Looking back....

[scottboyher]

What was some of the obvious mistakes you made as a "new songwriter"?

I can remember in my songs:

I love you
she is great


lol

I would change the person view...

[joro]

Originally posted by scottboyher
Looking back......

Waddaya meen looking back.....................


I'm still discovering new ways to make obvious mistakes....

[twist]

Don't be too "wordy". Say it in as few words as possible.


Twist

[ashulman]

Stick to the point, don't ramble, and don't try to sound "poetic". Leave that to Shakespeare. The rest of us just sound silly.

[Henri Devill]

Lyrics..I'm still makin' mistakes!With lyrics I have a hard time with perfect rhyme{I can't stand useing it }..Music too many changes!I think that I've fixed that one..LOL


Don

[Henri Devill]

Joro

Lowell Mass where Jack K drank himself to death..LOL


How about Bette Davis From Lowell Mass also


Don

[powderfinger]

looking back......i used to set out with a song concept or idea that was fairly strict and thought out....where as i knew what the song was going to be about before i wrote it....

now, i tend to try and write with as little thinking and preconception as possible....they always seem to work out better for me this way........

[twist]

Powderflanger has a good point. I often start with a basic idea and" write" with the "tape" rolling. Then go back and polish it up. It's a great way to capture some spontaneity.


Twist

[Peter D]

All of the above and some others. I think a lot of my early lyrics were too literal and lacked finesse. Basically, I think the only way to get past rookie mistakes is to write a lot of songs, listen to a lot of songs and play a lot of songs.

Some of the most mind-numbing stuff I've ever read are the analytical writings about Ira Gershwin, Lorenz Hart and the Tin Pan Alley writers, but I Ithink I learned some things from it. I'm still not completely sold on the idea of syllable counts in writing lyrics, but I understand how it helps refine and improve a song.

Right now, I'm learning some of the old torch songs which were mostly composed on piano and full of challenges for a broken-down country blues guitar player. I think it's helped my composing some.

[stonepiano]

trying to write the words before the music...

no wait, it's trying to write the music then the words....

wait, I'm not sure what works anymore.......

[joro]

Originally posted by Henri Devill
Joro


How about Bette Davis From Lowell Mass also


Don

LOL!
Hey Don...

That makes two Lowell success stories....LOL!

Didn't Bette Davis smoke herself to death in France??

[bdbdbuck]

I recently ran across some old 1/2" grand master tapes of mine from the 70's. I've been contemplating having them digitized and put on cd. I don't have any idea what's on these tapes but I'm sure they represent every mistake that could possibly be made by a young songwriter. Maybe I should just throw them away instead. I think the underlying mistake, looking back at my early songwriting, was the fact that I actually spent money in a studio before I was really ready.


bd

[ashulman]

Why not take the advice of the best songwriters of the latter half of the 20th century? Lennon and McCartney wrote from 50 to 100 songs before they came up with one they felt worthwhile to record or even feature regularly in their stage act which was 99% covers until they started recording. One of their other great strengths, possibly because there were two of them, was an ability to spot mistakes, false moves, etc. and to listen critically to their own material. If Ringo, who knew nothing about songwriting, thought something was crap they would change it. Find people who you trust and listen to their criticism.

[scottboyher]

Originally posted by joro
Waddaya meen looking back.....................


I'm still discovering new ways to make obvious mistakes....

True, true... Same here..