How To Compose Rock Music
Posted by Mike Schumacher
Writing music is very hard! It’s harder than writing normal prose because you have to know how to structure songs into sections, what chords go with what notes, and how to combine all of these elements in order to create a song that sounds good.
Most people who try to write their own music quickly get frustrated and give up. They may even take out their guitar and throw it across the room.
However, there are some easy ways to pick up the basics of composing music. You can learn how to compose simple melodies or rhythms, or you could learn how to choose chord shapes that sound good together.
There are many great books and websites that offer tips and tricks for aspiring musicians. Many of these resources focus on teaching you the art of musical composition using basic tools and techniques. These include recording your ideas into a computer software program, organizing thoughts and fragments of lyrics into themes, and creating moods through different harmonic patterns and instrumental colors.
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A lot of people get stuck in a pattern when it comes to music composition. They either have to take a break because they run out of ideas, or their ideas become very similar repeat patterns that are not interesting to listen to.
When you start thinking about how to compose music, make sure you don’t fall into this trap!
Thinking outside of the box is one of the main attributes of great musicians. If you ever feel like you’ve hit a wall with respect to music creation, try looking at things from an unexpected perspective.
Read through some basic rules and see what you can add to yours.
Practice constantly
There’s no quick way to become great at writing or playing music, which is why it takes years for some people to realize their dreams as musicians. It also takes lots of practice!
Music theory is an integral part of being a musician. Theory includes things like learning how notes sound and what chords are, so you can write your own songs.
But aside from that, there are several other ways to learn how to compose music. You can start by practicing making sounds and intervals (how long you hold a note) and then progressing onto creating melodies and rhythm.
Practice makes perfect! As with any skill, the more you use your instrument, the better you will get.
Use a notepad and pen
Writing music is a tricky process that requires you use your ears, hands, and/or computers to create. There are many ways to compose music, so there’s no wrong way to do it!
Some people may suggest using a computer or guitar as your main instrument, but writing for others usually uses a piano as their tool of choice. This makes sense because most people can play the keyboard easily and have access to one.
If you’re ever struggling how to start composing, take some time to sit down with the notebook, pen, and piano and just write away! Don’t worry about anything other than creating musical notes and patterns; numbers and melodies are both very fluid.
Record and edit your music
Now that you have learned how to play some chords, it is time to start recording! Recording music takes longer than just grabbing an instrument and jamming away, which may be why so many people feel discouraged when they try to create their own songs.
Recording music is actually quite difficult unless you are trained in music production. This includes things such as recording with instruments, recording vocals, and editing the recordings down. Almost every artist has a producer at least once during the process of creating their song or album, even if it’s just for logistics purposes.
A producer helps coordinate all the other musicians, arranges the track, and edits it together into one cohesive piece. A lot of times, someone will write a first verse or chorus, and then recruit a vocalist to re-record his/her part while changing certain parts (like adding additional lyrics).
The person who wrote the second half of the verse might not sound good enough, so a producer would need to find someone else to do another take of those words and mix them in. All of these steps must happen quickly since music can easily get lost in technology. Artists usually spend hours doing this work alone, and having a producer help streamline the process can save lots of time.
There are several ways to record music, so here are some tips about each.
Connect with other musicians
As we already mentioned, music is a very versatile form of expression. A musician does not need formal training to compose music! All you have to do is connect with your inner self and use what talents you have to express yourself through music.
Compiling songs is an excellent way to learn how to write music. By taking bits and pieces from different sources and linking them together, you will create new melodies, chords, or lyrics.
There are many ways to begin writing music. Some people teach themselves by copying and pasting fragments they find online or in songbooks. Others take lessons while some colleges offer music courses that can help you develop your skills as well.
Whatever method you choose to approach it with, just be sure to give credit where credit is due! Creating music should always credit its source material.
Gain experience
As you can probably tell, writing music is not an easy process! It takes time to perfect your skills as a composer. There are many ways to learn how to compose music, from practicing with software like Finale or MuseScore to taking lessons with a trained professional or teaching yourself using books and YouTube videos!
Practice makes perfect, so keep experimenting with different types of music and modes for inspiration! You do not need to be professionally trained in music theory to start composing! Many people have made significant contributions by simply creating melodies, rhythm patterns, or both that they incorporated into their songs.
Having a basic understanding of musical notes, intervals, and scales will help you get started and inspire you to create new pieces.
Learn to read music
The second most important thing to composing your own songs is learning how to read music! Luckily, you can pick up reading music very easily through several different methods. There are many ways to learn how to read music depending on your preference and level of proficiency.
You do not need to be professionally trained as a musician to compose your own songs. In fact, most musicians cannot even read music at a professional level, but they still contribute immensely to the songwriting process by writing their melodies and lyrics.
Musicians often get stuck on the more technical parts of the songwriting process, like recording or producing our songs. Once we have those skills, though, there are lots of resources available to help us bring our ideas to life.
Learn to sing
As we already mentioned, music is a universal language that transcends ethnicity and culture. It is also very difficult to learn how to play an instrument or sing without lessons. There are many ways to teach yourself to play the piano, for example, but you will have to invest in some resources unless you are trained in musical theory or learning by ear.
If you’re looking to hone your singing skills, then there are several methods of instruction you can pursue. Online courses are becoming increasingly common as students continue to adopt technology. These courses usually cost anywhere between $10 and $100 per session, however.
There are also plenty of free resources available online. You can search YouTube to find songs and voice coaches who are willing to share their knowledge with you. By practicing consistently, you will begin to see improvement within your own time frame.

The Jam Addict team is a revolving door of writers who care about music, its effects on culture, and giving aspiring artists tools and knowledge to be inspired and keep on creating.
If you have any questions or concerns or just want to drop us a line, don’t hesitate to contact us! We always appreciate the feedback.