Dear Steemit Songwriters ... I Have Never Written an Original Song Before and am Looking for Advice on How to Start
The idea of writing my own music really intimidates me. I've always told myself that "I'm just not good at it" and have really blocked myself off from being able to creatively express myself in this way. Maybe I really am bad at songwriting - but I finally feel open to trying it.
I am calling 2018 my "Year of No Fear" and so I've decided to face this fear head on and start experimenting with the idea of creating music.
There are so many amazing songwriters here on the Steemit Platform and so I thought i'd reach out to you for help and advice.
In this video I talk about the below topics:
- A bit of my story and the creativity scars I have around writing music.
- Ask for advice on how to get started.
- Ask for advice on how to get past some of those creativity blocks and start allowing music to flow.
- My fear that I may accidentally steal someone else's work without realizing it. (Creating a melody that is similar to someone else's song)
- Ask how YOU approach song writing. Where do you find inspiration? Do you start with a chord progression, a melody, the lyrics... or something else?
I so, so appreciate any and all advice on how to get started. I'm excited to start facing this fear and see if something beautiful comes out on the other side.
I also know that there are a lot of other Steemit musicians who only post covers as well - and I hope that this post might help encourage them to get out of their comfort zones too and perhaps try songwriting. (If that is something they want).
Even though I gave a high-level overview here... i'd really encourage you to watch the video if you have a couple minutes. You will get a better sense of my heart and where I am coming from.
Big hugs and love to you all. <3
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This is an interesting reach-out for sure.
I've often thought about making some kind of songwriters 101, however, I haven't really seen a demand or rather, any real deficiency in the many excellent songwriters from Openmic & and the Songwriters Challenge.
Nevertheless, if you want some advice.... The best way to get started is to:
press record on your voice memo (iphone or similar app) plays some chords and just sing whatever comes to mind for a few minutes.
Listen back and if there was anything good, melody, lyrically or a mistake turned into a an excellent point of inspiration, try to use that small snippet and repeat the process (as in keep recording and reviewing) until you slowly start to form a main idea and supporting materials (like chord progressions and strum patterns or grooves etc).
Hope this helps. Feel free to reach out if you have any curiosities.
JB
Thanks so much for your thoughts and advice @jaybird! I really look up to you as a songwriter, so it means a lot that you took the time to stop by my post.
Love the idea of just hitting record and seeing what happens. I just tried that this morning, and it went better than I thought! The nice thing about recording it too, is that if anything ends up being good or usable, I can reference back to it. I imagine it would be easy to forget a melody or riff a couple days later.
Also thank you SO much for stopping by my little sisters intro post and showing her some support!! It means so much to me that you did that. I I think you’re right that she can hopefully teach me a thing or two about songwriting. 😉 She’s been a little shy about sharing her original music in the past, but I think steemit will be a good opportunity for her to get out of her comfort zone a little bit and start sharing.
No Problemo on both fronts.
Are you making any progress?
You're bang on in thinking: "The nice thing about recording it too, is that if anything ends up being good or usable, I can reference back to it."
That's definitely the point of this method. It's an idea generator, which you can take further through repetition and workshopping.
Equally as important though is also paying attention to why something was good....all the subtleties that may have emerged with the initial improvisation. Elements such as dynamics, or voice quality, things that affect the vibe, emotional quality and the groove ie. laid back or pushed, or emphasis on syllables or words/how you said a specific lyric or line, melody ornamentation etc.
Those little things when preserved from the initial conception of the idea can sometimes make a "simple or bare bones idea" suddenly interesting as fuck...
Try to write about 1 big idea. It’s easier said than done, but the best songs have 1 central idea presented in the chorus and the verses and bridge support that main theme. Hope that helps!
Ahh that is GREAT advice! It’s funny, because that sounds like it she may be obvious, but I hadn’t thought of it. I can see how my lyrics could’ve ended up all over the place with different themes. Thanks for the focused advice.
You are a songwriter that I really look up to here on Steemit, and so I really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and advice! 😊
Sure thing, good luck! Can’t wait to hear what you come up with
Me either!
I'm Homeschooling my kiddos and multitasking while they're busy, so I can't watch their videos, but I have to tell you. I've been there. I used to write poems and lyrics when I was a teenager, but I never shared it. Then at 20, I was asked to sing in a rock band performing covers and originals. The other musicians were so awesome! They were welcoming and we would just jam for hours. They would start with some riffs while I rifled through pages of stuff until a word or a sentence stood out to me. The point is not to overthink it. I can't tell you how many original songs remind me of other songs. It's just the way it is. We all hear things and process things differently.
My last bit of advice is to try what I call meditative journaling. Keep a notepad by your bed and when you wake in the morning, start writing first thing. Don't think, just write. Even if it's something like this, "This is so stupid. I can't think of anything to say. What am I doing? Nothing. Nothing..yada-yada..." It sounds pointless, but you will release some of your inner critic and eventually start moving on to more meaningful writing. Best of luck to you!
Wow, thank you so much for the detailed and thoughtful advice! Especially since you’re in the middle of multitasking AND homeschooling right now!
The rock band you were part of sounds like such an amazing experience. I can definitely see how surrounding yourself with people who encourage your creativity would help that piece to blossom. 😊
Also, thanks for reassuring me that I shouldn’t worry too much about my song sounding like someone else’s. That is comforting to hear.
I also really LOVE your advice to start journaling when I first wake up. My sleepy, tired brain is less likely to judge what comes out on paper. I can imagine that would be a great exercise to get more used to free flow writing.
Thank you again for your great advice and feedback! Good luck with the rest of the school day! :-)
All I can tell you is what I do when I write music. There is always more than one way to do it. I surround myself with writers I love to listen. Listen close to the different types of melody there is in a song. Listen for all points they put harmonies into the song. How they structure the words in the song. Music is just poetry with rhythm. Study the different types of poetry writing style. Read the lyrics of songs and see how they match with the different poetry writing styles.
Write lyrics down everyday. Listen to the instruments in the song. How does the instrumentation make you feel, that's usually how you find what to write about. Pick topics that are close to your heart. Don't be afraid to talk about anything cause there are many going through the same things.
Now pick a some instrumentation and practice writing. Writing is a skill like any other. The more you do it the better you get. The songs I wrote in the beginning were horrible. They had good content but I didn't know what I was doing when it came to recording and mixing music.
That is another thing. Listen to music that is mixed and mastered and the difference between non mastered music. Then of course invest in your music. Make sure your engineer cares about the quality of your music. That person can guide you on how things should sound if they really care, but also learn how you want it to sound. Once you know how you want it to sound tell your engineer. Write the melodies with them if you have to.
Most important of all. Don't quit!!!!
Ask me anything and I will help with what I can
I love the intense level of detail you use to study other songwriters. A true master of your craft.
I am a dancer, and have spent some time analyzing music structure to better understand when there will be breaks, pauses and rises in the music so that I can better interpret the song in dance. I love that you take it to an even deeper level though, and I will definitely start applying some of these tactics when studying music.
How early in your song writing career did you invest in getting an engineer to mix and master your music? Sounds like having someone like that could be really helpful once I get the ball rolling and am writing more music. Where do you even find someone like that? Haha
Ps... I REALLY appreciate your open ended offer to answer questions. I may come back to you with more questions as I start actually trying to write and create. :-)
I invested in someone like that pretty much immediately. I am a perfectionist. I love putting time and effort into what ever I do. I just started trying to different studios and recording with different people. Eventually you just find out who works well with you. I did my whole first album with one person cause I liked that he took direction well and I liked the vibe the studio had. I met him recording a song that me and a friend did together at a studio that he used to work at. The engineer that was working with me and my friend was horrible. You could tell that he just wanted to record and leave as soon as possible so he didn't take the time to really mix it well.
Stay clear from people that never give advice. Don't be scared to take peoples advice either. Sometimes you end up liking the end result more than what you had planned for it. Test the waters with engineers. They all have different styles of recording. Try and find one that has a background in recording the type of music you want to make or at least has an ear for the type of music. It took me a while to find an engineer that I really click with.
I love writing songs for people or with them. I coach artist all the time with their music. Of course I have my own music but I just like working with people lol. Follow my instagram and message me if you have any other questions. I am glad to help out. That goes for anyone that is trying to make original music.
I used to dance a lot as well. That helps as well when you are breaking down music.
What type of music are you trying to make?
Wow, thank you so much for the detailed responses to my questions. It’s so kind of you to be this helpful! Thanks for giving me some more insight into the process of trying different studios and engineers. I’ve got to have songs to record first... but I will definitely reference back to your notes when the time is right.
In terms of style - I’m not 100% sure yet. Probably something on the softer, more lyrical side. Maybe something with a really uplifting/motivational feel. Probably some stuff that feels a bit darker too. I honestly don’t know what will end up coming out.
I’d also love to play around with mixing sounds/beats/ vocal overlays on music. I don’t know what that’s called exactly... but stuff kind of like what soundlegion creates.
I know that want very definitive, but I’m just all about exploring right now! 😊
Sounds to me like you should listen to a lot of Tori Kelly songs maybe mesh it with my cousins style of music. Her band is called The Internet....Solo name is Syd...Also listen to some SZA....Those are all really good artist....Try also listening to Solange's album. Then there is Alina Baraz and Jhene Aiko. Really pay attention to the production with them. No problem like I said I love helping out people.
Your awesome. Thanks for the artist suggestions! I’ll be sure to check them out. 😊
Here is something that I wrote that is very close to me
https://steemit.com/dsound/@theomgbrand/dear-mother#@artzanolino/re-theomgbrand-dear-mother-20180202t055829917z
Oh man... I’m so sorry to hear about your mom. That song really beautifuly portrayed your emotions and I’m glad you shared it with me.
I can't write a song to save my life
That's the first line of your first song right there ;)
I'm off to bed right now, but I've been in your position and have written lots of song lyrics, some with melodies and even recorded one. Expect a video response from me the day after tomorrow. Really glad to hear you're willing to finally overcome your fear. I'm sure you'll get tons of good advice out here.
Love, Indy
Hahah you are a GENIUS. That’s some song inspiration right there.
Thanks as always for your thoughtful and encouraging comments, Indy! Can’t wait to see the response video!!! By the way, I just listened to the original song you posted a couple days ago, and it was amazing!
Totally, you could write about your hobbies and talents that to you seem effortless. Then, the chorus is a turnaround on the one thing you simply cannot do even if your life depended on it, which is - writing a song. Heck, break the 4th wall and end the whole thing by saying - oh wait, this is a song!
Thank you for listening to my record! It means a lot to know you liked it and it's really hard to act cool about it ;D
I already got lots of ideas for the video, hope it won't evolve into a 2 hour songwriting workshop...
What a fun idea for a song!!! Haha love the ending line too.
Also, it was such a pleasure to listen to your music! Thanks for sharing it. 😊
Well, I think you should start with melody and rhythm. When you get that you should go into your feelings and emotions, look for what you want to express and write it down in simple words, sentences or anything. After that you structurize it into that previous melody that you constructed. If you have an instrumental first it's also good to get inspired by it. Generally speaking - it's much easier if you have the music first and then go with lyrics. I'm writing things for 5 years by now and after training my skills I'm finally up to showing up soon. I keep my fingers crossed for you as well. Do what you want to do and don't you dare even thinking about the consequences. Okay, you may worry if you think that some of your actions might make you starve. Or actually.. even if you'll be starving - don't worry. Passion and dedication can make you go through all of the worst things with your chin up and win.
Wow, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with me. Thanks for sharing your approach, and that starting with the music is a lot easier. I also really like the idea of looking at my emotions for inspiration on the lyrics. I’m sure that is a great way to make sure it really comes from the heart.
I would love to hear some of your original music sometime! Please let me know if you ever post, because I would love to check it out. :-)
I actually give songwriting workshops and also Skype consultations on songwriting via my website www.messageofthesong.com
Last September I attended a songwriting retreat with Judy Stakee (the artist development engine behind Cheryl Crow, Gavin DeGraw, Katy Perry) in California ... and I'm really inspired to share what I've learned there... therefore I have been thinking of starting video series on songwriting here on Steemit, exactly for people like you :) So if you like, subscribe to my channel, I'll start churning out my wisdom and experience nuggets soon - especially now that I see there is interest in it!
WOW, how lucky that I ran across you! Thank you so much for taking time to leave such a thoughtful reply. I am following along, because your video series sounds perfect for me!
So cool that you got to attend a song writing retreat with someone as talented as Judy Stakee.
Thanks again for your thoughtful comment!
You're welcome, @coruscate :) I look forward to connecting more with steemit musicians and the video series is one of the way! Stay tuned ~~~
Hey! @coruscate
As my number 1 fan here on #steemit the short answer is... write from your head and heart ...cliché I know, but it really works for me, and I'm sure it'll work for you too.
I look forward to hearing your original music.
Thank you so much for the thoughtful comment and advice! Stoked to have the #1 fan spot so far! Hehe (congrats again on your awesome open mic post for this week)
So, when you say to write from your head and your heart, what do you mean exactly? Do the lyrics come from your heart, but the sing structure and more technical aspects come from your head?
Thank you for taking the time to give me some advice! I really appreciate it!
You should have someone around you who is a songwriter that can help, you might be aiming high but you have to start from somewhere even if it is small
Thank you for your thoughtful response! I agree that having another song writer around me would certainly make a big impact. I have started to ask around, and it turns out that my sister and one of my best friends have written songs before! I’m looking forward to collaborating with them in the future. :-)
That's good. Wish you all the best👍
Thanks for your post which has become a very valuable and full of ideas guide for songwriters .
Here is how I do it:
I hope this will help you and inspire you to use things most natural and working for you, you are a celebrity/important enough to express yourself and be heard and contribute.
Please follow my more detailed post on that I am going to write soon. All the best! 🎤🎸
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and insights!! Using synonyms to help the lyrics rhyme is a great way to look at it! I am not very good with that sort of thing, but that gives me a framework to work from.
How fun that you used Facebook memories to inspire yourself again!
Thanks again for your thoughtful advice!