Songwriting 101: Are You Afraid Of Writing A Bad Song?

[Mark Ellis]

We are sitting together. I just pulled out my Glock 9mm, load a magazine and chambered a round. I point my gun at your head with a crazed look in my eye and say, "You have 15 minutes to write me a song or I will blow your brains out." and glance at the clock...

Try it as an excercie, but you will have to pretend I am there. (If you want I can e-mail you a photo of me with a machine gun to act as an incentive.) See how you perform under pressure. If you have "writers block" a bad song is better than no song.

More seriously there is the creative side to song writing and there is the craft side. You need to master many things to be able to write songs. In the lyric you need to be able to evoke emotional images that people relate to, the lyric needs to flow and have a meter to it. The songs needs a meoldy that is attractive and singable. You need to know about harmonisation to create a chord sequence that makes sence. You need to know about song structures and you need to have an idea of modern treands in music.

Writing good songs is very hard, that is why the songs writers are the best paid in a band. There is much that can be learned from taking a hit song then changing the lyric, then the melody and then the chords to make your own new songs.

[Hard Max]

I always believed writer's block was simply that a person doesn't believe the stuff they are creating is any good.

I went through a phase a year ago where I gave myself assignments to write and record songs in various genres just because. I wrote a couple poppy songs, an 80's rock ballad, a grunge tune, a punk song, a metal song and a horrible funk song. I had a couple of rules. 1) All the material had to be fresh (no previously unfinished ideas) and 2) The writing and recording process had to be short (ala, 2-4 hours in total).

The end results weren't fantastic but I really learned a lot and had a great time. My coworkers got a kick out listening to the songs too.

Go here to check out my metal song.

[shackman]

When the muse IS there, the stuff flows and I get it written down/recorded roguhly if necessary.

It's later that I look back and say: "MAN, that's appalling."

But I don't think ANY songwrietr shjould be afraid of writing a bad song. My ratio is about 10 to one (the one being the good one).

[Danny Danzi]

Great topic, Mark. Me personally, I'm brutal on my songwriting. As a matter of fact, I won't let a bad song out these days.. It needs to have a hook, a purpose, melody and all the other things you mentioned. However, I'm not a beginner at this so I've went through my trials and tribulations writing duds. I think when someone is new at this, there is no such thing as a bad song. The object is to get "A" song done and then move onto another. Songwriting is just like learning to play an instrument. The more you do it, the better you get at it, the more of a chance you have finding yourself as well as your own individual identity.

Now, if you're doing it for 20 years, then yeah, bad songs should be put in a folder where you can maybe take chord voicings from them or even lyrics or melody lines for something new you may write. I never throw a tune away. I have DAT tapes, cassette tapes, CDR's...loads of archived tune ideas. Some are full tunes that didn't quite make it past quality control, some were killer ideas that didn't invoke any lyrical magic, some are killer riff oriented jams, some are killer guitar solo type parts, good drum parts, a catchy bass line with a groove...a melody that The Hansons would sound better singing than me, piano parts, stacked vocal harmonies of a pre chorus, bridge or chorus, and about 1000 ideas of me humming, barking or making mouth noises into a microcassette player as to not forget the idea that came to me on the road....the list goes on and on.

So I never throw anything away. But these days I can tell in 5 seconds when a song comes to me in my head, whether or not it will be something I pursue instantly, or log an idea for. If you had that gun to my head, I'd definitely deliver the goods. It might not be a hit so to speak, but it would have a hook and be a song you'd consider "delivered under pressure".

The thing with songwriting is, I do not believe we should try to get blood from a stone. If I told you right this minute I'm going to write a song as soon as I close my browser here, I'd probably be lying. I might work on a song or toss ideas around or even mess with something I have already started....but to just do it, sometimes it's very difficult. I need inspiration.....there needs to be voices in my head, something driving me on. Ever hear a song on the radio that sticks in your mind and you can keep hitting rewind in your head and listening to it...singing it etc? That's how a song comes to me. The difference is, when I hear the song in my head in full with lyrics included...it's not something I've ever heard before. This is when you have to strike quick before you lose it. It's like that lil hott witch on Charmed Phoebe...when she gets a premonition...that's me when a song comes to me. The world stops in my mind and all that's important is that song. One person talks to me or distracts me and it can be gone forever. So in my opinion, it's all about inspiration. If you caught me on the spot with that glock to where I wasn't putting myself in the situation after reading it, I'd probably shit myself first and then fail to where you'd shoot me. But having the chance to read it first and being ready for it, yeah I'd pass the test THIS time.

[AswegoHomestead]

Hey Danny,

Great post here, thanks! I'm just a hobbist songwriter/musician that enjoyed your insights.

[Danny Danzi]

Originally Posted by AswegoHomestead

Hey Danny,

Great post here, thanks! I'm just a hobbist songwriter/musician that enjoyed your insights.

Hey Aswego, thanks alot! Much appreciated and best of luck to you.

[AswegoHomestead]

Originally Posted by Danny Danzi

Hey Aswego, thanks alot! Much appreciated and best of luck to you.

Thanks Danny. Just checked out your .com, great website. Listened to a couple your download tunes and the I Need A Guitar vid, Great sound really liked the Happy Birthday. Really liked the video too. Great mix? What is the acoustic you are using in the vid? Looks like you got a bunch going on, best of luck to you too! I got a couple bash me's up in folk category. One is more electric blues but couldn't find such category. Would appreciate any feedback. I am still learning the mixing side of things.
Thanks
awg

[Danny Danzi]

Thanks Aswego....mostly older stuff on the .com which I'm in the process of fixing. Quite a few full tunes on my myspace page if you ever get a minute.

The acoustic is a rare Ovation Custom Legend deep bowl. The Custom Legends only come in deep bowl for 12 strings....at least they did during that time when I ordered it in like 1990. It's a bit dark sounding though and needs massive mids pulled down when mic'd. But I'd rather have to cut mids than boost mids in a guitar that sounds too thin, ya know?

Yeah quite a lot going on here and thanks for the luck....wishing the best your way also and thanks for checking me out.

Checked out you stuff also...good stuff! The stuff you're doing is why I originally wanted to play guitar. Sittin around a camp fire doing folk songs, some Simon and Garfunkle, Croce etc. But unfortunately, before I learned how to do that stuff I got bit by the 80 rock bug and heard Van Halen.....I've been a lost soul ever since and I'm still lost 25 years later. LOL!!!

I can tell you've been experimenting with some of those recordings. Sometimes your guitar is mic'd, other times direct in. I like the mic'd sound myself on acoustic...it's just richer sounding and makes you sound like you're right here in the room. I've never liked any of the acoustic electric sounds unless they have a killer piezo pickup inside....even still though, nothing beats a decent mic where the neck meets the body or at the 12 fret for me.

I noticed a little distortion in some of your tracks from signal over-load. I'm not sure what you're using to record with, but if it's a computer, and you're recording your vocals and guitar at the same time, try to keep your signal at -6dB. In the digital realm of computers, it's a different animal. It's not back in the old days of tape where you had to hit 0dB or above. As soon as you hit 0dB recording on your pc, you've clipped the signal...so watch out for that. It would also help if you put a little compression on your voice and your acoustic guitar to keep it nice and tight. You don't have to go nuts with it, just enough to get a consistent sound without killing your dynamics.

It's also pretty cool when you use stereo sound and spread things out a bit like you did in Brazilian Sunrise. That's the type of sound I would go for if I were you....just clean it up a bit and watch that your signals don't clip. Really enjoyed your stuff. I'm a rock/metal fan at heart, but I love and appreciate all styles of music. Blues, country, jazz, pop, bluegrass...I love it all really. You have to in this business and most of that is due to my clients really.

I was a one-dimensional rocker/metal head for the longest time. The best thing that ever happened to me was to make a good living at this as an artist and then do the studio on the side. The clients that came to me turned me onto stuff I wouldn't have normally listened to. As the engineer or the producer or the mastering engineer, any bias or grudges you have against a style of music are out the window. You start listening to things in a completely different light....amd I'm glad that happened to me. It's amazing the little things you can take from styles of music you'd never listen to and add them to your own creations.

You're in Florida eh? I have a house out there as well. Bought one for my parents in an over 55 community in Ft Meyers and bought myself a house in Naples....about 25 mins away. My mom died a few months before I could move her and dad into that house, so I sold it and I've been to my house in Naples 3 times since I bought it in late 2006. LOL!! Thank God my next door neighbor is a retired Astronaut or something. He takes care of the house for me and I let him use the gym anytime he wants. He just offered to buy the house actually, so I'm thinking of selling it to him. His sister's hubby passed away and he doesn't want her living with him, but he wouldn't mind her living next door. LOL!

I'm in NJ at the moment and just can't seem to get away from here. Winter is coming though, so hopefully I'll be able to get out there and enjoy this new house I built that isn't even new anymore. Or at least get to Florida to sell it. Hahaha! Nice talkin to ya man....good luck with the recording stuff...just keep at it and keep some of the stuff I've mentioned in mind. Take er' easy my friend!

[AswegoHomestead]

Thanks Danny.

It's that kind of bashing that really helps!! I printed this one out. I've only been seriously recording with the computer a few months. It gets busy around here in the summer so I didn't get much done for a couple months. I also added a ART Tube Preamp and I'm just figuring out the settings that seem to work best for different instruments.

I am going to work on a cover tune that I messed with over the weekend and will mic this one as you suggest. Most of my stuff has been line in thus far. Is it ok to post cover tunes for bashing here? I'd sure like some feedback from you. I am gonna try the stuff you suggested.

My available audio chain is quite basic and simple and some of the stuff a wee older. Boss Tu-12 tuner - Digitech Genesis 1 Processor - Art Tube Preamp - Maudio FastTrack -Computer.

My primary DAW is Kristal though I downloaded the new beta of Reaper and keep saying I am going to learn it. Maybe this winter when things slow down outside with mowing, gardens and such I'll do it. I took a glance at it and kinda overwhelming compaired to Kristal. But the price is great and Kristal has really been a great place to learn the basics. And will probably suffice for my style. I think the most tracks I have mixed has been 5. Most 2 or 3. I also regularly use Audacity and am using the new beta version. Plus the VST assortment LOL. I'm usually pretty light on vst's, just basic stuff.

I did love the sound of that Ovation. I owned a newer 6 string a few years back. I loved the sound and the feel of the neck but could never keep the darn thing from rolling away from me, standing with a strap or sitting.

I grew up around Folk and Bluegrass in the NC foothills west of Charlotte. I was always a southern rock type Skynyrd, Allman Bros, Molly Hatchet plus a little Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull type music. And old blues!! I only recently started messing around with folk or country stuff and only recently started doing vocals. That been a trip!!

Well an old sailor will ramble. Thanks again I am going to mess around with your suggestions today.

Hot as dickens down here again. Had a couple nice cool days last week but heat and humidity back setting records.
Later
BC

[uab9253]

For whatever reason, lyrics come fast and furious to me. That is both blessing and curse. Even though I play several instruments, although none exceedingly well, where I struggle is just coming up with either a chord sequence or a riff that doesn't sound completely like everything else. I'll pick up a guitar and play a G chord, and then I'm like - ok what's the next chord - I know, how about a C!! Yawn. I've been meaning to try to come up with music by just running some drum loops underneath so at least there might be something different to reshape some A-E or C-G chord progression. Once I have a musical foundation, the melody comes pretty quickly but - it is quite often monotone and uninteresting or overly predictable. What I do then is to hack it out on a keyboard and just try changing it, like I'm jamming on a variation of the theme. Since I don't really know the musical rules of the keyboard, I find I intuit melody more than with a guitar, where my fingers might automatically glom onto a pentatonic scale or something.
I also have tried just using a capo and traditional chord shapes, having no idea what real chord I'm playing until after the fact, then breaking that down and trying to play it on piano - anything so it doesn't sound like some kids strumming on a beginner chord learning exercise. Odd tunings can also help in the same way.

I have also recently tried just using some other instrument to write a song other than guitar.

The big thing with me to remind myself is to push myself to just "finish" the song. Then I have to acknowledge and allow myself to totally rework some or all of it after it is finished. I find that relaxes me more. Kind of like thinking you are doing a rehearsal take to let the engineer dial in the sound, when really he is recording it as a possible keeper. Writing the song thinking "this isn't really the version I'm going to keep" helps take the pressure off and actually moves me in the direction of actually creating a keeper.
Make sense?