"Song Writing Part 3" Video Transcript

Video Transcript: Song Writing Part Three

Steve Elzinga  

All right, this is the the last in this series on song writing, again, we sing a new song to the Lord. Step five in the song, right, we have, we have chords, we have a melody. We have this beat going, and so on. But now we want to add some layers. And in this video, I'm just going to list all the things that you can do. And in the next video, we're going to actually demonstrate that with a with a live band, how adding these layers really makes a difference. So the first layer is to just simply add harmony. I mean, when you have just a simple song, and they just add harmony, it just makes it a lot nicer. on your own. You can you can do it, you can try out harmony on your own. One simple way to do that, is if you have a phone that can record, you just record yourself, and you just play it back. And you sing along. I mean, how easy is that? So I have on my phone? I have a way to record my own voice. So I just hit the button. (record song on his phone) Okay, now I want to play it.

Steve Elzinga  

So, I mean, it's a way to try out your harmony. Now, there's some programs that you can get on the internet or, you know, on your iPad, and so on that actually record one thing and then you can add another thing while you're listening to that, and then you can listen to those things. And that another thing, so you can sort of try out your own harmony. Or you know, if you don't get harmony, when you have your son pretty well finished and you have the melody and everything. You can take it to someone like you know my wife and go Okay, can you add a little harmony to this? What what kind of harmonies would you add? Some people are just really good at that. So bring your song to someone else that could do that. Number two, after you've got a little harmony, you might add a bridge or some interesting interlude. So you know, we have a chorus, you know, or the verse we're singing along, and then we go to the chorus. And then a lot of contemporary signs go to the I don't know, how would you explain that.

Marie Elzinga  

Yeah, they go to almost a second Earth? Well, if you're counting the verse and chorus as the first melody, the bridge is almost a variation. Just a little interlude into is a good word. It's almost as a second or third melody, if you want to call it yeah, that ties it all together. But it's something that gives it's a little bit different.

Steve Elzinga  

Yeah, so it was like another song. Some some bridges are like a totally different song like and then they

Marie Elzinga  

might take a phrase and repeat it over and over in that bridge, just to build up that central thought. 

Steve Elzinga  

So bridge is sort of a creative, alternate something and the chords might be a little different, it might be a little different, the words might be different. Some people could go really crazy on a bridge. So you know just see you know, what, we'll demonstrate that you can kind of see what we're talking about. It's an interesting, okay said all that. Adding the layers add some bass, bass guitar or a bass, you know, like a, like a cello is really cool. Or, or

Marie Elzinga  

something that plays in the lower registers. 

Steve Elzinga  

Yeah, and why was a? What is that,

Marie Elzinga  

um, the base is kind of the foundation, it's what you're building all your chords off of. So

Steve Elzinga  

let's say you have a song that doesn't have it use or you're starting kind of soft, you don't have a base and the lowest of the base comes in,

Marie Elzinga  

right? It adds that humph on that power to it.

Steve Elzinga  

So sometimes you added like, you know, like a, I think you add it on a chorus or something, you know, you want the chorus to really have some punch or you want something to add or the second you know, you sing a verse and then the second verse, you might add just the bass and that just adds and sort of builds the song is a bass or cello. Add some drums. Often that adds it It adds to the verse, the second verse, you add the drums or the chorus or is it really, really the drums kind of fit in with the bass,

Marie Elzinga  

right? Typically the bass and drum come in together, they're supposed to be locked for randomly rhythmically, excuse me. And then when they play

Steve Elzinga  

use like a, you can use a drum kit, you know, which is the whole thing and they got the symbols and the stare and the bass and the TomTom things. Or you can use it like a gym Bay, you know, those, it's kind of a big, little thing. And it's just easy to play. And it just adds a little bit of thump or are these days people are playing the, I don't know, the K john or whatever it's called. I don't know how to say it. But, but but but a guy sits on like a chair, it's like a little box, and he just beats on the box, it makes kind of a cool, subtle noise. So sometimes, you know, our son is a drummer, he's used the garbage can, and play that. So you can almost use anything just to give it a little bit of beat. That adds a lot. 

Steve Elzinga  

Add some punch with the electric cop guitar with a bit of distortion. So then again, like a chorus, and under the we're gonna have a whole session on guitar and electric guitar. And what do you do with electric guitar sometimes it's just playing this kind of low distort our chord power chords that just, you know, alone, that sounds like you're some rock place, but with the whole song going even on a hymn, we'll use that power chord distorted guitar on you know, on Holy, holy, and it was just you know, the fourth verse, you sing holy holy and it's like, you know that guitar comes in the drums come in and it's like, yeah, as the energy it just keep it you know, we start you know, really, really soft and so that that's something to build a song and add notes are instruments as you go along. And you know, that's one option. softened, use in the chorus to add punch. Okay, what else add some warmth with pad sounds.

Steve Elzinga  

You know, the piano was hits you, and this is more ears that feel or hear something sometimes free will play this, you know, when during the prayers kind of a low behind the scenes and helps, you know, what does it do? It just helps people stay with the mood of what we're doing instead of, you know, they have their eyes closed, and they start thinking about what they have to do tomorrow. That little bit of sound in the background keeps keeps them focus, you know, on Well, why are we here? We're here to worship. Add some sparkle with bells and flutes and trumpets and saxophones and whatever else you can think of, I mean, whatever

Marie Elzinga  

is available

Steve Elzinga  

here, we're trying crazy things if we used in the past, we had a pump Oregon that we asked the little bells are kind of

Marie Elzinga  

last week actually, we had a few people playing the kazoo.

Steve Elzinga  

Yeah, use kazoos you know people can keep doing they can play at the zoo. That's maybe that's where you start when people learning an instrument can they can you sing in your home, you can play the kazoo so. So we're we're just touching on these little things that sort of help build the song that you write. But we're going to have a video where we actually demonstrate how you start with a simple song and they add all these little pieces to it. And it becomes really, you know, this is a song that you wrote and and and you'll walk away going wow, it became way more than what I ever envision. And that's where the team thing you start feeling the team. And in a way, you know, someone writes a song, but by the time it's done, everyone has sort of written the right song everyone. Even the songs suddenly, you know, someone else said why don't we start with suddenly and you know, so sometimes the whole group can really make the difference in writing a really good song.