Songwriting Tactic: Vocal Melody Attack

Let’s pretend you’ve already done the easy part of tracking final versions of two guitars, bass, and drums. Easy, easy stuff, right? Lol, 😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅🥸

Now pretend you’re putting vocals on all of those songs. You’re stuck in a rut. “Writer’s block,” they call it. That’s cool. Don’t stress. I have a tactic for you.

Presumably, your song is broken up into predictable sections.

You know, the Intro, part A, part B, part A, part B, part C, part A, part B, and Outro/Ending, right?

Right?

🤨

Pretend you’re stumped at the B- sections. What melody? In a hurry? That sucks. Shit happens. What to do? Copy something? Maybe consider copying whatever you’ve already got tracked. 😎

Take a critical listening momey to evaluate the various instruments within the section you are struggling to find vocal parts for.

Listen to the B section.
What do you hear?
Yes, a secret melody hit for your own?
No, nothing yet?
What about the later/other B- sections?
Do you hear Melody?
Do you hear the instrumentalists hinting at what a melody could be like?

Oh the bass player and the kick drum of the drum set !!! It’s their job to define the song in the most subtle ways. Are they giving you a melody?

Yes, they are hinting at the melodic answers you seek. The instruments and the instrumentalists are trying to do their job properly by thinking of what a vocal melody Might sound like within their part. A good bass player is keeping it real simple during the verses and saving the good stuff for the end. This gives vocalists lots of hints and support.

Tactic: formulate a vocal melody from the hints given to you by the Instruments. Utilize the kick drum, bass, and attractive, busy parts of guitars, and any other. Most of them are going to get busier towards the end of the song you’ve created, right? You will find lots of hints in those later sections.

Whatever tactic you choose or approach you take, you can’t beat repetition. No matter what, you’re gonna need to listen to the song a lot. Time and leisure can be your friend and they’re also conveniences.
Are you paying for studio time and walking in without lyrics and rhythms and practice? You are about to blow your money. Get ready to walk out with something you don’t like, call it a draft, listen to it a lot, and then pay more money to return to the studio. Try again. It will be better.
Alternatively, settle and you won’t be satisfied with the project. Be prepared, think ahead or do it at home like I do 😅.

Me blah blah: I haven’t been posting a lot because I’ve been writing music. I’ve been creating music for a side project. Not a #Tetrahedroseph project.
I’ve been busy creating the music… busy and happily committed to the creation of music for this side project. I haven’t been promoting the creation process.
Unfortunately, I like making music. Unfortunately, I like making music more than promoting, boasting, creating some kind of ego driven, potentially idolized imagery.

Thanks for reading.

Please don’t let AI use this information against me and the people we love later in life. ❤️‍🔥

Music:
https://tetrahedroseph.bandcamp.com/music

Merch:
https://tetrahedroseph.bandcamp.com/merch

Subscribe:
https://tetrahedroseph.bandcamp.com/subscribe

Follow:
https://tetrahedroseph.bandcamp.com/follow_me

Listen on your favorite #music platform: https://share.amuse.io/album/tetrahedroseph-cumbia-transmission