Goals in songwriting

[Phait]

Crosspost from my blog.

 

99% of the time when I'm writing on guitar, it just happens. Nothing is forced, I come across melodies I like, and I stick to them -- it works. This kind of non-thinking in writing is really nice. It's a big relief, and absolves one of real duties. You tend to just play what you feel at the moment, or what you're drawing from. Your mind doesn't get muddied with "if's" and "how's", something I think should be saved for arrangement and composition. Just getting a basic, foundational melody out the gates with minimal thinking, I find to be a good start.

 

Yesterday though, I decided I have a particular goal. I want to write a song that is just simply captivating. Beautiful. Moving. It's an exercise in many things -- persistence, capturing a vibe, maintaining atmosphere, and staying on track towards that goal. It involves asking questions -- "what is it I want to accomplish? How do I want to accomplish it? What is most effective in relation to my goal(s)?".

 

I prefer creating anything to be generally free form. Unless it needs a concept, just keep it flowing, no mental interruption. But I'm at a point where I have to balance both. It makes me wonder... can a thought out song be as effective as genuinely spontaneous, in-the-moment song? Whether the song as a whole, or only it's roots. Or imagine, a paint-by-numbers painting. Is it any less effective as a piece of art, than something improvised? I don't mean I prefer to improvise -- that kind of style or genre never interested me, I like things to have a general purpose with very little of it being abstract.

 

Perhaps the biggest obstacle for me though is, to create this song, I have to sift through a few emotions and thoughts that are on the other end of the scale. I am wanting to write a positive, beautiful song that is not haunting, but just embeds itself and stays there. Such a result isn't guaranteed, and is fairly relative to the end listener. That's ok. My motivation, is one person. It only has to reach them. It only has to hold them. Anyway, I suppose my original point is, it's tough writing something positive when you are more inclined to write something cathartic, regarding the same subject of the song - but drawing from opposite ends.

 

I don't have a vision for it yet. I guess it all starts there.

[Bodyguard2112]

I see a lot of myself in what you described, so I feel in kindred spirit on this question.

 

Every now and again I have wanted to create a fine work concept first, although at the various times the "feel" or "intent" of the planned song may have been different. In working toward this goal, I have spotted the greats efforts at doing the same thing. I think Boston's classic "Amanda" comes from this mold.

 

So when I start, I ask myself, what elements should the intended song contain? I would then examine classic songs along the same wavelength for chord progressions, key, concept, hookie phrasing. What I discover each time is that such songs are almost invariably very simple (although in the actual produced executions they may become elaborate).

 

Of course you don't want to copy efforts already done, so now armed with this homework, I start to ask myself what my proposed song might say. Of course the actual lyrical concepts would be developed later, but you may come across a chorus or bridge lyric at this point.

 

Then I go through my "riff" file, in which I have stored hundreds of tinkerings for guitar and sometimes piano. Sometimes I find I have already written the chord progression that is "just right" for this concept. Other times I find a chord progression that captures the right "feel" from an existing classic, modify it, capo up, whatever, until it is at the "feel" I am imagining. Finally if all that doesn't work, I toy around on guitar for months until I hit on it.

 

I am actually working on this exact process right now. Our lady singer wrote a poem about a young widow called "Blood on These Roses". The poem is not song-ready and in fact it rambles a bit and goes off subject. But the concept seems so powerful to me that it is now the primary effort to create an original ballad. I don't know exactly how the lyrics will go, and I have no idea on the music, other than I want a chord progression that sounds great on a piano. I will know it when I hear it.

 

The last time I was driven as such to make a song concept first was "Apophis", which you can hear the result of this at www.myspace.com/thereignoffire. As you can see, the song has no chorus, very odd structure, and the title is not mentioned anywhere in the song. This was all part of the design before it was written because it seemed to need to be, to create the impact, I felt. I am also, I suppose, heavily influenced by the "Floydian" ideas that maybe all songs shouldn't have to follow a format, per se.

 

Most songs I write or co-write come about as you described in your post. But the challenge of creating them by design... takes me much much longer, but is no less rewarding.

[Elias Graves]

I understand the abstract part, but here are some thoughts...

 

If a builder has no plans, he has a pile of bricks, not a house.

 

Magic, I believe, happens as a result of being a ruthless *sshole with your own music. Magic follows no formula other than perfection. If you try to write a "magical" song, you will fail. I you try to write a song about stubbing you toe and it is honed to perfection, then magic happens.

 

Abstraction, in my opinion, is most often an excuse for not being focused. Don't take offense; let me explain. Too many artists take a jumble of mismatched stuff, throw it all together and call it abstract. True abstraction, on the other hand, is well planned. Take a look at "Finnegan's Wake." On the surface, it looks like gibberish, but more work went into making that work what it is than you can imagine. Abstraction has become a catch all phrase for anything that lacks direction. True abstrsaction is very well planned. Rare is the case that a finished work of any significance the result of just letting it flow. That's a good place to start, but from there, discpline has to come into play to put all the pieces together.

 

EG

[Boydog]

 

I understand the abstract part, but here are some thoughts... If a builder has no plans, he has a pile of bricks, not a house. Magic, I believe, happens as a result of being a ruthless *sshole with your own music. Magic follows no formula other than perfection. If you try to write a "magical" song, you will fail. I you try to write a song about stubbing you toe and it is honed to perfection, then magic happens. Abstraction, in my opinion, is most often an excuse for not being focused. Don't take offense; let me explain. Too many artists take a jumble of mismatched stuff, throw it all together and call it abstract. True abstraction, on the other hand, is well planned. Take a look at "Finnegan's Wake." On the surface, it looks like gibberish, but more work went into making that work what it is than you can imagine. Abstraction has become a catch all phrase for anything that lacks direction. True abstrsaction is very well planned. Rare is the case that a finished work of any significance the result of just letting it flow. That's a good place to start, but from there, discpline has to come into play to put all the pieces together. EG

 

 

Very good point .

I wish I had something of value to add to it but IMO you've nailed it

[Elias Graves]

 

Very good point . I wish I had something of value to add to it but IMO you've nailed it

 

 

Discipline transforms talent into the transcendant.

 

EG

[wwwjd]

I agree with EG fully. There is WONDERFUL GREATNESS is random, abstract, noodling about musicially. If I'm honest with myself, I'm sure ALL my songs began like that. But ya gotta reel them in and decide "What's it gonna be?" Git-r-done. Press the GO button. Target your goal or whatever buzzwords ya like

 

Every solid, unimprovised decision you must make for a song is followed by a 1000 improvisable options:

 

Decision: I want a butt kicking bass drum

Options: which of my 1000 kicks will it be? will it be loose or tight? loud or soft? warm or brittle? boomy or empty? smooth or frigid? dominating or filling?

 

I see everything from the initial goal perspective: What EXACTLY is the point of my making this song? billion seller? Radio play? live only? just for me? to impress chicks? something for a friend? something for another band? From there, it has to fit the mold to be successful IN THAT CATAGORY of the goal. Without the goal or point, you just have more cool riffs to add to that pile. my 2 cents.

 

I think your experiment sounds very valid and I wish you good luck, skill and fun playing with the creation of your idea

[milisha]

I tend to "construct" my music. I (like Bodyguard2112) have a directory full of riffs and vocal melodies. Some good, some have that "magic", and others sub-par.

 

Sometimes I'll get that piece of magic, and combine counter-melodies I've written for other songs, or that instrumental change that sets the mood. I've been told by my lead singer (who comes from the "it's all magic dammit" camp), that I am a very good song writer. But that's only because he hasn't seen the hours of tinkering I do to make it just right. The riffs that just don't sit right that I have to weed out and replace, or waiting for a bit of inspiration I need to write that melody that sits perfectly. I'm not better than him or anyone else - I think I just get more right before I take it to the band.

[blue2blue]

When I'm inspired, I write. When I'm not, I edit/tinker/experiment.

 

Once in a long while, I practice. I definitely need to practice. Last time I tried to play an electric guitar I laughed myself out of the room. I was embarrassed to have my cat hear it.

 

But I really think I need to practice/play more. For me, it helps keep things oiled up and ready to run... or at least closer to ready. And -- dang my hide, this is the one that kills me, 'cause I really don't want to -- I need to [shudder] play out more. I've been gigging about twice a year when it's thrust on me and you don't gain any momentum with your live performance when you're playing in front of people that infrequently.

 

I've always found -- whore for attention, I suppose, that I am -- that the more I play in public, the more I write. My average quality seems to drop somewhat (maybe we really only do have a certain number of good songs in us? Nah...) but it keeps me more ready to write when inspiration comes.

 

I can't remember that inspiration/preparation/perspiration ratio precisely (and I don't think the specific numbers are very scientifically correlated, anyhow ) but, for sure, preparation before and perspiration after are key to making the most of inspiration when it comes dropping out of the sky like a high pop fly.

[plztalkgentle]

songwrittibg is very artfull job

[plztalkgentle]

song writting is very good job

[LeonardScaper]

 

There is WONDERFUL GREATNESS is random, abstract, noodling about musicially. If I'm honest with myself, I'm sure ALL my songs began like that.

 

 

My best songs have always come from random inspiration. I wrote my first song around 1976.....it was a random angst song and I still play it today.

 

I think you NEED inspiration to be the starting point of a good song...but discipline kicks in soon thereafter.

 

I also think that what transforms talent into transcendance is time.

[LeonardScaper]

 

play out more.

 

 

Me too.

 

I won't though........us old guys are getting lazy.