Challenge #4: Tying Two Tunes Together

Week #4: July 24 – 31, 2016
Challenge #4: Tying Two Tunes Together
By: Emma-Lee

Final Challenge

Take two songs you’ve worked on in the past (these may be complete songs, or songs that you were never able to quite finish) and marry them; take bits and pieces from two of your incomplete songs to create one whole new song.

Why is this challenge important to the craft of songwriting?

Too often we give up on fragments of songs and ideas and never imagine that these forgotten threads might be spectacular when reinvented with the right lyric or melody from a different fragment. Some of the most interesting compositions come from finding two completely separate songs that end up being perfect for each other.

Challenge tips

• Try taking the pre-chorus from one unfinished song idea and sing over or lay on top of a totally different existing chord progression. Alter the notes to fit the chords and key but use the same movement in your phrasing.
• Take the pre-chorus from one idea and see if this works with an existing chorus you have from another song start.
• Try cherry picking the best melodic moments from a few of your unfinished song starts and creating a whole new song out of them. If you’re working with some recording software, try singing or playing some of the different melodies and then moving them around in different order until you find something that excites you!

Good luck!
Emma – Lee

In order to successfully complete this challenge you are required to: 

1) Write and record a song following the description of the week #4 Challenge
2) Write a blog post about your experience and post this on your own blog
3) Upload your song to SoundCloud or any other MP3 hosting site
4) Post the link to your blog post and the link to your song as a comment reply on this blog post by 11:59pm EST on Sunday July 31, 2016 – extended deadline. (Click on “Leave A Reply” at the bottom of this Challenge post, please put your full name and your email address in the appropriate fields). *

*Please note that the weekly Challenge will always be posted on our blog the Monday following, so if you complete your song before that, please hold on to your submissions until we notify you of the blog post.

Your blog comment will not appear until they are cleared by our website editor please allow up to 48 hours.