Writing ones own music

[WineRider]

How many lappers actually write their own tunes.
I ask because in a discussion in my house just the other day, among two pianists, three guitarists and me...I know I don't really qualify, but I was still allowed to my five eggs in. The two pianists said they had never considered writing or even adapting to suit their needs or even to the point of never jamming with backing tracks or trying to play along with bands on records or CD's. The three guitarists claimed to have written some music and transposing anything that was not in a key they liked. Also they did admit to jamming on a regular basis, which they claimed, helped them to adlib and also to contribute to their playing with other musicians. Me??? I dabble with playing riffs and also trying to construct simple music, some of which is down right horrible. Some I think might be what I have heard or seen written somewhere, but I've not knowingly copied. Just asking

[Danny Mitchell]

Hi Maurice,
Please excuse me, as a non lapper, chucking my egg into the pot:oops:
The reason being, I was chatting to Dougie Stevenson at Gartcosh the other night about practice technique. Now Dougie's a black belt, 8th dan lapper, whose latest album, 'Scottish Chillout', is now available from all the usual channels(shameless plug).
Anyhow, he was telling me that the first thing he does when he sits down at either the lap or the Dobro, is to make up little tunes, where he's trying out new positions or new picking patterns, and then when he has a melody he likes, he transposes it to different keys. Then when he finds himself sitting in, or jamming, he sticks pieces of these made up tune's in, as he sees fit.
No scales or chord inversion practice for him, everything is melody based.
At the Gartcosh meetings he never passes on a round robin tune, even though he's never heard it before and invariably ends up amazing us lesser mortals.
So, I reckon your own method of making up riffs and melodies is sound practice. It's all gravy
That's it, my egg's done!

[mick hearn]

Like most guitarists I sit toy around with bits and pieces I have heard. You hear any music and theres always a phrase that jumps out and you think "I must try that." For the most part though I may play a regular well known tune but then second time around I am looking for something perhaps to compliment the song but different enough to say "This is Micks bit. Sometimes it just falls into place but other times I have to think about it.