Songwriting Tips

[Mike_S]

Some songwriting Tips from Justin Hawkins... Only watched a couple of his vids but looks like it could be an interesting channel to follow


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDBKti9cimI

[Zoltan]

Thanks Mike! This was great. I've watched these types videos and usually i don't get anything out from them. This one was different. A lot more general in style and with some great pointers.

The thing at the end "if you just sit with a guitar and try to write a song... 9/10 you come up with nothing" is something i've heard often, but i don't agree with. I'd say at least 5/10 you'll come up with something, but 9/10 you'll come up with something you don't like. There's a difference there. If someone has the perseverance and doesn't hold back (no rules!) that thing might still turn into something better. Or at least it can up the "numbers game" and become a great learning experience.

Then again i'm probably way better at giving advice than following them In this short while i've been here i've learned a lot from you guys. There are those "silent quiet types" who only appear when they show their god like creations. Then there are those real musos who can crank out any tune at any given time (those buggers! ) and then there are several types of mere mortals who have to just keep on keeping on.

I think some of you who think that you can't crank out ANYTHING by "just letting it go" are probably too conscious and not willing to accept what horrendous sound comes out from your mouth, and what silly ideas(* you're trying to push out at any given moment. There are those magical real times when songs appear, inspiration strikes and when you have something to say. Those are to be cherished. But i'd recommend you'd try (if you haven't already done it) just grab a somekind of instrument. Relax, strike a chord and open your mouth with the first thing that comes in mind. It might surprise you. You might even think of me! (In a less than kind manner )). Or it might save your life if you were outside, alone and a bear was going to attack you from behind...

(* I'm still kicking myself from letting an outside influence stop me from my "songs from Vietnam" -era moments of brilliance! I was cranking out tunes by the boatload until i let the reality shine its light on my Charlie don't surf -type of inspiration. The spell was broken and i was left with no inspiration...

And now i just noticed i've hijacked this thread.

[StephenM]

interesting chap.. many great points.  I can see everything he talks about in my own experience.  He hit on the spiritual side of it a bit too...
much of what he talks about is floating about on this site.  It's written into the expressed opinions and ideas of various writers comments.  Probably tons of information that only can be gathered and employed if one reads alot of comments (takes time), spends time listening to alot of music of others, reads many threads etc. 
The festivals do help focus us toward something.  This is especially good for someone like me as I tend to just go with whatever at any time (which is not bad I don't think).  I will admit that I tend to shy from the fests because I don't always either understand what the "rules" are for the fest and can't always find them or simply don't care enough to follow them. 
I am not going to judge myself for this.  I spent my entire life following regiments and rules of life.  This outlet must be different for me.  I try not to piss off people but sometimes it's going to happen just because I am me and the person offended is them. 
What I will say is all I ever want to do with songs is write something that makes me happy or laugh or cry or get mad or whatever and record it and to have someone else listen to it and relate.  It's about connecting for me... and there are some on here...more than a few who are just super and I am grateful for that!  thanks

I just got an idea . Write a song where the lyrics are made up from comments on the site.   could even be a fest

[StephenM]

I was just listening back to some of my old tracks.  I have been writing songs consistently now for a bit over 2 years.  What I can see now looking back is that I can never go back to those old songs, as far as trying to be that or sound like that.  At that point I would be trying to be a cover band.
What I am striving to convey is that each day of our lives is a bit different.  It seems that whatever we are or are going through on that day or in that time frame, is part of the reason our songs sound like they do.  It's like our emotions, our intellect, our infatuations of people, places, and things: at that moment are in the song writing, the recording, the playing.
In a way our recordings, our original songs, are a diary of where we were at, what we were going through, at the time.  It's coded so that almost no one to no one can figure it out or understand.  But when you go back and listen to those songs you know it's true.  You were a different person or at least in a different place at that time.....
Does anyone else ever think like this?

This is an interesting concept...