Why can I not plagiarize? (new songwriter)

[RUXper1enced]

Hey this is my second post here, discovered the board last night, it seems great. I've had some trouble with this for a while. I am constantly listening to music: around the house, in the car, wherever. I'm sure many of you do. When I try to think up a melody (with or without guitar) I can't seem to get away from the melodies I've heard a million times before, the few short notes I can put together lead quickly into something else I've heard.

Looking at my musical history, I completely blame myself for this. I've taken lessons in piano for 7-ish years and guitar for about 2. In all this time, I have wasted my time merely learning individual songs. Noticing that other people were commonly writing their own stuff and improvising in jazz and such, I've grown more and more to want to join that crowd of the creative.

A few weeks ago, I informed my guitar teacher of my desire and he began working with me on the concept of keys(although I knew of them of course, I had no working knowledge available.), the scales for each note in a key, common chord progressions, etc. Last week he asked me to try to write my own song out of the key of Gmaj. Even I recognize that this is a pretty simple request, but I have been completely unable to come up with anything.

I really don't know my chords very well, how to move them up the fretboard and such, so it's also hard to know which chords I wish to base things off of. Back to my original problem, keeping all the music I listen to out of my head at these times I'm struggling to create something.

So what do you think? Do I just need to focus better? try longer? or am I not ready to start at all? Please let me know!!

 

[theron]

If you don't know your chords that well and are new at song writing, then I'd say try and duplicate a portion of one of those radio melodies that haunt your head. Have your own damn words and when you get lost or stumped trying to follow the melody, don't force the original inspiration(that being the radio melody). Instead, pay attention to what you find yourself doing in spite of you efforts to copy. Let your song be born from there. Follow through on your inabilities and you will have a song of your own.

It worked for me years ago and I still get "inspired" in the same manner.

Try it.

Theron.

 

[mrbigputts]

Writing a song regarless of key.....your pretty safe using the tried and true chord progressions. ie.. I, III, V which in your case for the key of G would be G, B, D pretty easy and very common. Or for a little bluesier sound you could try the I, IV, V progression which for G is G, C, D. As far as having other peoples melodies stuck in your head......well thats OK ....several times I have played the chord progressions for other peoples songs over and over till its just about to drive me crazy then all of the sudden something new comes to me .....different strumming pattern....or perhaps changing the order of the progression or both ....i've have written serveral original songs this way. Nothing wrong with using someone else's work as inspiration....after all they must have done something right if you've got the tune stuck in your head. Keep at it and good luck.

 

[Naghorvik_Soran]

Think Sideways

I dont think weather or not you know chord progressions or the technicalitys of the fret board is really relevant a good deal of the poeple you probably listen to have no clue of the theory behind thier sound. I wold suggest you not try to bog yourself down with it rather look at your fret board and think of the songs you know how to play of all these songs what frets do they not use (and if your insistant on theory) what keys do they not play in then explore these avenues that your favorite bands overlooked
experementing with alternate tunings is not a bad idea either
I like to write guitar riffs on a keyboard because it helps me be more analytical with the music i end up writing thinngs i never would on a guitar

an other thought is think of the kind of music you listen to try just for the experement of it coming up with ideas for a song of a compleatly opposite genre ie: if your into rock try making a hip hop influanced song even if you hate hip hop think of it this way it wont sould like any hip hop youve ever heard

those who usually have no idea what thier doing are usually the most qualified in my book

and also remember your usually your own worst critique what you may think is a nut bite of your favorite act actually might not be all that bad but in the end practice makes perfect and songcraft is an art that grows only over time.

 

[tommyp]

i have found that a bit of 'inspiration' from other people helps a lot. Also jamming along with favourite songs - you get to learn that common progressions and so on. Generally, tho; i find it best just to mess around until something good turns up and work out all the technical stuff later on - i find it better to have the feeling as a base rather than a set of mathematical relationships.

....i guess my advice is - don't try too hard; and don't be dissapointed if it sounds bad the next day....happens to me all the time. Tho my stuff often *is* bad the next day

Good luck!

 

[NickHall]

Using the same chords, or even melody as another song is not copying. Many of the greatest songs of this century follow exactly the same chord progressions and indeed tunes as other songs.....I could quote many here, but the one most people will know is the 'White Room-Eric Clapton' / 'Sweet Home Alabama-Lynard Skynard' one.

What makes the songs different is interpretation of the melody / lyrics / song direction.

This in mind, dont stop yourself writing a song thinking 'ive heard that before'...as you will have. Of the millions of songs ever recorded, you are bound to hit a chord sequence / melody that has been done before, the important thing is to not get drawn down the same path as the original song.

My best piece of advice is - try and imagine the melody first, then fit chords to it.....if you try and start with a chord sequence, then fit a melody to it (unless your extremely talented) your always gonna end up with someone elses song.

 

[DanielJohn]

A neat thing that I try to do every once in a while is. Take a melody from another band, and write your own lyrics. Start by singing it completely different then the singer in that band. Or try adding things to other people's songs. Just so you get a chance to be creative. You can learn a lot about your style from doing this.

Also try to not listen to the radio as much when you are recording your own stuff. It will help to keep that last song you heard out of your head when you do your own stuff.

Try to create your own sound, you could even try going straight acoustic when you start writing so that the distortion or sound from your electric (i'm assuming) doesn't remind you of a song you heard recently.

Hopefully this helps,
-DAN