The University of Buea Choir known generally as UB Choir shoots amazing videos in three restless days. From all evidence, God was with us.

By Che Elvis

DAY ONE:

Tole neighborhood

We started a little late than expected but much of what we set for was achieved. The village setting was used for the Grass field medley and the tea background was well exploited.

The south African songs were done last and just before sunset, a thousand birds were directly over head in the sky while the tapes were turning, also a cock crew just as a chorister was tuning the Grass field medley Ikafaweh. I just know its God’s way of saying “Am with you guys”

DAY TWO:

The Mayor’s Residence

This was supposed to be the most active day but unfortunately it rained very heavily in the morning. We were almost frustrated at UB Junction and we kept singing.

This however turned into a blessing as the rains made the backgrounds even brighter and colorful. Just take a look

DAY 3:

Molyko

Shooting on the 3^rd day was done in two phases; during the day on campus and at night in UB Junction. It was certainly the most tiring day and lucky enough the work was complete. The last shot was taken at 1: AM

It started with a slight rain “God’s blessing”, for about 15minutes. This rain touched all choristers since we were a little off shade and just like magic we became more motivated.

The first shot featured Mofa and  Ms Justin “Ma Jus”. How nice! Take a look

There were so many people behind the scene, both in the field and in the studio. You can see the extensive list in the DVD or VCD’s which are already scrambled for in CD shops.

Main Cameraman

ALL PICTURES TAKEN BY

Che Elvis	Pamela	O. Marinus	Leonard

To get CDs, contact the following persons:

• President     +237-7595-9009
• A. Justine    +237-7737-1914
• O. Marinus    +237-9932-7243
• Romeo    +237-7777-4195

Written by: Che Elvis N. “Elvizy”

For: www.elvizy.com

info@elvizy.com

Tel: +237-7493-2363

You hear others do it everyday, you envy celebrity rappers, try to free style at home and get hooked? Your problem is solved. Here is a simple ten-step technique for learning to freestyle rap coined by Emcee Escher, esq.

Step 1. Start easy

No need to start off rhyming “the toasty cow’s utter” with “most o’ my flow’s butter”. No need to even rhyme. Just forget everything else and flow. The rhythm can be simple, the words might be second-grade level, but you’re still freestyling as long as you make it up. This was my first freestyle rap, which I spit when I was 11 months old:

I am funny,
I like bunnies,
Touch my tummy,
Mummy

Step 2. Keep flowing

You’re going to make mistakes. You’re going to sound stupid. Make your first freestyle rap verses your stupidest verses just to get them out of the way. Keep flowing. Can’t think of a rhyme? Keep flowing! Stutter over words? Keep flowing. It’s inevitable that at some point some of your lines won’t rhyme, won’t make sense, or that you will inadvertently diss yourself. (I knew one guy who accidentally dissed himself all the time when we were freestyling.) Just keep flowing. If you make a mistake, do your best to incorporate your mistake into your next lines like Eminem did on this freestyle:

I take a beat and loop it,
I take a beat and choop it,
Choop it? What does that mean?
I don’t know but I got fat jeans on,
And I already said that,
I don’t know where my head’s at,

Another technique to use when you find yourself in a bind is to whip out a quick filler. Fillers are just little phrases that you can insert occasionally to give you more time to think of a dope line. Every emcee has his own fillers. For example, Eyedea says “I grab the microphone.” Jin often says, “I’m (nasty) when I’m freeing.” I usually say, “You know what I’m sayin’?”

Try to come up with a few fillers that you feel comfortable using. They’ll bail you out of some awkward pauses. As you get better, you can rely less heavily on your fillers.

Step 3. Rhyme in your mind ahead of time

Here’s the biggest trick to freestyle rapping: as soon as you know what word you’re going to end line 1 with, your mind should start racing to find out a word you can use at the end of line 2. Let’s say your first line is, “I’m colder than a Dairy Queen Blizzard.” As soon as you realize that you’re going to end the line with “Blizzard,” you should immediately think of something that rhymes with that word and might possibly be related:

wizard
lizard
scissor
miss her
pins hurt

Pick one and then try to carve the second line to lead toward that word. Let’s say you pick “wizard,” your next line might be:

I’m colder than a Dairy Queen Blizzard,
This is Lord of the Rings, you’re the hobbit, I’m the wizard,

If you pick “scissor,” you might say:

I’m colder than a Dairy Queen Blizzard,
A rebel since I was five, went running with scissors,

The real trick of freestyling is to have your mind constantly racing ahead of what you’re saying. This isn’t easy, but you’ll get quicker with practice.

Step 4. Write

Writing raps will help you freestyle. When you write, rhymes become embedded in your head, and you’re more likely to be able to pull these rhymes off the top of your head in a freestyle.

For the most part, you should never spit a long pre-written verse at a cipher, but you can certainly use rhyming words and shorter phrases that you’ve worked out beforehand. When Proof rhymes “Ewoks, treetops, and Reeboks” in a freestyle, you better believe he’s thought of those rhymes ahead of time. He’s still freeing, but he’s using rhyme words he’d already worked out.

Sitting down and writing every day will improve your freestyles. It will expand your memory of rhyming words, and it will give you experience working these words into clever lines. It’s also a good idea to write a few multi-purpose bars that you can spit at a freestyle in case you get really stuck. Put those lines in a “Break Out Rhymes In Case of Emergency” box, and smash the glass when you need help. This isn’t cheating; it’s shrewd.

When you’re writing these “in case of emergency” lines, make them strong and interesting, but not too ridiculously amazing. In other words, don’t do this:

Turn the beat up, it’s all that I need, (free)
Rocking my pumas … and my white tee, (free)
Hit or miss, this penetrates the uranium nucleus, (written)
Smoke crews like a hookah plus I’m nuking your crib, (written)

You don’t want your “emergency” rhymes to be that obvious. Try to write rhymes that generally match your level of freestyle but are clever and smart.

Step 5. Rap about things around you

This is definitely the best way to prove to the crowd that you’re really freestyling and not just spitting something you wrote in your room the night before. It’s also a huge crowd-pleaser, ‘cause it’s impressive and it makes everyone real glad that they’re hanging out with you. Rap about things you see. Incorporate objects, actions, people, clothing, situations, and sounds into your rap. When I’m in the shower, I’ll rap about what kind of soap I’m using:

Trying hard to get clean, maybe just a smidgen,
Make my Dove dirty, oh, now I call it pigeon

At a battle competition, this is crucial. You’ve got to spit things specific about your opponent. These are the hardest-hitting punches. Take Iron Solomon’s opening lines against The Saurus in a battle on the streets of New York. He looks his opponent up and down, sees that he’s wearing shorts, and then spits:

Maybe you should have come here rocking a better flannel,
Or at least some long pants,
You should have checked the weather channel.

One of the freestyle kings is a rapper from North Carolina named Spectac, who can spit a rhyme off the top of his head that sounds like it was pre-written. I’ve heard Spectac freestyle for 40 minutes straight over various beats, and I’ve seen him in action at a show, getting some kid to walk around the audience pointing at things and Spec rhymes about it. I asked Spectac what it takes to freestyle. Here’s what he told me:

“Honestly, first of all, you have to have a love for the music and not just the hip-hop genre. You have to love the instrumental. Once you have the passion for it, anybody can develop the ability to freestyle. It comes down to how much time you’re willing to invest in practicing that part of the art. When I’m freestyling, I’m thinking ahead. I’m definitely thinking ahead. At the same time, I don’t get too far ahead of myself. You try to enjoy it with the crowd. Enjoy the punch lines, but keep yourself focused on the fact that the party isn’t over.”

Step 6. Include metaphors

Metaphors and similes are an advanced but important part of freestyle rapping. They are often found in a rapper’s funniest and cleverest lines, and they really differentiate beginners from skilled emcees. A rapper like Lil Wayne lays down verses that straight-up drip with similes and metaphors. He’s the one who is balling like “Rawlings and Spalding,” who is a giant like “fee fi fo fum,” who is counting (money) all day “like a clock on the wall.” Not only does he drop lots of similes, he drops clever, original similes. So do like he does. Don’t just say “sharp as a knife.” Say:

I’m sharp as Samurai swords…
I’m extra sharp like cheddar…
I’m sharp as a Schick Quattro…

Metaphors and similes are really the backbone of an advanced rapper. Learn how to use metaphors correctly. Your rhymes will not only be funnier and smarter, they’ll sound better too. Take these lines from rapper Chingo Bling: “I’m fly like Big Pun on prom night with a cummerbund.” You know that is fly!

Step 7. Reference current events

Just as good as referencing something nearby is referencing something timely. Let’s say, for example, that you are at a cipher, rapping with some of your friends (dissin’ each other, just goofin’ around), and the day before you remember reading that Star Jones recently lost 200 pounds. How dope is it if you throw that in your rhymes:

You big now, but you ‘bout to get cut down,
Faster than Star Jones dropping 200 pounds

I recently heard an emcee reference soaring gas prices:

Fast? Son, that ain’t fast—
I’m rising faster than the price of gas

Whether it’s related to sports, politics, music or celebrities, if it’s in the news, reference it. As Wordsworth says, “I just try to think of what’s important to the people in my surroundings and try to speak on it.”

Step 8. Pass the mic like it’s contagious

Rap in ciphers—groups of two or more rappers playing off each other, trading verses. This is a great way to improve, and it’s definitely fun. One of your friends can beat box, you can throw a beat on the stereo, or just freestyle over nothing. Take turns, cutting in whenever you want or when someone “passes you the mic.” (You probably won’t have an actual mic). Never drop the invisible mic! Pick it up and pass it!

Work off other people’s rhymes. If they throw in something about the Bible, pick up that theme and run with it. Try to stick to similar topics, or riff off topics in creative ways. Expand on or reference their lines. When my friends and I cipher, we like to kick about random stuff that we all know about, like our personal lives.

Me:
Got no girlfriend, and girls are good for your health,
Know what I mean? Uh, at least I work for myself,
You see me here, kid, and I rhyme crazy,
Used to have a job reading to a rich blind lady,

Zach:
You rhyme crazy, and sometimes you rhyme lazy,
But I love this rap game, ‘cause rhyming is my baby,
Visually, lyrically I’m known as a mystery,
Y’all couldn’t even see me on HDTV,

It’s always good to pick up the rhyme scheme of the person right before you. In a great freestyle between Brooklyn rappers Mos Def and Talib Kweli (back when they were together as Blackstar), Mos Def ends his first verse asking Kweli if he’s with it. Kweli responds, “I’m always with it…” Later Kweli spits rhymes about some emcees looking wack, then he passes the mic to Mos who continues the rhyme, saying that they always look wack “cause look at the way they dress.” These are the best freestyles: raps that connect with the rhyme sounds and topic of the rappers around you. In the best-case scenario, the rhymes intertwine like the fibers in a Shredded Wheat biscuit.

Step 9. When you’re in a cipher, think ahead

One of the great things about rapping in ciphers is that after you spit one verse you get a break before you spit again. This break is your best friend. It’s during this break that you’ll be listening and responding to your friends’ verses. But you’ll also be planning out your next verse.

Whenever I’m in a cipher, I never like to get back on the mic until I’ve composed four to six quality lines in my head. To be most impressive, these lines will be about things around you, or they’ll be about something your friend said in his verse. Let’s say your friend is wearing a shirt that has Daffy Duck on it. While he’s spitting, you can write a line like this:

I know you’ve had a tough year and had some crappy luck,
But why you gotta wear a shirt with Daffy Duck?

That’s not an amazing line, but I guarantee you that in a cipher people will go nuts over that. (Make sure to point at his shirt as you say it). I always try to think of two or three of those rhyming couplets before I spit again. Usually I’ll drop one right away and then use the other two later in the verse.

Step 10. Listen and practice

Freestyling, like sculpting or shooting three-pointers, takes an insane amount of practice. Practice as much as you can. Freestyle with homeless people, with your friends, and with your family. Listen to pro rappers who freestyle and try to analyze their styles. Rap all the time; practice all night and day. Practice might not make perfect, but it makes real good!

Keep me posted about your progress and the challenges you phase.

Che Elvis “Elvizy”

www.elvizy.com

info@elvizy.com

Copied from www.flocabulary.com

Sometimes, many beautiful melodic lines come to my mind. I sing them all day and end up forgetting. Am I musically inspired?

Possibly you are. Music inspiration is a rare gift and every single song is inspired. The difference is that some people are more inspired than others and some artist have to work extra hard to keep up.

Now you are inspired, how would you find out if it is good or just another musical mess? OK try one of my old tricks; Meet friends individually, those who hate and those who love music, those who are music literate and those who don’t know about melody and rhythm and tell them this lie to sample opinions:

Boy I bet you have not heard this one, it’s the latest release by P. Diddy and Rihanna OR Its one of Handel’s unpublished songs OR better still it’s the UB Choir lead track in the unreleased new album.

Now, there are generally two things you can get; WhOA! That’s cool I will rush for a copy. OR WHAT! You mean Diddy sang that crap?

Well, in the later case do not be discouraged, it’s just a call for you to work extra hard. The composer is a person who composes, who exerts effort towards making a musical composition.  Inspiration is not something to be sought after, but a term that other people label your product with after it is all done.  “Wow dude, that was inspired!”.  Rich the TweakMeister

The idea may come in various forms.  It may come as a melody–just a one line simple melody which you might hum to yourself.  Or it may come to the composer as a melody with an accompaniment.  At times he might not even hear a melody; he may simply conceive an accompaniment figure to which a melody will probably be added later.  Or, on the other hand, the theme may take form of a purely rhythmic idea.  He hears a particular kind of drumbeat, and that will be enough to start him off. (Copeland: p23-24).

Inspiration comes from all around us: our emotions, relationships, nature, people and experiences—some songs are even about surreal situations. A big part of finding inspiration is putting yourself in situations that rouse inspiration and then recognize it when it comes.

We all have different people come into our lives; relationships have always been hot topic for songwriters. To generate other ideas get out of the house, go somewhere, and do something. This could even be something as simple as walking in the park or down the street. You’ll be amazed where inspiration can be found.

Now work on your inspiration and give it some standard. Take Music lessons if you’ve not done so. Do a lot of compositional techniques and inquire from experienced writers. Sometimes it’s preferable to copy the styles of a renowned singer you personally admire. But be wise in doing this. The best singers have distinctive and unique styles or characters, did you notice that? So what is your own style or what are you bringing which is new?

The larger your musical cultural awareness, the more diverse your style. Borrow from your vast culture and make your own style and make your music good. If you have personal problems, just mail me or drop a comment.

Good luck in your endeavors and hope you don’t waste your inspiration, make it known.

Just me, Che Elvis…..”ELVIZY”

www.elvizy.com

info@elvizy.com

Reference:

Copeland, Aaron, What to Listen for in Music, 1939  McGraw Hill

Rich the TweakMeister

Melody. The notes the singer is singing.

Chords. Chords are a "shorthand" for all the notes all the instruments are playing.

Lyrics. The words the singer is singing.

These are the three basic components or elements of a song and every playing music involving several instruments contains this three divisions.

If you create a melody, a chord progression (a series of chords), and lyrics that all go together, you have a song! In ChordSong it looks like this:

Melody, Chords, Lyrics – Which Comes First?

An experienced composer can start with any one of these elements first, and then add the others. But to begin, I suggest you start this way:

Chords first. Why? Because chords are the most "technical" or "mysterious" of the three elements. So it’s easier to play with chords all by themselves, find a chord progression you like, and then add a melody to it.

Once you have some chords, here are a couple of ways to add a melody:

· Let ChordSong play the chords over and over, and try humming (or singing) something along with them.

· Create the melody with your mouse on the ChordSong melody staff. ChordSong even shows you notes which work with your chords!

Note: A pop song can easily be 100-200 measures long. You probably don’t want to make up just the chords for a whole song first, without any melody. Try making up a few measures of chords, then add a melody to those measures, then add a few more measures of chords, then some more melody, and so on.

Now let’s look at the bigger picture; combining single notes to make a good melody.

To create a melody, you have to decide two things about the notes:

Rhythm – when the notes start and how long they last

Pitch – which notes (high or low) to use

To take one thing at a time, let’s start with the rhythm.

The Melody Rhythm in Some Real Songs

If we look at the melody rhythm in real songs, we see a pattern:

Melody notes are grouped into phrases.

Each phrase is a group of several notes which fall pretty close together. The phrases are separated from each other by longer gaps.

To get a feel for the possibilities, look at these "hook melody phrases" from some real songs. (I’m using just one pitch, not the real notes, to show just the rhythms.)

In the examples above, I’ve marked the beginning of the hook section with the word "Hook". Notice that sometimes (like in #1 and #3 above), the hook melody starts a beat or two before the downbeat of the hook section. When the melody "starts early" like this, it’s called a pickup.

Recipe for a Melody Rhythm

Here’s a specific recipe you can follow to start creating a hook melody phrase:

Step 1: Start with a chord progression.

You might want to insert a couple of measures of chords on a line above your main hook section, as an "intro". (You could use a 2-measure phrase copied from your hook section for this.) This gives you a place to put the pickup if you decide to use one.

Step 2: Decide where to place the first note.

You can place the first note anywhere from a couple of beats before the downbeat of the chord phrase, to a couple of beats after that downbeat.

You can place the first note either on a beat, or on an off-beat (half-way between two beats). If you have a lyric, it can help you decide this. If the first syllable is accented, it will often go on a beat; if unaccented, on an off-beat. If you don’t have a lyric yet, don’t worry! You can always modify the melody later to make it fit a lyric.

What pitch to use for this first note? Don’t worry about it, just use any chord tone (the "green notes" in ChordSong). We’re concentrating on rhythm now; you can change the pitches later.

Step 3: Place more notes to complete the phrase.

Follow these "rules" (derived from the real-song examples above) to complete your melody phrase. Or break them if you want; they’re only here to help narrow down the choices when you don’t know what you want to do next!

Rule 3.1: Starting with the note you already placed, place one "quarter note" (a quarter note lasts a full beat) or two "eighth notes" (each eighth note lasts just half a beat) in each beat until the phrase is done. If you have a lyric, it can help you decide where to use one or two notes in a beat, because accented syllables often go on a beat, and unaccented syllables often go on an off-beat.

Rule 3.2: Keep using the same pitch you used for the first note. When the chord changes, move up or down to a nearby pitch which works with the new chord.

Rule 3.3: Use about 2 to 8 notes in your phrase. Of course, if you have a lyric, the number of syllables in your lyric can tell you exactly how many notes you need.

And that’s it! You’ve created the rhythm for your song’s hook melody phrase.

This article’s "mystery example songs" were:
Song #1: Like a Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan)
Song #2: Imagine (John Lennon)
Song #3: Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)
Song #4: Yesterday (The Beatles)

Copied from www.drawmusic.com

Written by Conrad Albrecht

Visit the site to make a "hook chord progression" and facilitate your work

First the Words …

Firstly, you need a text. Strange to say, despite the billions of religious words that have been written through the ages, they aren’t that easy to find! Composers need texts which speak to them, which call forth a deep response from mind and soul. If the words mean nothing to you, you’ll find it next to impossible to write a great choral composition.

Take time looking for your text, and always be on the lookout for good ones. They needn’t be liturgical or even biblical – there’s much fine religious poetry and prose, there are prayers, and also some excellent hymns. Many composers write their own words and this can be an excellent way of proceeding – not least because it gets you out of any copyright complications. Steer clear of copyright texts unless you are certain that the copyright owner will allow their use in your composition.

In the European Union copyright lasts for 70 years after a writer’s death. Other countries have different laws – in the USA it’s 70 years after the original publication of a piece. So you see you must check up for your own area.

Even the official words of the liturgy aren’t necessarily free of copyright. You’ll need to check for your own Church. So you may not have the option that Bach and Palestrina did of simply setting the words of the service! You don’t want to spend months on a composition only to discover that permission for performance is withheld. And I’ve seen this happen.

If you’re writing for the liturgy ensure that you know exactly where your piece will fit in and what length it should be. The length of your composition is crucial if you want it to receive regular repeat performances.

.. then the Music

When you’ve found your text consider the musical side of the composition. What forces are you writing for? The larger they are the more difficult it will be to get a performance. Unless you’re very well known, or have been commissioned, don’t compose a piece for three six-part choirs and five grand pianos – it won’t be performed! You must be practical – to start with, a composition for SATB and organ or piano is best.

Some general suggestions: if you’re writing for voices make sure that your composition is singable and vocal. What can be played easily on the piano is often impossible for a singer to sing. So when you’ve written a line, try and sing it yourself. And if it’s very difficult – change it! Avoid awkward jumps and intervals. And give the singers time to breathe … especially important to remember if you’re an organist. As Stravinsky once remarked of the organ, “The monster never breathes!”

Explore the full vocal range, but don’t keep the singers at the extremes of their registers for long periods. Here are the normal, practical ranges:

Sopranos: middle C to A an octave and a sixth above
Altos: G below middle C to D a ninth above middle C
Tenors: C an octave below middle C to G a fifth above middle C
Basses: G an octave and four notes below middle C to middle C

When composing for tenors write their notes an octave above what you wish them to sing. If you want middle C write the C above, and always write in the G clef for tenors.

If you do keep a line high, give the singers concerned a good rest afterwards. Suit your lines to the accentuation of the words. Choose the easiest vowels for high notes – ah and ee are best. And take care to avoid difficult consonants on high notes. If you take your sopranos to a high A, set it to an ah vowel sound and make it part of a longer phrase which has all been set to the ah sound.

If you’re going in for choral composition then you’ll need a comprehensive working knowledge of the mechanics of singing. So it’s a good idea for a choral composer to sing in a choir for a longish period, to get first-hand experience of choral singing. For the same reason, when you’ve completed your first readable draft have a singer friend look at your composition to see if there are any landmines. Listen to their advice – it could save hours in rehearsal.

Let’s get started with the Composition

Now, to start your composition, return to your text and see if it suggests any music to you. Look at it from the point of view of word-painting. See where the climaxes will come – but don’t overdo them. And are the words happy or sad, joyful, or exultant? Match your music to the mood of the words, and hear your composition spring from the text.

Work out what rhythms will fit your words. You’ll be spending some time on this, so don’t accept the first rhythm that comes to mind. Experiment, and devise rhythmic patterns which relate to and complement each other.

When you begin your composition don’t sit around waiting for inspiration – it doesn’t work that way! Improvise on the piano or another favourite instrument until you get an idea, but the sooner you start putting “blots on paper” the better. Use a pencil and have a rubber handy.

Musician and writer Hans Keller once needed a rubber, and called across the crowded room to Martin Dalby. Martin immediately produced a handful of erasers from his pocket. “How did you know he’d have a rubber?” Hans Keller was asked. “Martin is a composer,” he replied with his characteristic smile, “Composers always carry rubbers!”

Daily Discipline

Work out a disciplined approach which suits you, and you will increase your productivity tenfold. I always set myself a daily target of 30 bars at least. If they aren’t any good I can always tear them up on the following day! If you follow this procedure you will soon have a sizeable composition.

Some general tips: As a choral composer you’ll listen to contemporary choral music – both church music and secular – and study the scores of other composers. An understanding of counterpoint is essential – so go to a good teacher. If you intend to do a lot of composition invests in a computer programmed like Sibelius to ensure that your finished product looks good. It doesn’t take long to get the hang of this – even if you have two left thumbs when it comes to computers!

Always keep in mind the prospect of performance and ask yourself “How can I get my composition sung?” You’ll either need your own choir or you could try and find a conductor friend who will sing it with his or her own group. If you submit your composition to a publisher send a recording of it along with the sheet music. Ensure that the score is readable – ideally printed – and the recording’s of a reasonable standard.

Composition is a demanding and lonely process and experience is essential. The more choirs you can persuade to sing your music, the quicker you’ll learn. Music exists in performance and not as notes on paper, and there’s no substitute for hearing your music sung (and there’s nothing like it!). Once you’ve developed your own disciplined approach you will eventually produce a composition which will give great pleasure to all who hear it.

Che Elvis “Elvizy”

UB Choir Bass singer

www.elvizy.com

info@elvizy

Copied from www.music-for-church-choirs.com

Visit it for Good choir music articles

Just any body can write music, all it takes is the mood for writing, the love of music and music literacy. Here are some ideas and advice to enhance your music writing experience coined by Christopher Fowers.

1. Write the Lyrics For Your Song

Many musicians write their own melodies as well as the lyrics. If you already have lyrics, consider them when writing your melody. Some questions to ask yourself before composing the music are: What words do I want to focus on? Are there note lengths or timing that will accommodate certain words better than others will?

Consider the following line: I DROVE my CAR down the UB STREET. The emphasized words DROVE, CAR and UB STREET give the listener an idea of what is going on, even if these are the only words they hear. On the other hand, if you sing the same line but emphasize different words: I drove MY car DOWN THE ub street. The listener might have no idea what you’re singing about.

You can emphasize words with a louder note, changing the note itself, a longer note or including a rest before or after the note. Experiment with your song and see what sounds the best.

2. Listen to and Learn from Other Composers

There is something to be learned from every single musician or band out there. Listen to how your favorite musicians construct their songs—examine the style, the tone, how different instruments work together and so on and so forth. You can implement many of the same ideas into your own music or even take some of their riffs and tweak them to fit your style. This is a great way to come up with new melodies.

3. Use Music Composition Software

Music composition software can be a musician’s best friend. These programs aid in the writing process by organizing your work and allow you to see what you’re playing. Quality software packages provide features including a metronome to keep beat, playback, so you can listen to what you’ve composed, input, so you can hook your instrument or microphone directly to your computer and notate a song you play or sing and tons of editing tools so you can easily compose a riff.

4. Look for Musical Inspiration

Before writing a piece of music, it’s critical to feed your mind inspiration. Inspiration comes from all around us: our emotions, relationships, nature, people and experiences—some songs are even about surreal situations. A big part of finding inspiration is putting yourself in situations that rouse inspiration and then recognize it when it comes.

We all have different people come into our lives; relationships have always been hot topic for songwriters. To generate other ideas get out of the house, go somewhere, and do something. This could even be something as simple as walking in the park or down the street. You’ll be amazed where inspiration can be found.

5. Have Fun

You first started writing music because you love music. If you’re not enjoying composing music, then do something else for a while. People tend to do what they love best.

6. There is no Wrong Answer in Music Composition

Writing music is one of those things you can do and never make a mistake. Some melodies are catchier than others are, and everyone will write some bad stanzas. It’s all right; that’s why we have revisions. Remember this while writing music: it will make you feel better and help you avoid writer’s block.

1. Define Your Music Composition Goal

Are you writing music for yourself or for other people? This alone will totally change the tone and style of your music. If you are writing for yourself, you have more freedom to write what and how you want.

In contrast, if you are writing for other people, it is a good idea to identify your target audience and write music they will enjoy.

8. Seek Advice and Opinions

People are always willing to give advice and opinions; take their comments into consideration when writing music. Give your music to family members and friends to get their opinion of your songs. Though people close to you may be biased, their comments are still valuable. You can always leave a comment or question on this site and we’ll definitely get back to you.

9. Do Something Different

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut and all of your songs begin to sound the same. Even if you’ve found a great combination of notes or a catchy beat, changing it can be good and help you grow as a composer.

An easy way to try something new is pick up an instrument you haven’t played before. Sometimes you find yourself playing the same old keys or strumming the same chords on your guitar. A different instrument can lead you to melodies you may not have thought of otherwise.

10. Practice, Practice and More Practice

There is no substitute for hard work and practice—it is the only formula that will guarantee you will become a better songwriter.

Maybe your next song will appear at the top of the charts. That’s my prayer for you. Good luck in your endeavor.

CHE ELVIS “Elvizy”

For www.elvizy.com

info@elvizy.com

References

Harper, Monty, Tips for Young Songwriters: Writing Melody. montyharper.com. (2003)

Hill, Ken, Torchlight Creek Music: Something Out of Nothing: 21 Songwriting Tips. Musicbizacademy.com. (2003)

Li, Keane, Top Ten Tips: Writing a "Hit" Song. guitarnoise.com. (2003)

Cameroon is considered as “Africa in miniature” its true regarding her cultural diversity which is a summary of most African cultures.

With respect to music, I can say “Cameroon is the world in miniature” View some Cameroonian videos .No single brand of music, practiced the world over is a major problem to Cameroonians. Reggae, slows, zouk, R&B, country, Blues, salsa, hip-hop, ndombolo, Couper decale, are just a few examples.

However, the various brands of music originating from Cameroon include; makossa, couper Decale (which is inspired from makossa and mostly sung by Ivorians), Bikutsi (from the center), Njang and Bottle dance (from North west), assiko, and a huge number of local juju dances characterizing cultures.

JUJU DANCES

Variety as said is explained by cultural diversity, instrumentation and accent. The pigmies of the East for instance have their unique brand of music, characterized by a high pitch lead singing voice and other voices answering. They use less modern instruments. Singing and dancing is a popular pastime among the pygmy groups, who gather round fires for many hours at night to enjoy themselves. One feature of pygmy music is to create a melody combining repetitive, rhythmic notes sung by different individuals.

Music from North West such as bottle dance involves sound of bottle, together with drums, bass and acoustic guitar. Dancers take active part in clapping and turning round as the singer demands.

Music from the west usually demands specific attire. Modern instruments are used in combination with Xylophones and the “ndenge”.

Bikutsi from the center involves regular patterned beats with an averagely greater number of notes per bar. Dance styles are original and instrumentation is modern though with much solo guitar.

Makossa from the Littoral is the major brand that gives Cameroonian music a definition. It is modern and easy to dance. Most of the songs have a regular tempo at the start, a slower tempo after the 2nd verse then a climax, making the end even hotter. Couper Decale is another form of makossa and involves more of animation than singing. It is highly cherished worldwide.

The few music brands seen above are internationally known. Manu Dibango, the famous Cameroonian saxophone player has promoted makossa worldwide. Most Cameroonian videos are now done both in the nation and in other countries such that the culture keeps growing.
A variety of music instruments are used in Cameroonian music. It’s the most colourful and rhythmic you will ever find.

CHE ELVIS
“ELVIZY”
www.elvizy.com
info@elvizy.com
elvizy@gmail.com
bigelvizy@yahoo.fr