Why can't I...

teknomike

teknomike

Oldbie
just write a damn normal song ?

The last songs I've written have been for specific reasons, and they've taken me no time at all, but I just want to write a normal song.
One that moves people, makes them listen to the lyrics, makes them want to hear it again. Even me, I want to hear it again.
Shit, I can't do it. Tell me to write a song about something, and I'll have it done in half an hour, but something sponteneous and creative, I'm screwed.

If you want examples, search on teknomike at nowhereradio.
The two songs there are what I did for my buddies at work, both written in 10 minutes or so, and the mixes are poor, but I had no problem cranking out lyrics that reflect the topic.

Now if I try and write anything else, I get a line, and that's it.
If you give me a topic about work I can relate to - Boom there it is.

Pissing me off - I want to write a song, about anything other than work, but no go.

Ideas, fellas, I'm a hurtin' puppy here. Hey, maybe I'll write about my son, he makes me full of ideas.

Ahhh, I'll post this anyway....
 
"Hey, maybe I'll write about my son, he makes me full of ideas."


There you go dude. Write a song about your son as a grown man, going off to war. Or his first girlfriend. Or the last time you took him fishing. Tons of stuff! Writing good songs is just like finding a good wife - you have to stop looking and let it happen. Good luck.

Bob
 
Ditto what Buffalo Bob said..Also try putting yourself in someones elses positon..Write from a strangers point of veiw..Step outside of yourself..Sometimes a certain amount of detachment make for sayin' things/writeing easier to verbilise..Good luck


Don
 
Hi Tek,

I'll ditto the ditto for what Buffalo said.

Don't think your a loner with this delemia.
Everyone I've talked to lately faces it too. I'm there right now. It'll pass.

Some help ideas I'll pass on;

Don't dwell on it. It'll ruin any project your working on.

Keep an open mind and have fun while doing it. As soon as you feel frustrated stop. Go outside for some fresh air. Yeah, even cold Korean air is helpful. Take a brisk walk. Pump the blood and oxygen through your brain. It really helps me when I want to write something and can't.

Some really good songs have some really stupid lyrics. It's the feel of the music, the emphisis on the words, the marriage between the two that completes the song, makes it believable, brings it to life.

There are sad songs, happy songs, love songs, death songs and on and on.
One of the best ways to write a song is to practice, just like you practice your instrument.
Set aside a few minutes each day to practice songwriting. A few lines here, some words.

Something I've started doing is brain-storming when I begin a song. I have always had a chord progression/riff/melody to start with. That's my style. Once I have one or all of those three elements, I begin work on the lyrics.
I don't try to write the song from the first line anymore.
I begin writing ideas down. Ideas and feelings that I get when I play some chords or hum the melody.
Anything that comes to mind, I write it down.
(actually I use a small mini-cassette recorder so I don't break the creative flow by stopping and starting)
I end up with stuff that I wonder where it comes from. Usually 75% of the brainstorm material I don't use, but a lot of it brings in other ideas.
Once I have a fair amount of data laid out where I can see it, in a text editor, I begin forming my song.
I add, rearrange, change, etc till I'm satisfied.

Don't try to write in one area, like metal, country, rock ect. Write what you feel. Open those flood gates we all have where creativeness hibernates and let it flow. Practicing songwriting each day will open those gates.

There is no sure fire way to writing a song, unless your gifted with somekind of talent. But most people I know and have read about have to work at it.

About I all the music I listen to anymore is done by home recording people. One song a guy wrote was about his son.
The singers father had told him something about life when he was young.
Then as he became an adult he experienced his fathers advice.
The last verse was when the singer found himself repeating his fathers words to his own son, who responded just like he did years ago.

Yeah, your son is a good topic to write about. Emotionally, creatively and he can give you an unlimited resourse to choose from.

Relax, take your time, let your feelings and emotions come out, and best of all, have fun at it.
Don't worry about how stupid some of your stuff looks on paper as you write it down. In most cases, you'll probably be the only one to see it.

Good luck Tek.

Oh, one more thing. I'm glad you went ahead and posted it anyway. Your not alone.
 
some great advice here!
I have the same problem all the time...
I get a couple of good lines then im stuck.
I keep them all in note books or on my PC then when Ive got
a new progression or something I look back through them and see if there are any sparks. Sometimes all I have to do is combine 3 or 4 different ideas that I've already written and the song is done.
The brainstorming Idea is fantastic...i do that all the time.
Also you might try just free writing. Just sit at your PC ...open WORD or notpad or whatever and just type. It doesnt matter what you type just keep typing. dont worry about spelling or grammer or any of that crap....whatever pops into your head...just keep typing. When you get tired of it or bored or you have a few pages you can look back through them and get all kinds of ideas. Plus, its great practice and as long as you keep typing you'll have 2 or 3 pages of stuff in about 10 or 15 minutes.
good luck
 
I have the opposite problem. I can write a tune about just about anything at anytime but dont usually feel like it. I have so many now that I am working with with my original band that to write any more at this point in time would be counterproductive.
 
teknomike said:
just write a damn normal song ?

The last songs I've written have been for specific reasons, and they've taken me no time at all, but I just want to write a normal song.
One that moves people, makes them listen to the lyrics, makes them want to hear it again. Even me, I want to hear it again.
Shit, I can't do it. Tell me to write a song about something, and I'll have it done in half an hour, but something sponteneous and creative, I'm screwed.
Click to expand...

Why not just write about your difficulty in writing a normal song?


I see potential for three or four lines of lyrics just by what I quoted.

Cy
 
Wow, you guys have really inspired me with your ideas.
I actually tried a couple things (like leaving the word processor open as I sit with my guitar, or while I'm at work) and it has helped.
A lot of the things I write are disjointed, but I see what you all mean by just getting it out there - if I think too much, nothing comes out.

What I have done the last couple of days is go through all those old scraps of paper with lyrics on them and tried to expand on those ideas. Some of that stuff is over 20 years old.

I'll post something soon if it gets completed.

Thanks again, all !

Inspiration + perspiration = a new song !
 
why do you need to write "about" something?

hell have a look at all of "beck"s stuff, or even some chilli peppers.

a couple of my songs even i just put sentences together that have nothing to do with each other, just so long as they rhyme/fit in with the music.

peace

balshazza
 
that's not nice

What makes you so concieted to think that just because your songs are on the radio they are worth a damn. I could name a million great songwriters that arent on the radio. Go write hit and put it up your tukkis.:eek:
 
Take it easy rayn_man.

I know Balshazza.
He is in a band with me. I'm just kidding around.

Tukkis
 
hahahahahahahahahahahaha

just kidding

you got busted tukkis you vlaka!!
oh by the way tukkis my new cd is almost complete. im just putting the finishing touches on a few of my songs.

yeh well see whos on the radio then!!!


peace
balshazza

oh and rayn_man - thanks for caring :)
 
I've got every song I EVER tried to write on paper. You wouldn't believe the pieces of paper that have only one or two lines. Most of them have dates on them, occasionally, I will go through those one liners and get an idea that sometimes actually becomes a decent song. Did one a few weeks back that I feel is one of the best songs I ever wrote.
 
I've been writing songs for 35 years. I've done all that crap. Notebooks full of half-written "lyrics", pocket tape recorder to capture the "Golden Moment Of Inspiration", the whole schmear.
I found that my problem was a simple lack of discipline. I began writing songs in one session, complete. It wasn't easy, because I am, by nature, a procrastinating, lazy sod. It doesn't always work - but if I get an idea I can write a complete song in an hour now. I had to learn to concentrate, instead of daydream. I'm only working with about a 10% ratio, so I have to write 100 songs to get 10 decent ones. This technique definately helps me be more prolific.
Having a songwriter for a wife helps a lot too!

Bob
 
instead of focusing on normal v. abnormal, why not concern yourself with just expressing what you want to express.

most of the songs that are complete that i have were written in one session, within an hour, as bob mentioned-but sometimes i steal my own incomplete work to create it.
 
zer0sig said:
instead of focusing on normal v. abnormal, why not concern yourself with just expressing what you want to express.

most of the songs that are complete that i have were written in one session, within an hour, as bob mentioned-but sometimes i steal my own incomplete work to create it.
Click to expand...


yes what he said.
 
Buffalo Bob said:
I've been writing songs for 35 years. I've done all that crap. Notebooks full of half-written "lyrics", pocket tape recorder to capture the "Golden Moment Of Inspiration", the whole schmear.
I found that my problem was a simple lack of discipline. I began writing songs in one session, complete. It wasn't easy, because I am, by nature, a procrastinating, lazy sod. It doesn't always work - but if I get an idea I can write a complete song in an hour now. I had to learn to concentrate, instead of daydream. I'm only working with about a 10% ratio, so I have to write 100 songs to get 10 decent ones. This technique definately helps me be more prolific.
Having a songwriter for a wife helps a lot too!

Bob
Click to expand...

Well said. I am also a lazy procrastinating sod. I am in the process now of trying to get myself more disciplined in my songwriting. I only have a certain number of hours (and not many at that) each week to work on it. More often than not I tend to blow it off. Hence a lot of half written songs, ideas on the hard drive, neat riff. A 10 to 100 ratio is probably pretty standard for most songwriters from what I have experienced/read/heard. I’ve only been at it semi seriously for 6 years or so and have not completed anything in 3 which is coincidentally the age of my daughter ;) :D. No regrets about that time spent. Time to brush off the cobwebs and get back at the songwriting again though.

I get inspiration in many ways. Noodling on the guitar or keyboard, a melody or riff pops in my head, just clearing your mind and observing what’s going on around you, personal experience, dreams, books, news… I could go on forever. The first thing I usually try to nail down is “what in the hell do I want to say” . That often (not always) becomes the hook. Then you need to figure out how to get to the hook in a way that makes sense. That’s just kind of my “method” which I stray from quite often :D
 
Go out and get your heart trampled a few times and start doubting yourself as a quality contributor to the human race ..... thats where I get all my inspiration .. and believe me I have TONS of inspiration.

peace:(
 
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