How to Write An Amazing Epic Masterpiece

Progressive metal has been a popular for decades, and is widely recognized for its heavy, complex arrangements combined with melodic harmonies. Many people wish they could write something as epic, for instance, as Dream Theater’s Octavarium. The problem, however is this: How do you write your own song that sounds like another, yet doesn’t sound identical? (If somebody hears your song, and instantly says, “Hey, this really sounds like Octavarium!”, you should try to make it a little more unique.)

Since Dream Theater is an incredibly popular and well-known progressive metal band, we can analyze certain pieces of their music to help us build our epic composition. The first thing you want to do is sit down at your computer, CD player, iPod, or other electronic device with music-playing capabilities, and you should listen through your favorite songs by Dream Theater (or another band of your choice, but we will use Dream Theater as an example). For instance, if your favorite song is The Ministry of Lost Souls, listen through it and mark on a piece of paper exactly what sticks out to you in that song. Is the synthesized orchestra section at the beginning something you want to add in your song? Do you like the way the main theme returns at the end, only more powerfully? Does the diminished 5th in the last guitar riff make you want to cry? Write these down, this is good stuff!

But to ensure your composition’s uniqueness, look in a few different places than just one song. Write down the half-step bend in the middle of Goodnight Kiss from Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence that just gives you goose bumps. Write down the strange and unexpected chord progression in the chorus of The Root of All Evil. Look within any song that you have ever found especially epic, and write down anything that has stuck out to you, whether it be a single note or a chord progression. Use your imagination and put these things together and you could come up with something more incredible than any one of the songs you analyzed before. This is the way I write music for my band, and it actually works incredibly well. I am even amazed by my own compositions sometimes. And the cool thing is that once you start writing your own music using this method, writing epic material comes naturally. You just need to soften up to it and not be afraid to let your creativity run free.