I'm teaching a songwriting class - help me!

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Aaron Cheney

Aaron Cheney

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Well, I'll be teaching a 4 part songwriting class at the local comm. coll. ( assuming there is enough public interest).
I've decided to divide it into four parts:
Class 1: The creative process. (How to generate ideas, etc.)
Class 2: Music (Creating good melody, hooks, song forms, song development, etc.)
Class 3: Lyrics (Rhyming, roles of verse and chorus, creating good metaphors, etc.)
Class 4: Afterwords (Creating good song titles, re-writing, copyrighting, recording, etc.)

Of course I'd be leaving time in each class to work on student's projects and such.

I'm looking for suggestions. If you were taking my class, what would you want to discuss?

Aaron
http://www.voodoovibe.com
 
Crap, man! That would be a tough gig, I think.

...where to start?

I guess if it were me, One way to begin, would be to get a consensus on what type of music the class already likes, and look into that (or those) specific genres to see how best they can emulate...maybe.

The other side of that - probably the route I'd take - is not only to get a handle on what floats their boat currently, but also to expose your students to other great songs that they may not have heard before.

Haydn was a melodist and believed that a truly good tune could survive without any accompanament (i.e. what sounds good when sung in the shower.) Do people like the guitar part to a recording more than the song itself ("Stairway")? Does everyone know all of the words to "American Pie"?...I bet most will. Lyrics vs. Music...what a battle!

IF it's the world of standards, you could look at the greats like Hoagy Carmichael, Cole Porter, Gershwin, even Woody Guthrie.

Other candidates worthy of study, IMHO would include Elvis Costello, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Lenon/McCartney, Lucinda Williams, John Prine, Jimmy Webb, on and on...AND I've always told people to listen to "Nebraska" by Bruce Springsteen to hear just how powerful a song can be with just scratch vocals and basically shit-for-production guitar tracks. It's ONE strong example of the raw power of a song.

There are many more that I'm sure folks will post here - as well as bring to light in your class.

I generally write country songs from the hook down. Pop/rock tunes can come from anywhere...of course they ALL can but that's been the scenario for me lately.

You can use John Denver's"Annie's Song" to illustrate that a good song need not rhyme at all.

Topics for songs can come from anywhere - as we all know. I tend to write from experiences - both personally, and also other places...just overhearing people at the gocery store or the bank. People DO say the darndest things! Put it in a song. Some of the things on that Bruce album generated from memories from his childhood. Something nagging at you for 10 years?....deal with it in a song. Zeppelin generated a lot of stuff from the world of Tolkien (and other 'mystic' sources), Peter Gabriel from political figures (Biko) and literary folks (Anne Sexton spawned "Mercy Street"). Again, there are countless others, but the ideas are everywhere.

I assume you will have class singing/critique sessions?... to really help extract and refine things.

You have a possibly big task ahead...albeit a fun and rewarding one, I think. I hope this helps you generate more ideas for your course.

Let us know how it progresses.

Good luck!
www.gascap.net
 
Aaron,

I am continually surprised by how many people are artistically inclined but do not give themselves permission to work. The stigma surrounding art at the personal level might be something to touch on. Curiosity will bring some folks to your class but giving these people a green light to create on their own when the class is over might mean a lot to them. I am really thankful for the teachers who did that for me.

Also a brief history of "The Song" would be very cool.

Best of Luck -b

PS Your two song titles for instrumentals cracked me up!:D
 
Terocious is absolutely correct - IMHO. And after reading over my gusher of a reply, I realized I didn't say that I think your 4 part break-down is very solid and makes very good sense. I also realized that I got off track a bit from your underlying question: "what would I want from such a class?" Sorry.

Basically as Terocious touched on; someone to somehow light a fire and push and pull things out of me. I too am thankful for teachers who recognized that spark and helped cultivate it.

Good luck!
 
Yes, it's a shit that you always try to find excuses not to write. At the other end there's the problem with saying. Ok, this is finished now.

However - I would like such a course to at least some degree focus on how to be original but still listenable and how (where) to find ideas for and how to write lyrics that's a bit more original than the mainstream.

Well, you asked...
 
If you're going to do any kind of focus on specific artists, you should consider David Bowie...

... Although his musical style evolved though different stages throughout the years, you'll notice that his lyrics always seemd to come from a darker side - lonliness; apethy; fear etc...

It's an interesting thing to note that although some artists evolve to conform to what's expected in the marketplace (read as sell-outs) it is possible to survive and stick to your own style etc...

... another interesting artist to talk about is Russ Ballard - nearly everything he wrote (for Argent; Kiss's Paul Stanley; and many many more as well as performing himself) went Gold and Platinum. Yet there's not too much know about the artist himself... part of his great success was his ability to remain "unknown" while his music became so popular.

... Still another interesting group would be Nazereth. You'd be surprised at how often people crank up their songs on the radio and say something like "Who does this?" popular songs by them would include:

Hair Of The Dog
Love Hurts
Holiday
Fast Cars
Talkin' 'bout Love

to mention but a few... yet when people hear them they don't seem to know who they are. And considering the few songs that actually got radio time from them, they have more than 23 albums out (not including the "Greatist Hits" collection(s) and live albums)

And you have my best wishes for a successful venture! :) "Break a leg!"

- Tanlith -
 
tanlith said:
... Still another interesting group would be Nazereth. You'd be surprised at how often people crank up their songs on the radio and say something like "Who does this?" popular songs by them would include:

Hair Of The Dog
Love Hurts
Holiday
Fast Cars
Talkin' 'bout Love
Click to expand...


That's strange. In my mind songwriting was one of Nazareths weaknesses. Their best work to me seems to be when they did covers on other peoples stuff - like the Everly Brothers' hit Love Hurts written by Boudleaux Bryant, Joni Mitchell's "This flight tonight" or My white bicycle by West & Burgess. Of course they did some memorable stuff themselves, and I'm not knocking them. I think they're a great band and I've listened to them a lot. But I just hadn't put them in the "great songwriters"-box.
Maybe I'm wrong...
 
Beltrom said:
That's strange. In my mind songwriting was one of Nazareths weaknesses. Their best work to me seems to be when they did covers on other peoples stuff - like the Everly Brothers' hit Love Hurts written by Boudleaux Bryant, Joni Mitchell's "This flight tonight" or My white bicycle by West & Burgess. Of course they did some memorable stuff themselves, and I'm not knocking them. I think they're a great band and I've listened to them a lot. But I just hadn't put them in the "great songwriters"-box.
Maybe I'm wrong...
Click to expand...


like I said... more than 23 albums out and most of the stuff that DIDN'T get air time was way better than those that did.... which would be the ones you mentioned...

:D :D :D :D

- Tanlith -
 
This is good...I've already learned that Boudleaux Bryant wrote "Love Hurts"...not Gram Parsons - like I previously thought.
 
Thanks for the input guys. In the first session I am going to focus a lot on how to come up with original ideas and giving yourself the "permission" to write.

I have lots of great stuff for that class and the lyrics class, but I'm stuggling a little with the "music" class. I don't want it to turn into a theory class or a guitar or piano instruction class. I guess I have to just assume that everyone in the class already plays an instrument. I want to focus on writing good hooks and melodies, but as the "What makes a good melody" post a while back showed, that a pretty hard thing to pin down. I guess in the end I just have to teach those things the way I see them and let the class take that for what it's worth.

Aaron
http://www.voodoovibe.com
 
But man that Gram Parsons version with Emmylou Harris Does hurt. :(
 
...yea, I never claimed to dig GP's and EH's version.

I guess as far as the melody issue goes, I'd refer to the singing in the shower scenario, or alone in the car w/out the radio on. I keep a small tape recorder in the car too to catch anything that might work later.
 
Lump of Clay method

For me my songs start out like a lump of clay. That can take many forms. It could be a bass riff I fell across. It could be a profound lyric that is screaming to be put to song. It could be a melody I cant get out of my head. Either way, that starts the process. Then I start to push it and work it until it starts to take shape. Most times what I start with doesnt even come close to resembling what I end up with.
Song writing should be an artful expression IMHO. As was mentioned previously, sometimes it's difficult to know when a song is "finished". I like to think that my songs are finished when I have said what I meant with the least amount of words.
I like your breakdown. One other point I would make part of any teaching regarding music is to not be afraid to break from the pack and do something completely different. To not be afraid to expose yourself in your music either lyrically or musically. and finally to tell your real story, not the one that you think people want to hear.
 
I have no suggestions for your lesson plan, looks like you've got a good one. I do have a suggestion that will make you a cool teacher. This is not an original idea; I have had college professors who have done this and it just makes class a little better...

When you call roll, tell the class that instead of answering "Here" or "Present", say their favorite song... you can comment briefly on their choices and it will help you to 1) get to know your students better and 2) help the students feel more at ease with you and 3) spur on conversation/friendly debate.

You can even make a joke, and say something to the effect of "And if anyone answers (Insert least favorite band name here) you automatically fail!"

Ha! The students will love you, which will make them pay more attention to you, which will make you a better teacher.

Then, next class, make it something different - favorite orchestral instrument, favorite song writing duo, blah blah. Make a long list of topic "favorites" that you can ask so that you'll have a different one for each class meeting.

I remember a geography instructor who, on the first day of class, had us answer roll with our city of birth. Next class was one place we would like to visit. They changed every week until the final class, he asked us to answer roll call by naming a city or a country where we would like to spend out final living moments.

Very interesting and enjoyable and it breaks up the monotony of school.

Just a thought.

Brad
 
"The Songwriters Idea Book" by Sheila Davis
"Successful Lyric Writing" by Sheila Davis
"The Craft of Lyric Writing" by Sheila Davis

SLW is a workbook you could use right off.

But these 3 are what got me to KNOWING exactly what I'm doing.

I went to Berklee for it and it wasn't what I wanted, so I left.

One thing you could do to get people in there who aren't great musicians is to focus 1/2 of the time or more on lyric writing and encourage collaboration with someone more musically inclined. As long as you have a rythm or a beat in your head, or a melody or song that already exists, you have enough to write lyrics with the proper prosody for a song.

I could go on and on, but even my favorite teacher who wrote a book on it can't touch these 3, the trilogy of my lyric 'Bible.'

Also stress the need for good songs and how few there are in terms of the lyric. Then, also try to play some examples of great songs that have almost no lyrics, but everything else, like the classic R&R songs of all time. Louie Louie, Roadhouse Blues? by the Doors, some blues tunes, etc. Those are feeling songs rather than thinking songs, and you can't usually do both simultaneously b/c they use different parts of the brain. Davis goes deep intho that in the Idea Book.

Good luck, inspire, -j.
 
Aaron Cheney said:
Thanks for the input guys. In the first session I am going to focus a lot on how to come up with original ideas and giving yourself the "permission" to write.

I have lots of great stuff for that class and the lyrics class, but I'm stuggling a little with the "music" class. I don't want it to turn into a theory class or a guitar or piano instruction class. I guess I have to just assume that everyone in the class already plays an instrument. I want to focus on writing good hooks and melodies, but as the "What makes a good melody" post a while back showed, that a pretty hard thing to pin down. I guess in the end I just have to teach those things the way I see them and let the class take that for what it's worth.

Aaron
http://www.voodoovibe.com
Click to expand...

Heya AC... One very important rule I learned about the music side of writing is: there are no rules

I try to take what I'm feeling at the time and let it flow to my fingers and pour out onto my fredboard (I play guitar)

Or... I'll read through the lyrics Lance or I wrote and allow myself to take it very seriously and let an emotion grow as I read... then I hang onto that emotion and again, let it flow.

One thing I remember most about taking lessons was that my teacher spent more time inhibiting my creative efforts than nurturing them. I don't think he meant to, it's just that he had his way of doing things and naturally assumed it was the right way. I highly doubt you'd do that to a class. I just thought it worth mentioning so that it could be a focal point of a discussion...

Getting around your own self inflicted road blocks is difficult enough, but what happens to your dream when those around you (who claim to be loving and supportive) serve only to destroy the dream? Even if they don't mean to do it? It can be very detrimental to someone's spirit when just starting starting out to hear the words "Yeah! I know this is what you want to do with your life, but let's be realistic!" or "Your chances of being successful are about as good as winning the lottery!" or the ever so popular "I just don't want to see you get hurt!"

I think you could probably use up an entire class by having a genuine "sharing" session where everyone puts their fears on the table for all to see and discuss how each could deal with them... As for the above example, my parents were against my choice and I got the "I just don't want to see you get hurt!" speech... my response? "If that's the case, then why are you hurting me now?" I went on to explain that this is what I really want to do. Not an easy thing to do for a 19yr old... that was years ago, but I'm sure even people my age getting started will have very similar problems with their spouse etc...

All the while you need to keep them in focus to the fact that realisticly they need some way of putting food on their tables while they chase this dream...

Just something to think about.

Hey! Steal Nike's tag line and change it:

"No rules! Just sports!" to "No Rules! Just Music!" :)

- Tanlith -
 
teaching

I'm about to start teaching myself ,so I would like to stay intouch I did a teaching course which did help. infact I was amazed. May I add you to my buddies list? If you like I will send you stuff I have learnt plus Documentation on the subject of teaching.
I open my class with the rave that you don't need to be Amadus or even a musician to write songs I also try to encourage collaborations. please stay in touch and your progress on the dos and donts re teaching Ive recently passed the 1000 mark for writing songs all recorded on C.D. We could help each other regards Gary
 
Re: teaching

PEPPER G said:
I'm about to start teaching myself ,so I would like to stay intouch I did a teaching course which did help. infact I was amazed. May I add you to my buddies list? If you like I will send you stuff I have learnt plus Documentation on the subject of teaching.
I open my class with the rave that you don't need to be Amadus or even a musician to write songs I also try to encourage collaborations. please stay in touch and your progress on the dos and donts re teaching Ive recently passed the 1000 mark for writing songs all recorded on C.D. We could help each other regards Gary
Click to expand...

Hey! There's another good idea... maybe after a few classes, have people pair off and do a collaboration. Also maybe do an open collaboration with the whole class.

- Tanlith -
 
That is a great idea for roll-calling, Brad! I'm definitely going to use that.
Thanks for the reading list, junplugged. I think the most useful book for lyrics I've found is Writing Better Lyrics by Pat Pattison.

And yes, I am planning on spending some time on collaberation, discussing it and pairing up the students.

Great ideas all! Keep 'em coming!

Aaron
http://www.voodoovibe.com
 
My only question in your lesson plan is this: why is creating good titles in the afterwards section? It should be in the ideas section at the start. The title embodies the idea of the song and is often used as a starting point. Its not like we write a song and then figure out what title to slap on it.

Anyway, your plan sounds like a good one and it should be an interesting journey for all involved. I would really like to hear your comments as the class progresses. I have been tossing around the idea of doing the same thing here in Michigan.

Best of luck!
 
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