Rejected!

[erogenousjones17]

I went to band practice last night with an idea for a new song, but although the other guys liked it, it pretty much got shot down because it's in D major and so are two of our other songs (there are a lot of ringing open strings in the main riff and I'm not overly keen on using a capo, so it's not easily transposed). Is it just me, or is that a really crappy excuse? A band's not allowed to have more than two songs in the same key?

I don't contribute much in the way of writing, mostly because the stuff I come up with doesn't tend to fit the band's style, but I've never felt creatively stifled. This, however, has me a little irked. I can't write lyrics or vocal parts to save my life, so I guess it'll go on the riff tape for now...

Anyway, just needed to rant a little.  :laughing7:

 

[OzziePete]

To me, it seems funny that they'd wanna shift the key around. That must be murder for a singer to constantly change to, one song after another, within a set.

I thought you generally found out the key that best suited your singer's voice, then transposed everything to that key? Maybe the D Major - [you mention that the open string ringing might make transposition harder too] - key is a bit hard for the singer to sing too many times?  :dontknow:

 

[erogenousjones17]

That's actually a really good theory, but I doubt our singer takes anything of the sort into consideration. He's a Devil-may-care sort of fellow. The complaint I heard yesterday was really that we already have two other songs in D that start on the D chord.

Um...ok?  :icon_scratch:

 

[tfarny]

I think a lot of the old blues guys used to just do all their tunes in one or two keys, especially if they did open tunings. Neil Young's are 75% D major, 20% G major, 5% other.

Three songs being in the same key does NOT sound like a reason to reject a tune. Maybe it needs a more distinct intro?
The singer is the one who has the final say on the key, since their instrument has the more limited range (unless you play with Whitney Houston)  - if he tells you to capo up two frets, you do it.

 

[erogenousjones17]

I think a lot of the old blues guys used to just do all their tunes in one or two keys, especially if they did open tunings. Neil Young's are 75% D major, 20% G major, 5% other.

Three songs being in the same key does NOT sound like a reason to reject a tune. Maybe it needs a more distinct intro?
The singer is the one who has the final say on the key, since their instrument has the more limited range (unless you play with Whitney Houston)  - if he tells you to capo up two frets, you do it.

I agree that it's the singer's call. It was the dismissal on the grounds that more than one tune start on the same chord that really rubbed me the wrong way. Who knows, maybe I'm just sensitive.  :laughing7:

 

[OzziePete]

I agree that it's the singer's call. It was the dismissal on the grounds that more than one tune start on the same chord that really rubbed me the wrong way. Who knows, maybe I'm just sensitive.  :laughing7:

It does sound a little pedantic. Maybe they were trying to be nice when they rejected it, instead of saying they didn't like the song/s.

If you otherwise get on well with the band members, then , personally, I'd take the rejection of those songs 'on board' and move on. But if I felt the songs deserved some sort of playing, then maybe get a side project up and running and get a singer to do them as you want them done.

 

[SustainerPlayer]

So a band is only allowed 24 songs - 12 minor and 12 major?


Oh man - I never took time to learn all the rules.  :sad1:

 

[Superbeast520]

Thats why I prefer to do so much stuff on my own, no need to please anyone, more recording time, more Ideas and creativity and more time to hone the skills and styles I find enjoyable....with the digital age giving a guy the ability to showcase himself more, it seems like a better way to find the kind of musicians doing the kind of stuff you want to do instead of just accepting that its the singers or bands stuff or forget it.
I got stuck playing in a death metal band for a bit for lack of any other musicians to play with at the time, and after awhile I realised I was actually happier going off on my own and creating than I was playing "in the band" alot of guys do both.....lots of options if your willing to look for alternatives....maybe you could showcase a solo effort on the side.

 

[Volitions Advocate]

So a band is only allowed 24 songs - 12 minor and 12 major?

Bach did this to prove he was awesome.. twice.  Those were just 2 collections of his Fugues, he also wrote 700 chorales.. so i'm pretty damn sure there were several dozen in the same key. Not to mentions countless other things he wrote.

You're group isn't Bach.. you don't need to write to his standards.  Tool has 5 albums out and nearly every song is written in D.  Also. just because it starts on D doesn't mean it is in D.
Also Also Most of the Tool songs I've learned that are all in D aren't even D major OR D minor, they're actually D Dorian.  You've got a lot of options coming off one note.

 

[Alfang]

I don't know the rules either, but didn't AC/DC release about 30 albums all in the same key and with the same 3 chords

This isn't an ac/dc bash either, I love em.

 

[mayfly]

In my band, we shift keys to suit the singer, not for any other reason.  Live, I actually like several songs in the same key strung together - we just morph from one to the other.  It's pretty cool and always goes over.  Maybe try that approach.

Oh - and the capo is your friend.  Learn to love the capo.  it's not a crutch, it's a gateway to a new land...

 

[Steve_Karl]

Write an into in an other key that then modulates to D for the verse using a killer hook of a melody on guitar that carries it from one key to the other.
Use Bmi with a d bass.
Use E with a D bass
use G with a D bass.

There are many options for changing it.

 

[Vol. Knob]

Do a little rewrite.  If their issue is that it STARTS on the D chord, and you have 2 other songs that start on that chord, see if you can rewrite it start on another chord.  Don't get pissed, take it as constructive criticism and act on it.

But you said yourself, you tend to write things different than this band.  One shouldn't be surprised if their Country and Western Swing band shoots down the guitarist's suggestion to play a death metal song.

 

[erogenousjones17]

To be honest, I think I was just having a bad day at the time and feeling a little defensive. But a number of good suggestions have been made in this thread, suggestions which can only help me improve as a songwriter, and that's never a bad thing.

Speaking of which, anyone got any tips for writing lyrics and vocal parts? Time for me to start up a solo acoustic side project... :laughing7:

 

[BigBeard]

Time for me to start up a solo acoustic side project... :laughing7:

:doh: Man it was awesome when Dylan went electric.  You should stay that way!!!!  Too many guys do the solo acoustic side project, what's wrong with an electric side project?  I'm just saying that everybody goes acoustic, keep it plugged in!!  IDK, I'm more of a fan of an electric guitar all day long, and you never hear of an electric solo side gig...  Is that a tradition thing?  I mean you have to play through a PA anyway, why not mic up your amp instead of your acoustic?  And nobody ever said you can't play your electric and acoustic the exact same way, you can.....Lately I have been approaching the electric as an acoustic due to the t-bridge that I installed in my guitar, but I'm a weirdo....

Anyway, yeah man don't get discouraged....  opinions are like *ssholes, everyone has one!!  :icon_tongue:

 

[erogenousjones17]

I agree with you 100%. Billy Bragg does the solo electric thing, and that's just plain awesome. My stage "acoustic" is a Godin archtop with a P90, so I'd be somewhere in between anyway.

 

[mayfly]

I've got an electric duo project going.  I think the concept kicks ass.

 

[BigBeard]

I've got an electric duo project going.  I think the concept kicks ass.

Buddy you are a busy man, you have everything going....  From B benders to new babies to rocking out, when do you sleep?

 

[mayfly]

I've got an electric duo project going.  I think the concept kicks ass.

Buddy you are a busy man, you have everything going....  From B benders to new babies to rocking out, when do you sleep?

I plan to do that when I'm dead.

 

[AprioriMark]

I've got an electric duo project going.  I think the concept kicks ass.

Buddy you are a busy man, you have everything going....  From B benders to new babies to rocking out, when do you sleep?

Slee.... huh?  What's that?

-Mark