Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.
Have you ever stopped to just look at the varying subtleties and intricacies that come with a melody? Something like Twinkle Twinkle.
CC GG AA G
FF EE DD C
Simple little notes. 6 different notes, played in such a way that is easily recognizable by anyone within earshot of the piano, and the pianist playing the little tune. However, what honestly makes these 6 little notes work together? What if it went:
CC GG CC G
FF EE FF E
It's not the same anymore, is it? Sure, it could be a song of it's own. However, if you've ever tried writing a song, you know from experience that certain notes just don't sound right when you put them next to each other. I couldn't give you an example off the top of my head, but just think about it. Say you started off with one simple note: C.
Where do you go after C? You kind of play around a little on the ivory and ebony keys of the piano. C#? No. Not quite right. Not what you're looking for. Gb? No. Too... flat. Then you start to get bold. Go where no man's gone before.
maybe you go to G? you test the key. you play C, then G, both being half notes. You realize that maybe, just maybe, if you played C twice and then G twice, it would sound better. So you do. It sounds wonderful to your ears, so you quickly scribble it down.
You continue the pattern of testing out which notes go well with t
he previous one you've found. All of a sudden, you've got a masterpiece. You put lyrics to it, and you've got a wonderful song on your hands.
Now, who are you to say that going from CC to GG sounds good? I bet there is one person out there who doesn't like that transition of notes. One person out there who shows distaste for the soundwaves that enter their ears when they hear C-G. It's nothing personal, they just don't like it.
And that's the beauty of songwriting. When you write a song, you're not keeping in mind, "oh god, do people like the way this sounds? How about this? Or this?" You're writing what you like to hear; you're writing the chords and notes
you want to play.
So, who am I to say "you can't play C and then G#!" For fuck's sake, go out there and play ybour goddamn C and then G#! Because I can't tell you that doesn't sound right. And if I tell you that it doesn't sound right, I'd be damned if I could prove you wrong.
Look, I don't know what the fuck I'm talking about. It's just a thought that came into my head & I rolled with it.
