Members New Trail Posted November 5, 2011 Members Share Posted November 5, 2011 After decades of playing music, mostly in cover bands, I started writing songs for our new band, which was going to be a cover band, but became an original band. I stopped writing while we were preparing for our first (and so far, only) show, and was a bit concerned if I could pick it back up, but I did. Now I'm starting to think of myself as a songwriter, and I kinda notice the guys looking at me in a new light. Strange! I don't know where the songs are coming from but I'll take them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stickboymusic Posted November 5, 2011 Members Share Posted November 5, 2011 Hey - thats great news and you'll only get better the more you do it post something up if you're up for it.... lots of helping advice on here if you want it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Andrew-sing Posted November 5, 2011 Members Share Posted November 5, 2011 New Trail, that's great news! As long as the inspiration flows, keep writing and working on your songs. It's often the case that songwriters and composers have "purple patches" with writing, and then go a few months or even years without any new material. So make the most of it! Have fun! Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LCK Posted November 5, 2011 Members Share Posted November 5, 2011 Why not? We all started out as songwriters. Most kids make up songs, usually ad nauseum or until it makes the grownups scream. The lucky ones -- the good ones -- learn to tune out that grownup voice. Anyway, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it. LCK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted November 5, 2011 Members Share Posted November 5, 2011 I always (or, at least from the time I picked up the guitar again at 20 after failing to learn at 13) knew I wanted to be a songwriter... but it was the playing that was the hard part for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted November 6, 2011 Moderators Share Posted November 6, 2011 What they said. I get where you're at. A year ago or so I started telling myself and others, "I write songs". It works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members oldgitplayer Posted November 6, 2011 Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 After decades of playing music, mostly in cover bands, I started writing songs for our new band, which was going to be a cover band, but became an original band. I stopped writing while we were preparing for our first (and so far, only) show, and was a bit concerned if I could pick it back up, but I did. Now I'm starting to think of myself as a songwriter, and I kinda notice the guys looking at me in a new light. Strange! I don't know where the songs are coming from but I'll take them. I'm the universal songwriter's pencil sharpenerI enjoy metaphorspeakand similar to Pinnochio, I hope to be a real boy one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted November 6, 2011 Moderators Share Posted November 6, 2011 I'm the universal songwriter's pencil sharpenerI enjoy metaphorspeakand similar to Pinnochio, I hope to be a real boy one day. You are too cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members saturn1 Posted November 6, 2011 Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 I'm the universal songwriter's pencil sharpenerI enjoy metaphorspeakand similar to Pinnochio, I hope to be a real boy one day. Based on the compact, concise and economical way you so clearly express yourself, I would have thought you were one already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted November 6, 2011 Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 I'm the universal songwriter's pencil sharpenerI enjoy metaphorspeakand similar to Pinnochio, I hope to be a real boy one day. I've given up on being a real boy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members oldgitplayer Posted November 6, 2011 Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 Based on the compact, concise and economical way you so clearly express yourself, I would have thought you were one already. You are both too kind. :o But you may have noticed that I don't post songs - that's because my music is still way behind. I'm working at it and getting better. A few more months and I may be ready. In my book, the songwriter needs to be up to speed as both a lyricist and a musician (not necessarily a good player, but good musical thinking and feel). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kurdy Posted November 6, 2011 Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cliftonb Posted November 6, 2011 Members Share Posted November 6, 2011 I make the music of failure. It's kinda my thing. I couldn't write a hit song in any particular genre with much competence. What I can do, however, is take random sounds and far-flung ideas and smash them together until they take make sense. Sorta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members saturn1 Posted November 7, 2011 Members Share Posted November 7, 2011 I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members New Trail Posted November 7, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 7, 2011 I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Marshal Posted November 7, 2011 Members Share Posted November 7, 2011 . . . , and I kinda notice the guys looking at me in a new light. Strange! . . . , BEANO will take care of that. Good luck. (Keep up the good work). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted November 7, 2011 Moderators Share Posted November 7, 2011 . . . , and I kinda notice the guys looking at me in a new light. Strange! . . . , ^And a more masculine cut of trouser will help as well.^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members A Happy Crowd Posted November 7, 2011 Members Share Posted November 7, 2011 I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted November 7, 2011 Moderators Share Posted November 7, 2011 I've often felt the same way. Especially living in a city where I'm surrounded by people who self-identify as "artists" and "musicians," it makes me feel uncomfortable even when someone else describes me as a "musician" -- I'll often deflect the charge and insist I'm not. I'm just a guy who writes songs and plays the guitar. I understand that. But you know... saying you "are" something doesn't have to be pretentious. It's just a means of communication. "Yeah, I'm a songwriter". Oh really? Have I heard you on the radio? "Nope". So what? I think over-qualifying moves into self possession territory more than just stating the case. Nobody cares. We're just communicating. But telling yourself, "I'm a songwriter" shifts your thinking. I freakin' spend a whole hell of a lot of time doing so... I am a songwriter. I'm also a corporate audio/telephony/video engineer. I'm also a dad. So what? I am a songwriter. Therefore I write songs. And I have two unfinished ones waiting for my attention. Since I am a songwriter, I'm going to finish them. This week. Why? Cause I'm a songwriter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mahuska Posted November 7, 2011 Members Share Posted November 7, 2011 Singer at an very early age, Poet, short story writer in my adolescences-early teens. Started banging away, self taught on the acoustic guitar. I would hear melodies in my head while playing, then started putting words to the chords I was playing. There was an adjustment period to be able to sing and play guitar at the same time. I began writing a ton of songs and stepped up to playing live instead of just close friends. During this period the vocal performance, catchy melody and the basic theme is what myaudiences enjoyed the most. Then getting married and starting a family caused me to go in another direction. Also consider I moved far from that area and found it difficult to jam with other musicians as I didn't know many and the ones I did played music that wasn't up my alley. Recording was the avenue I chose. Playing all the instruments myself took time to achieve any satisfactory result. I really started to woodshed and tried to hone in my guitar skills, while my interest in Synthesizers grew. First there was 4 track tape, Then 8 track reel to reel. In the early 90's I entered the digital recording world and was completely computer illiterate, had no mentor and was self taught. The learning curve was difficult but I persevered. Trying to be a better musician and recording engineer took a lot of time and I wrote fewer and fewer songs. Fast forward to the present, I have a considerable grasp of what I am doing recording, arranging and production. So that lends more time to write more songs and I do put in practice time on the guitar. I need to start my vocal exercises as well. The sad thing is my skill at writing has diminished to the point that I struggle writing good lyrics. I think there are some good lines here and there but having a song that flows well and gets my message across so the listener gets the proper messageis difficult at times. I know I have it in me as during my teens years my teachers and instructors saw me as one with great potential and most of my work was well received. Even to the point that they would say this to my parents, I guess so they would encourage me as well. One point to consider was during this period writing was my primary outlet for expression during such a turbulent time. Also English and grammar was fresh in my mind. If you don't use it, you lose it.I think that is part of my problem, but look, I'm here and am grateful Sorry for the long-winded reply Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kurdy Posted November 8, 2011 Members Share Posted November 8, 2011 Well, I don't 'call' myself one, either. It's a minor point, but I'm just now starting to 'think' of myself as one. I wouldn't dare call myself one at this point. Yeah, I guess that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Surrealistic Posted November 8, 2011 Members Share Posted November 8, 2011 I understand that. But you know... saying you "are" something doesn't have to be pretentious. It's just a means of communication. This is a bit of a bugbear of mine; it isn't pretentious in the slightest (at least, assuming that you actually do the thing you're professing to do). It's like when someone calls themselves an "artist", you'll always get more than a few dissenting voices saying things along the lines of "that's not art etc". For me it's art if the artist says it is; whether it's good or not is a separate argument. Calling yourself a bricklayer doesn't imply you're one of the best at it - hence no pretension implied in the statement. Why should artistic endeavours be any different? A songwriter writes songs. QED Oh, and welcome to the world of being a songwriter New Trail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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