TL:DR – I asked ChatGPT to help me write my latest song, although I ignored all of its suggestions in the end. You can stream or download the song here.
You may have noticed, I’ve been experimenting with ChatGPT a little this month. If you carefully craft a prompt it can give you some quite remarkable responses, I got it to write a new article based on my writing style, for instance. I also had it mess around with some of my lyrics. To be honest, I wouldn’t use anything that it’s come up with without massively editing, but it does trigger new thoughts and ideas when it bounces back a response.
I thought it might be worth trying it for inspiration for the chord progression to help me develop the melody to go with those new lyrics. I’d originally had a simple chord progression that shuttled between FM7 and Gm7 for the verse, but needed something to take the lyrics elsewhere melodically speaking. I could easily think of a new set of chords myself, but I’ve done that hundreds of times, this is a first for me and AI.
If you craft an appropriate response you can get the bot to respond as if it is a certain kind of person So, here are my prompts in italics, with the bots answers after each:
I want you to act as a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter working on their latest masterpiece, you’re going to give me the most evocative and emotional chord progression for the verses, a bridge that builds on that, and then the most powerful and uplifting progression for the chorus. You can choose the key but it must work well on guitar.
For the verses, a chord progression that evokes a sense of longing and introspection could be Am – F – C – G. The Am and F chords create a sense of tension, while the C and G chords bring a sense of resolution.
For the bridge, a progression that builds on the emotions of the verses could be C – G – Am – F. This progression takes the listener on a journey, starting with a sense of resolution and then building back up to the tension of the verses.
For the chorus, a powerful and uplifting progression could be D – G – Bm – A. The D and G chords create a sense of energy and triumph, while the Bm and A chords bring a sense of emotional release.
All of these chords work well on the guitar, and this progression is in D major.
That’s almost perfect, now give me some jazzy inversions and substitutions of the verse chords to add colour to verse 2.
For a jazzy inversion of the Am chord, you could try using an A minor 7th chord in first inversion. This adds a bit of colour to the chord and creates a smoother transition to the F chord. Another option would be to use an A minor 6th chord in second inversion.
For the F chord, a jazzy substitution could be an F7 chord which adds a bit of tension and dissonance to the progression. Another option would be to use an Fmaj7 chord which adds a bit of complexity and richness to the sound.
For the C chord, a jazzy substitution could be a C9 chord which adds a bit of dissonance and tension, but also a sense of resolution. Another option would be to use a Cmaj7 chord which adds a bit of colour to the chord and creates a smoother transition to the G chord.
For the G chord, a jazzy substitution could be a G6 chord which adds a bit of complexity and richness to the sound. Another option would be to use a G9 chord which adds a bit of dissonance and tension, but also a sense of resolution.
These chord substitutions and inversions would add more depth, complexity and jazzy flavour to your verse progression.
Okay, so I need more inversions for verse 3 that would give the overall feel a bit more of a progressive rock vibe side-stepping the jazz but perhaps even more sophisticated chords.
For a more progressive rock feel in the verse, you could try using some more complex chord voicings and inversions. Here are a few options:
For the Am chord, you could try using an Am11 chord in second inversion . This adds a lot of dissonance and tension to the chord, giving it a more progressive rock feel.
For the F chord, you could try using an Fmaj9 chord in first inversion. This adds a lot of colour to the chord and creates a more complex and sophisticated sound.
For the C chord, you could try using a Cmaj13 chord in second inversion. This adds a lot of dissonance and tension to the chord, giving it a more progressive rock feel.
For the G chord, you could try using a G9sus4 chord in first inversion. This adds a lot of dissonance and tension to the chord, giving it a more progressive rock feel.
These chord voicings and inversions would give your verse progression a more progressive rock feel and add a more sophisticated and complex sound.
So, now that we’ve got all those substitutions and inversions do we need to add some colour to the chorus or can it stay as it is to bring us back to the hook?
The chorus is typically the most memorable and catchy part of a song, so it’s important to make sure it stands out and has a strong impact. While the original chord progression you provided (D – G – Bm – A) is strong and works well to create a sense of energy and triumph, you could consider adding some colour and variation to the chorus to make it even more powerful and impactful.
Here are a few options for adding colour to the chorus:
Use a different inversion of the chords. For example, instead of playing a D chord in root position, play it in first inversion. This adds a different flavour to the chord and makes it stand out more.
Add an extension or alteration to the chords. For example, you could add a 9th or 11th to the D chord, or add a b5 note to the G chord. This adds dissonance and tension to the chords, making them more interesting and impactful.
Play around with the rhythm of the chords. For example, instead of strumming the chords in a regular pattern, try using syncopated rhythms or arpeggiating the chords. This adds a different feel to the chords and makes them stand out more.
Overall, the chorus chord progression you’ve got is solid, and with a little bit of colour and variation, it could be made even more powerful and impactful.
What’s this song with all these powerful and evocative chords going to be about?
As a language model AI, I don’t have personal experiences or emotions, so I can’t write a song from my own perspective. However, the chords and progressions I’ve provided are quite versatile and could be used in a variety of different types of songs and contexts. They evoke feelings of longing, introspection, triumph, and resolution, so the lyrics could be about a wide range of topics and emotions, such as overcoming a difficult challenge, the longing for a lost loved one, or the journey of self-discovery.
The song could be about a person that has been through a lot of struggles and is on a journey to find hope, redemption and happiness. The verses could be about the struggles and the pain, with the bridge representing a turning point, an epiphany or a moment of realization that leads to a change in the protagonist’s perspective. The chorus could be the uplifting and triumphant moment where the person finds the light at the end of the tunnel and the hope that things will get better.
Ultimately, the message and theme of the song would depend on the lyrics and the story you want to tell. The chords and progressions provide a foundation for the emotion of the song, but the lyrics and melody would bring the story to life.
Your suggestions tie in with some lyrics I have in my own repertoire about a young woman returning to an abusive childhood home after her parents have died and coping with her pain and memories.
Those chords and progressions I provided earlier would work well with lyrics about a young woman returning to her childhood home after her parents have passed away and coping with her pain and memories. The verses could focus on the pain and struggles she experiences as she revisits her past and the memories of the abuse she endured. The bridge could represent a turning point in her journey, where she starts to come to terms with her past and begins to find the strength to move forward. The chorus could be about her finding hope and redemption as she begins to heal and move on from her past.
The song could be about how the protagonist overcomes the pain and trauma of her past and finds the strength to move forward. The verses could be about the struggles and the pain, with the bridge representing a turning point, an epiphany or a moment of realization that leads to a change in the protagonist’s perspective. The chorus could be the uplifting and triumphant moment where the person finds the light at the end of the tunnel and the hope that things will get better.
It’s a very emotional and personal topic and the lyrics and melody you would use would be very important in making the song relatable and impactful. It’s important to remember that this type of songs are to be written with care and sensitivity and with the intention of being helpful for people that went through similar experiences.
Okay, so now give me the title for this award-winning song. The lyrics contain references to ticking clocks, time passing, shocks, keys and locks.
“Ticking Clocks, Shocks, and Keys”
“Time’s Locks and Shocks”
“Unlocking Memories”
“Echoes of Yesterday”
“The Sound of Time Passing”
“Locked in Time”
“Shocked by Time”
“The Ticking of the Clock”
“Broken Keys, Broken Time”
“The echoes of Yesterday’s Locks”
These are just a few ideas for a song title that incorporates the themes of ticking clocks, time passing, shocks, keys, and locks. The title should ideally be evocative and reflective of the emotional journey of the protagonist as she revisits her past and copes with her pain and memories. Ultimately, the title should be something that resonates with you and feels like the perfect fit for your song.
None of your suggestions for titles grab me, so I’ve come up with “Broken keys and ticking clocks”.
“Broken Keys and Ticking Clocks” is a great title for your song. It evokes a sense of both nostalgia and pain, reflecting the protagonist’s journey of revisiting her past and coping with her memories. It also hints at the themes of time passing and the struggles of unlocking the past. The image of broken keys suggests that the protagonist’s journey will not be easy and the ticking clocks suggest that time is of the essence. It’s a strong and powerful title that encapsulates the themes and emotions of your song.
—
So, the next thing to do, which AI can’t quite manage yet (although it is getting there!) would have been for me to record a demo with my lyrics, building a melody, using the bot’s chord progressions as the basis.
However, when I picked up a guitar, I realised the bot’s progressions were just variations on the four-chord trick, which has been used in thousands of songs, and is a well-trodden musical path. I went back to my original progression, which with the melody I’d originally had in mind was much stronger than just using the four-chord trick again. The refrain departs from my two-chord shuttle and adds some colour as well as rounding back into the verses quite nicely.
So, now that I think about it, all the AI did for me in this whole process is reinforce the original ideas I had myself by showing me alternatives that were not quite as strong.
I’ve done a very rough demo, so I have a record of what I am thinking musically with this song, but it needs a lot of work.
Lyrically, it’s a bit tragic, actually it’s more than a bit tragic. It doesn’t sound like The Beatles but lyrically it’s almost as if She’s leaving home were the prequel to Suzanne Vega’s Luka and this is the follow-up. If you read between the lines, you can imagine the tale does not have a positive outcome…but that might change, I could easily make it uplifting at the end instead of depressing…we’ll see…especially if Suzanne would like to collaborate on it!
Broken keys and ticking clocks
The key turns in the lock
she pushed the door wide open with her suitcase
It’s a shock
to find herself back here once again
She locked the secrets deep inside
Unanswered prayers her woe betide
She finds the clocks
They stopped the day she stepped away
From the cruellest of hard knocks
and all the fears that it revealed
The silent screams, the sound that mocks
Those echoes drowned by ticking clocks
No need to knock
She grasps the letters from the floor
You know she’s taking stock.
And gasps to know the secrets hold her no more
The key’s inside the box.
She didn’t need to worry
It’s time to face the shocks
There’s always time to hurry
She locked the secrets deep inside
Unanswered prayers her woe betide
She winds the clocks
And knows the secrets can’t hold her
The cruellest of hard knocks
and all the fears gone forever more