.
2. Introducing the treble and bass clefs. Middle C and up is an instrument called the Treble clef, or G clef. Instruments such as a guitar, violin, certain horns, harmonica, flute are treble clef, higher toned instruments, as opposed to the bass instruments such as the cello, or bass guitar. In the past, when asking children to describe treble clef, I got responses such as: it is a happy moment, church bells, angels, birds, a sunny day at the beach, a doorbell or the breeze. Bass clef was described as the ocean, royal purple, Halloween, heavy, dinosaurs, elephants, a snarl, a gentle giant, dark chocolate truffles, deep sleep, or underworld, in my opinion. There is a silence and mysterious solitude in the bass clef. It is very powerful and if not applied with care, can overpower your melody. Go easy on the bass, unless you want it to run the show.
3. "Massage the instrument."
Both treble and bass clefs consist of a symphony of sounds, tones, textures. There is a variety of things you can do, as a songwriter, with 88 keys. Some which are high, some low, some medium, some shy, some bold, some lighter to the touch, and some, such as thicker stringed low bass notes, requiring more force. Your fingertips and touch is what you need to play piano correctly. Is the song you are creating needing great volume or is it a gentle melody? The volume/"dynamics." from "pianissimo" (extra soft), to "fortissimo" (extra loud), and all those dynamics inbetween, are determined not by a volume switch but by your sense of touch. Even with keyboards set at a certain volume, it's your sense of touch which determines the volume; as well as the intensity and feel of the song to the ears. So, "massage" your instrument! Play those keys with care and sensitivity. A lullaby will not sound write if you play it like rock song, and vice versa.
4. Make sure your piano is in tune. Unlike a guitar you can tune yourself, a professional tuner is required to make a visit to your piano approximately once a year to make sure your piano is tune. You do not want to be writing songs to an out of tune piano. It may sound off, or flatter than it should. Hire a professional tuner to make sure your instrument is in tune!
5. Create your song. Create your vocal melody. Write the vocal melody on the piano. Be able to sing along to it if you sing, or have your singer sing to it. Pick the appropriate key signature of the melody. A song is music and lyrics. Create your lyrics with the perfectly matched melody that tells the story you want to tell, as a songwriter, AKA storyteller. Is your song appealing to the senses? Is your song written in alignment with what you had in mind? Can your vocalist sing it comfortabley in the key that it is written in? Who is your vocalist? Is it you? A male? Female? You can write your melody, and transpose it, or put in different key if need be. But, it's helpful in the beginning to have a clear idea of what key you want to write the song in.
6. Create your rhythm. With the metronome pick the appropriate meter for your song. Practice playing it to the melody. Play rhythm to the song. Sing the melody, while playing rhythm.
7. Bring in the fills. Create an accompaniment. Guitar or bass solos. An introduction. Fills and riffs to support the melody. Create your harmony. Get creative with your bass. Do you want to begin with a bass intro? There is so much that can be done with the bass clef. How about a bass solo? Bass root notes, "walking bass", arpeggiating bass line, or a combination are all but a few options of what you can do with the bass clef. With your treble, create a solo. Fill the gaps, the holes in between the melody. Does the song require a key change? A rhythm change? Complex music such as those found in Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Phantom of the Opera," have key and time signature changes mid song. Maybe your song is a more basic rock or pop song, but know you have these options as a creative songwriter, no matter what the genre. If your writing on a keyboard with voice tones, consider if your song needs strings or other treble or bass instruments. Bring your ideas to your band. Transfer what you wrote on the piano on other instruments, and elaborate. Elaborate, collaborate, or perfect and complete your song on the piano and get ready to record, or perform. Sing the vocals, play bass and treble simultaneously, while keeping track of the rhythm you made. Yes, you can multi task, and do all four of these things all at once.
8. Allow yourself to be surprised.
Think of beloved songs by Elton John, Billy Joel or John Lennon. When the basic songwriting structure is accomplished, it's easy to add to or embellish. Think of songwriting on the piano as having a tool at your fingertips that allows you to, at the very minimum, create the basic skeleton or core of a song, and at the most, to complete a fully completed piece of music. It depends on your needs. But, if you play, or are learning how, definitely give songwriting on the bass-treble instrument, the piano a try, you may be very pleasantly surprised.
Skye Delamey is a vocalist, pianist, recording artist, songwriter, and performer. Visit her websites for latest in music and more!
www.youtube.com/skyedelamey |