We got so many great songwriters and composers around here, I thought it was finally time to ask the big question - What is the meaning of life? Or, in other words, how do you write a great song??
#2052 Posted Wed 11 Jan, 2017 6:49 am
A heavy thought at 4:49am, huh? Ha Ha. I don't think I've written a great song yet. For me, it's usually a hook line or title that gets in my head and try to develop a story from there.
#2053 Posted Wed 11 Jan, 2017 9:29 am
A heavy thought at 4:49am, huh? Ha Ha. I don't think I've written a great song yet. For me, it's usually a hook line or title that gets in my head and try to develop a story from there.
Originally posted by tpistilli on Wed 11 Jan, 2017
I thought you we going to say, "42" :)
But I'd imagine that's where most great songs start, just a seed. Something catchy or a statement or idea that's worth writing about. I've mostly always been on the music side, so for me it's a catchy riff or groove that gets me started. More recently though, I've been trying to think more about how songs tell a story or say something.
Something that I'm picking up, have read, and have been told, is that it's really all about the emotion that a song conveys to others. Guess that makes some sense !?
But I'd imagine that's where most great songs start, just a seed. Something catchy or a statement or idea that's worth writing about. I've mostly always been on the music side, so for me it's a catchy riff or groove that gets me started. More recently though, I've been trying to think more about how songs tell a story or say something.
Something that I'm picking up, have read, and have been told, is that it's really all about the emotion that a song conveys to others. Guess that makes some sense !?
#2054 Posted Wed 11 Jan, 2017 10:08 am
I thought you we going to say, "42" :)
But I'd imagine that's where most great songs start, just a seed. Something catchy or a statement or idea that's worth writing about. I've mostly always been on the music side, so for me it's a catchy riff or groove that gets me started. More recently though, I've been trying to think more about how songs tell a story or say something.
Something that I'm picking up, have read, and have been told, is that it's really all about the emotion that a song conveys to others. Guess that makes some sense !?
Originally posted by MonkeyC on Wed 11 Jan, 2017
Definitely makes sense. Since you are an awesome musician, maybe that's what gets your creative juices flowing at the start. My problem (if you want to call it that) is that I'm more of a lyrics guy who happens to dink around with a guitar. The lyrics are always where I start. I am trying to learn how to put music to my lyrics, but it's a major struggle. I don't have the talent to produce what I hear in my head.
In fact, I just had a thought yesterday morning that I am just now trying to flesh out. Here's what I have so far. This is very, very preliminary....just to how my thought processes go.
Title: DOUBLE LIFE (rock)
HOOK: IT'S TWICE AS HARD TO LIVE A DOUBLE LIFE (my original thought that I started from)
V1
YOU'RE TWO-FACED
(FAKER, IMPOSTER, WHITE WASHED SEPULCHER, DECEIVER, PRETENDER, IMITATOR, WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING, IMPERSONATOR, MOCKER, CARICATURE, XEROX COPY, COUNTERFEIT, FAKE, SHAM)
- CHAMELEON - CHANGE WITH SURROUNDINGS
V2
DECEIVING YOURSELF
- SEEMS EASIER, BUT ACTUALLY HARDER
CHORUS: (main thought and hook) IT'S TWICE AS HARD TO LIVE A DOUBLE LIFE
V3
GET REAL
-YOU'VE BEEN SNAKE BIT
- STOP TALKING TO THAT SNAKE, BREAK THE FANGS OUT OF HIS FACE
- THERE IS AN ANTEDOTE THAT TRICKLED DOWN THE SAVIOR'S BODY AS THE TEARS OF REGRET FALL FROM YOUR FACE
In fact, I just had a thought yesterday morning that I am just now trying to flesh out. Here's what I have so far. This is very, very preliminary....just to how my thought processes go.
Title: DOUBLE LIFE (rock)
HOOK: IT'S TWICE AS HARD TO LIVE A DOUBLE LIFE (my original thought that I started from)
V1
YOU'RE TWO-FACED
(FAKER, IMPOSTER, WHITE WASHED SEPULCHER, DECEIVER, PRETENDER, IMITATOR, WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING, IMPERSONATOR, MOCKER, CARICATURE, XEROX COPY, COUNTERFEIT, FAKE, SHAM)
- CHAMELEON - CHANGE WITH SURROUNDINGS
V2
DECEIVING YOURSELF
- SEEMS EASIER, BUT ACTUALLY HARDER
CHORUS: (main thought and hook) IT'S TWICE AS HARD TO LIVE A DOUBLE LIFE
V3
GET REAL
-YOU'VE BEEN SNAKE BIT
- STOP TALKING TO THAT SNAKE, BREAK THE FANGS OUT OF HIS FACE
- THERE IS AN ANTEDOTE THAT TRICKLED DOWN THE SAVIOR'S BODY AS THE TEARS OF REGRET FALL FROM YOUR FACE
#2055 Posted Wed 11 Jan, 2017 10:23 am
Too kind, Tony! But hey, that looks like a great start with the lyrics.
Yanno, there are a lot of people on the site who are composers - maybe you should check out a few of them, see if you can't find a songwriting partner? I think working off of other people's input and ideas is a great way to write songs, and if you can find someone that you work well with it could be a winning team :)
Yanno, there are a lot of people on the site who are composers - maybe you should check out a few of them, see if you can't find a songwriting partner? I think working off of other people's input and ideas is a great way to write songs, and if you can find someone that you work well with it could be a winning team :)
#2056 Posted Wed 11 Jan, 2017 11:01 am
For me it's definitely ALWAYS easier if the music is already written.....and most importantly....structured correctly. As far as connecting emotionally....I always try to write in a way that makes the listener think "that's EXACTLY how I feel right now"....or "this song HAD TO BE written about me and what I'm going through right now". It IS NOT always easy to write GREAT lyrics....and one of the most important things you can do as a lyric writer is NOT be so full of yourself that you refuse to edit/modify your own lyrics when the need arises. You can write some TOTALLY AWESOME lyrics and still need to modify them to flow like they need to with a given piece of music. Aside from all that.....PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT :)
#2065 Posted Fri 13 Jan, 2017 7:03 pm
I heard somewhere that you may not have had to have lived your lyrics, but you need to be able to put yourself into your words.
Personally, if you can't write a song from a perspective where you know alot about what you're talking about it going to hard for that song to be "great"
Beyond that, how you decide to write about your subject matter and more often than people realize, how those words are then performed for me are the holy trinity.
You can write abstract, first person, third... whatever but I tend to think not directly referring to your subject matter is always a good way to add something to your song.
ie: its redundant to make a song talking about "s e x" just as its redundant to make a song about "going through hard times".
But make a song about s e x referring to it as "going through hard times" and, I may wanna listen and see where you go with it :).
After that, how good was everything else around those words will have to play its part.
Personally, if you can't write a song from a perspective where you know alot about what you're talking about it going to hard for that song to be "great"
Beyond that, how you decide to write about your subject matter and more often than people realize, how those words are then performed for me are the holy trinity.
You can write abstract, first person, third... whatever but I tend to think not directly referring to your subject matter is always a good way to add something to your song.
ie: its redundant to make a song talking about "s e x" just as its redundant to make a song about "going through hard times".
But make a song about s e x referring to it as "going through hard times" and, I may wanna listen and see where you go with it :).
After that, how good was everything else around those words will have to play its part.
#2067 Posted Mon 16 Jan, 2017 4:04 pm
Cool post Lee! Interesting to see how others write songs.
I believe writing around the title yields consistent results.
For me it is usually: Title first, then chorus, then verses. ;-)
Melody and music will often find itself during the process.
I believe writing around the title yields consistent results.
For me it is usually: Title first, then chorus, then verses. ;-)
Melody and music will often find itself during the process.
#2068 Posted Tue 17 Jan, 2017 8:55 pm
I've never tried to write a song. Two years ago, God started giving me songs while I was walking my dog. Actually I wrote my first song ever for a funeral that my husband was conducting. It is one of his favorites, though he says it is not a funeral song. Someday I will post it here, but not for help with it because he is so picky about that particular song.
I played melodies by ear growing up. I could listen to just about anything & play the skeleton notes. I didn't learn about chords until my 30s. I'm still not a pianist. I play just enough to get my ideas across, mostly using other people's lyrics. I write lyrics & melodies together, but I can't play to my own music. It slows me down, & frustrates me to no end, which is why I am so thankful to MonkeyC :) I mean Lee. Once I write a song, it is stuck in my head until I write it down & record it on my lovely SuperVoiceRecorder, Ha ha
I played melodies by ear growing up. I could listen to just about anything & play the skeleton notes. I didn't learn about chords until my 30s. I'm still not a pianist. I play just enough to get my ideas across, mostly using other people's lyrics. I write lyrics & melodies together, but I can't play to my own music. It slows me down, & frustrates me to no end, which is why I am so thankful to MonkeyC :) I mean Lee. Once I write a song, it is stuck in my head until I write it down & record it on my lovely SuperVoiceRecorder, Ha ha
#2071 Posted Thu 19 Jan, 2017 6:31 pm
I've never tried to write a song. Two years ago, God started giving me songs while I was walking my dog. Actually I wrote my first song ever for a funeral that my husband was conducting. It is one of his favorites, though he says it is not a funeral song. Someday I will post it here, but not for help with it because he is so picky about that particular song.
I played melodies by ear growing up. I could listen to just about anything & play the skeleton notes. I didn't learn about chords until my 30s. I'm still not a pianist. I play just enough to get my ideas across, mostly using other people's lyrics. I write lyrics & melodies together, but I can't play to my own music. It slows me down, & frustrates me to no end, which is why I am so thankful to MonkeyC :) I mean Lee. Once I write a song, it is stuck in my head until I write it down & record it on my lovely SuperVoiceRecorder, Ha ha
Originally posted by ShannonB on Thu 19 Jan, 2017
I know what you mean. I started off like that as well
Have you tried working with a DAW. (A recording software that allows you to speed up and slow down the tempo of some music you might be trying to record so you can take your time and not feel pressured to get it right the first time or at the exactly the tempo you intend to have the play back at)
It helped me develop as both a lyricists to be able to complete a song I heard from bones in my head to a respectable demo.
If you have that natural talent to come up with a song in your head, this is probably the next step to develop that and become an even more well rounded musician. Now... I even dare to try and sing ;)
And if you have that original song you made for the funeral online, just post the link here or in the critique section :)
https://www.procollabs.com/forum/8
Have you tried working with a DAW. (A recording software that allows you to speed up and slow down the tempo of some music you might be trying to record so you can take your time and not feel pressured to get it right the first time or at the exactly the tempo you intend to have the play back at)
It helped me develop as both a lyricists to be able to complete a song I heard from bones in my head to a respectable demo.
If you have that natural talent to come up with a song in your head, this is probably the next step to develop that and become an even more well rounded musician. Now... I even dare to try and sing ;)
And if you have that original song you made for the funeral online, just post the link here or in the critique section :)
https://www.procollabs.com/forum/8
#2073 Posted Fri 20 Jan, 2017 3:45 am
