Got any good general ideas to apply to songwriting

[Kachana]

For example, a typical idea might for a guitar to stop playing for (part of) a verse, with just the bass and drums going, before going back into a chorus. Cliched but works as an example.

 

I've found it can sound good if you're playing a riff in, say, E minor, and just before changing to the next part, play the riff in E Phrygian, or E harmonic minor, which retains the feel but can give it a nice flow and spice thigs up.

 

Or writing a bridge between verse and chorus that remains in the key but changes the scale, before returning in the chorus, can work too.

 

Or if you have one riff/part but can't think of what should go next, take the rhythm and apply it to different melody, or take the melody and apply them to a different rhythm, there are obviously loads of ways to do these in a more complex and interesting way but it's useful to have them down in their "lowest common denominator" form!

[Greenshoe]

Some general principles I try to keep in mind when I'm writing:

- "Brevity is the soul of wit": edit, edit, and

- Every riff, instrument, lyric, song structure, etc. is there to support what you're trying to convey, not the other way around. If it's a very cool riff but doesn't have a place in the song, keep that riff in 'storage' and it could end up perfectly in another song in the future.

- If it's too busy, you have too many main ideas trying to fight for the same space. Stick to one main idea at a time.

- Don't take yourself too seriously. Whether it's a masterpiece, groundbreaking or just a turd is for the audience and time to judge. But that shouldn't affect how or why you write.

- Show, don't tell - applies more to lyric writing.

- It's okay if it's catchy. In fact, it's a very good thing.

- It's okay if it's not all dark, angry and hateful. Women aren't the only ones who laugh, weep, smile, sigh, and love (and sometimes all at the same time).

- It's okay to be cliche sometimes. They became cliches for a reason.

- Original does not mean good. It could be uniquely bad.

- If you think everything you write is good, you're not taking enough risks to grow as a writer. Everyone has stinkers along the way.

- Never apologize or make excuses for your work. It is what it is.

- Irony and sincerity are like salt and pepper. They can be overused.

[Terje]

Great reply Greenshoe!

Here's how I do when I write, and for me writing mainly consists of putting lyrics to already existing blues melodies (and anyone who says they've written an original blues melody anytime during the last 100 years is lying BTW ):

I write a lot. Like a madman at times. I stick to the Woddy Guthrie idea of writing a new song every day. Most of it is just garbage, stuff that make me blush with shame cause it's so bad even when I'm alone and nobody is listening.

But some of it, one or two songs every month make it and are pretty good (if I may be so bold). And writing like this, a lot and often, and within a well known frame work, makes it possible for ideas to just come flowing.

Some of the best lyrics I've written have just come to me in a matter of minutes. But I'm pretty sure that wouldn't happen unless I kept writing a lot. It's like improvising. You've gotta keep doing it often, and not all of it is gonna be good. But eventually you'll get better.

[WattsUrizen]

Restraint.

Don't be melodramatic, and try to force emotions. Hint at the listener what they should feel, don't demand it from them. It becomes very exclusive.

[Terje]

Originally posted by Anomandaris Restraint. Don't be melodramatic, and try to force emotions. Hint at the listener what they should feel, don't demand it from them. It becomes very exclusive.

 

 

While this is generally good advice I don't think it's good for every song. I know some very melodramatic songs that are good. Let me think... actually Dylan has written more than a few where he definitely makes it very clear what he wants the listener to feel and think.