wrongSighting-How do you write songs?
by Yes Songwriting... The age old art of wasting time playing the same notes on your guitar, piano, organ, whatever. I'll never get it. I've spent the last 3 months, trying to write a song, and in 20 minutes i have one today. Include the over a year span since i've completed a song, and it's been a while, bringing my grand total to 4, 3 of which i think are good(the other is a more adult contemporary song, the kind only your g/f will want to hear).
For me, the hard part is not the music, i have lots and lots of it. The hard part is and is not the words, cuz i know how to rhyme, i think i know how to write and i have plenty of lyrics. But putting them together is the tough line. I mean, how do you get the right word structure for a song when you've got the music? And how do you spice it up so it's not the same pentameter every single time?
Two of my songs were accidents, failed tries at other songs. The first, Annalisa, was originally a song about a girl I had a very small crush on, but of course, hated my guts. So instead of the sappy love song it started out as (It's all because of you), it turned into the leaving-woman-hating anthem that it is today, but only after the tempo was sped up(ala that thing you do).
Not only that, but when writing a song, i find it is best not to try to have an idea in mind of what you want to write. Because a fixed approach can be rather stifling, having to fit pre arranged words or even ideas can be constrictive. Not telling a story while having a story to tell is best for me. And not having to answer questions is rather annoying, in other words, why create a cookie-cutter song where you know the whole story and have all the facts by the end? I say leave 'em hanging and create lines where you have to examine it to get the story. It's just cuz i used to like writing short stories that way.
So i'm just curious how you guys do it and what works for y'all. And what you think of my theories...
AI Summary
37 Comments
My professors told me I "give too much away" in my writing. So I've learned to be less pragmatic and let my audience think what they want about my words.
A lot of times I'll just be going about my usual WHATEVER and certain words or tunes will pop into my head. Of course I must then run for a pen and the closest scrap of paper available. It's all part of the creative process...
I compile different lil pieces here and there 'til then I do a little tweaking and POOF!
yes but what i'm saying here, not to be mean, is that until you put music to it, it's not a song, it's just lyrics. Same with music, it's just that until you have words with it.
Unless you play an instrument. Then i sincerely apologize...
You can here he melody in your head alot of times when your write lyrics.
yes but you play guitar so you can make that melody later. BUt if you don't, then its still not a song..
Yes a song is not a song without music, you can sing the melody though. Sometimes I write lyrics keep them aside and they end up fiting music that I write down the road.
that's easier to do with simple songs, sometimes i come up with a chorus first and build it from there. With more technical stuff i find i have to do the music totally sepearate
No harm done I'm actually learning two instruments, and already know one. I will admit my weakness is in composing sheet music.
THAT'S YOUR WEAKNESS?! Oh, get over yourself!
BOOO you I don't think I'm slick...TRUST ME
Lyrics are at thier best when natiral sometimes they need to be a litte tweeked. But when its raw emotion is when its at its best.
i find that when i'm bogged down with work and have my mind on other stuff, i just can't be creative. but when i make time for trying to play the guitar and write lyrics, every once in a while something good will come. as far as lyrics, don't worry about stuff ryhming too much, most good songs don't ryhme every single measure anyway i find. u have to just find the words that fit your song the best. usually you'll need to make small adjustments to make them fit perfectly.
This is an interesting topic I think applies to anything creative
Not that I'm the best author of creativity, but I had the same questions and have learned since then.
But my opinions on it are:
Creativity, or in this sense, music is emotionally driven, intellectually steered.
You learn what you like, you practice it, you sing along with it, disect it. Practice, practice, practice, experience, learn, etc. The intellectual part
But Spit out your emotions, don't worry about how nice it sounds, or if you're in tune, or what chords and notes your playing, or if your voice sounds like sea gulls, just let the emotions drive. Your head (the things you've learned in the past -that you like-) will eventually bleed out and steer for you in a direction that you like.
If you find yourself thinking too much about it, you'll go stale. Just pick up the guitar and play that thing and belch it out. Who cares if its "nuhhh nhhhh hmmm nuhh", let it rip, intellectualize about it later and fix the edges.
In fact, if you got words, and you got a chord/rythm structure, this combining of two different worlds will produce creative results. Just go for it, start singing the words out as if randomly. You'll find through each pass of the song as you practice will shape and mold how you will sing and more and more emotion will come out.
Music, creativity, its always unknown, you can't just learn to be creative. Enjoy it. It goes on forever there is no end to creativity that is the beauty of it. I think too many people look for popularity through creativity then they do to just enjoy it for themselves.
Not saying you're not doing this already, just my thoughts
Hes 100% right it has to be natural noy planned
ok it happened again. I'm just sitting putzing around playing guitar. I'm trying to write a song and nothing happens. So i get fustrated and stop. Then i play two notes fom which i continue and actually write a song. A nice acoustic one too...
For inspiration, i usually strip nekid and climb to the top of this tree at a local park...i perch myself upon the highest limb, and, the blue jays, they come to me, one by one, and tell me just how my next song should be composed...buuuut, that's just me
that was you!?
wuh boy...hope there were no photos taken
What no one writes songs?
i explained. you read. figure. understand. verse chorus verse chorus bridge verse chorus is the essence of beauty.
OR you put your emotions down on paper then write the music to it and change it along the way to fit the notes
no offense, but i highly doubt you write songs, let alone have any valid tips to give me...
wow dude he just said your MOM!
hey do what you want. I don't see whats hard about putting together a few good chords and doing it that way. You must have really bad writers block or overstress it to be that way. It just comes natural to some but practice does help.
i dunno. You just do the old Kurt theory I think. Verse Chorus Verse Bridge Verse Chorus
excuse me Verse Chorus Verse Chorus Bridge Verse Chorus.
that is actually a very good method. if you are writing good enough songs though, no one will be able to tell which is which.
kurt didnt always do that, plus jeremy you dont play anything