songwriting
- let it ride
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Re: songwriting
Oh. My. I think my five-month songwriting draught may be over. Oh. My. !!. I am very, very excited. I thought I was dunzo with music forever, and not because I wanted to.
clear eyes full hearts can't lose
- soft revolution
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Re: songwriting
Ok, um, how does everyone come up with guitar rhythms? Do you come up with a tune first then fit the guitar round it or the other way round.
I've finished most of a song, but I'm just doing the last bit. I've got the chords but can't seem to come up with a decent rhythm. I think I've been thinking about it too much, but I don't want to fall back into my natural sloppy 6/8 clatter.
I've finished most of a song, but I'm just doing the last bit. I've got the chords but can't seem to come up with a decent rhythm. I think I've been thinking about it too much, but I don't want to fall back into my natural sloppy 6/8 clatter.
And by me, I mean, Flexo.
- gloom button
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Re: songwriting
I was just thinking about this the other day, and deciding that it'd be interesting to play a rhythm in the same way as an (imaginary) drumbeat. Is that a terrible idea? So it's just an 8/4 rhythm but with stresses falling where the bass-drum beats would fall (in my case on beats 1, 2, the 'and' of 2, the 'and' of 3 & the 'and' of 4). I can't tell if that's terribly naive, but it makes things sound a bit different anyway, and seemed to drive things along nicely.
the trouble with personalities, they're too wrapped up in style
it's too personal; they're in love with their own guile
it's too personal; they're in love with their own guile
- schlump
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Re: songwriting
your numbers and timings confuse me, but it seems topical to point out that bo diddley basically played the drums, but on a rhythm guitar. bo diddley - bom-ba-bom-bom, ba-bom-bom-bom - is a bass drum getting hammered but translated onto a guitar.
(maybe this is totally irrelevant, but you know, bo diddley!)
(maybe this is totally irrelevant, but you know, bo diddley!)
- soft revolution
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Re: songwriting
That's a pretty nift idea, I may give it a go - maybe the toms could be different chords and the cymbols as an upstroke. Um, maybe that's formalising the relationship way too much though.gloom button wrote:I was just thinking about this the other day, and deciding that it'd be interesting to play a rhythm in the same way as an (imaginary) drumbeat. Is that a terrible idea? So it's just an 8/4 rhythm but with stresses falling where the bass-drum beats would fall (in my case on beats 1, 2, the 'and' of 2, the 'and' of 3 & the 'and' of 4). I can't tell if that's terribly naive, but it makes things sound a bit different anyway, and seemed to drive things along nicely.
Think I'll give it a go, but slow it right down too and see what happens. Ive been meaning to write a slower song for ages now.
And by me, I mean, Flexo.
- let it ride
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Re: songwriting
Hmmm. I couldn't sleep last night, and was up until four, but in that weird half-sleepy state, lying in the dark. I obviously thought I "had" something as I woke up to find two new songs in a notebook next to my bed. But they are uncharacteristically "funny" and I don't do that anymore as I'm not ridiculously funny. But it felt like such a great start!
Sometimes, it's much easier to just write down a ton of words than to sit with guitar or piano.
Sometimes, it's much easier to just write down a ton of words than to sit with guitar or piano.
clear eyes full hearts can't lose
- let it ride
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Re: songwriting
I can't decide if these lyrics are fun or kind of crap. One song title has the word sex in it which makes me blush because that seems a bit crude! Hmmm. Why is it so hard to write songs sometimes? Answer: It's not if you're good at it, haha!what light wrote:Hmmm. I couldn't sleep last night, and was up until four, but in that weird half-sleepy state, lying in the dark. I obviously thought I "had" something as I woke up to find two new songs in a notebook next to my bed. But they are uncharacteristically "funny" and I don't do that anymore as I'm not ridiculously funny. But it felt like such a great start!
Sometimes, it's much easier to just write down a ton of words than to sit with guitar or piano.
clear eyes full hearts can't lose
- Sootyzilla
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Re: songwriting
I think that one of the requirements of being a songwriter is to be a bit shameless, in that you have to be willing to write about your most intimate feelings and sometimes about what you like to do in bed. It's why I'm no good at it.what light wrote: I can't decide if these lyrics are fun or kind of crap. One song title has the word sex in it which makes me blush because that seems a bit crude!
As wrong as it was to do,
Those eyes were made to look into.
Those eyes were made to look into.
- let it ride
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Re: songwriting
Haha, me neither! But then it feels weird to sing random "feelings" that you don't particularly feel either, just to sing something I mean. In any case, it's hard to judge lyrics before you sit down with piano or guitar or something to see if it is possible to sing. Heh, who knew being away from instruments made you want to write songs more?Sootyzilla wrote:I think that one of the requirements of being a songwriter is to be a bit shameless, in that you have to be willing to write about your most intimate feelings and sometimes about what you like to do in bed. It's why I'm no good at it.what light wrote: I can't decide if these lyrics are fun or kind of crap. One song title has the word sex in it which makes me blush because that seems a bit crude!
clear eyes full hearts can't lose
- soft revolution
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Re: songwriting
Following all the random outbreaks of song at Indietracks, I've been pondering my method of writing songs using weird chords and timing changes. It's great (and long may it continue), but it's not singalongable and most people probably wouldn't call it indiepop. It takes me ages to come up with anything resembling a pop tune over it, which tends to be the point where my songs stick for several months.
I think I'm going to start another new side project where I go back to using chords that people have heard of and using progressions like C G F G etc. I'm also going to give myself a 1 hour limit for writing it, and a 1 hour limit for recording it (once I've got recording stuff set up at home) and do what feels natural and instant rather than pondering stuff for ages.
I think I'm going to start another new side project where I go back to using chords that people have heard of and using progressions like C G F G etc. I'm also going to give myself a 1 hour limit for writing it, and a 1 hour limit for recording it (once I've got recording stuff set up at home) and do what feels natural and instant rather than pondering stuff for ages.
And by me, I mean, Flexo.
- let it ride
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Re: songwriting
That sounds sensible! All my best songs are written in under ten minutes, you know when the melody and then the words all come stumbling out and you are struggling to keep up with writing it down before you forget it again.
Simple can be really good sometimes! I take the Wilco approach, that you can always deconstruct it later, the basic song structure is still there.
Simple can be really good sometimes! I take the Wilco approach, that you can always deconstruct it later, the basic song structure is still there.
clear eyes full hearts can't lose
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Re: songwriting
I think last year some people did "Record an album in a month" - I remember that Gloombutton did... well, I think that's my plan for August. I've just set up the 8-track and everything. I quite like the idea of forced creativity...
- postalblue
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Re: songwriting
I need to be forced to do anything music-related these days. So sad. It seems the only way for me to make a new record in the near future is if some label comes along with a release date already set.
New Postal Blue single out now on Cloudberry Records.
There are still copies of our Road to Happiness CD-EP here.
http://www.postalblue.net
There are still copies of our Road to Happiness CD-EP here.
http://www.postalblue.net
- let it ride
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Re: songwriting
I have a big weird project going on, that I need approved before I want to talk about it properly but it involves songwriting and (cheese factor) self-discovery and shiz. I think it might be awesome. I am just so damn excited about songwriting again!
clear eyes full hearts can't lose
- soft revolution
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Re: songwriting
Does anyone else come up with holding lyrics to remember a tune before you have chance to write something decent?
Yesterday apparently started with the lines "Scrambled eggs, Oh, baby how I love your legs" before McCartney had chance to do the lyrics.
The chorus for Falling and Laughing classic 'Lights Out Birmingham' used to go "Where on earth is Laughter Chilembe now"
Yesterday apparently started with the lines "Scrambled eggs, Oh, baby how I love your legs" before McCartney had chance to do the lyrics.
The chorus for Falling and Laughing classic 'Lights Out Birmingham' used to go "Where on earth is Laughter Chilembe now"
And by me, I mean, Flexo.
- Pip68
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Re: songwriting
It's either chords/melody/words or melody/chords/words. About 60% of the songs I've written were with a hangover. Not sure why...
In the old days, when I couldn't play the guitar (still can't), I'd hum the melody to a guitarist and he'd try and find the chords. That reminds me of a very funny sketch from Big Train...
\
In the old days, when I couldn't play the guitar (still can't), I'd hum the melody to a guitarist and he'd try and find the chords. That reminds me of a very funny sketch from Big Train...
\
- Pip68
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Re: songwriting
Oh and I'd always write temporary gibberish words, intending to rewrite them later, that the singer would end up preferring. So be careful, otherwise the wind might change!Pip68 wrote:It's either chords/melody/words or melody/chords/words. About 60% of the songs I've written were with a hangover. Not sure why...
In the old days, when I couldn't play the guitar (still can't), I'd hum the melody to a guitarist and he'd try and find the chords. That reminds me of a very funny sketch from Big Train...
\
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Re: songwriting
most of my band's songs started like that, though we normally end up being too lazy to think of new song titles and they get called things that reference the nonsense lyrics...soft revolution wrote:Does anyone else come up with holding lyrics to remember a tune before you have chance to write something decent?
Yesterday apparently started with the lines "Scrambled eggs, Oh, baby how I love your legs" before McCartney had chance to do the lyrics.
The chorus for Falling and Laughing classic 'Lights Out Birmingham' used to go "Where on earth is Laughter Chilembe now"
- Pardon My Rhythm
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Re: songwriting
I used to write my holding lyrics in near-gibberish French, the best one being 'Pays de Galle', which was about the Welsh rugby team. Pays de Galle has had two lots of earnest, heartwrenching English lyrics about relationships since it was written, both of which have been ditched because I later realised they were utter toss.soft revolution wrote:Does anyone else come up with holding lyrics to remember a tune before you have chance to write something decent?
Yesterday apparently started with the lines "Scrambled eggs, Oh, baby how I love your legs" before McCartney had chance to do the lyrics.
The chorus for Falling and Laughing classic 'Lights Out Birmingham' used to go "Where on earth is Laughter Chilembe now"
At my local jam night in Cornwall people still request it. "Trish, play that French song, it's beautiful". I sing it very slowly and mournfully and bring the room close to tears. Fortunately this is because most of them don't speak French, otherwise they would know that they were offering silent, reverential consideration to...
I used to live near Australia,
but now I live in Wales
I used to live near Australia,
but now I live in Wales
Oh Wales Wales Wales
I used to play for the Black Alls, but now I play for Wales
I used to play for the Black Alls, but now I play for Wales
Wales Wales Wales Waaaaales
- humblebee
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Re: songwriting
Teehee, ^^that's^^ ace!
I've started writing a new song this week and mrs humblebee can't get the chorus out of her head. She reckons this one's the hit!
I've started writing a new song this week and mrs humblebee can't get the chorus out of her head. She reckons this one's the hit!
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