Three Simple Ideas to Become a Better Musician, Songwriter or Composer

As musicians, we rely on our ears to fix most of the problems we encounter.  We listen for tuning, timing, and volume, to name a few.  But often, finding unique ways to connect with music by learning a few simple techniques can help solve difficulties we have while learning, creating and playing.

Here are three tips to become a better musician by converting from one mode of thought to another.

1) Using numbers in place of notes.

I was recording to a click track with my headphones on and could hear the producer say, “Can you do that again, please?” This was likely the fifth take on a simple chord progression that with each passing take was getting worse.  It was a frustrating experience that had me second-guessing every note.

In desperation, I finally said, “Can you tell me how you want it played with numbers instead of words?” I clarified, “on a scale of 1 to 10 how do you want this part played?” He thought about it briefly then said, “Play the chords at a volume of 6, and strum the chords about -2 behind the downbeat.”

And in that exchange, a simple conversion happened that made perfect sense—sometimes, the notes or words don’t produce the best results.  A different perspective led to better and faster results by converting to numbers.  See examples 1 and 2.

This was one of the first sessions I’d done in a larger professional studio with a producer and crew.  I didn’t have the confidence or experience to nail the first take. Still, that simple conversion had changed the way I play in the studio, on stage, and also work as a producer.

Flip the Switch

So many situations in life can be navigated by flipping the switch from words or in a musician’s case—notes to numbers.  The conversion could be a recipe, what colour to paint your bedroom or a thriving debate.  Sometimes words or notes don’t cut it.

As philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein realized, “The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”  So, the next time you are struggling with notes or words, try to convert to a numerical value to clarify your thoughts.

Ex.2. Here is an example using numbers to show where to play a note rhythmically.   The centerline is the downbeat, the minus and plus signs describe where the notes fit into the groove better.

2) Using words in place of notes.

The opposite is also true when replacing notes with words.  It would be impossible by looking at a score (though I’m sure many have tried), to describe a screaming Jimi Hendrix solo, or how you might feel during the 1st movement, measure 276 of Beethoven’s third symphony (Eroica).  Some musicians can mentally hear the score in their heads, but there’s no substitution for a hair-raising crescendo or clashing dissonant chords. 

Sometimes, it’s just a feeling you have, and sometimes a word may help to get the message across.

I’ll take another example from a guitar and mandolin session I did on a television series.  The scene was of a girl dreaming about a clown.  I seem to remember it was a scary dream (is there such a thing as a happy clown dream?).  I was sight-reading the part, but again, not satisfying the producer. I could sense his frustration, as this gig paid by the hour. 

This time, converting to numbers didn’t work; instead, he said something that made it crystal clear: “Play it dreamily.”

The Power of Words 

It was a simple instruction that completely changed my approach.  Instead of trying to play each note in perfect time, I played with a very legato (smoothly) and ad-lib approach.  Fortunately, those three magic words worked, the producer was happy with the take, the entire scene felt better, and I even got paid.

Often, when I play or write music, I try to think of an emotional term to cling on to.  Using words to describe how a piece of music is played is not new, but again, it’s the conversion from one way of thinking to another.  Before you sit down to compose or play, have a good listen to the piece (or song if it has words), and think of one or two words to describe how you feel.

Keep these words or “keywords” in mind, or write them down for a reference.  Any word will work that has an emotional meaning to you.

Using words at the start of a score was and still is common practice with many composers and songwriters.  Here are a few historical musical terms frequently used to describe how to perform music with the Italian to English translation. 

Musical Terms

Misterioso – Mysteriously

Perdendosi – Dying away

Risoluto – Bold and strong

Sognando – Dreamy

Spiritoso – Spirited

Tranquillo – Calmly

Vivo – Lively

For more traditional musical terms check here.  Here’s another useful list of musical terms.

For fun, think of some words that could work to describe an emotional feeling using everyday language.  How about spaced out, chill out, zoned out, brain fog, or stoked?

You could also try new words recently added to the Oxford 2020 dictionary.  For example:

• hellacious – play with an over or underwhelming feeling,
• the force – (for Star Wars fans), play with mysterious strength,
• saturate – play colourfully with more intensity or vividness,
• simpletonian – play with a foolish lilt,
• cognitive dissonance – play as though in a state of mental discomfort.

Of course, you can use words from slang, texting acronyms or even emojis:

• low-key – play in a restrained, quiet way,
• lol – play jokingly with humour,
• yeet – play with excitement and energy,
• xlr8 – gradually play faster.

3) Using visuals in place of numbers and words.

How many times have you heard, “A picture is worth a thousand words?” And it’s true for the most part, isn’t it?  That is, as long as the picture is an accurate representation of what you are trying to understand.  The question might be, how can you use visual images to compose music or perform better?

Music notation is already a visual system that explains where the note is, how long to let it ring, how loud to play, etc.  The music notation system has been around for a thousand years or more with few changes.  Some parts of our music notation work well, but how about the method we use to describe rhythms? 

Visualizing Rhythms 

Most students I have taught struggle with rhythm and, more precisely, reading rhythms.  A better way to represent rhythm is to use lines that show the length of notes on a linear scale.  Eventually, we do learn the symbols for whole notes, eighth notes, dotted sixteenths, etc. but sometimes a picture, well, is worth at least a dozen or so words, as in the diagram below:­

Here’s another graphical representation below called a piano roll.  The piano roll is part of most music software programs and is an accurate way of representing the rhythms.

The preceding two examples introduce you to visual ways of notating music, but how about using visual images or art to inspire you to play and compose instead of using notes or words?   

The simple ideas are still the most powerful

We spend every day converting thoughts from one form to another, but consciously refining a technique to do this is beneficial, as shown in my examples.  In creative work, you never know what situation you will find yourself.  Having a few techniques could save you the embarrassment and maybe even give you an edge when your current approach doesn’t cut it. 

Please leave any tips or techniques you have used in the comments section below.  And vote in the poll to see the results. 

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