I Have The Melody But I Can’t Identify The Notes
Help!?
Here’s the thing, I can tell when something is out of tune but in terms of identifying a specific note, I find it too damn difficult.
Yeah, a shame. But I love music, man. And I’m pretty sure that I know what sounds good from what sounds crap. Hear me out, please.
I was on a scheduled phone call with none other than the editor, Noah Levy. While I love talking to people, I was a bit anxious because I wasn’t sure if my Filipino-English accent would come across clearly through the phone. So before the call, I sang quietly to myself,
“Am I speaking too softly?
Can you hear me, can you hear me?
Are my words unintelligible?
From my tongue they roll, they roll.”
I was surprised that my spontaneous anxious song rhymed. So I wrote them down before the call. After the enlightening talk with Noah, I went back to my lyrics intending to elaborate. I noticed that the verse sounds like someone is silenced and appeals to be heard. So, I internalized and dug my emotions deeper. Because anxiety is as frequent as dinner already, it was kind of easy to write more,
“Am I acting too strangely?
Can you see me, can you see me?
My hands are shaking wildly,
Can’t control them, I’m damned.”
I was able to write a total of six verses (anxiety finally paid off) and published it as a poem first. It’s here if you want to see it.
As a song, the melody is monotonous, to be honest. But here’s the struggle: I picked up the guitar to see if I can identify the chords of the melody but I gave up after thirty minutes of trying. I didn’t like what I was hearing. My notes sounded crap. I tried so hard to hear if I was singing a “do,” a “re” or a “sol.” When I thought that I heard the right note, it didn’t sound good on the instrument. I tried the ukuelele, too, but what’s the difference?
I know I can learn and I blame my failure on my lazy bones. I enjoy learning the tabs, actually. I’m so proud to say that I mastered the intro of The Doors’ ‘Love Me Two Times” but that’s about it. I have the patience of a three-year-old who gives up when things are a bit complicated.
All of the poems I published have melodies but no accompaniment. I used to reason that maybe I can be a lyricist. Let other people bother with the chords. But no, I want to write a full demo. I can easily look up YouTube videos to learn but where else can I get the best tips than a place full of seasoned musicians. No, I’m kidding. I don’t want to burden anyone because I’m tardy. I intend to pay my dues and keep on trying until my crappy notes sound good.
