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For those of you that sing or help create vocal melodies with/for a vocalist: How do you do it? Whats your approach? Do you create something on the instrument?

I usually try and just hum or start singing, making melodies to see what works but I often have an undesirable issue where the melodies I make will hug the notes in the chords and sometimes (or often) blend with them. This can sometimes be useful - like when the vocal line just mimics another melody in the music - but often I feel trapped in the range of the chords and can't get/feel beyond it.

Other times I can find something that doesn't conflict or meld with the chords at all.

Thoughts/advice?

Usually start on instruments. If it's guitar, play a clean line in a different register than the chords or other bits just for clarity...and I definitely avoid any flashy guitar bullshit or muscle memory traps. Try to follow my ears for something that makes sense.

Invisible Man wrote:Usually start on instruments. If it's guitar, play a clean line in a different register than the chords or other bits just for clarity...and I definitely avoid any flashy guitar bullshit or muscle memory traps. Try to follow my ears for something that makes sense.

This is what I so. I just limit myself to 1 string or I'll sit at a piano to avoid using any whacky wide intervals.

I'll usually have chords/a guitar part down before the vocals, so I'll play and just sing along until I come up with something I like. Very occasionally I'll sit down with a guitar/keyboard and write out something without improvising into it

I almost always just come up with them as I'm playing.... singing along with some kind of syncopated la las that will eventually become words, doing what feels natural. Sometimes I tend to lean too much in a default direction, though—for example I love major 7ths and write vocal melodies that riff on that vibe a little too frequently. If I think I'm repeating myself too much, I'll grab another note from whatever chord I'm singing over and start there. Usually all I need is a new jumping off point and the rest of the new melody will follow after a bit more noodling around.

I think picking up an instrument you don't know very well might be my best strategy, probably just to avoid that. Get a cheap uke or banjo, or tune your guitar to some unusual intervals. Basically anything that will stop you from playing in your favorite places/scales/runs. Pluses a different part of your brain, especially if it's not a stringed instrument. Get a bassoon.

Invisible Man wrote:Usually start on instruments. If it's guitar, play a clean line in a different register than the chords or other bits just for clarity...and I definitely avoid any flashy guitar bullshit or muscle memory traps. Try to follow my ears for something that makes sense.

Yep. Getting a looper helped a lot with this, too, so I don't have to play the riff/progression/what have you and get stuck in it while I'm figuring out melody.

Invisible Man wrote:I think picking up an instrument you don't know very well might be my best strategy, probably just to avoid that. Get a cheap uke or banjo, or tune your guitar to some unusual intervals. Basically anything that will stop you from playing in your favorite places/scales/runs. Pluses a different part of your brain, especially if it's not a stringed instrument. Get a marimba.

ftfw

Picking up another instrument definitely helps. I've been doing a lot of writing on an accordion lately. I can't play it very well, but the left hand buttons are laid out in a way that chord progressions are really easy to grab, so I'll just noodle around on the keyboard side until I come up with something cool and fiddle with the left hand until I find the right chords while my dog and cat silently judge me from across the room.

I come up with more interesting melodies when playing at the piano. I tend to sing familiar things when I'm just humming along while playing guitar, whereas at the piano I come up with things that my voice might not go to naturally, like wider intervals or passing tones for example.

vidret wrote:i just use my BONER LOL

Solid advice.

For me, start with instruments, once I have a structure down the melody and lyrics come together. I like to look at my voice as another instrument, so I usually end up making the vocal melody something that complements the main melody or follows it nicely. Most of the time tho, the melody for vocals just happens. Its gotten pretty effortless for me over the years.

Thats sounds so pretentious. Im sorry.

Maybe just use your boner?

I used to start with rhythms, you get a better idea of what will fit between riffs then.
I'm also at a disadvantage in that my brain cannot completely seperate between playing and singing like some people seem able to, so starting with lines that fit into what you are playing give you a clear indication of what you are capable of pulling off and making sound good.
Other times passages in the song will instantly reveal lyrics that "need to be there". Like the music can trigger some kind of association thing, so roll with that if it sounds cool and structure other shit around it.

But yeah, starting with whatever and filling in the blanks is usually m y process, as popv mentioned.
Another good thing to do is put all your shit down, have the rest of the band play it over and over again and then draft as they play. It usually only takes three or four runs before you've got a basic idea and it gives them a chance to tighten things up.
Plus it's always good to take an element out and hear how the different parts interact.
And you are then at liberty to work vocal elements into/around the structure and vice versa..