From a standing start

[JamesPointFive]

Hello guys and girls. This is the ultimate newbie question, so I apologise in advance.

 

I am a British male, early thirties, with no connections or experience in music beyond listening. Can't sing, can't play, can't read musical notation.

 

Which makes it difficult to convey the songs I've "written" in my head, as only I truly know how they're meant to sound. In fact, so far, only I know they exist, because there's no point in telling people "Hey, I've come up with some great songs, but no, you can't hear them..."

 

It's been this way for some time, and it gets more and more frustrating holding onto music that I believe people would love to have in their collections, or would even move them on a deeper level.

 

As much as I'd like to make a career out of performing these songs myself, the fact that they're spread across very different genres makes that unlikely, even if I had the vocal and instrumental talent. I can't imagine many record labels wanting to sign a "jack of all trades" that they can't market to one definable audience.

 

So with that dream set to one side, I'm looking for practical advice on how to go about selling these songs to put them out there through other artists.

 

For starters, can I even claim to have written these songs if I can't even name the notes? Can you sell someone a tune by humming it at them? It sounds ridiculous but this is the position I'm in at the moment.

 

As the style of these songs varies so much, some are intended for piano, some for acoustic guitar and some for electric (and of course some require a combination of these). To accurately demonstrate them all I would need to spend years learning these instruments. I appreciate that my hesitation to commit to that road may be like a red rag to a bull for musicians who've already cut their fingers to shreds for their craft, and I mean no disrespect whatsoever if I sound like a lazy shortcut seeker. I certainly wish I could have taken up this pursuit in my youth but now that I have very little free time around my day job I want to make sure it's necessary for what I aim to achieve, before investing the hours, months and years to master these tools.

 

Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Is it as obvious as "learn to play, dagnammit, that's what I had to do," or are there other ways I can have these songs brought to life before I hit 40? Either way, what are my next steps from here? Thank you!

[tbry]

Look, I feel you already know the answer to your problem but you are looking for someone to confirm what you already know. You have songs...thats nice. Thousands of people have songs. They are not truly songs until someone plays them. You can have lyrics without music and music without lyrics but until they are married you don't have songs. Well, I take that back. Music alone can be a song but in your case not really because you aren't making music. Anyway, about 7 years ago I came to the internet because I wrote some lyrics and I could not play an instrument so I looked up people that could record music to my lyrics. I found a guy in Nashville, which I had know knowledge of it as a music center...I gave him my lyrics and told him basics about the sound I wanted the tempo and paid him...quite a lot. He was a true pro and made some outstanding recordings. Nobody has bought the songs from me...though selling songs is a nice dream it is a long shot at best...so, since paying someone to record demos was kinda expensive and not very fulfilling I picked up a guitar started playing and have since made my own demos....the songs and my recordings are not very good but unless you work with someone that can produce a professional sound you are likely not going to have much commercial success. You will have success of a different sort though. A since of accomplishment at a level you can provide.

 

My advice, start now playing an instrument...you are only 30...crap, I am a lot older than that and I have made a few decent recordings...not like Lee. or Stick or some of the others but something at least....if you know a band or some musicians that could use a lyricist maybe you can form a partnership and make music that way......learning and playing an instrument isn't a guarantee of success either but it is a nice way to spend time and learning is always a good thing...good luck with your pursuits.

[Lee Knight]

Hey... I have awesome dreams. Do you think I can sell them to the movie industry? Maybe. But definitely not if I don't have a means of getting a screenplay down in black-and-white. So learn a few basic chords on the guitar, hum, sing, scream into your phones recording app. And maybe find out you're a genius or your songs aren't as great as you thought they were. In your head. In your head = doesn't exist. So now you've got a few things in a recorded form. Simple, skeletal, maybe great. Now find a musician who is empathetic to your cause for a symbiotic relationship. If you can't do that in one form or another, what is in your head = doesn't exist. Now, that sounds like a pretty tall order. It is! Or it isn't if you are particularly gifted. But, it is what it is. So why not start with having fun with this whole thing? Get a guitar and learn a few chords. If you don't enjoy it, you ain't any good at it. Why not find out?

[rhino55]

Is it possible? Yes. Is it likely? Not even a little. Does that mean it isn't worth trying? Nope, you should definitely do it. Even if you don't make a pile of money, the process and then sitting back and being able to listen and say I did that is a pretty great feeling.

 

check out this story.

 

http://www.npr.org/2012/06/13/150960...r-bobby-charle

 

Bobby Charles didn't play anything, but he had some great songs. He was insanely lucky because he made his own luck. He also was unlucky in some ways.

 

They don't mention this in the article, but Bobby, didn't play any instruments. He'd just start singing the song, and whatever band he was with had to figure it out. The album they mention in the article co-produced by Rick Danko is pretty fantastic and is a great example of a songwriter that works in the same way you are asking if you cant. The key to its success was good songs in the hands of a good producer with a good band, and a songwriter who was able to get out of the way and let the band work. If you try and micromanage everything without being able to communicate what it is you hear in your head, you better have alot of money to keep decent musicians around.

 

Iphones have a voice memo recorder that you can use to start demoing your tunes. There is plenty of software that can take a midi controller (basic keyboard) and give you sheet music. You can get a decent one for under a hundred bucks. You sing your song. You find the notes on the midi controller. You match that up with lyrics, and you have a song you can copyright and sell. They probably have software that can recognize the pitch you are singing and make sheet music out of it.

 

Another option is to connect with some people that play locally and try and work with them. That sounds like it would be easiest, but that presents a whole different set of difficulties.

[nat whilk II]

There are a good number of vocalists who "write" songs, meaning that they take some lyrics and melodic and/or rhythmic ideas to their band or particular band members who then flesh out these basic ideas into real songs. It's an ok way to work if it works. The band members have to be patient and have an open mind, no question.

 

Even Dylan, who certainly can write complete songs on his own, has been known to show up for recording sessions with just some lyrics scribbled on sheets and some notions about feel. Then letting the interaction with the band work do the rest. His inscrutable pickiness, however, has been known to drive people over the edge in such situations - but the rest of us don't have to be that picky.

 

nat whilk ii

[rhino55]

I'm glad you brought up Dylan's pickiness. He got to be picky because he earned the right to be picky. For someone starting out, the OP might be better served to be less picky. People that are willing to collaborate need to get something out of it too, and creative input might be just what they are looking for. They'll be more likely to put in the work because they'll have a vested interest.

 

Another option is to pay the people you are working with. They'll tolerate alot more when they see it as a job.

 

This isn't to say, it can't work being super picky and not paying your band. You have to have a certain amount of charisma to pull it off, but if you believe what's in your head is great and convince others of the same without being a total dick, it can happen. Work flow won't be as efficient. You need to learn how to communicate your ideas in a way that people you are working with understand and that takes time. But you can learn and as you learn it'll get quicker. The only way to do it is to do it.

[mbfrancis]

I once had a therapist who told me, "to be creative you actually have to create something." You need a product, something complete, in this case a recording. You have two options: 1) learn basic guitar or piano, so you can play along to the songs in your head, or 2) find someone who does play an instrument well and would be willing to sit with you and work out the songs, and record that. #2 would be faster - maybe offer them some songwriting credit in return - after all 100% of nothing is nothing.

 

 

[JamesPointFive]

Thank you all for your considered replies, you have given me plenty to think about. Perhaps one day I'll be able to give you all an update on how things are going, on the off chance somebody will care, but for now I've got a lot of research and preparation to do. Take care.