A sound way for composing songs or to make a mayonnaise sandwich--and that's just grim

By Michael Wilkinson


I remember when I was in college at Mount Royal College in Calgary, Alberta. I was taking a Speech course and we had to give a speech comparing two or more different things. I decided that I was going to compare what I knew best, different types of music.




So I started listening to as many different styles of music that I could, looking at the different CD jackets, and realized that many of the songs that I was comparing were actually using the same instruments with only minimal variations. I realized that within a rock, country, pop or metal song, that there were many of the same instruments.



These instruments included electric and acoustic guitars, drums and even strings. Even today, I listen to many different styles of music and I realized that they are not all that different. I’m always amazed at people who can transcend genres with their writing, more often then not I’m thinking of Diane Warren. I’m always thinking of how they are doing it.


What I really see is that each style of music is the same. It’s just the way the notes are put together. The combination of notes and how fast they are played, are two of the most common ways that a style of music is distinguished by. The instrumentation of the genre is in some ways a good indicator of that type of music. However, there are usually a number of the same instruments in a song that are country, rock or jazz.



This has a few exceptions though. The fiddle for example, is much more prevalent in country that it is in any other genre. But more often then not you are able to find many of the same instruments in each type of music.



I know that when I write music I play around with different time signatures, and different instruments in order to give a different feel to some of my music. However, there’s nothing like writing a somber ballad. I find the ballad very therapeutic and very gratifying to write. I find that it is very soothing. If I write something that is faster and has more attitude, then I am restless for quite a while after I finish the song.

Every writer seems to have his or her own style of music, and you as a listener often know who has written that song, just by listening to it. There is almost always a feeling to the song that lets you know who the writer of the song is. For example, I can almost always pick out a Diane Warren song, or a Jim Brickman song. I find that their styles are so distinct and very noticeable.



Songs are a language that we can all relate to, and it doesn’t seem to matter what language the song is written in we can all figure out the feeling of the song. The messages that are in songs seem to transcend genres, and barriers in culture or language.


Michael Wilkinson--Canadian Guitar Player Contributing writer

Michael Wilkinson is a piano player from Calgary, Alberta Canada.
You can email Mike at; mike'smusic@shaw.ca