Frustrated Songwriters Handbook "Lodge"

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nate_dennis

nate_dennis

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Has anyone read the book "The Frustrated Songwriters Handbook"?

It advocates what they call "the 20 song game." Where you push yourself to write and record 20 NEW songs in 12 hours. They advocate getting together with a group of songwriters and sharing the output of these games.

With my job, and moving, and odd work hours, it's tough to get together like that. What do you all think of an online "lodge" (what they call these groups of songwriters.)

Anyway, I'm not able to start it NOW but I just thought I'd test the waters if anyone was interested in something like this.
 
nate_dennis said:
Has anyone read the book "The Frustrated Songwriters Handbook"?

It advocates what they call "the 20 song game." Where you push yourself to write and record 20 NEW songs in 12 hours. They advocate getting together with a group of songwriters and sharing the output of these games.

With my job, and moving, and odd work hours, it's tough to get together like that. What do you all think of an online "lodge" (what they call these groups of songwriters.)

Anyway, I'm not able to start it NOW but I just thought I'd test the waters if anyone was interested in something like this.
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couldn't hurt to try it. everytime i get together with other songwriters i remember why i'm no longer in a band. it's so much easier to do things my way and they always turn out exactly how i want it to turn out.
 
Well this concept is more "Here are the songs I wrote/recorded today" and you share what you do on your own. Not so much getting together to write music together. The idea is that with other people expecting you to do it, you're more likely to actually work through it.

But I agree. I'm petrified of trying out playing in a band. I don't like sharing control of the song.
 
ez_willis said:
everytime i get together with other songwriters i remember why i'm no longer in a band. it's so much easier to do things my way and they always turn out exactly how i want it to turn out.
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Same here. Leave me alone in my studio/dungeon and when I'm ready I'll call some guys to play what I wrote that's too hard for me to play. Then as soon as they're gone I'll edit the crap out of it.

Not sure that's the smart way, but so far it's been my way...
 
nate_dennis said:
Has anyone read the book "The Frustrated Songwriters Handbook"?

It advocates what they call "the 20 song game." Where you push yourself to write and record 20 NEW songs in 12 hours. They advocate getting together with a group of songwriters and sharing the output of these games.

With my job, and moving, and odd work hours, it's tough to get together like that. What do you all think of an online "lodge" (what they call these groups of songwriters.)

Anyway, I'm not able to start it NOW but I just thought I'd test the waters if anyone was interested in something like this.
Click to expand...

i'm probably gonna try this over the weekend. sounds really cool. thanks for the idea, where ever you got it from
 
Well, I've never actually done it. It's from the book "The Frustrated Songwriters Handbook." YOu should buy it. They give good ideas for helping when your stuck. I highly reccommend you read it before embarking on a "game." Let us know how it turns out.
 
I have the book, and I found it "just OK". The ideas for breaking through dry spells are very good. But I found the constant harping on creating lodges, and the sidebars from existing lodges to be tiring. I just want to write songs, not join a club!
 
I get your point. And truth is, the book should have been waaaayyyyy shorter. But the ideas are cool. The whole thing is about breaking through dry spells. I like the idea of the lodge to and extent. But I totally see where you're coming from.
 
WhiteStrat said:
Same here. Leave me alone in my studio/dungeon and when I'm ready I'll call some guys to play what I wrote that's too hard for me to play. Then as soon as they're gone I'll edit the crap out of it.

Not sure that's the smart way, but so far it's been my way...
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Sheesh kebab !! That's spooky, it's like you picked my thoughts out of my head !
I write so many pieces but I only have a half idea where they're gonna go. When I get together with my buddies that are drummers, I'll give them a brief idea of what's in my head and the feel I'm looking for. But their contribution is so important and things can change, they often do. But when they're gone, more often than not, I subject their contribution to something Frankenstein would beam over !

Going back to the OP, it strikes me that this method is for writers that are currently stuck. Oui ou non ?
 
i've never cared for this sort of thing, it always seemed rather generic.
 
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I can tell you one thing: Christian music is LOOOOONG.

I go to church where they play contemporary songs, and I think all the music is written by Rush or something. Don't get me wrong, I love God, but a seven minute song?

Once a song hits four minutes it better be epic.
 
MikeSknabriaf said:
I can tell you one thing: Christian music is LOOOOONG.

I go to church where they play contemporary songs, and I think all the music is written by Rush or something. Don't get me wrong, I love God, but a seven minute song?

Once a song hits four minutes it better be epic.
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I don't know where that comment came from but now I REALLY want to go to a church where they play epic metal praise choruses!

Although long praise songs are as easy to write as short songs; there's a lot of repetition in worship music.
 
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