Here is a common problem that one of my subscribers expressed recently...
"I'm 16 and the main problem is, I know what I want to write, but when I do write it down I think it sounds lame"
Now she's 16 years old, but I'm pretty sure that this problem transcends all ages.
The truth is, nearly every thing *I* put down I also think sounds lame too... at least at first. We all have to understand that in most cases you will never write a 'great song' the first time around. It doesn't happen that way.
I always jokingly tell those who are aspiring songwriters that "you aren't in the business of writing a song"....but more like... "you're in the business of editing them".
By that I mean, you're not necessarily song'writing', but rather song'crafting'. That's how you should be thinking. It's about constantly editing and re-arranging your song until you see it fit to be heard by other listeners. When you have a song down, don't just let it stop there. Trust me, it ain't finished.
There may be exceptions to the rule, but mostly - you still have work to do.
Listen to the verse... could it do with a change of melody? Does it tie in well with the chorus or Pre-Chorus? Does the song make sense lyrically? Step out of the song for a moment... would you dig the song if you were an outsider listening in? Does the song bore YOU? What could you do to change that?
Now, you don't have to go mad here. Don't nit-pick every little knock and cranny - that will only drive you crazy. Take in the first instance of what you feel could do with re-working, then DO IT. Change it up... and make it better.
Critiquing your own song is probably one of the most difficult things to do in songwriting - but it CAN be done relatively easily. It involves you really having to stand apart from your song and looking at it a little objectively. By listening to the song from other people ears can do wonders for your songwriting.
After you have done this, it's time to let the cat out of the bag... BUT only for a limited audience.
What do I mean by that?..
...I mean, you should now play your song to a fellow musician, singer or songwriter. All three if you can. If it's somebody you respect, then even better. Here's the ticket: There is no better way to drastically improve your songwriting then when you actually begin to listen to your song though another songwriters/musician's ears - of whom you respect. That's the ultimate.
In fact, I'll say that one more time so you can engrave this phrase in your mind...
If you don't have a friend who's a songwriter or a musician that you admire and/or respect, then go get one. Honestly. Befriend one. Develop some sort of relationship with one. FIND one. It will be the greatest move you ever make in songwriting.
Normally people who sell songwriting products (like me... I won't deny it here) won't give you that kind of info because it hinders any chance of making a sale for whatever product they are offering. But to be honest, I don't really care. I want to help, and this info WILL do that if you apply what I'm saying.
Finally, remember you will get better as you write more and more. By definition, if you do something more than often, you will get better at it. So keep at it and for goodness sakes, ENJOY it
Shamir
[formally Calvin]
SongwritingTipsOnline.com
PS. Feel free to leave a comment here on the blog (click on 'post a comment' below).
18 comments:
Calvin,
I understand EXACTLY what you are talking about.
I just did that with a song that I wrote(after I played it for my parents) and I can see the difference between then and AFTER I changed some lyrics around...and it was pretty easy.
Thanks for affirming what I did because it does make me feel better about what I am doing.
I will DEFINITELY keep your site handy for the future.
God Bless...Walt
Thanks for the info, I thought I was to only one to write, rewrite, and re,rewrite songs. Its good to know it wasn't just me going crazy trying to put it together. Sometime I would have 7 or 8 versions of the same song then i would blend parts in together till I got its right. months, or in some cases years to have one that I felt right. Does that sound to picky? T
Calvin
Thanks for all the great tips. I will take your advice and befriend another songwriter to listen to my music. It can only help me to impove as a writer.
Al
Yeah, following some other tips as well, I've really furnished some cheeeeeeeesy lyrics into somehing mildly tolerable. Haha. But seriously, some songs of mine i thought sucked at first, i just readapted it and now theyre some of my - without being vain - personal favourites. =P
Oh yeah, and as for singing to people, just for a giggle, i've took up writing FOR people. Try it, doesnt have to be about ur soulmate or anything like that - just find a charismatic aquaintance and sing them something funny, possibly complimentary, its fun. I wrote a few short songs for about 4 people and it sounds pretty good too - and most importantly, they liked it.
Calvin, I think you are right on target. What I did to deal with this very common problem was to join a songwriters group here on Long Island NY. We have about 90 members and meet at least once a month for a songwriters circle. It gives everyone who wants (and I do this every month) to perform a song in front of the group.
What is so great is the constructive feedback that each songwriter gets. It has really helped me to hone my skills. It also is a great way to network, feel good about you abilities and get gigs at local open mics.
I am proud to say that I reworked one of the songs I presented and actually won an honorable mention in an international songwriters competition. That of course is a great ego boast and has given me the confidence to pursue my songwriting and performing with a vengeance and purpose. Plus it has opened quite a few doors for me. Without the feedback from my fellow songwriters I would have had a pretty good song, but not a winner.
So, see if there are any songwriting groups you could attend. It doesn't matter what your skill level is, as we are all there for one reason, to help each become better songwriters.
And don't kick yourself, it takes me many rewrites until I am satisfied that my song is good enough to present to the world. Just stick with it, have fun and think positive.
those are really good tips. I'll remember that when I write more songs.
this piece of blog was truly helpful to me. i didnt really think about editing that much. i did a bit but not nearly as much as i should. i just thought as soon as i finish writing the song that was it and it was another one i had written.
i will take everything into account now when i am going to write my next song. which should be this saturday actually as i feel like i want to write another one.
thanks once again.
emily 16.
This blog really spells it out, Calvin. We've got to ask ourselves, "If I were someone else, would I listen to me?" I sing my songs to my younger sister, who is my toughest critic. Her most common "nit-pic" is that my songs are too slow. I've been working on that, thanks to her. She's not a songwriter, or a musician, but she has impeccable taste in music. God bless, Annie.
CALVIN,
I USED TO LECTURE IN SONGWRITING A FEW YEARS AGO & I AM STILL ACTIVE WITH REGULAR WRITING OF SONGS & GUITER INSTRUMENTAL PIECES & THE ADVICE THAT I HAVE GIVEN ANY WRITER & PRACTISED MYSELF OVER THE YEARS HAS BEEN TO WRITE ,WRITE WRITE & WRITE SOME MORE & EVERY TIME YOU SIT BACK & THINK ABOUT YOUR NEWLY WRITTEN MASTER PIECES YOU GET A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT EMERGING VIEW POINT ABOUT EACH PIECE AFTER A FEW DAYS & IF YOU ARE SMART YOU START THE CHECKING OF
LYRICAL METER ,
SYLLABLE COUNTS ,
MELODIC & RHYTHMIC PHRASING OF THE LINES
THE STORY CONTENT OF THE VERSES THE CHORUS ( SUMMATION) OR THE BRIDGE (STORY OVERVIEW)
& THE OVERALL MELODIC STRUCTURE & MUSIC DYNAMIC
& FINALLY THE INSTRUMENT ARRANGEMENT / SELECTION ...
THE OLDEST PIECE OF ADVICE EVER GIVEN ABOUT SONG WRITING IS THIS ...
LYRICS & THE MUSIC MUST FIT TOGETHER LIKE A GLOVE ON A HAND....NATURALLY ...
NO FORCED OR ARTIFICIAL MOMENTS....
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER ...
THE BEST ARRANGEMENTS IN THE WORLD WILL NOT MAKE A POOR OR AVERAGE SONG GREAT IT WILL ONLY EVER BE A WELL ARRANGED POOR OR AVERAGE SONG...
A GOOD OR GREAT SONG CAN BE SUNG BY ONE PERSON & ACCOMPANIED BY 1 INSTRUMENT (GUITAR / PIANO) & IT WILL IMPLY THE ARRANGEMENT REQUIRED..
IT WILL BE EVIDENT TO ALL..
THE STAND ALONE TEST IS THE ULTIMATE TEST OF THE SONGS POTENTIAL ALMOST WITHOUT EXCEPTION ....
THE FINAL WORDS ARE TO WRITE
THEN REVIEW
&THEN REWRITE YOUR SONGS AS REQUIRED..
SIMPLY PUT THIS IS THE CRAFT OF SONGWRITING......
Thanks Calvin. All your tips and info is much apprec.Carl
I'm in NW London near Harrow and would like to swap songs for critiques with other writers. Actually, if we do it on line you could be anywhere in the world.
Or we could meet weekly at a pub in Hatch End. Then we can work together at using the tips and doing our daily 'homework'.
annalondon8@gmail.com
If you know of an existing songwriters' group meeting in NW London, or a songwriters' holiday, please let me know. Thanks.
this is honestly helping me alote, i spend most my free time just writing ideas down and when i get alittle more time i write songs, but they enver seem to sound right, not to me anyway, i have this one song called one life to live, both my close friends one of whom got me into writing lyrics and music, they both cried , but my only problem is getting it along with a beat
anyways i only made this song with your help thx alote
Calvin, thanks 4 ur tips, most of your stuff is what I have "instinctively" found myself doing and thinking, as a woman, that means to me, of course, that ur on the right track. Keep up the good work.
Lee.
Calvin,
Though I often think I have a bad song thats not my realy problem. mY problem is my inability to produce chords for my song. What I'm saying is I can only create lyrics. Now I don't know if it's a really big probablem seeing as im in somewhat of a partner ship with my best friend who can write chords so he does it for me, BUT when I send them to him he dosn't keep the way I want it to be sung. I wish I knew how to produce chords. Is there anything I, a bassist, can do with that?
Tj, I would learn some basic chords on the guitar. As a bass player, it shouldn't take you long AT ALL to figure out some basic chords on an acoustic guitar.
Another option is to use Skype.com
You could write online... using the internet as a phone service for free :-)
Tommy, no you aren't being too picky. 7 to 8 versions is very normal. I've edited things many more times than that.
Calvin
Hey Shamir,
I'm 15 and I've only been playing guitar about 6 months, but I've been encouraged to start developing my songwriting skills early so I've already attempted to write sections of a song, and what you've said (on many of your posts) is very relevant. There have been many occasions when I've come up with what I think could potentially be a really good idea. After spending an hour or two trying to lead it forwards, I have killed the idea because of over-doing it- that's when I hit a brick wall and the idea is stopped in it's tracks. I'm fussy with music. I may have a very, VERY elaborate music collection but there's only a handful of songs in there that I know I'll never get bored of. And unless I can picture the song that I'm writing being one of those life-changing tracks for someone, I give up! Maybe I'm too much of a perfectionist (always been told that I'm a perfectionist) and maybe I criticise my songs too much, but if I can't hear it coming from one of my favourite bands then I start afresh.
And, as I don't really have anyone musical around, I can only jam with rhythm/lead parts on power tabs on the computer. Although on occasions (most recently today), I have created something which I think could be something really special. However, once again, I don't really have anyone here to give me constructive comments as all my family like different genres of music. I know I haven't been playing that long, but I want to get started as soon as possible. Do you reckon that it is stunting my songwriting skills growth in any way? Would be very interested to hear what you think.
Many many thanks,
Simon
PS. sorry about the incredibly long post!!!
Simon, no problem about the long post.
I think you probably won't fully reach you're songwriting potential if you don't hook up with *someone* that you respect as a writer or a musician. (or pref both)
Definitely.
You may get good, but the idea is to get great.
You're 15, so you're very young. You do have time on your side, and writing more and more will by default make you better each week, each month and each year.
You're lucky in this respect :-)
(I'm almost jealous).
But as lucky as you are, you must now use this time wisely by trying to 'hang out' with like minded individuals who you respect and even admire.
Are there any gigs you can go to? Any songwriting conventions? Any open mic nights? These are the places you want to be going. You will find an abundance of knowledge there.
Another thing is collaborating. When you do meet someone you like, you may want to write with them. Go ahead and plug yourself to these people if you wish to do so. Nobody will 'sell' for you, so you may as well network and form some partnerships.
Lastly, don't limit yourself to one genre. Some people have collaborated with others who are totally on the other side of the pole in terms of musical genre. An openness to learn is always a good sign. So keep that in mind. It's a GREAT trait to have in your mid-teens.
(I wish somebody told me that when I was in mine).
I hope this helps!
Shamir
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