Are Chords The Key To Writing Good Tunes?
Nov 11, 2024
Have you ever wanted to write your own tunes or harmonies?
Composing music, especially for bagpipes, offers an incredible outlet to express yourself and your musical ideas.
But if you're new to writing tunes, it can be daunting to know where to start. Should you just write whatever you feel? Work on nailing a catchy "hook" before you get carried away with the rest of the tune? Start with the ending and work backwards?
Many times, pipers who are composing tunes for bagpipe music are trying to make musical decisions 'by ear' or trying to replicate a sound or effect they've heard somewhere else, but often with variable success.
The truth is, there's no one way to write a tune. Like most creative pursuits, everyone's approach could be as unique as the tunes they want to write.
But a good place to start is with chords.
Wait – chords, where you play two or more notes at the same time... on bagpipes? An instrument where you can only play one note at a time?!
That's where chord progressions come in.
On many other instruments – like guitars and pianos – you can play several notes at once. Some notes when played together sound wrong somehow, which we call discordant. Others sound pleasing, because the frequency of the notes line up in a pleasing way.
When we write music, we don't just play one chord for 20 minutes. Instead, we put the notes of a chord in a sequence, and write melodies that follow the relationships between different chords. And understanding which notes work well in a chord progression can also unlock the ability to write beautiful harmonies.
Check out our podcast, Dojo Conversations, as Jim and I compose a new tune live on air, covering chord progressions as well as showing you some of the tips, tricks, ideas and processes you can use to work on composing your own musical ideas for others to play!
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