AUCKLAND GUITAR SCHOOL
DEPOT ARTSPACE
Auckland Guitar School with Dylan Kay
Write Your first song (part 2)
Depot Artspace with Amy Saunders
Dylan Kay
Following on from last month, let’s add words (lyrics) to your verse and chorus chord progressions. As before, analysing some classic songs (eg Beatles, or any music you love) with reference to what follows is also very valuable.
We’ll start with the plot. What is your song about? It should focus on one idea/story, and you should be able to explain it in one descriptive sentence. Write this down. The title of the song should be short and memorable (like a headline). Grab the listener’s attention and let them know what the song is about. Write this down. The chorus is the part everyone sings, and usually contains the title. Make it short and memorable, singable, and use repetition. The verse tells the story of the song – the who, what, where. Be specific, paint a picture and fill in the details. (Try and come up with a great first line!) This whole process could be done in one session if you set yourself a time limit (eg 5-10 minutes for each section). Once you have your lyrics, record the chords from Part 1 and experiment by singing a melody to them. There’s no right or wrong answer here – follow your ears! If you’re not a singer, you have two options – have someone else sing the song, or learn to sing.
The chorus is the part everyone sings, and usually contains the title. Make it short and memorable… Just like your guitar playing, song writing takes practice – the more you write, the better your songs will become, and as you learn more skills in your guitar lessons, you’ll have more musical tools to use. As ever, don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like help with your song writing! See you next month!
Depot Artspace, Devonport
Amy Saunders
Despite the strange and disrupted times we’re living through there seems to be no shortage of happenings in the creative community. The gallery has been buzzing with lots of interest in some new and exciting artists that we’re supporting and it’s been great to see our new in-house Studio Engineer, Noah Page, bringing in some exciting projects and musicians to the recently reconfigured studio spaces. Depot Sound has been humming with activities and bookings recently. We have some exciting news to announce soon but in the meantime, feel free to get in touch with us with your music or sound needs, whether you need a space to rehearse, to cut a mix or discuss a project. Contact our in-house engineer Noah Page at noah@depotsound.co.nz or call 021685070 www.depotsound.co.nz Wayfind Creative is going from strength to strength as a creative careers programme. We are continuing to add new modules and bespoke elements to the programme to look after each independent creative who joins. Here’s a screenshot from our first “Creative Lounge” session led by Andrew Tui which was super engaging and inspiring! If you would like to take your creative career to the next level, check us out: www.wayfindcreative.co.nz ArtsLab If you are on Job Seeker support you have to complete a compulsory job seekers course, so why not opt for one that specifically caters to those in the creative industries like yourself? Following the introductory workshop, ArtsLab offers six months of ongoing job search support, a large network of creatives, subject matter experts and expertise to support you in your personal and professional development. Check out more here: www.depotartspace.co.nz/artslab Depot Galleries We have three unique exhibitions lined up for April! Check out our events page for full details and also the online gallery to view our online stockroom and past exhibitions. www.depotartspace.co.nz/events (Events Page) and www.depotartspacegallery.com (Online gallery)
Dylan Kay, Auckland Guitar School, Howick and Takapuna, Auckland "Transform your playing." 09 533 5246 www.aucklandguitarschool.co.nz
www.channelmag.co.nz Issue 129 - April 2022
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