I had taken a big nap on Sunday arvo and consequently was wide awake at 2am, reading a memoir. I was also imagining a simple tune in my head, and imagining my fingers playing it on the piano.

What would it look like if I started it on F, or on C? Then I just got the Apple pen out and started to write it out, without going to the piano.

I chose to start it on F and assumed it would have a B flat in the key signature. But as I continued to write it out, it seemed to need an E flat too, and sure enough when I ended it, the tonic was B flat.

Afterwards I played it out on a phone app with a little keyboard simply called Piano. The notes I’d written were fine! I hadn’t made a mistake. I just added “Swing beat” to show in my mind it had a lilting rhythm.

I’m going to try and keep this going, in quiet moments. Surely, over time, I’ll get better.

Wouldn’t it be cool to just write notes to melodies as easily as we write out sentences of words?

I wanna do it!