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Taking a Songwriting Class


Marshal

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I signed up for a class at "Old Town School of Folk Music." It's an 8 week class. It's with a guy, Steve Dawson. I know some people that have taken it and had good things to say. I hesitated in taking it because you write a new song every week. And it's always taken me a month or 2 or 3 to write a song. And I don't really have anything to do with all these songs anyway. 3 or 4 new ones a year suits me pretty nicely.

 

And also the guy has a rep of being poppy. Lyrics I've seen come out of the class seem pretty light weight and nonsensical for the most part. But I heard it's fun and opens up new realms of writing for people. It's more a mind set.

 

So I decided to take it this summer. Plus I had a 20% off coupon ( ;) ) . . . ,

 

AND, I'm finding I'm having a great time. And coming up with some nice things. Certainly a fresh approach for me. I really was afraid I'd never finish a song in the class. But in 5 weeks, I've gotten 3 songs that worthy. 2 of them solid (in my book). And one may be the best tune I've ever done. . . . , And that one was written in 2 1/2 days. With a strange but fun premise. You see we were given 17 words to choose from. The assignment was to write an "ABAB" song using at least 5 of the 17 words. (These are random things that Steve Dawson thinks up. Each class he changes the words. It's never the same exercise.

 

Anyrate. I found an "A" part chord pattern and plunked out a poppy melody and came up with a starting verse that used 5 of the words right off the bat. I'm home free, right? That was the first evening. The next day was futzing around with possible chord patterns for the "B" part. I didn't want it to be a Chorusie thing. But I messed with 3 chord options and wasn't happy with anything. Then late in the evening of day 2, I messed around and found a couple of cool chords to add to one of the patterns that gave the "B" part a jazzy more reflective feel to it that played nicely off the poppy "A" part. I really got excited about the chords and the groove and the melody possibilities.

 

The in the middle of the next night (I wake up and worry about things in that crazy dream state a lot), I started churning the B melody in my head (to take my mind off the exagerated worries of the real world) and found a nice lyrical direction to take. I was able to plug in a couple more of the juicy words in there that have a nice feel to them.

 

And I was off to the races. Next morning I got up, went to the computer, typed in the B part, (gotta get it down before the mundane activities of the day interfere) and the rest off the verses just fell out of my head. And it works nicely (I think). It's actually an outline of a story. You don't learn specifics about the characters. But I think the listener can follow the story line and understand what is being said and why. So it works. There's meat on the bone.

 

And in the end I used 13 of the 17 given words. And they really helped, because they are juicy enough to give immediate visual images and be unique, yet not obtuse.

It was fun.

 

I don't have a recording of it. I just finished it Tuesday. The class is on Sunday, so I'm practising it pretty heavily on-and-off so I can perform it (everybody's performance is pretty rough. No one has them memorized or anything). And I'd like to perform it out at an open mic sometime soon, to see if it's road-worthy.

 

I will post the lyrics later along with the 17 words, so you can get a better idea. And in the next week or so I'll try to get it in workable order so I can make a simple vid.

 

But I've been pleasantly surprised (?) (happy at least) with what a deadline and an assignment has done to the creative process for me. It's more liberating than constraining, as i would have expected.

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Awesome, looking forward to hearing it. I haven't even touched my guitar in over a week, and haven't recorded a single thing (other than 20 second samples of other people's songs with my mp3 player) in over a month.

 

Hopefully I'll get back on the horse when there aren't people traipsing through my house all day.

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I signed up for a class at "Old Town School of Folk Music."

 

I'm finding I'm having a great time. And coming up with some nice things. Certainly a fresh approach for me. I really was afraid I'd never finish a song in the class. But in 5 weeks, I've gotten 3 songs that worthy. 2 of them solid (in my book). And one may be the best tune I've ever done. . . . , And that one was written in 2 1/2 days. With a strange but fun premise.

 

 

But I've been pleasantly surprised (?) (happy at least) with what a deadline and an assignment has done to the creative process for me. It's more liberating than constraining, as i would have expected.

 

This is really cool. You're a great songwriter anyway, and it sounds like this class got your creative juices flowing in some cool new ways.

 

Of course I think we're all looking forward to hearing them too!

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Joe Gilder of Home Studio Corner just did a challenge with himself where he wrote 50 songs in 12 weeks. He ended up with a ton of great songs for his next album, of way better quality than if he had just written 14.

 

Rick Rubin routinely makes artists finish 30-40 songs to pick the best 12 for the album.

 

I'm always amazed at how a deadline or forcing myself to finish yields great results, vs. any kind of natural 'inspiration.'

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Here's my Lyric. I bolded the words that are off the selection list.

:

Lost and Found - Marshall Hjertstedt

 

I’m standing on fertile ground

Where no one wears button down

And you are Massachusettes bound

With mortal kindness

 

I’m staring at a setting sun

Can’t reverse what’s been undone

We exhausted all our fun

Or so, I guess

 

You are lost, I am found

I’ll try to move on

With
grace
and
compassion

Though you treated me like a clown

I’m taking my life

In a brand new direction

For, you are lost. I am found.

 

We’re standing on a slippery slope

Tween the devil and the Holy Pope

Ain’t no one throwing us a rope

You can bet

 

You go your way, I’ll go mine

It was getting too contrived

Our story has been revised

Without regret

 

You are lost I am found.

 

I’ll try to move on

With
grace
and
compassion

Though you treated me like a clown

I’m taking my life

In a brand new direction

For, you are lost. I am found.

 

You are lost. I am found

You are lost. I am found

 

It'll be harder to follow the rhythm while reading. There are lines that start on the beat or off the beat. Some of the lines opening word are actually sung as a trailer on the previous line, so reading them as printed will not give you the cadence. But such are the vagaries of artistic license.

 

artiste.jpg

 

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This is really good. Seriously good

Here's my Lyric. I bolded the words that are off the selection list. :

Lost and Found - Marshall Hjertstedt

I’m standing on fertile ground Where no one wears button down And you are Massachusettes bound With mortal kindness I’m staring at a setting sun Can’t reverse what’s been undone We exhausted all our fun Or so, I guess You are lost, I am found

I’ll try to move on With
grace
and
compassion
Though you treated me like a clown I’m taking my life In a brand new direction

For, you are lost. I am found.

We’re standing on a slippery slope Tween the devil and the Holy Pope Ain’t no one throwing us a rope You can bet You go your way, I’ll go mine It was getting too contrived Our story has been revised Without regret You are lost I am found.

I’ll try to move on With
grace
and
compassion
Though you treated me like a clown I’m taking my life In a brand new direction For, you are lost. I am found.

You are lost. I am found You are lost. I am found It'll be harder to follow the rhythm while reading. There are lines that start on the beat or off the beat. Some of the lines opening word are actually sung as a trailer on the previous line, so reading them as printed will not give you the cadence. But such are the vagaries of artistic license. artiste.jpg

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Thanks boys and, . . . (we got any girls here? ;) ). It really is a joy to play and be a prat of. A good song takes on a life of it's own, doesn't it. I always feel like they pass through me, rather than I actually write them.

 

Sunday is the class day. First time I'll play it out. I may try to hit an open mic on Tuesday and give it an audience shot. Depends on how comfortable I get with it (memorization).

 

They're never totally done. i decided today to change "standing" in the first line of the 2nd verse to "hanging" because "standing" is in the first line line already. This way I'll have standing, staring, and hanging as positional action verbs and not be repeating anything. Such are the subtleties of working things out.

 

I'll try to get a vid next week. Feel free to comment in any way that strikes you. Even the most finished song can benefit from another point of view.

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Well I had the class this afternoon, and presented the song. Comments were good. One that I took to heart was about the first verse. The first 5 lines were the first ones written. I didn't know where I was going with this at that point. It was just filling out the exercise. But I got a comment that the 2nd line didn't work. (I knew there were issues there). The instructor thought we should learn more about the character on the second line. Plus someone else (from Massachusettes ;) ) wasn't happy with the stuffy button-downed characterization of Mass. It's a Mid Western thing to characterize east coasters as stuffy and formal. She didn't like that.

 

I agreed on both accounts. I was never really happy with those lines (though the vocalization is fun). Once the song was fully developed they weren't as strong as the rest.

 

So driving home in the car I came up with replacement lines.

 

I’m standing on fertile ground

Where I thought we’d settle down

But you are Massachusettes bound

With mortal kindness

 

 

So, I think that sets up the situation better. That's what I'll try to practice and memorize, and get a recording of.

 

(Mortal might be a little suspect too. But I like the juxtaposition of mortal and kindness. I might try to come up with a substitute for mortal. Like deadly? Brutal? ? ? ? )

 

 

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Well I had the class this afternoon, and presented the song. Comments were good. One that I took to heart was about the first verse. The first 5 lines were the first ones written. I didn't know where I was going with this at that point. It was just filling out the exercise. But I got a comment that the 2nd line didn't work. (I knew there were issues there). The instructor thought we should learn more about the character on the second line. Plus someone else (from Massachusettes ;) ) wasn't happy with the stuffy button-downed characterization of Mass. It's a Mid Western thing to characterize east coasters as stuffy and formal. She didn't like that.

 

I agreed on both accounts. I was never really happy with those lines (though the vocalization is fun). Once the song was fully developed they weren't as strong as the rest.

 

So driving home in the car I came up with replacement lines.

 

I’m standing on fertile ground

Where I thought we’d settle down

But you are Massachusettes bound

With mortal kindness

 

 

So, I think that sets up the situation better. That's what I'll try to practice and memorize, and get a recording of.

 

(Mortal might be a little suspect too. But I like the juxtaposition of mortal and kindness. I might try to come up with a substitute for mortal. Like deadly? Brutal? ? ? ? )

 

 

I like the original and disagree with the instructor. Though that's neither here nor there, just a bystander's reaction.The protagonist doesn't have to be PC imo. This below, to me, speaks a lot of about him. He doesn't have to be right, but it needs to be revealing about him. It is. A mid-westerner's take on Mass. A heartbroken one at that. I like this better. Fertile ground. You've made your choice, black soil and the midwest. She, has made hers and you spell out why you disagree.

 

I’m standing on fertile ground

Where no one wears button down

And you are Massachusettes bound

With mortal kindness

 

I also like mortal kindness because for some unexplained reason, I believe it. It describes something intangible but feels real. I want to know. I don't need it explained but it intrigues me about her. Dylan comes to mind. Mortal kindness. I get that, I get her. And she scares me and maybe you too. It's good.

 

I may be wrong, but I like what you have already. A lot.

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Interesting, Lee. Somebody else (whom I like) after the class told me he did't agree with the instructor (facilitator, really. nobody has any rank in songwriting. . . , until maybe you're famous) and liked "button down." But it always struck me as a little incongruous with the mood of the song, because it is definitely NOT a country song, chords and melody-wise. So I'll probably go with the second version. But I'm not totally sold. There's something fun about the "button down" line.

 

And I've thought about "mortal" a bunch. The best alternate I've come up with is "morbid;" similar really. Also "fatal" is in the running. But "mortal' is a nice warm sound to sing. So it might live on.

 

Another interesting thing. I've been invited to play at an invitation-only open mic at a cool bar in the city tomorrow night. I kinda wanted to get in with that crowd for a while. So, I'm happy to be invited instead of having to beg ( ;) ;) ;) ). And I really want to play this song out. It's probably the best easily-accessible song I've done. There are some cool chord and melody changes in it. But it'll be flying by the seat of my pants to make the maiden voyage in front of an audience for the song at such an event. But I want to do it anyway. I get 3 tunes, so if I do it as the 3rd, I'l be warmed up enough.

 

The good news about doing original material, is if you screw up a verse, nobody notices anyway because they've never heard the stinkin song before. ;)

 

 

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Just a little tweak. . . . , "Mortal" is in. I'm way to invested in it. And it works as well, or better, than anything else.

 

The second line won't be "button down." But I thought "Where I thought we'd settle down," makes the protagonist too much of a victim. and this is a pop song. So, my latest take is: " Thought that I might settle down." It fits rhythmically. And keeps the protagonist in a lighter "aw shucks" kinda frame of mind.

 

Though, like I said, there's nothing country about the chords and melody. This is an urban pop song.

 

I know, without a sound clip, you can't really know how to react to it. In a day or two i should be able to get that.

 

 

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Or "Thought that we might settle down"

 

(d*mn ! it's amazing how we churn over every little syllable. I remember a quote from some famous songwriter (can't remember who), but he said, "A song is not done when you've added every thing into a story. It's done when you've cut out every extraneous thing so that one less word will make the whole thing fall apart.")

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Song went well last night. . . . , which means I got through it. *Phew* The open mic itself was pretty good. Not as great as I was hoping. But nice enough. I will go back. It's a crowd worth hanging with.

 

I did "Mortal", though I've been thinking "Moral" might be the more expected adjective. Any comments?

 

I still have to do a recording. But I'm already working on this week's song ;) ;) The assignment is to use a bass run as a foundation. I was going to pull out an old song of mine, because i spent so much time last week on that weekly tune. . . . , But then I was noodling around and found a simple cool moving chord pattern with fun melodic possibilities. And I might have to gear up again.. . . , but it's fun.

 

Lyrically I was thinking of using some phrases from the Magic 8 Ball as a starter.

 

Outlook good.

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Good point, Stephen. And that IS the point.

 

I had heard of this class for years from friends. But was uninterested, because I write maybe 3 or 4 good songs (in my mind) a year. And I don't really need more for any realistic purpose. And I labor over making them musical and meaningful. Lyrics and ironing out can take months. And thats OK. I never expected a song-a-week would get me anywhere other than many nonsensical throw-away examples. But I really like one of my friends (and his music) that regularly takes the class and swears by it. So finally I said, "What the heck. If I get one good song out of it it''ll be worth it."

 

Well Tuesday night I played out 2 of the 3 songs I've done so far. And they are as good (or better) than anything I've done so far. And I'm really having fun with the next week one too. So, it's more of a mind-set. The class only gives you some arbitrary framework each week to get you going. It's the discipline that puts you in the proper frame of mind.

 

And I'm enjoying it much more than I ever expected.

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