Crazy songwritting ideas or not?

[rp350mike]

some of these ideas may seem to make sense, others will not? What's your take on these ideas, and what crazy songwritting ideas do you have????? I have techniques for guitar parts and lyrics both, which are they crazy????

1) Listen to song mixes, loud enough to get into them, and sing over the song, with your own lyrics, so you tune out what they say, and write your own ideas: Obviously if You come up with stuff You like, you would then have to write down your lyrics, and isolate if the other song you were improvising lyrics to is good or bad direction to actualy use for your song, in it's basics --as obviously you are not going to use their actual song, but maybee it's type, or feel????

2) Goof on songs you don't like, by doing same thing, and at times you can come up with alternative ideas: Example I hate Van Halen, as bublegum pop it is. And when in past I heard Panama come on the radio in a car once, I started singing etcha-scetch to "picture scetch," and it is possible to have a good idea pop up, while goofing on a bad song, due to the reverse psycology, of being relaxed while goofing on it, and saying to yourself, I can write better than that.

3) For guitar, go out of your way to pick different keys, this is crucial. Play a main power chord or other shape for that key, sharps and flats are good, like C#, F#, G#, A#, if you don't normaly write in Ab or Bb, and thus in doing so open up a psycological breather, from everything starting to sound the same to you after a while.

4) then in these alternative key choices, just try and stay playing that one chord, and improvising Metal ( or your preference in music ), on that one chord, and just try to stick to it, and only it, and you'll find you can't, because you'll create something you like, just by forcing yourself to try a different key than you were last working in----and before you know it, you'll be all over the place with ideas.

5) In choosing these different keys, for fun, to break things up, set up a capo on the neck, for a root-base chord type in that key, and go nuts, with peadl tones, and open chords, anywhere you like, in relation to the temporary base key you have created, and see where it takes You.

6) Watch movies, where lots of stuff gets dead, like Predator, or Matrix trilogy, Diehard, etc.., Lord of the Rings, and just open up to the adventure, to forgett about it, and you'll find you mind drifting to song writting adventures and ideas if you try it. have a notbook or guitar or both handy.

7) you have already seen the movie before, and know you have, so don't worry about it, play your guitar unplugged, during the movie itself, and just rip, the movie is like background noise and ideas you can use.

8) likewise play your guitar to concert DVD's, jamming your own stuff over theirs: You semi tune their stuff out, except for drums, over all mood, feel, tempo, of song, etc.., anf get your own ideas ---this works best to just jam lead all over their entire songs, even if in a different key, cause you are more tunning them out than in --and if it's a band you really like, you can apologize to them later if you like.

9) Likewise play your own stuff over music mixes, or CD's you like, but be shure again, to balance your volume in relation to their's based on your ability to tune them out, except for drums, and dynamics, mood, feel, or whatever terms you like to think about.

Pink Floyd, "wish You were here," and "comfortably numb," etc.., certainly has different dynamics and feel to Metallica Black Album,

but if you do not have the ability to tune their stuff out to the point, where it would seem like nails on chalkboard for you to play different key signature than their stuff, either write in key of their song, as you are realy only improvising, or don't do these ideas, if crazy to you?????

10) I am not recomending you become a drunk or anything, but if you drink to relax, or whatever, as your already established business, then relax, and drink a little while messing around with the guitar, instead of just drinking a little, and watching something, or listening to tunes. If your gonna do it, then make your own tunes?????

11) try writting where you can, if a space is available to you, that you normally don't use, away from your usual routine, and pressures?????

12) Try instruments other than your favorites. you would be surprised how relaxed, and less pressure you would feel, if you in the back of your mind think psycologicaly this ain't your favorite instrument, so your just gonna beat on it for a while. then go back to your favorite, and other instruments, and back and forth.

13) If you have sources, to instruments other than what you play, then fool around with them. if your drummer is cool with it for example, fool around on the drums a little, and try composing on them, for a nice break, or change of pace.

14) Buy a flute, and experiment with a little Jethro Tull, or a Mandolin, and some Led Zeppelin improvs of your won, etc.., even if you suck at it, it's for when You need a break from your primary instrument, and you may actualy by accident write little bits you like????? try a harmonica, if flute is not your thing, even when thinking of "locomotive breath," or "crosseyed mary," etc.., kinda stuff, which is like Heavy metal concepts meets Monty Python and the Holy Grail?????? --write on instrument you have no intention of mastering, unless by accident you wind up liking them a lot ---but use them, even if they think they are going to taunt you, because you never intended to master them anyway -----but it breaks things up.

15) Pick a fight with someone, a girlfriend, or whomever, as long as they can't beat you up ( and create off of the juices of the fight, but not blood ) ----just kidding on this one, incase the fight goes bad, It wasn't my idea.

16) if into certain distractions, nature, or certain places, or whatever, try to make trips to your happy place more often, for some recharge, and new ideas, instead of spending all you time in front of a stack, no matter how much you like being there or not all of the time ----because I am giving alternate ideas for inspiration???? I hope????

17) Try playing some of your favorite song's melodies on guitar??? have You ever tried just playing the melody to "Stairway to Heaven" on guitar, or even a Metal song, in which it might hit the same note 5 times, before hitting a different note, but the dynamics of spacing those 5 notes, and then going somewhere with them, could give you ideas. In Balck Sabbath, Ozzy would have to often chase guitar chord lines to sing ( so don't use those examples ) as you already know the guitar lines, but choose sabbath songs, or any songs, you like, to which you have never tried just playing the melody, like slow thoughtfull solo ( to actual pace of song of cource, and then change the speed if You want to riff off of the riff, etc.., ).

18) Black Sabbath is a perfect example. they invented Metal, based on heavy blues, because there was no such name as metal, or seperate category, until someone coined the phrase: However Tonny and Geezer, were perfect examples of counter point playing at times, which is melodic, and inventive: at end of into to war pigs, where Gezzer descends from on high on his bass, in a melodic down turn, towards entering main riff of song, is pure art. So if nowadays, everyone is into playing the same stuff, all tight, with new emphasis on certain peddle rhythm patterns and all ---don't get stuck in that all of the time, but break it up. I think Geezer is one of the best bass players I have ever heard, and yes He can wail off of formed chord positions, to overwhelm, with heavy bass riffs, or go all melodic here of there if he needs to ---but the guitar and bass were not chasing eachother all of the time with the same stuff. ( nor did they have to play more intensive / complicated parts ---at the same time!!!! ).

19) I also liked Bill Wards Hendrix band style drumming and all, which is not the current fashion, but all of the Ginger Bakers, to neal Perts, john Bonham, etc.., to whomever out there, can come up with drum lines, which can compliment any mood ----such as some stuff neal Pert or whomever came up with ---and so as drums allways have to alter to the rest of the music mix at hand, instead of lead the direction of music, but drum lines can make or break good riffs, if underestimated in their power to help a song, even though the drummer has to chase the other ideas/riffs as they develop to follow ideas already put forth, ( or so it usualy seems, because how many parts may have been written upon hearing a drum line, and saying "that's sick," and writting to it???). However, in any case, drums have actual pitches to them as well as their drive and mood setting dynamics, so try writting to a drum machine, such as is provided in the RP350, etc.., ---even if You have a drummer, write stuff to the drum machine away from him, because you are seperating from all other persons, to create liitle ideas and bits ---and do the group thing, when the group gets together. It never hurts to have "A Pocket Full Of Riffs," when they expect you to pull some out of thin air.

20) Re-Write other signature riffs, you would never dare to challenge, and apologize to them latter, but serriously, to improvise the same riff 10 different ways to sunday for fun, even your own stuff, simply helps to to improvise, and nothing more. You don't want to challenge a signature riff, which everyone is going to know where you "stole that from," but who's gonna hear you, unless you record it, and then release it, and people then can say "I know where you stole that from"?????

[rp350mike]

I started this thread as "Crazy Ideas," to allow us all to express what techniques we all may use to break up the routine, free up the creativity, and reduce the stress and pressure, and blocks involved in songwriting, icluding focusing in the music aspects vrs the lyric, and thus toal song aspects as well.

Some of us can tune out other influences beter than otherse can, but some of what i suggested, is akin to having a conversation in a club, and tuning out the band while doing so. Since I stated drums are a perfect example of an instrument, who's various pieces all have actual pitches, but in relating to the sounds of drumming do so in such a way, with their ultra high and low pitches, to not effect your instruments creative interaction with them. However, some people will have the ability to tune out music for what it is actualy saying, rather than using as a background inspiration and others won't. It has nothing to do with ones ability to recognize pitch, but rather ones constant awarness, or sensitvity to it or not. ( In which case the relative volume of the music used, can be greatly lowered in relation to what you are playing --to provide a minimizing effect, and better balance for you ), provided you like the techniques, of using other music, to jam and riff off of, while ignoring it's content, and maybee even tune out it's key center as well, as you are using it for more drums and dynamic inspiration than anything else.

However, if that does not work gor you, then it is a "Crazy" idea to you, and hence the title of this thread. So what are the crazy ideas You may use, instead???? I posted this thread in response to writers block and other issues I have seen posted here, and intend it as a free expression, for how anyone may defeat the routine, or writes block, or just collect a pocketfull of riffs and ideas, for when you suddenly need to come up with some, and don't have enough ideas suddenly come to mind. But You can defeat that, with a pocket full of reserve riffs, no???? Think of Metallica, or other bands, who feel they need to add more riff variations, and additional riffs, in some songs, instead of thinking in terms of less complicated song structures as the motive for this thread. And please share your crazy, and not so crazy song writing, and riff writing ideas, and techniques, if you so desire????

[AswegoHomestead]

Hey Mike:

Like your ideas!!! I already use quite a few of them. One thing I find myself doing is here in the forum. When someone post some lyrics I will grab an acoustic and just play with them and see if I can make them work, or I may turn to the synthesizer and just jam with a recording I am listening to in bash that tune. Often this pops an idea in my head about something I am stuck on, be it a lyric or a guitar track. Enjoyed the read.

[rp350mike]

Hey thanks.

I don't know why it works, but I can sing Lyrics over other songs for ideas, not that I sing well.

I think it takes the pressure off of coming up with music and lyrics at the same time, and you just write stuff????

I think it also works well, if for example, if your drinking with friends, and listening to music, and start to sing your own lyrics over the real ones, for fun ----it just works is all!!!!

RP350Mike

[AswegoHomestead]

If you listen to my tunes you see I am more a country, folk, blues story telling sorta person and I like writing humorous stuff. John Prine has been a big influence in my style. Love his stories. I usually start with a subject or a line that came to mind and build on that. Here is a tune I started yesterday and kinda finalized about lunch time today. I told the wife I was going to write a song about all those advertisements and news reports that start with "They say, who are they?" Anyway this is what I came up with. It does have chord progression for guitar inbeded. I use a program Song Sheet 5 that I could not live without!!!!

"That's What They Say"
[A]Turn on the TV and there they all are. [D]Switch on the radio their everywhere. [A] They, [E]They, [A]They. They say you need bleach to get your clothes white that [D]customer comments prove they are right. [A]That's what they say, [E]that's what they [A]say.

[A]Now I remember Walter he told us the truth, [D]I remember Bill he was so damned uncooth. [A]Thats what they say, [E]thats what they [A]say. [A]You shouldn't drink coffee and stay away from the steak. [D]Take this pill to sleep and this one to wake. [A]They, [E]They, [A]They. Just buy this car, stay away from the rest.
[D]Have this surgery and you'll look your best. [A]That's what they say, [E]that's what they [A]say.

[A]Now I'd just like to know who they are. [D]What if we discover they were all a liars. [A]They, [E]They, [A]They. They spout out some numbers from clinical test [D]that clearly proves their product's the best. [A]That's what they say, [E][A]that's what they say.

[A]I hear all their figures and all of their hipe. [D]I'd just like to know who counted that night. [A]They, [E]They, [A]They. Well you can take numbers and show them your way. [D]Fifteen after is forty-five away. [A]I'd just like to know, just [E]who is [A]They?


[A]Listen with your heart and don't listen to them. [D]Soon you will see that it all fits in. [A]Just [E]look with[A]in. Live a simple life and smile everyday. [D]Keep following Jesus, he knows the [A]way. [E]Just keep looking [A]in, [E]just looking [A]in. You don't need a church and you don't need a temple you [D]just gotta remember to always keep it [A]simple. [E]That's what I [A]say, [E]that's what I [A]say.

Sorry got so long winded. Keep writting, what ever works for you is perfect for you!!!
Butch