Chapter 24: How to Write a Sophisticated Rock Song

You've come so far! You’ve already built a powerful anthem with power chords and a classic song with triads. You've shown you can follow the process and create a complete piece of music, which is fantastic.

Think of it this way: power chords are like hammers, and triads are like screwdrivers. They're essential tools, and they get the job done. Now, 7th chords are like precision tools. They let you build songs with that extra layer of sophistication, nuance, and emotional depth you hear from artists like Steely Dan or John Mayer.

In this chapter, we're going to "supercharge" our 5-step system. We'll use our amazing new arsenal of 7th chords and a pro-level soloing skill: blending chord tones with the pentatonic scale. It's time to create something with a ton of flavor.

The Songwriting System

This is the 5-step blueprint we'll use to build each section of our song. We'll use this exact process to craft the verse, chorus, and solo.

1. Capture the Idea: Write down lyrics or hum a melody. This is the raw material for your song.
2. Establish the Rhythm: Record your idea while tapping out the rhythm on a single MIDI note. This translates your idea into a musical grid.
3. Clean Up Your Rhythm: Quantize the MIDI to lock your rhythm into a tight, professional-sounding performance.
4. Select the Notes: Convert your MIDI rhythm into either a chord progression or a melodic solo.
5. Generate & Master the Tab: Export the MIDI to TuxGuitar to create a professional tab, then practice it until it feels natural.

Part 1: The Verse (Let's Do This Together)

For this first part, I'll provide the lyrics and a really great-sounding chord progression using the diatonic 7th chords of C Major (Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7, G7, Am7, Bm7♭5).

Step 1: Capture the Idea (Lyrics)

Here are the lyrics for our song, "City Lights."

• Bar 1: "Streetlights paint the rain on the glass"
• Bar 2: "Another Friday moving too fast"
• Bar 3: "Just another face in the crowd"
• Bar 4: "Never thought I'd say your name out loud"

Step 2: Establish the Rhythm

• Open your music software. On a MIDI track, tap out the rhythm of the lyrics above on a single key.

Step 3: Clean Up Your Rhythm

• Quantize your MIDI track to the nearest 8th or 16th note.

Step 4: Select the Notes (Chord Progression)

• We will now assign one of the most famous progressions in music history, the ii-V-I, to our rhythm.
  • Set the notes in Bar 1 to a Dm7 chord.
  • Set the notes in Bar 2 to a G7 chord.
  • Set the notes in Bar 3 to a Cmaj7 chord.
  • Set the notes in Bar 4 to a Cmaj7 chord.

Step 5: Generate & Master the Tab

• Export the MIDI file and import it into TuxGuitar. Practice the tab. You've just written a verse with professional-level harmony. Awesome!

Part 2: The Chorus (The Hook)

Alright, now it's your turn to create your own sophisticated chorus.

Step 1: Capture the Idea (Lyrics)

• Write four powerful lines for your chorus that capture the core message.

Step 2: Establish the Rhythm

• Record yourself reading your lyrics while tapping the rhythm into a MIDI track.

Step 3: Clean Up Your Rhythm

• Quantize the MIDI track to lock in your timing.

Step 4: Select the Notes (Chord Progression)

• Create your own progression using the diatonic 7th chords of C Major. For a proven, radio-ready sound, try the legendary I-vi-ii-V progression: Cmaj7 - Am7 - Dm7 - G7.

Step 5: Generate & Master the Tab

• Export the MIDI to TuxGuitar and practice your original chorus.

Part 3: The Solo (The Hybrid Solo)

This is a really cool pro-level technique: combining the precision of chord tones with the flow of the pentatonic scale.

Think of it this way: Chord tones are your "safe" target notes that are guaranteed to sound perfect. The pentatonic scale is the "pathway" you use to connect them smoothly.

Step 1: Capture the Idea (The Chords)

• The "idea" for this solo is our verse chord progression: Dm7 | G7 | Cmaj7 | Cmaj7.

Step 2: Establish the Rhythm

• On a MIDI track, tap out a simple, memorable rhythm for your solo.

Step 3: Clean Up Your Rhythm

• Quantize your MIDI track.

Step 4: Select the Notes (Chord Tones + Pentatonics)

• Part A - The Foundation: First, try to build your solo using ONLY chord tones. This makes sure your solo is melodic and fits the chords perfectly.
  • Over the Dm7 bar, use only the notes D, F, A, C.
  • Over the G7 bar, use only the notes G, B, D, F.
  • Over the Cmaj7 bars, use only the notes C, E, G, B.
• Part B - The Pro Move: Now, go back and connect your chord tone ideas using notes from the C Major Pentatonic scale (C, D, E, G, A). Use the scale to create smooth runs leading into your main chord tone targets.

Step 5: Generate & Master the Tab

• Action: Export your solo's MIDI file to TuxGuitar. You've just created a solo that is both melodic and professional-sounding. Now, have fun mastering it!

Part 4: Assemble Your Song

You have all the sophisticated pieces. Let's assemble them into a classic song structure.

The Song Structure:

1. Verse 1
2. Chorus
3. Verse 2
4. Chorus
5. Solo
6. Chorus

Mission Debrief & Final Thoughts

Let's look at a couple of common things that might come up.

• Problem: "My 7th chords sound buzzy, or some notes are muted."
  • Fix: This is totally normal; these shapes are more complex. Just slow down. Fret the chord, then pick each string one by one. Find the problem finger and adjust its position a tiny bit until every note rings clear. You'll get it!
• Problem: "My solo sounds like a jumble of notes."
  • Fix: You might be overthinking it, which is easy to do! Try to simplify. Focus only on landing one strong chord tone right on beat 1 of each chord change. Then, use just one or two notes from the pentatonic scale to get from one target to the next. That's it.

Conclusion

Let's be clear about what just happened. You've gone beyond just songwriting; you're now acting as a harmonic architect.

You have a powerful, repeatable system for creating your own original music with sophisticated emotion. You know how to build complex feelings using advanced 7th chords and how to craft smart, professional-sounding solos. You have this advanced blueprint forever.

Next up, we'll dive into the world of Bossa Nova chords to add a whole vast, new palette to your songwriting and unlock another level of expressive harmony. This is going to be fun!