Hey Everybody.
I’ve got a hot, hot tip for you for writing
melodies.
I get a lot of people writing in asking me:
“How do I start writing melodies?”
“I’ve run out of ideas for melodies, where
can I find them?”
Melody Mining
I have this technique called Melody Mining,
that’s just great for pulling melodies out
of the air we breath.
Basically what we’re going to do is look
at the word we use for melodic inspiration.
If you listen to the way you speak, there
are notes and rhythms hiding inside of them.
All you have to do is...
Start listening and you’ll be Digging for
gold!
If you know what you’re listening for, you’ll
always have endless, endless sources for melodies.
So what’s so good about Melody Mining?
Its Natural
First of all, its extremely natural sounding.
If you write your melodies based on the way
that human beings speak, its going to sound
real, its going to sound like someone talking
Its Easier to Sing
Its a lot easier to sing melodies written
from Melody Mining because generally you’re
not going to be saying sentences in any way
that your vocal chords aren’t used to. You’re
not going to be throwing crazy Celine Dion
notes into the way you speak. If you’re
going to write melodies based on the way you
talk, its going to be very simple to sing.
It Resonates
Melody Mined Melodies resonate with people.
The idea is that you’re speaking from your
heart - you’re saying words that you actually
use in your real life. When the listener hears
a melody that sounds like something that someone
actually says in real life it has a better
chance to touch them deeper.
It Communicates
If you’re taking melodies from actual human
speech, you’re going to be singing the listeners
language, and they’re going to be able to
hear what you’re trying to say.
Melody is 90% Rhythm and 10% Notes
I have a theory (that maybe not everybody
subscribes to) that really helps me as I write
my melodies. I believe that what comprises
a melody is 90% the rhythm and just 10% the
notes.
The thought behind that is there are only
12 notes (and if you’re sticking to a chord,
its going to be even fewer) so there are only
a limited number of original combinations
to choose from. You only have a defined number
of patterns notes that you can create out
of notes.
Rhythm is Infinite
But there are infinite combinations of rests
and beats that you can use. Its easier to
be original in a place where patterns are
infinite. So, if you’re thinking about creating
original melodies - the bulk of your effort
is going to be spent focussed on creating
original rhythms.
And that’s what’s so great about Melody
Mining!
You’re pulling melodies from natural rhythms.
If you listen to 
people speaking around you, there are tons
and tons of natural rhythms to base your melodies
on.
When to use Melody Mining?
Melody Mining is great for when you’re stuck.
When you have no idea where to go with your
rhythm - go have a conversation with someone,
go hit up youtube (see video for examples)
- and just listen to the natural melodies.
This is also very useful if you write your
lyrics before your melodies. If you have a
giant page of lyrics, this is a great way
to write your melodies. If you can say the
words out loud and listen to the way you’re
saying them - the melodies will just write
themselves.
Its also really good for beginners starting
to learn to write melodies. When you’re
first starting out with songwriting, its all
about just getting something on the paper
- throwing something out there. This is a
really great way to just get started.
How To Do It
Lets say you don’t have any lyrics written,
you’ve got your chord progression, but you
are totally at a loss for melodies....
1. Hit up YouTube for some natural inspiration
Search for professional speakers, rappers,
baby videos, or bird calls. You can hear melodies
anywhere if you’re looking for them.
(I particularly love getting inspired by hip
hop. All a rapper has to work with is rhythms
- they’re not really hitting any notes.
All the creativity in rap is in the rhythm.)
2. Pick a small phrase to focus on
It doesn’t matter what you pick. Just pick
the first thing that sticks out.
3. Repeat it over and over.
Try to crank up the emotion in your voice,
over enunciate the words.
4. Try to mimic the phrase musically
Play along with your words with your piano
or guitar. Try follow the phrase - if it goes
up, pick a higher note. Just do you best color
the phrase with notes.
Check out the video to see me doing it live
and try it right now for yourself!
