Needing Transitions/Song Structure suggestions and tips

[BronyMetalMix]

Okay guys, I could use your help. I've been working on a new song and while I seem to have just about each element I need as well as the big chorus I wanna get up to. (If you're curious to hear, this is it. It only repeats cause I just wanted to play it a few times for the preview.)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/txapj1zqleib1 ... 20song.mp3

What I'm having trouble with is making an intro and build up for it. Song structure and transitions have been always tough and I could use some tips or suggestions from you all to what I can do. Either in terms of the new song or just in general that I can apply to other songs.

Thanks,
Note Wise

[Captain Ironhelm]

I wrote a whole big thing about song structure in this swell thread here:
http://mylittleremix.com/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=8630&p=131551#p131551

You might try copying a professional song you like, except put your own melody in. It'll give you a good idea how to arrange and make transitions between sections.

[CitricAcid]

You might try copying a professional song you like, except put your own melody in. It'll give you a good idea how to arrange and make transitions between sections.

I do this all the time. Pick a song that has a similar sort of feel you want to go for and analyze it:

How long are the different sections? 8 bars, 16 bars?
What sorts of sounds are in those sections? High, low, fat, thin, morphing, static?
What order are these sections in? Verse-chorus-verse-bridge-chorus?
How many times is any given section repeated?
How is each repetition different from the last?

While you are writing your piece with these questions in mind, you will inevitably discover which aspects of the structure you like and dislike and will modify it accordingly.

[BronyMetalMix]

Thanks guys, I'll take a look at that forum also.

Honestly I'm always worried to copy a professionals song structure, or accidentally make the melody or chords similar to another song. That's always a big fear for me because of being called out for it and hated for it when you honestly had no idea that you copied it. I have been thinking of maybe copying something similar to my last song in terms of structure but then it feels like people will say "Oh this is too much like your last song."

Although, Someone like Zedd seems to be cool with copying a song structure cause when I listen to "Stay the Night" and "Clarity" back to back, they do sound really the same.

[Injustrial]

I'm gonna tell you something I've had a creeping suspicion about for a long time:
You only have 12 notes to work with. Depending on the scale you're using, you'll have a lot less. With that amount of notes to choose from, the amount of variation in chord progressions is naturally going to be limited.

DO NOT WORRY!!

Although the chord progression might already have been done before, you've got an "unlimited" amount of rhythms to pull from, making YOUR melody unique!


I firmly believe that all the world's melodies have been written before, but they have probably never been put in the sequence you've got planned, or done juuuust the way that you intend to do. If you find your leads to be similar to someone else's, big whoop! I'm pretty sure they won't be just the same (unless you've copied the midi to perfection) and definitely not in the exact same context as you're planning on.

Do your own stuff, draw inspiration from other musicians and grow from them

"The only reason I'm able to see further than others is because I'm standing on the shoulders of giants"
- Sir Isaac Newton