Make Your Instrumentals Sound More Like “Songs”

And Less Like “Jam Sessions”

Not every songwriter is a singer, and likewise not every song has a vocal part.  Instrumental songs have been around for centuries (probably longer).  Many of the great “classical” songs that everybody knows were written as instrumental pieces

I think that it can be said these days that music is generally more interesting to the average person when it has vocals, but there is still a definite place for instrumental music.  It is generally my goal to write music with lyrical content, but at the same time I don’t want to abandon the idea of writing and recording instrumental pieces all together.  Because of that, if I’m going to constantly work to improve my songwriting in general, I want to step up my abilities to write effective instrumental pieces as well so that when I do record instrumental songs they don’t feel way inferior to my other songs.

So here are some ideas that I’ve come up with, as well as some that I’ve gathered from reading several websites

1. Write melody lines with one of your instruments

Too many times musicians these days, specifically those who are in to modern and mainstream types of music, tend to approach instrumental pieces like big “jam sessions”.  (I am certainly guilty of this sometimes)  They come up with a chord progression or song structure, then just start going to town playing “lead” parts over the top.

Rather than just doing “solos” through out the song, work to create a melody line with an instrument.  Act as if that instrument is the “lead singer” in a song.  Most lead singers wouldn’t improv their way through their melody lines, so don’t always allow your lead instrument to do that in an instrumental, either.

This accomplishes two things for you: First it establishes a certain melody to a song, just the way a singer would, and second, it allows you to still have a guitar solo or something in the arrangement of your song, since it will obviously stand out as an improv solo.

2. Write harmony lines with one or more of your instruments

This actually plays hand in hand into the first idea.  When you write a song with a traditional vocal part, a lead singer will sing most, if not all, of the main vocal lines, and a backup singer might harmonize on certain lines throughout the song (or sometimes, although rarely, throughout the whole song).

If you’re playing the melody of a song with a guitar line, imagine that your piano is the “backup singer”.  Have the piano harmonize on certain lines with the guitar, then stay silent on certain lines.  In the same manor, you can have intertwining backup lines, much line sometimes backup singers will sing intertwining lines rather than a tight word-for-word harmony.

3. Do “Call And Answer” lead parts

If you’re going to stick with the more traditional “solo” style parts for your instrumental, consider doing a call and answer type lead with two or more instruments.  This creates some interest and some flow in songs.

But then again, this technique doesn’t have to be limited to “solo” style parts.  Create a melody for the song, then let your guitar and piano “duet” through the melody.  Be creative.

4. Have different people record different parts of the instrumental

A lot of times my musical ideas are very similar whether I’m playing the piano, the guitar, the bass, or any other instrument I happen to pick up.  My phrasing is distinct, just like accents and pronunciations when people say certain words.

When writing songs with BHP, I can tell  a big difference between me playing a guitar part, then Jim playing the exact same notes on his guitar. Everyone has their own way of doing things, and it becomes just as obvious in music as it does in anything else in life.

So maybe to make your instrumental a little more interesting you can get different people to play the parts.  Perhaps for simple parts you can even show the part to someone who doesn’t know how to play that instrument.   Everyone is going to use slightly different accents and techniques.

5. Use effects that help instruments “sing”

I’m not talking about singing actual specific words, because that would fall more into the category of putting lyrics into songs.  But instead I’m talking about using effects that add almost human characteristics to the sounds that instruments make.

The obvious examples are talkboxes and wah pedals.  Think Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion”, Bon Jovi’s “Livin On A Prayer”, or absolutely anything by Peter Frampton.  Those are the obvious effects, but I’m sure there are more.

And don’t limit yourself to using guitar effects on guitars.  What could those effects do on a keyboard playing a string-section sound, or an organ, or a piano…

… or a drum kit?

6. Write a hook with a lead instrument, and repeat it

Usually songs become famous because of a hook.  It’s slightly easier when there is singing involved, because words can be catchy and stick in people’s heads.  But you can write a hook with an instrumental part, too, and then repeat it throughout a chorus or a verse or something, just like you would with the lyrics.

Think of all the famous instrumental intros or parts you’ve heard over the years.  Create something catchy in your instrumental, then make sure to showcase it.

7. I’m sure you all have some ideas

So what do you do to keep your instrumentals interesting?  I’d love to hear your ideas.  Leave a comment!

Related posts:

1. Write a song with an instrument that you don’t know how to play
2. What if I can’t sing? Ideas for creating vocals for your music without singing
3. Record Record Record!
4. 10 Ideas for Creating Outside-The-Box Music
5. Get a Keyboard – Reason #1