More times than not I step up to the guitar or piano and pretend the song exists already. I pretend it is great even before I start. Why start timidly thinking "is this gonna be good...is it gonna suck....do i even know how to write a good song?"
Screw that! You have walls lined with gold records! You have millions of fans and 3 live-in maids!
I literally, on my walk to the instrument, envision myself playing a killer new song. How would it go? What does a killer song sound like?
How many great songs have we all heard? Countless.
What makes them so damn lovable? Usually something pretty unique happens early in the song. Something a little unexpected. Something where we kind of go "oh this is nice but i'll probably get bored soon..." and then all of a sudden some kind of magic happens and you start to crave more of it.
Ya wanna know how to make magic? Go left when you usually go right. Say yes when you usually say no. And blammo (!) magic.
Show that song who's boss, don't be scared of it....be bigger than the song. Be an amazing songwriter by believing in yourself. Confidence is the key to success in almost every category.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
"Some Days Are Diamonds, Some Days Are Rocks" as Tom Petty says....
Write something, anything....
Guess what, some days you simply may not have something to say! Great songs come from truly having something to say, however big or small. Think about how direct and impactful you are when you really feel something. For example, when you're angry you don't mince words do you? You're not searching for something to say, you just say it. "That is the last time you make a fool outta me, you g-d damn son of a..." you get it. How bout when you're sad, " The thing is, you were the only one who really 'got me' ". all of a sudden you're confident and poetic and direct all in one.
When you don't have something to say and there just isn't a fire in your belly. I say, Don't sweat it. It's ok.
My suggestion is to write a song if just for the exercise.
Think of it this way, If a robber breaks into your house and you've been sitting on the couch watching tv and eating for the past few weeks you're not gonna have the muscle or energy to defend yourself. If you've been to the gym every other day, you will.
If inpsiration hits and you haven't written anything for a while, your writing skills are gonna be sloppy and not well oiled. You won't be prepared to capture the idea that just came to you. And that is the worst feeling in the world for a writer.
Simple put, a builder builds...a teacher teaches...a writer writes. Stop thinking and start writing. Guess what? I wound up buying a house from a song I wrote on a day when I didn't think I had something to say.
Guess what, some days you simply may not have something to say! Great songs come from truly having something to say, however big or small. Think about how direct and impactful you are when you really feel something. For example, when you're angry you don't mince words do you? You're not searching for something to say, you just say it. "That is the last time you make a fool outta me, you g-d damn son of a..." you get it. How bout when you're sad, " The thing is, you were the only one who really 'got me' ". all of a sudden you're confident and poetic and direct all in one.
When you don't have something to say and there just isn't a fire in your belly. I say, Don't sweat it. It's ok.
My suggestion is to write a song if just for the exercise.
Think of it this way, If a robber breaks into your house and you've been sitting on the couch watching tv and eating for the past few weeks you're not gonna have the muscle or energy to defend yourself. If you've been to the gym every other day, you will.
If inpsiration hits and you haven't written anything for a while, your writing skills are gonna be sloppy and not well oiled. You won't be prepared to capture the idea that just came to you. And that is the worst feeling in the world for a writer.
Simple put, a builder builds...a teacher teaches...a writer writes. Stop thinking and start writing. Guess what? I wound up buying a house from a song I wrote on a day when I didn't think I had something to say.
Friday, September 2, 2011
hey songwriters: don't forget it's all just made up! :)
i don't know what to say next...
stuck for the next line in your song? just look at the previous line. that should be the clue to what your next line will be. think of it as a game, a puzzle. yes, even fun! try saying the opposite thing ot the same thing with a different ending.
i don't know how to write a chorus...
a chorus is the song's commercial. the verse is the story, the movie, the tv show. the chorus is the adverstisement for the story. it's job is to intrigue a fresh set of ears to want to listen to the story. think of those commercials: "in a world (lol) where thieves run the show, an angel steps in to settle the score".
that's what the show is all about. in a very short time you must sum it all up AND be entertaining in the process!
remember to be the listener too...the music fan. the audience.
what would you want the song to do if you were listening to it on the radio?
what would you want the song to do if you were listening to it on the radio?
arrrgggh! uggggh...i hate this song, i suck, whatev :(
don't forget to walk away. go outside. get re-aclimated to your day, the world, the air. sometimes we forget the tempo of life. songwriting can drain both you and your tempo down. freshen up!
i'm confused, i have crossed-out words all over the page...
re-print all the keeper lines on a fresh piece of paper. the last thing you need is to confuse yourself on the fun road to musical glory!
ok, i got my chorus...so now i write a 2nd verse, right?
most great songs have a part that makes people say "i like when the singer goes______" so put a treat in your song. a reward for the listener. "one way or another i'm gonna getcha getcha getcha getcha" has a treat built right into the chorus. and some have one right after the chorus.
pretend you're 9 years old playing in the driveway,, making up little phrases. "getcha getcha getcha" is the part everyone remembers in "one way or another" by blondie after all!
don't forget to have a sense of humor, even in the most serious of songs. humor translates into charm which translates into giving your song some shine, some magic. it, after all, entertainment. so pour your heart out and make the song bleed....but also be entertaining.
don't forget to have a sense of humor, even in the most serious of songs. humor translates into charm which translates into giving your song some shine, some magic. it, after all, entertainment. so pour your heart out and make the song bleed....but also be entertaining.
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