I have writers block, uhg

J

jeffguitar

New member
Or is it that I am LAZY AS HELL??? Probably both. I want to write but nothing comes out. I have written many songs, but I am terrible at song structure, and dreadful at singing. Here are a couple I wrote a few years ago. I am playing everything other than the drums, which are loopws.

I wish I could find a female singer who lived in my town who I could record and write with. Usually other guys aren't interested in anything but hard rock it seems. I just feel like if I had someone to write and record with at least the lazy part of my problem would be better. Here are a couple of my tunes. I know they aren't that good but I do my best. Any good female singers want to collab? Though, I'm not sure about long distance collaboration helping me get to work, but it would be worth a try. Thanks for listening.



 
jeffguitar said:
Or is it that I am LAZY AS HELL??? Probably both. I want to write but nothing comes out.
Click to expand...
No lazy is what it is - there is no such thing as writers block - there is such a thing a repeating oneself - but all you have to do is mix up the chords and verses and bridges and chorus - voila' new song - just write stuff regardless of judging the work you are doing - most people it's 10 or 20 songs where 1 is okay and worth pursuing.

jeffguitar said:
I have written many songs, but I am terrible at song structure, and dreadful at singing. Here are a couple I wrote a few years ago. I am playing everything other than the drums, which are loopws.

I wish I could find a female singer who lived in my town who I could record and write with.
Click to expand...
Well you need to work on song structure - it's not hard at all - just wash rinse and repeat - a girl singer might be inspirational - but it won't change your abilities.
 
Papanate said:
No lazy is what it is - there is no such thing as writers block - there is such a thing a repeating oneself - but all you have to do is mix up the chords and verses and bridges and chorus - voila' new song - just write stuff regardless of judging the work you are doing - most people it's 10 or 20 songs where 1 is okay and worth pursuing.


Well you need to work on song structure - it's not hard at all - just wash rinse and repeat - a girl singer might be inspirational - but it won't change your abilities.
Click to expand...
Good points, thank you. I ave written and recorded like 85 songs are so and I have only been happy with a few of them. Yes, I think inspiration would be helped greatly if I could find someone to write with and someone I could record. I find I am now, after all these years, just as interested in the recording process as I am the musician thing. I need to just find out where a bulletin board in town is and post an add looking for a singer.
 
Dude, you should be reading my thread just a few posts up or down of yours - where I'm in the process of going through an entire album and explaining where the ideas behind the lyrics come from... there are ideas everywhere - if people just step out of the common obsession of writing about their feelings / emotions / romantic entanglements / cars / dogs etc etc.

As for song structure - jeez - it's pop/rock music. VVCVCBVCC is pretty standard, but it's not mandatory - try different things. Start one with an instrumental section, a sample of a dog barking, an out of tune piano, a clip of some radio show from times of your, start a tune with something in a different key and never go back to it, except at the very ending. Do a song without choruses. Do a song without verses. Do a song that has 4 verses, 2 choruses and a guitar solo that's only 2:30 long. Do a 7 minute epic where there's such a long slow build up that people will be begging you to start singing... etc. etc.

And if you've written and recorded 85 songs, that's more than most people's lifetime output. Not to be sneered at. But listening to your two above, you're using chord sequences as old as the hills and seem to be viewing the music as just background for the singing - which is what "singer/songwriters" very often do because they're actually pretty shit musicians with only a small handful of chords at their disposal and think that their dreary, overwrought thoughts are gold nuggets that the world really needs right now. Now I'm not saying that's you, and I've only heard 2 of the 85, but have you got any other tricks? IDK, a riff, an instrumental passage, a ripping guitar solo, a harmony that's not a third above... Perhaps the other 83 are different and masterpieces of original structure and meaning, but from what you're saying, that's probably not likely.

You don't need a female singer, you just need a new challenge, I reckon. Try something different.

Let us know how it goes.
 
Armistice said:
Dude, you should be reading my thread just a few posts up or down of yours - where I'm in the process of going through an entire album and explaining where the ideas behind the lyrics come from... there are ideas everywhere - if people just step out of the common obsession of writing about their feelings / emotions / romantic entanglements / cars / dogs etc etc.

As for song structure - jeez - it's pop/rock music. VVCVCBVCC is pretty standard, but it's not mandatory - try different things. Start one with an instrumental section, a sample of a dog barking, an out of tune piano, a clip of some radio show from times of your, start a tune with something in a different key and never go back to it, except at the very ending. Do a song without choruses. Do a song without verses. Do a song that has 4 verses, 2 choruses and a guitar solo that's only 2:30 long. Do a 7 minute epic where there's such a long slow build up that people will be begging you to start singing... etc. etc.

And if you've written and recorded 85 songs, that's more than most people's lifetime output. Not to be sneered at. But listening to your two above, you're using chord sequences as old as the hills and seem to be viewing the music as just background for the singing - which is what "singer/songwriters" very often do because they're actually pretty shit musicians with only a small handful of chords at their disposal and think that their dreary, overwrought thoughts are gold nuggets that the world really needs right now. Now I'm not saying that's you, and I've only heard 2 of the 85, but have you got any other tricks? IDK, a riff, an instrumental passage, a ripping guitar solo, a harmony that's not a third above... Perhaps the other 83 are different and masterpieces of original structure and meaning, but from what you're saying, that's probably not likely.

You don't need a female singer, you just need a new challenge, I reckon. Try something different.

Let us know how it goes.
Click to expand...
I did read your post and really liked it as well as the others. I really didn't mean I was feeling stuck as far as lyrics, I was more talking of melodies and interesting and varied changes. One point above I loved, "MORE INTERESTING CHORDS" That is absolutely true. I have a wonderful book of chords, sitting collecting dust and that is a shame on me. That is what I need to get off my butt and get into. I have seen plenty of vids showing how the Beatles used rich chords and interesting sounds for tension. Here are a few more of my songs. The "Eagles said goodbye" song is may favorite I have ever written, especially for lyrics. I am really a bluesy type guitar player and I enjoy blues. The song "Holding You" is my fav blues I have ever done, I think. Anyway Here are a couple. I will post links to a couple others in a response post as I have to get on my laptop as my girlfriend wants to use this one..

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top