How to Write Some Catchy Melodies!

Listening Homework:

The song I referenced at the beginning of the video:

Answering some questions about writing catchy melodies using music theory, the different price ranges on acoustic guitars, playing originals versus covers, growing a 'stache and thoughts on the new Muse album!

Listen to the new album:

A little about me:

Sean Daniel is a man. A man of simple needs and desires. And the one desire, no, the one NEED, that stands above all is to spread the challenges, joy and intellectual stimulus of music to people of Earth and beyond.
Born on the mean streets of upper middle class suburban Chicago, Sean learned the ways of the world through the dizzying heights of success to the lonesome depths of failure and emerged with the promise of a better tomorrow reflecting in his eyes and fiery passion in his belly.
He plays and teaches guitar on his YouTube channel where he regularly releases original music and projects to the adulation of legions of fans, who often compare him to Chris Pratt and one time Ryan Reynolds. He’s currently in the market for a nice leather jacket.

[alm]

People will steal your originals, I should know, every time I play my guitar sure as heck there's some big band steals it and call their own...In fact, nearly every great song was written by me, well except stairway to heaven, that one isn't mine...To stop the madness I've been purposely playing junk for the last 15 years or so but people aren't getting it, they actually like it, I guess that plan backfired...


No really, Stairway wasn't mine, :)

[songnotes]

About the question at 9:18 about forgetting songs and this Sisyphean pursuit in general – I agree w/ your main point that every song we learn makes every song we learn *afterwards* just a little bit easier. When starting out, this perk is hard to notice since as a newbie you're constantly running into challenges for the first time -- but given some persistence, it becomes super noticeable.

[russellford]

Appreciate the listening homework assignments. I'm 67 and seem to dwell in the classic rock of the late 60's and 70's. It's great to get pointed in other directions. Just listened to Muse!

[captainkangaroo]

I’m glad you differentiated between the finest and most catchy melodies.

[maddisonelizabeth]

love what your doing on your channel, really entertaining to watch and informative at the same time :)

[jeffokriya]

In regard to forgetting songs, there´s one way to recall any song you learn and that is . . to write it down with chords or music notation, ive done it since I was a teeny . . problem is sometime you lose your songbook throughout the years . . but now we have PC´s and everything is saved just do a double backup on an external hard drive

[jmaggio]

Come on up to Gainesville; we basically only have places that want people who play originals. Cover acts are kind of shunned.

[himsanctified]

very good point on guitars.... even better point on the Seaguls. Bought a professional cw acoustic electric, which retails over $1, 2000, for $625 with a case on Ebay. Changed my playing buying that guitar. Moved my playing up levels.

[Chinaguitarsceptic]

Always an exciting day when my buddy uploads! There are some nice Harley Benton acoustics at an incredible price bro. 👍

[stonedcrow]

Muse are a wonderful live band; I saw them a couple of times at Reading festival many years ago and they were great on each occasion. I'm not massively familiar with their later records as I do feel they have a tendency to stray into pretension sometimes but either way, they are fantastically talented musicians - on an individual level and as a group. (Also, nice to see one of my comments feature this week :)

[kassemir]

Didn't we invent the tambourine so the singer has something to do when they're not singing? ;)

[Oldmaite]

how does one find a troupe of beautiful young women to accompany them... asking for a friend

[leebraly]

Always entertaining. Thanks for sharing. Nice looking guitar..

[autocrow]

I agree with everything you said! I love writing and recording my own songs. BTW, Takamine makes great acoustic guitars for a lot less money than many other brands. Many famous guitarists play them. Jon Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Toby Keith and Nancy Wilson, Garth Brooks to name a few.

[flyver]

For the acoustic guitars, try looking at Michael Kelly. They make really high quality guitars for a lot less than what you pay other places.

[summitsparrow]

I found the same thing applies to art supplies as with guitars. If you spend your whole life playing with cheap gear, you are aware of where it's limiting you. I found when I made a jump to a $1, 000 guitar from a $200 guitar, I found a huge increase in my ability to do things with the instrument. Oh and for art supplies, Polychromos over Prismacolor color pencils ATW!

[JohnnyFootwrinkle]

The most expensive guitar I have played on is an Ibanez jem, played, sounded and felt lovely, I would be happy to pay 1k for it, also i will never own one but a Rick Turner Model 1 LBU Lindsey Buckingham Signature Electric Guitar with a price tag of £6, 550.00 is probably the only, the ONLY guitar i would ever be prepared to part with big money for. He's a great player but that guitar tone is so nice!

[szczerzo]

when I'm not in the first hundred watching this video I'm in the second one.

[numberonedad]

you could always have the singer do backup vocals or harmony if you want to sing and play your originals. just thought I'd mention it since you didn't

[rays]

Seagulls rule the 300-600 buck range. Made in Canada with the most comfortable necks.