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

[D.Z.]

honestly its not so much as writing a bad song for me, as writing a song that sounds fantastic in my head and me not being able to perform for various reasons (ie a sung chorus and my terrible singing voice)

[AswegoHomestead]

Hey Alan:

I can relate to your entire posting. I also play a couple instruments and a couple really badly. and I can't read music much at all, at least not fast enough to put to use. My primary instrument is acoustic guitar. I do use a capo quite a bit. For two reasons, one is naturally to change the key but also the fact that I have really short fingers and if I capo at least a full step the frets are a wee bit smaller and I can stretch further. This helps me with some chords that I just can't reach otherwise. My lyrics seem to most times come after the music and they come in spurts so to speak. I may be working on a tune and this morning work on adding a verse that came last night. Tomorrow morning I may have two or three verses and sometimes nothing. I just don't push it too much and let it flow. I am usually working on a couple tunes tunes and may put one aside for a wee bit. I have a folk ballad I started on last winter. I have the music down pat and the 7 verses of lyrics and refrains but still have not been able to call it done. I haven't worked on it in a couple months now. I had to get away from it. It's like being stuck in mud and the tires just spin. Eventually I will get back to it.

One thing that I have found that has helped me is some friendly competition. I use Kristal Audio Engine as my primary DAW and have belonged to the Kristal Users Forum for a year now. Each month we have what we call a "Kristal Challenge", they have been going on for years. Each month the previous month's winner sets the theme for next months challenge.

This month the theme was "State of the Nation", last month was an "epic about science or history, etc. Normally the songs have to be 2-3 minutes in length. I try to participate every month. I find that this format really pushes me to produce something not of my choosing. Plus I am working against the clock in meeting the entry deadline. We usually have 3 weeks or so.

I can relate to the naming of chords!! I got a couple I use that I still have no idea what they are! I try to use the more of the neck these days, below the third fret so to speak.

Something that has helped me with expand chord choices has been recording some cover tunes. Until recently I had not recorded any cover tunes. I just can't sound like someone else. Then it hit me I don't have to. All I can do is my interpertation and have fun. I have picked up quite a few new chords that I like using this way. More importantly I have improved my style of picking (the right hand) by doing the interpertation. Plus it has helped me understand better the actual structure of a song.

Also another thing I have found in the past few months that really helps are collaborations with other musicians. I participated in three so far, one on background vox, one on lead guitar and one on acoustic guitar. Lots of fun to do and you really learn lots about recording and mixing.

I think most importanly for me is the I play a lot! Especially in the fall and winter. Year round a minimum of an hour a day, average 2-3 hours and sometimes I loose track of time.

Sorry didn't mean to ramble on. I got a couple tunes in the folk bashin forum give a listen if you have time and feedback is most welcome good or bad.
Later
awg

[uab9253]

Aswego - those are all good ideas, particularly the cover tunes. Even w/o actually studying the song structure, it helps to not only get insight into the structure of the song, but also the arrangement. A great arrangement can be very kind to a generally weak song and vice versa.

I think a challenge or homework type assignment, some of the kind like I've seen here is a good motivator. Pretend that you have a week to write a ballad or a punk song, or something rock. Finish it no matter what. At that point, it's either done or you can go back and re-work it and make it better.

I used to naturally do parodies as a kid - my son does it too. That helps immensely in a lyrical sense when you have to find new phrases that fit a pre-existing melody and rhythm.

I just finished a Creativity In Management class as part of my MBA, and my final presentation was breaking down the songwriting process. The thesis was even though you want to be creative as possible, there are almost always lines that you need to color inside of - parameters that go with the objective, just like work stuff. I showed how I had a chord sequence that was boring, capo'd it three frets up to change the character, added a simple intro hook, made verses, a chorus, a bridge, structured the lyrics. It was a great way for me not only force myself to examine the process, but to also examine my process.

For example, I told the class that the bridge should be part of the song and relate to the overall work, but could be looked at like a pleasant detour off the main highway but still along the same route that drops you back off in the song feeling like you picked up something extra going round that way.

[AswegoHomestead]

Hello UBA,

Great description of a bridge! Sounds like a very interesting paper. I often find that when I am teaching someone something I often learn much more myself. Nice gear list you got there. I notice the Roland. I have a old friend that still uses his playing small pub type gigs. Our main keyboard is an old Yamaha SY77 snyth and a small concertmate that the wife uses when she's at the computer writing arrangements or transcriptions. She is classically trained with masters in flute composition and education. She teaches piano and flute privately. She keeps trying to teach me, bless her soul LOL. I use the SY77 for lots of right hand stuff emulating various instruments but other than knowing where middle c is I'm lost, especially when you throw in that left hand! She said that I would prehaps be better learning flute LOL. She is great to have around when I have a difficult chord progression and need it simpler, only takes her a moment to give me the change. Lots of times I will make a chord that I can't find on a chord chart and simply strum the chord and she tells me what it is. Remarkable hearing coupled with training and years of experience does make a difference

Gonna make sure and check out your YouTube,
later,
awg

[jetglo]

Afraid of writing a bad song? It never happens. If something sucks badly, you should know well before the time you'd consider the song finished. If you can't, then I don't know how you can write a song. I't's all about gut feel, if you have it, you learn to trust it, if not, well, that's why not all musicians write songs.

I don't agree with those who advise putting time constraints on a song. Who wants to force a song out in 15 minutes? So you can say you can and did? I'll save my time for more constructive pursuits, thank you.

Some people are more relaxed and confident than others. If you're self-conscious and critical, it's not necessarily a bad thing. There's a swag of great songwriters that fit that description. I wish people were less given to preach what is "right", when it may just be right for them.

Everyone is different, has their strengths and weaknesses, personality wise and musically as far as playing , vocal tone and range, lyrical ability and subject matter. That's what make someone an individual like no other. If you find you prefer to take your time over a song, adding, subtracting and slowly building it to something you're happy with, then that's the process that suits you. It also leaves you with lots of scraps that don't quite fit that can lead to another song or at least parts of. There's no right or wrong way as far as I'm concerned. I'm just happy that inspiration comes, rather than how it comes or how quickly. I'm fairly cerebral about all things, so it's nearly impossible for me to not think deeply about things, it's the way I've been wired. The only fear I find is that of changing the way I work, in case everything then stops working. I can be spontaneous, but it's not something I'd bet on.

If I had a song that proved really popular, but I hated it, I'm afraid it'd just reaffirm my belief that most people don't know shit about much at all. The bottom line for me is, if I can't feel good about what I've done, then there's really no point me doing it. The money would be nice, but I have money, so I'm looking for those moments when everything comes together and you feel the hair on your neck bristle and think, wow, I created all that from nothing, while at the same time being critical and objective.

Sure, you can say the more you write, the more chances of coming up with a "hit", the more you learn your craft, the better you'll become. But we all learn at different rates, and a good knowledge of craft doesn't guarantee prodigious output, as does such an output mean success.

If, for all your efforts you never attain the recognition you may hope for, and it happens to many, all you'll have to show for it will be your songs, so it'd be a shame if you didn't love them.

[AswegoHomestead]

Originally Posted by jetglo

If, for all your efforts you never attain the recognition you may hope for, and it happens to many, all you'll have to show for it will be your songs, so it'd be a shame if you didn't love them.

Very well said!!!!
awg