| "That which shrinks | | | | alert the listener up to the fact that a change is |
| Must first expand. | | | | coming by giving them little warning signs. These |
| Soft and weak overcome hard and strong." | | | | can be slight rises in your voice, momentary |
| Once again we return to the subject of Dynamics. | | | | swelling in the music, hinting at the chorus section |
| How a song is able to start from a kernel of | | | | by entering it briefly and then stopping. This |
| music and develop into a huge production is a | | | | approach is useful in musical forms such as |
| skill-to say the least. So when Genius is involved, | | | | R&B, Rap, Rock, Jazz, among others. Try |
| all one can say is "Get out of their way, witness | | | | out each method and conceive of some of your |
| greatness in action, and observe!" The trick | | | | own. Whichever way you choose to apply a |
| underlying the Tao of Development for song | | | | gradual transition, just remember there are |
| construction is usually based on small musical | | | | numerous way of doing this, so keep several |
| ideas, but not always. In my experience, I have | | | | methods at hand in your musical toolbox. |
| had both occur. On the one hand, I have | | | | A sudden transition is just that-all of a sudden. |
| completed songs that took years to ferment in | | | | This approach is extremely effective in really |
| order to ripen. On the other hand, I have also had | | | | active forms of music where the energy is high. |
| it happen where I knew exactly what I wanted | | | | A sudden transition maintains the energy level and |
| the piece to be, how I was going to compose it, | | | | can even increase it. In other cases, a sudden |
| and did it according to plan with fabulous results. | | | | transition can immediate enliven a slow or low |
| So how do you build a song up and tear it down | | | | volume piece, by adding a vicious surge of |
| again? Starting from a small musical idea, you | | | | energy, which increases the Dynamic level to an |
| would research all you can find out about the little | | | | extreme. Used in this way, the sudden transition |
| information you have in that musical idea and then | | | | acts as a musical slap in the face to the listener |
| expand the musical idea. For example, if all you | | | | who thought they were just going to go to sleep. |
| have is a melody and words for it take out a | | | | This method is useful in almost every musical |
| metronome and set it to the meter of the | | | | form. |
| melody and begin to recite the words, as they | | | | A discontinuous transition is similar to a sudden in |
| should be, in time with the click. Do this several | | | | that it can also be sudden, but not always. |
| times, and then start to expand the theme by | | | | Discontinuity means an empty space or gap |
| slowly wandering away from your original words | | | | between two things that are usually connected. |
| to a much broader context. In this way you | | | | So in music, this is represented as silence or low |
| maintain the meter, reinforce the flow of words, | | | | volume levels. On this basis, we can see how this |
| and over time add new words on the same | | | | method can be applied. A listener going along with |
| theme seamlessly. This can be done for music | | | | the first section of music will not anticipate an |
| (melodic and chords structures) as well as words | | | | upcoming gap of silence, so it always comes as a |
| and lyrical themes. | | | | surprise. That is a bonus element to its usage. |
| Next, what do you think of, musically, when you | | | | When the silence occurs according to this design |
| hear or see the word "uplifting." Take a | | | | there are many, many options available to you at |
| second...Well, whatever you thought of I would | | | | this point. Now, while I won't be able to cover |
| guess you conceived of higher notes or an | | | | them all, here are a few of them. Musically, slap |
| intense delivery of vocals. Am I close? Let's | | | | them in the face; switch meters, keys, songs |
| bridge the two concepts now-small musical idea | | | | (seemingly), etc; introduce a guitar, vocal, or other |
| and "uplifting" the piece. If we start from the | | | | instrumental solo; reintroduce the same music, but |
| premise that uplifting the piece equates to adding | | | | with a slight change. This method is also useful in |
| higher notes or intensifying the vocals, then we | | | | almost every music form unless the composer |
| can go somewhere. (If you have any other | | | | does not desire it. |
| concepts of how we think about these two things | | | | Now that we have covered how to build the |
| please post your ideas in the comments.) There | | | | music, song, lyrics up, how does one break them |
| are three ways you can transition from the | | | | down. It's surprisingly easy. Just use any one of |
| starting section where you presented your small | | | | these methods of transitioning-gradually, suddenly, |
| musical idea into uplifting the piece: 1) gradually 2) | | | | or discontinuously-backwards. See how that would |
| suddenly and 3) discontinuously. | | | | work? |
| By a gradual transition, you would warm up or | | | | |