Mega Music Talent

Archive for the ‘Song Writing’ Category

Thousands of songs, penned by thousands of songwriters, and I’m sure they all have their own individual ways of converting that initial germ of an idea into what they hope will become a hit song.

I am always being asked:-

a. Does the melody come first, followed by the lyrics?
b. Do the lyrics come first followed by the melody?

Speaking for myself, neither of the above are true!

99% of the time the title comes first, and I cannot stress enough the importance of a strong song title. My inspiration and starting point for a song normally comes from something someone has said , or from a catchy phrase or magazine/newspaper headline I have spotted. Once I’ve found the title, it immediately suggests a mood to me, and once that mood has been established it’s time to get on with the song.

So, without further ado, get those newspapers/magazines out and start searching for that all important starting point. Find a phrase/headline that grabs your attention and build your song around that.

The title you choose will no doubt suggest a mood for the song. If your title happens to be ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Gutbucket’, it implies immediately that it’s going to be a pretty heavy piece of work, rather than a tender love ballad. It is essential that the title strongly suggests to the listener what is to follow.

Here’s how MY latest song was conceived:-

I was idly leafing through a magazine when a headline literally leapt off the page at me:

‘I’M TURNING INTO GARBO’

What a great title for a song! ‘TURNING INTO GARBO.’
The legendary Hollywood actress Greta Garbo, and her famous ‘I want to be alone’ quote. Surely I thought, I must be able to do something with this!

Immediately I reached for the notepad and pen which never leave my side. It’s always important to have them there for just such a moment! Great ideas die just as quickly as they are born!

The title I had chosen suggested to me an air of quiet reflection. I could picture a man who had lived a big life, experienced all the good and bad things that life can throw at you, and was looking back on his past. Some of the dreams have perished, some still remain. The kids he raised have flown the nest, his wife is long gone, and now he has decided to find some peace and tranquility, and to treasure whatever time he may have left.

The lyrics came remarkably quickly, and the verses are simply constructed around the chords D & A

Verse 1.
I’m turning into Garbo, I want to be alone,
Turning into Garbo, need to spend time on my own,
Leave the crowds behind me, try to find tranquility,
Find a little home beside the sea

Verse 2.
I’m turning into Garbo, want some peace and solitude,
Turning into Garbo, hope it wont be misconstrued,
Now I’m growing older, want to leave the crowds behind
Try to find myself some peace of mind.

Verses 1&2 explain the desire to get away from the rat race to a new and peaceful environment. Having stated this, he feels, halfway through verse 2, that his friends might feel he’s turning his back on them, but hopes that they will understand.

Never having been a maestro when it comes to the use of chords, I was more than pleased with the chord sequence for the chorus/bridge. (Call it what you like). The chord progression goes from F# – Bm – G – F# – Bm – G – A – F# each chord lasting for one line of the chorus. Then on the last word of the chorus a final A leading into the D at the start of Verse 3

Chorus
I’ve had my share of ups and downs, I’ve laughed a lot and cried,
Struggled through the bad times, And heaven knows I’ve tried,
To keep a smile upon my face, When things were going wrong,
I’m turning into Garbo, It says so in this song

Verse 3 starts with a ‘Less is More’ quote from Robert Browning. I hate to admit this, but I don’t know which of his works it comes from. However it was just what I was looking for to set the mood for this last verse.

Verse 3.
Browning said that ‘Less is more’, I’m certain that it’s true,
It’s good to be alone at times , that’s one thing that he knew
But once a year in summertime my friends all visit me,
In my old secluded home beside the sea

I feel the last verse ends on a happy, positive note with our subject achieving his aim of a peaceful life, but getting the best of both worlds as his friends come to visit him in the summertime.

The chorus and Verse 3 are repeated, and a final line added which simply states ‘and I’m turning into Garbo??..that’s me’. Wraps it up nicely I think!

The song almost seemed to write itself, and it took me no longer than 2-3 hours from beginning to end. When a song happens in that sort of time I feel it’s a very good sign. The harder I have to work at a song, the farther down in my estimation it goes!

The demo I did of the song was done in my home studio, and initially had lots of harmonies on it. I lived with it in that form for a while, but decided it was far too regimented, and had lost its simplicity and charm. I stripped it down to the bare bones, and tried to sing it the way I felt somebody like Willie Nelson would have done, and for me it worked. All I need now is for Willie to record it!!!

* * * *

Well, hopefully that’s given you an insight into how building a song around a title works for me, and thank you for reading my little article.

So, don’t forget. The next time you see a phrase or headline that catches your eye, reach for that notepad and pen and start writing that song! It may not work out, but hey, what is there to lose?

!!! IF YOU DON’T BUY A TICKET, YOU WON’T WIN THE RAFFLE !!!

Author Bio: Keith Hancock and John Proctor St Cecilia We have a youtube channel with the various video’s and records that we have written and performed our channel is www.youtube.com/japroctor Link to Keith’s song and video Turning Into Garbo. Link to our video channel St Cecilia.

Writing is never easy, especially when you encounter the so-called “writer’s block”. Add to that process, the idea of synchronizing melody to the words you write ? now that is even more difficult. With the many hit songs in mass media today, it’s hard to find your own voice as a songwriter. If you’re thinking on how to write a song, we have come up with seven easy steps to get you started:

1. Be Inspired. Oftentimes, a songwriter can come up with a hundred hindrances for writing. Yet one of the biggest challenges of being a songwriter is motivating oneself. The first step on learning how to write a song is to get that mental and emotional stimulation. You have to set your mind on a goal, and that is to come up with a great song at the end of the day.

2. Stay With It. Once you have captured that subject of inspiration, stay with it. You have to set your frame of mind to work on that idea. Make sure you are in a place where you’re comfortable to write and express your ideas. Most songwriters prefer to sit in a quiet place with good scenery. Others favor an ambiance with relaxing music to soothe their thought flow.

3. Have Fun. You might be thinking, “How will this help me concentrate on my subject?” Having fun is an essential part in learning how to write a song. You have to find joy and fulfillment in what you are doing. Once you start writing, you can now play with words and work on your lyrics. Explore the possibilities of working with an instrument on hand. At the moment you get part of your desired melody, continually play it to stir up more tunes to add to your music.

4. Expand Your Horizons. Keep your ideas flowing. In this way, you can begin to develop your initial material. Reread the lyrics you’ve written and expound on them. Construct a story about your subject or create another voice in your melody. Try to form progression in the chords of the song’s tune.

5. Make Music Out of Lyrics. Use metaphorical descriptions and rhythmic patterns to titivate your song. It helps to know a little of poetry and literature to help influence your work. Bear in mind that in knowing how to write a song, it also helps to have knowledge on your genre of music.

6. Listen to Your Song. Once you’ve come up with the lyrics and the melody to beat, make sure you listen to the entire song. While doing so, ask yourself if you are satisfied with your work and what you can do to make it better. The process of self-critique helps polish your song. Make sure you edit the necessary words that don’t have nuance to the theme of your music. At the same time, make sure that the melody is plausible to your chosen subject.

7. Let Someone Listen. Your song is finished. The best way to know if you’ve done well is to have someone listen to the product of your hard work. Feedback is vital in improving your next creation. Learning how to write a song from another person’s point of view will make you grow as a songwriter.

Author Bio: Ready to learn how to write song that people want to hear?? Come to http://www.howtowritesong.com to learn all the secrets you NEED to know to write a song that you and people will love to listen to.

What is songwriting? What is composing? Do you really compose when you write songs or are you just copying?

If song writers make a living on their writing it will put a lot of pressure on them. Some song writers are constantly listening for what’s popular and are trying to imitate hooks in songs.

I can see two ways to go as a song writer:

1. Listening to a lot of hit songs and trying to write similar songs. By listening to songs and reading a lot on what’s up trying to feel what type of songs will be popular in the near future.

2. Trying to be yourself and just work on creating songs you like yourself in the hope that others will feel the same.

The last method is for me the most rewarding way to go as far as personal growth is concerned. I feel good and happy when I am creative as a song writer and feel that the process involves something about knowing myself better.

In the long run it might also create the best hit songs too. The song Yesterday is just one example of a different hit song.

Writing songs can be a very rewarding activity and the level of originality depends on how you write your music. You can help the creative parts of your brain to be activated or use the more calculating parts or a combination of both.

May I share a few tips from my own song writing experience:

1. Sit down with your guitar or at your piano singing or humming without expecting to create something brilliant. When you allow yourself to wander away a bit from your calculating parts of the brain and into the exciting forests of imagination and creativity you can come up with fantastic things.

2. Limitations can help your creativity. Give yourself some limitations by for example using a chord progression like G Em Am D7. Many songs use this progression but there will be room for more. You can of course use a more odd one like E C C#m G#m.

3. Record yourself playing around humming with your guitar or piano. Listening to what you have come up with a few days later can help you find interesting melodies or hooks to use in your songs.

Sometimes you can feel that you are not able to write songs like the song writers you like but they can’t write songs that is you. A comforting thought, isn,t it!

——————————-

Peter Edvinsson is a musician, composer and music teacher. Visit his site Capotasto Music and download your free sheet music and learn to play resources at www.capotastomusic.com

Article Source: http://bb-articles.com