Involving music without writing songs

[SeverinR]

I am writing a book about a young Bard,

How can I write about her music without writing songs, or lyrics?
I think my first draft did it, but when I look at it I want to highlight the music more, but I am not
into song or music writing.

I write how the crowd reacts, the dragons react, and how she feels when playing, and one big change the MC will sing to the hatchling to eastaablish the bond and the hatchlings love of music.

In the end, there is a funeral, and I want her to play/sing or both for the mourners, the song would be about the life of the deceased, again without attempting something I have no gift/enthusiasm/or experience with.

second:
Can anyone suggest books about fantasy Bards, that you consider well written. (with or without including real songs or music they created.)

My original work is good, but I think I can make it better without showing my ignorance or trying to "fake it".

 

[Devor]

I don't think you can get away with it for a whole book, not easily at least. You're running afoul of basic storytelling by, well, telling us how great your bard is without showing us any clear examples of it.

I suggest you pick up a book with old folksongs that are in the Public Domain, and tinker with the words here and there to fit your character. If you only use brief snippets, and change them sufficiently, I think you should be okay.

 

[sashamerideth]

I think a study of poetry would be in order as well, what is a song but poetry set to music?

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[Janga]

Does the bard play an instrument? I find that Patrick Rothfuss' descriptions during musical parts in his book "The Name of the Wind" is great. Maybe check that out. However, when it comes to lyrics, it would probably be best to include at least some.

 

[Graham Irwin]

You may not be into music or songwriting, but your main character sure is.

You cannot hope to write a story about them being a musician without your having any interest in music, not with it playing such a major part in the story. If you're not writing it because you aren't good at it, don't just not include it, because that won't make any sense if you have your MC as a musician, or music as an important part of your story.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

I added songs in some of my stories. They're basically poems which are (hopefully) read to fit a rhythm. I have a tune in my head as I write them. (Source of inspiration: I grew up reading Shel Silverstein daily for a number of years. I'm sure he has a tune for every poem.)

Of course your reader won't "hear" the same tune that you had in your head. But I got compliments on the poems, so I think if you have a tune the rhythm comes naturally and you're more likely to succeed as a poet.

I've also narrated an instrumental, but personally I find lyrics are easier to write and are probably easier for the reader to accept as music. In my opinion, your bard will be a stronger character if she can sing.

 

[SeverinR]

It is hard to describe a melody more then a few words, if she just played an instrument it would not be a problem.
But she left without thinking(or preparing) so she doesn't have her gemshorn. So I want to have her sing the lullaby. Maybe that will be all she knows at the start, prefering an instrument.

I did find a written lullaby
An Elven Lullaby, Holly Ylaraniala Johnson, SciFi Fantasy Art
and this:
Rachel Manning - Elven Lullaby - June 2011 - YouTube
She sings a foriegn language well.

 

[SeverinR]

You may not be into music or songwriting, but your main character sure is.

You cannot hope to write a story about them being a musician without your having any interest in music, not with it playing such a major part in the story. If you're not writing it because you aren't good at it, don't just not include it, because that won't make any sense if you have your MC as a musician, or music as an important part of your story.

I love music, but have no talent in learning an instrument(1 year violin, 1 year French horn, 1 year recorder) I write some poetry but never related to music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhNrAPkmxH4
here is a "bass" Gemshorn in case you never heard of it before.
(MC gets a "special" bass gemshorn as a peace offering at the end of the book(dragon horn)

 

[Telcontar]

You've got to know at least a little about music, and you can always learn a little more. Find out a few of the basics and it might help you write the character a little better. Music theory is a pretty old field, there's bound to be lots of stuff to read on its development.

I'm a terrible song-writer myself - though I have tried - but I can write a decent couplet here and there. I include them in my stories as 'part' of a song. I just never give the whole song. Including pieces of the lyrics of an implied larger work makes for a pretty good effect, and helps further the illusion of a very 'musical' story.

 

[Graham Irwin]

I'm sure we're all very familiar with Tolkien's songs...

 

[SeverinR]

Graham: I assumed the youtube link was Tolkien's language if not actually his songs.
I assume thats what you mean.

I am reviewing old time lullabies, they aren't difficult.

 

[Graham Irwin]

Graham: I assumed the youtube link was Tolkien's language if not actually his songs.
I assume thats what you mean.

I meant that I feel the way his characters sing songs which tell the story of the people is ingenious. The rhymes of the dwarves are dirty and funny, the elves are elegant, etc. They tell you about the peoples, tell you about the history of the story's world, and provide wonderful poetic interludes between the exposition and scenes of walking. So much walking.

 

[SeverinR]

My first attempt at a lullaby:

Melima’s Lullaby

Sleep, katinar, Sleep
The unicorns frolic in the prairie
Their plush coat is white as sleet.
Dancing in moonlight so merry
Sleep, katinar, sleep

Sleep, katinar, sleep
Listen to the music of the faun
Playing while their kin do meet
As they rest upon the lawn.
Sleep, katinar, sleep

Sleep, katinar, sleep
All woodland creatures lay to rest
Laying silent without a peep.
Dreaming of play at its best
Sleep, katinar, sleep

Sleep, katinar, sleep
Pixies over katinar do hover
Thy rest Tiata does keep
Flitting about with their lover
Sleep Katinar sleep.
Sleep now, katinar, sleep

(Katinar is kitten in elvish, and what her human nanny called her.)

 

[Graham Irwin]

I like it a lot! Very pretty. I'm (yawn) feeling sleepy now...


I would say two things: One, unicorns aren't really plush... maybe sleek coat, or thick?
Two, peep is a funny word that doesn't fit the beauty of the rest of the poem.

 

[Butterfly]

I am writing a book about a young Bard,

How can I write about her music without writing songs, or lyrics?
I think my first draft did it, but when I look at it I want to highlight the music more, but I am not
into song or music writing.

I write how the crowd reacts, the dragons react, and how she feels when playing, and one big change the MC will sing to the hatchling to eastaablish the bond and the hatchlings love of music.

In the end, there is a funeral, and I want her to play/sing or both for the mourners, the song would be about the life of the deceased, again without attempting something I have no gift/enthusiasm/or experience with.

second:
Can anyone suggest books about fantasy Bards, that you consider well written. (with or without including real songs or music they created.)

My original work is good, but I think I can make it better without showing my ignorance or trying to "fake it".

I think you will have to do some research around the terms used in music for this. For a glossary look at here (but it doesn't have all terms) - Glossary of Musical Terms - Musical terms are mainly Italian, but perhaps you could translate their meaning into English as it is unlikely all your readers would understand them anyway.

Tenuto, legato, stacatto, marcato - indicate how a note should be played.

Largo, andante, adagio, presto - the tempo.

Major, harmonic minor, melodic minor - the scale of key - G major, or A minor, for instance.

Pianissmo (soft, quiet), fortissimo (loud), crescendo, diminuendo - volume

I'm assuming your bard would either play the lute or harp - so look at violin terms, pizzicato, for instance. Look at Gaita medieval music - for a medieval music ensemble.

Technology has played a major part in the development of instruments, for instance, an early trumpet could only play five notes - the pentatonic scale - until the invention of valves to lengthen or shorten the tubes. Flutes that were made of wood were inaccurate in the placing of holes and were a lot harder to play than modern flutes (Theobald Boehm sorted that issue). The only instrument that science and technology cannot improve on is the violin.

There are different terms for singers - a capella - 1 or 2 singers without instrumental accompaniment. If there are group they would harmonise to the four voices (SATB) - Soprano, alto, tenor, and bass.

A famous bard (at least in Wales) who comes to mind is Taliesin. Perhaps you could do some research on him for inspiration.

Hope some of this helps you. The theory and the history of music is a huge area to consider learning, but the most important element (I think) is to look at the terms and take what you need from there.

 

[Graham Irwin]

Gee, you sound like my partner. She's studying musicology!

 

[sashamerideth]

Looks good, to add to Graham's points, the first and last line repetition may be OK if there is a musical break but it gets in the way when read right away as a lullaby would be. Read it out loud and see if you agree with me.

The kids books I have shelved and read to kids rarely echo first and last lines like that, but you do have that repeating refrain, which is the right thing to do.

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[grahamguitarman]

try reading Anne McCaffreys Dragonsong and Dragonsinger, I've not read them for a looong time but I do seem to recall that even thouth the MC is a musician and music runs heavily through the story there isn't actually a lot of actual song words.

If your trying to convey the background history to certain events in song form like Tolkien, then by all means write out the song lyrics. But it is equally possible to describe beautiful music and songs without actually writing a single lyric, or even knowing music theory / history.

I play a few instruments myself, and occsasionally dabble in composition, but whether that would make me better at depicting a musician or not I don't know. I suspect I'd be more influenced by my musician firends and their personalities / lifestyles than by what I personally know about music making

the limited experiences you've described having with instruments is I think more than enough to ensure your writing is reasonably accurate technically.

BTW the lullaby is good

 

[SeverinR]

Good replies to all.

Graham Irwin(two Grahams posting now); I understand now, I thought you were upset with me posting the person singing as "yea we know".
Unicorns-plush, well traditional unicorns, but what about the cold weather unicorns? Horses hair gets pretty plush in the winter.
Peep: it was written in forty minutes at work with a few interruptions, (darn work getting in the way of creativity.)

Grahamguitar
: thanks, I will look into those books. My library doesn't have any other books by my favorite writer, so now is a good time to expand.
I think my original piece did a good job of supporting music in it, at the level at which it was, but with me wanting to expand more into music, I will need to be more music literate, but not sure I "have to" write music to tell of a bard's story.
A modern example, Could I not tell the story/life of _insert rock star name here_ without including whole songs in the story? Reference the stars works, maybe quote a few lines, but I think the story is in how the star affects his/her audience, thier dedication to stick to it in hard times, etc.

Butterfly: I have stuck with the non-traditional air wind instruments, rather then the traditional stringed. The gem shorn only has three holes to make its music, but I think it has a great and relaxing sound.

The lullaby was written similar to one I found online that repeated first and last, rhymned 1st and second thrid line with fourth, I went with rhymne every other line.

 

[SeverinR]

I like it a lot! Very pretty. I'm (yawn) feeling sleepy now...


I would say two things: One, unicorns aren't really plush... maybe sleek coat, or thick?
Two, peep is a funny word that doesn't fit the beauty of the rest of the poem.

Thinking back, I did not like peep, but it was a close rhyme,

Here is the lullaby I used as a model:
Sleep Baby Sleep