Is there a particular method key or scale you like to write in?

What do you mean about "solo in.."?

The key is important, like Duncan says. Loads of guitar chords punch through. E with open strings for example. You cannot change it to Eb and play it sounding the same unless you detune the guitar and then it's tone changes too. That all said, in the pioneering days, it was common to varispeed tracks up or down a bit because the change in sound gave the song a lift, or darkened it. If you are playing the songs on electric pianos for example, sometimes going lower by even a tone, makes not sound muddy and you have to use chord inversions to brighten it up. I tend to noodle away until I get the right sound, and then that's going to be the key for that song. As I like similar sounds, I tend to find the same keys pop up. My friend rarely ever plays in any key that's easy to play, and often gives me stuff in 5 flats to play. Grrrrr. That small move up or down would have made me much happier. A bummer if the song needs saxophone, and is harder than simple!
 
Huh? Solo in, or write a melody. the verb, to 'solo'. Jam out in a jovial fashion.

That is primarily why I want to do everything myself. All stupid disagreements about theory and when to do what. Once you get it, the theory is repeating and the template is moveable up and down.

If you shifted the key to Cminor, using the chords of Cm, I would write the melodic solo or vocal in the scale of D# .

Use a chord key chart. To explain.
Inkedchords-by-key-chords-in-the-key-of-a-b-c-d-e-f-g-flat-sharp-major_orig_LI.jpg

In the key of A, you will notice that there are common minor chords for the melodic accompanying scale.
A has chords C#m and F#m
The key C#m has those same chords in its key, not by any accident.
Inkedmusic_chords_in_the_key_of_a_b_c_d_e_f_g_flat_sharp_minor-727x1024_LI.jpg
For the Key of Cm Duncan suggested for Grapevine, look at scale of D#. It shares common important chords. Although I cannot find a chart that agrees with my lables quite right. Should be Gm and Fm. I think Eb on the chart is my D#.
 
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Feel free to play chords G C D in a loop. Then to that play the Em pentatonic scale. This is a melodic type of scale for that key. Not saying its the only way, but my method most commonly practiced.

So give me an example of some chords and what scale you would apply to it. Please tell me why too. We are all here to get better and develop our craft.
 
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You're talking about relative minors - If the song is in Am, then you don't really have a melody in C Major, you still have it in Am - its just that the notes names are the same. Dm is FMajor etc. Just not right to think that you are 'soloing' in a different key.
 
The one i use mostly is A minor(all white keys ) my music is ambient or soundscapes.I do not sing so my audio voice is Native American Flutes.The background music to the flute is done on keyboard workstation korg kronos and Nectar midi controller into Daw(logic pro X) i love the synthesizer sounds pads, strings etc back gound also includes Pow wow drums shakers rattles tambourines .Here something interesting my BPM is between 48 and 60 kind of like a heart beat at rest.White keys are very easy for me doing chords progressions.
 
I tend to noodle away until I get the right sound, and then that's going to be the key for that song.

Same here...I usually hear some part of a song in my head...walk over to the piano or pick up a guitar...and then I find the "sound" that I'm hearing in my head, and then I see what key I'm in and the chords I'm using.

During that early stage, I will also try several other keys...moving up or down...but usually there is one key where it "sounds" just right, and that's the key I keep it in...often it's the key I originally heard it in, though sometimes moving it up/down yields something more interesting.

I agree with what's been said...that some people have this misconception that it's all apples...not matter what key you transpose to...but that is so not true.
Depending on the melody, some keys just don't sound right...they change the overall mood and tone of the song's intent....like a nice mellow vibe suddenly becomes a strident jab.
Not everyone seems to hear that, and often they will make the song sound worse by transposing just so it fits either their singing voice or their playing ability (like not being able to solo in other keys, etc.).
You can even hear that when an older singer needs to drop one of their songs down a half or whole step in order to still hit the high notes...it just doesn't sound right anymore.
 
So give me an example of some chords and what scale you would apply to it. Please tell me why too. We are all here to get better and develop our craft
Whatever key I'm in and whatever chords or chord sequence may be playing, I just use my imagination. I've found that on virtually every occasion some kind of solo "melody" has suggested itself. It may start at the home key, it might not. I've never checked. I'd just think of that sequence and then something comes. It might come straight away, it might take several years, it might be easy, it might be like pulling teeth. It might be beautifully melodious or an avant garde romp through sound, it might be an improvisation or a meticulously worked out bit. Sometimes, I remember the entire sequence until I actually get it down and then I forget some bits but the replacement bits are generally good too {because I can no longer recall the bits they replaced so I wouldn't know}.
When I'd be working out solos for friends to play on various horns, woodwind or keyboards, I'd hum the piece on my multitrack to the existing tune. Sometimes, I'd go in cold and just hum whatever came to me and it sometimes wouldn't be until the person had actually played the piece on their instrument that it made sense and sounded cool. And I still wouldn't know what their actual notes were.....but we'd find them !
 
Whatever key I'm in and whatever chords or chord sequence may be playing, I just use my imagination. I've found that on virtually every occasion some kind of solo "melody" has suggested itself.

That's interesting...in my case, I work the opposite almost always.
I first hear a melody, but somehow more in a song context, not just a single melodic line...and then I'll figure out what chords are going with it.
IOW...it's not like I have just the melody and try to fit it across some chords...rather, the way I hear the melody, the chords are already there, I just need to discover them on a piano or guitar to see what they are. Basically, both chords and melody seem to evolve simultaneously.

I rarely come up with just some chord progression...and then attempt to write a melody to them.
 
Can you come up with a better scale than C#m for the chords F#m C#m D and E? I cannot. I think that is the KEY of 'E'. Play the C#m scale.

If you get stumped use a sampler like the VP9000, you can use an ARP function with Randomizer, and select the notes in the scale. It will break the line up differently each time. Even re quantize the breaks in tempo. Its like feeding an ARP into an ARP.
 
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You guys have it right. I looked at some other online sources and he seems to write a lot of songs in A and E. I was WONDERING why he didn't seem to be writing for the guitar when he mainly plays that instrument. I believe I did most of them in C, possibly in error, if you can call it that. Except for the vocal, I can always transpose them in the DAW LOL
 
F#m C#m D and E?? Or rather A,E and D in the Major key version. Hardly exciting, as it's every guitar player's stock open string chords. It's also not just the chords, but how the chords are played that poke your brain into conjuring up melodies to go with them.
 
All the chords have the scales formed into them. There are common root notes to the progression. It is THE most sacred of maths. Primes, the indivisble.
 
Another of my methods. Never use the word 'love' . You can describe it. To me it seems tacky.

If you do use the word ' love' in a song, over use it. Kind of laughing at the face of love.
 
Primes? Indivisible? Not quite sure here. Are we talking modes? I hated music theory when I had too teach it. putting melodies to chord progressions is something that just comes to people, or is always a problem because they break the rules in ways they don't understand why it sounds 'wrong'.
 
On guitar I like writing songs in G or D (and their assorted modes) because the chords associated with those keys are the easiest for me to play. On the other hand, on piano I prefer to write in C or F (for similar reasons). However, that doesn't mean the song stays in that key. Once I have the structure of a song sorted, I will transpose into a key that it needs to be in vocal range.
 
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