songwriting formulas!

  • Thread starter Thread starter brando0
  • Start date Start date
hey jake that sounds cool! that's intresting playing with the sound and effecting it to create a groove.
i also at times come up with a beat that is going to carry me to rest of the song....a beat can be a drum groove or a bass groove.
 
Wow.

All I know is that I try to come up with my own "formula". Yes, there have been many inspirations in my life including the likes of Zep and the Fab Four, but I never really thought about formulars except to try to make my own. Maybe subconsciously I am "borrowing" successful formulas.

I try to be different in my songs and instrumentals...yes, there are the "verse, verse, chorus, verse" with a bridge here or there songs...but think on the lines of Rush and how you can incorporate an intrumental within a song, or how unconventional chord progressions can relate to each other.

Bottom line, I just try to be myself and not follow "formulas".

Not sure where I am going with this...
 
For all this arguing it doesnt seem much reason is being produced. Especially from Brandoo. What are you trying to prove? That becausese some caveman was the first to bang a stick on a rock and make music that no music after that could every be the original again!? Of course there are original ideas that have not come to light yet, and of course there are original lyrics and sound patterns that have not been made yet. Has there ever been a song called: "Brandoo is a sh*t head", Played only with the tapping of a desk and the clicking of a computer mouse? There is now cause I was just playing it!


EDIT- oops i posted this after only reading the first page, didnt notice there were four :/ My jab still stands on the originality idea though. Start from scratch! :)
 
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apple...thank you for showing your true colors...... your attacks largely elaborate on who you are and do not deserve retaliation.

even if you may have had a valid point, it went down the drain.
 
brando0 said:
you know i like to start writing from the hook and then build everything around that.
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That is exactly how I do lyrics man...


Give me a good hook and you'll have a finished lyric 30 minutes later.................



It's all in the hook.....




and BTW..............it's just a song......nothing to get flustered over.............................






























sheesh ! :D
Joe :D
 
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Skysaw said:


There are many more than seven, you just have to stray from your piano and Western traditional harmony to find them. But that's beside the point. Even using those seven notes, there is fantastic NEW music being made today. It's not played a whole lot on the radio, but they will forever have made an impact by saying something in their own way.

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OK I'm with you up to here.... If noone's listening to their music, then how can they have made an Impact? ie: I'm sure there were hundreds of other musicians in the 80's, but names like "Whitesnake"; "Motley Crue"; "Twisted Sister"; and "Quiet Riot" are among those that made any real impact on that generation...


For me, having one person accidentally discover one of my albums, and saying to himself "holy crap, this is something!" is worth a million sales.
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Ture, but if you really want to make some kind of impact, wouldn't it make a little more sense to follow the pack till you hit a peak then toss out your unique material while you have a much larger and more receptive audience? Personally, I'd be happy getting recognised by doing cover tunes then once I have a real following; release my own stuff... I see no shame in obtaining fame on the backs of giants. It just makes more sense.

I will say this though, if you disagree with me than that's fine... it would just proove that you're completely unbendable... which seems to be a good trait in most sucessful artists... good luck getting noticed though...

- Tanlith -
Webmaster: Super Loop Library
 
hey Joro....maybe we ought to collaborate...huh?
no one is getting flustered
 
brando0 said:
apple...thank you for showing your true colors...... your attacks largely elaborate on who you are and do not deserve retaliation.

even if you may have had a valid point, it went down the drain.
Click to expand...

I was just hard joking! Dont get flustered. ;) Its not only a valid point its true. Unless we are not at an understanding on semanitcs which seems to be which is hindering alot of this thread. I mean someone else came up with the alphabet and taught it to you so when you write things technically it could be seen as not truely "original" but your not deducing originality down this far are you? After all when you write lyrics or plot guitar chords someone has definelty used them before but not maybe the same way as you with the same effect which is what makes it original. Its all relative until its decided what "original"means, But why start out in the first place trying to copy someone else. They arnt you and what works for them may be totally contrary to what works for you the best.
 
brando0 said:
hey Joro....maybe we ought to collaborate...huh?
no one is getting flustered
Click to expand...



sure man,
Anytime....

Give me a holler through PM when you have something to work on....OK?
Take it easy man,
Joe
 
apple....what i meant by that statement is that we may have a new way to propose something, but it's just our way, yes it is original but surely not unheard of. that's what i meant
peace
B
 
applesmasher said:
...But why start out in the first place trying to copy someone else. They arnt you and what works for them may be totally contrary to what works for you the best.
Click to expand...



Perhaps for some this is true, but remember: Some of the greatest and most memorable original artists developed their own style while mimicing someone else!

- Tanlith -
Webmaster: Super Loop Library
 
Yah tru i mimik billie joe greenday when singing sometimes but to write a song its all originally inspired. Everybodies different though. :)
 
IMHO.....
A few thoughts on the subject of Formulas in songwriting


1. Formulas are used when a person wants to duplicate an action or event, or to describe analytically an action or event. No metion here about creativity. I love Neil Diamond's music, but there are many examples of "formula writing" in his catalog. Also check out the Monkeys songs, (Boyce and Hart), there is a strong link between the songs for a number of reasons, suffice it to say that they were all reading the same book on formula songwriting.

2. It is good to analyze succesful songs melodically, harmonically, lyricly, rhythically, structurally etc, but then we hope to pass thru with a deeper understanding of those aspects of songwriting. If we stop there and say that we know how to write, we sell out our own creativity. All we are is historians. The best of us will go on to evolve into our own identity as an artist/writer with a unique world view and set of attitudes.The 'tudes are critical cause nobody cares what happens in a song, only how we feel about it.

chazba
 
I would like to know what the Beatles formula is... specifically John Lennon. Damn, it's a good one.
 
First, I try for 10 minutes to come up with hook.

Second, sample somebody elses hook.

3rd. Come up with a beat. Or maybe sample one.

4th. Mix.

5th ??????????

6th Profit!!!!!



Sometimes if it is going a little slow I will put in a siren or maybe some chick having the big 'O'.

I have about 4 albums worth of music ready to go but I am having some trouble with copyright law....

Just kidding guys.
 
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