Man, I don't care about architecture.Don't be getting' funny on me. Humour is unacceptable, you're reading this to learn damn it. Oh well?as always, to kick-start this lesson I'm going to explain what a writer's block is first. Have you ever reached a stage in your writing 'career', I suppose, where everything is coasting along quite smoothly, but then suddenly you find you can't write anymore? (And it will be exactly like that in the severest cases - can write can't write, just like the flip of a coin).
Have you ever suffered from a milder case, where you experienced an inability to write anything that - when being honest - could be termed "good"? Well, then I believe you've suffered from a writer's block. Maybe you still do. Are you currently suffering a drought of creativity and imagination? I think it's time for some rainfall, don't you? Are you downright tired of this lull that has suddenly come over you? Well damn; overcome it.
I am a satellite; I'm out of control.
It's a Queen reference, "Don't stop me?oh oh oh" - ah sheesh, forget it. Perhaps, even though you've realised your writing is lacking lately, you keep on writing. You're thinking, "This can't go on forever". That's exactly what you're thinking? Man, you're a genius. This is one of the most effective ways (in my experience) of overcoming writer's block. See, I had this problem recently where the writing wasn't exactly up to par, but I kept on writing?and you know what? I wrote one of the best songs I've ever written when I forced myself to write it. And I know that that goes against everything I've told you, but if it works why doubt?
Let's get this straight? You want me to write a song about my hand?I'm just taking it as an example, but if you want to do it, I won't stop you. Now what exactly am I talking about? Well, anyone heard the Incubus song, "Nice To Know You"? Mmm?it's about his hand going numb (you know, Pins and Needles). So what I'm saying is, take something completely ordinary and then make it symbolic. It's another sure-fire way to break out of a rut. Just symbolise, and think about your writing. This is one of those relaxed times where instead of feeling emotion, you think about what you could write, and the best way to express something.
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Friday, February 29, 2008
I am relaxed! Boris, find me a new anger therapist now!For some people, another way to overcome it is to write music instead of lyrics. This goes back to the point about having yourself in a totally relaxed frame of mind?You see, whenever you're making music sometimes you'll just sing some sort of melody to your chord progression. And often, you'll be singing words that you're making up on the spot. So record yourself doing this! You can then type up/write down - see what I did there, the lyrics and edit them so that they flow and make sense. Self-induced creative injury? Sounds like a failed suicide attempt. Occasionally a writer's block can be brought on by the writer's themselves. I mean, maybe they've been writing too much lately and have just used up all the material that they were thinking about expanding songs out of. For those people I would suggest going outside and chatting with some friends. There were other people I had in mind when I thought up this section of the lesson though. And that is the lyricists who also happen to be musicians. Suddenly, the area of focus, which they put all their effort into, has changed. Instead of lyrics it now happens to bemusic.
I kind of had a similar experience recently. I was playing lots of scales, learning theory and generally playing guitar more than usual - I. e. I played for like 6-7 hours in one day. This all in an attempt to get better, which is what we're all trying to do, in some form or another. Whenever your endeavour to become amazing at guitar (or any other instrument) increases, you'd think you'd lose focus on lyrics. And technically this is true, because all your attention shifts to the more musical side of the creative process. But in truth, if this is the case, then all your really doing is depriving yourself of the time to write. So now I'll let my experience do the talking, and try and remove anything humorous from the lesson; I'll replace it will philosophy.
I kind of had a similar experience recently. I was playing lots of scales, learning theory and generally playing guitar more than usual - I. e. I played for like 6-7 hours in one day. This all in an attempt to get better, which is what we're all trying to do, in some form or another. Whenever your endeavour to become amazing at guitar (or any other instrument) increases, you'd think you'd lose focus on lyrics. And technically this is true, because all your attention shifts to the more musical side of the creative process. But in truth, if this is the case, then all your really doing is depriving yourself of the time to write. So now I'll let my experience do the talking, and try and remove anything humorous from the lesson; I'll replace it will philosophy.
Other Things.
Try listening to new music (radio)?or reading new novels
Can I write both lyrics and music?To write you must be in a certain frame of mind - more precisely, one where you feel relaxed and at ease with writing what comes to you. To get into this state of mind, you must allow yourself a certain amount of time to write. You must think, okay now, I'll dedicate myself to producing some lyrics. Now is my time.
Musicians are people. People conform to human nature.We feel the temptation to shift our focus into music or lyrics. Sometimes, we feel it's too hard to do both. In truth, it's not; trust me. But before you can allow yourself to practice both making music, and writing lyrics, you must allow the time for both. If you can't write lyrics now, write them later. But don't deprive yourself of the time.
Closing Comments.
I wish you luck with your karate, (breaking that block)/overcoming that lull/whatever you would like to call it. Because in truth, musical, or lyrical... the creativity and inspiration is within you. The hardest part s finding that out, and then finding out what to do with it.
Try listening to new music (radio)?or reading new novels
Can I write both lyrics and music?To write you must be in a certain frame of mind - more precisely, one where you feel relaxed and at ease with writing what comes to you. To get into this state of mind, you must allow yourself a certain amount of time to write. You must think, okay now, I'll dedicate myself to producing some lyrics. Now is my time.
Musicians are people. People conform to human nature.We feel the temptation to shift our focus into music or lyrics. Sometimes, we feel it's too hard to do both. In truth, it's not; trust me. But before you can allow yourself to practice both making music, and writing lyrics, you must allow the time for both. If you can't write lyrics now, write them later. But don't deprive yourself of the time.
Closing Comments.
I wish you luck with your karate, (breaking that block)/overcoming that lull/whatever you would like to call it. Because in truth, musical, or lyrical... the creativity and inspiration is within you. The hardest part s finding that out, and then finding out what to do with it.
Writing Songs & Lyrics Based On Experiences
Ok, there are a few different aspects of writing I noticed while reading friend's lyrics and my own. I first realized that everybody has a certain style of writing. I know this is a pretty obvious statement, but then I thought about what caused different styles of writing.
My theory is that certain style of writing first depends on what style of music you like. Obviously if you like punk rock, you are most likely to be writing lyrics to a punk rock tune.
The second thing your style depends on is whether you’re a guy, or a girl. To be honest, girls ARE more emotional than guys are. Sorry my fellow ladies but you know this is true. If writing feelings about a recent break-up, a guy’s point of view would tend to have more anger than sadness, like a girl’s lyrics may. (But luckily today, the genre "emo", short for emotional, has emerged. Male artists all over are able to express their feelings of sorrow and heartbreak through this genre.)
The last thing I advise you to know and remember is that my song writing technique is truly spiritual. In other words, using my technique, a song will turn out to be just a piece of one’s truest feelings, so don’t even try to write a song in a room full of people.
The best thing to do is to go to a place, alone, where you feel most comfortable. For most, this would be their bedroom, but for some who share a bedroom, the most comfortable place may be the bathroom, with locked doors. What ever floats your boat will work.
The purpose for this is that a relaxed environment provides a place where it is easy to connect with your-self. Only you know your deepest secrets, and your truest feelings. Which means only you can write a unique song which is based on your feelings, thoughts, opinions, and point of views.
After you have followed what I recommended to you, it is time to follow the lesson. To tell you the truth, the advice I gave you above is the lesson itself, which means we are almost done! 8^D!
My theory is that certain style of writing first depends on what style of music you like. Obviously if you like punk rock, you are most likely to be writing lyrics to a punk rock tune.
The second thing your style depends on is whether you’re a guy, or a girl. To be honest, girls ARE more emotional than guys are. Sorry my fellow ladies but you know this is true. If writing feelings about a recent break-up, a guy’s point of view would tend to have more anger than sadness, like a girl’s lyrics may. (But luckily today, the genre "emo", short for emotional, has emerged. Male artists all over are able to express their feelings of sorrow and heartbreak through this genre.)
The last thing I advise you to know and remember is that my song writing technique is truly spiritual. In other words, using my technique, a song will turn out to be just a piece of one’s truest feelings, so don’t even try to write a song in a room full of people.
The best thing to do is to go to a place, alone, where you feel most comfortable. For most, this would be their bedroom, but for some who share a bedroom, the most comfortable place may be the bathroom, with locked doors. What ever floats your boat will work.
The purpose for this is that a relaxed environment provides a place where it is easy to connect with your-self. Only you know your deepest secrets, and your truest feelings. Which means only you can write a unique song which is based on your feelings, thoughts, opinions, and point of views.
After you have followed what I recommended to you, it is time to follow the lesson. To tell you the truth, the advice I gave you above is the lesson itself, which means we are almost done! 8^D!
In the rest of the lesson, I would like to tell you how to write from your personal experiences, and give you some ideas. If you are having trouble figuring out what to write about, don’t get frustrated. Start with ideas that you feel strongly about. Many amazing songs and lyrics can come from:
• a recent boyfriend/girlfriend break-up,
• a recent death in the family,
• moving away from home,
• a fight between you and your parents or a best friend,
• a divorce between your parents,
• or just feeling down.
Well, since I gave you some ideas to think about, now I’ll tell you how to write songs and lyrics based on your experience. This part is quite easy. First, clear your head of everything except that experience, whether it is good or bad. This should be easy to do, if you followed my advice and you’re alone in a comfortable room.
The next thing you want to do is start writing down everything you are feeling inside about your experience. Write down your emotion about it, what you think of it, why it makes you feel that way, and anything that pops into your head.
Doing this could even open your mind to feelings you didn’t realize you felt. That is why this is good to do when you’re under stress, it relieves a lot of negative feelings, even the ones stuck inside of you that you couldn’t see.
The next thing you want to do is start writing down everything you are feeling inside about your experience. Write down your emotion about it, what you think of it, why it makes you feel that way, and anything that pops into your head.
Doing this could even open your mind to feelings you didn’t realize you felt. That is why this is good to do when you’re under stress, it relieves a lot of negative feelings, even the ones stuck inside of you that you couldn’t see.
After a few or more pages, reread what you wrote down. Look at that sheet, and say hello to the rough draft of your song! Now all you have to do is put things together. Here is an example:
This is the actual list of emotions that I wrote after Brian broke up with me:
• “I lived off your love for so long, that when you left me, it felt like nothing was holding me from falling every day.”
• “The hardest thing to see is the love of your life, leave you to chase after a girl who is already taken.”
• “I will always keep this letter because there will be a time I will have to look back and see how I got through the hardest thing that I’ve ever had to overcome in life.”
• “Some day I will look back at this letter with pride as I say, ‘Wow, it was me who made it through that?!? Jeez, I can make it through anything’”
From this list of feelings came the lyrics to my first song...
“I used to think that I could never live without your love.
• “I lived off your love for so long, that when you left me, it felt like nothing was holding me from falling every day.”
• “The hardest thing to see is the love of your life, leave you to chase after a girl who is already taken.”
• “I will always keep this letter because there will be a time I will have to look back and see how I got through the hardest thing that I’ve ever had to overcome in life.”
• “Some day I will look back at this letter with pride as I say, ‘Wow, it was me who made it through that?!? Jeez, I can make it through anything’”
From this list of feelings came the lyrics to my first song...
“I used to think that I could never live without your love.
But with time I realized I’d rise above.”
“What I use today, Is all the heartbreak that you gave,
“What I use today, Is all the heartbreak that you gave,
To get over the things that keep me down.
And now I know I’ll never have to frown.”
I changed it up a bit and added a tune to it since I wrote it, but for my first lyrics, I’d say that it’s not all that bad right? Well Now that I have given you some advice and a few examples try my way out! It may seem like a lot, but you’ll realize that it’s a lot easier than it seems. In fact it’s the easiest technique I’ve ever used! Let me know how it goes for you!
I changed it up a bit and added a tune to it since I wrote it, but for my first lyrics, I’d say that it’s not all that bad right? Well Now that I have given you some advice and a few examples try my way out! It may seem like a lot, but you’ll realize that it’s a lot easier than it seems. In fact it’s the easiest technique I’ve ever used! Let me know how it goes for you!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Give time
If you ask any good songwriters how they write their music and how long it takes, you won't find many of them that will just say "I knew exactly what I was gonna write even before I sat down and picked up my guitar. From there it was just a matter of minutes." I would find it very hard to believe if someone told me that, regardless of who it was.
I sat down once and wrote a song in 20 minutes, and you know what... It was cr@p! I've come to learn that if you just settle for whatever you can come up with in less than an hour, it usually won't be a great song.
I mean think about it, not only do you have to come up with the words for the song, you have to write the music too. For some people that may be a little more talented than others, writing the music could take 30 min. Or 3 days, or even 3 weeks. Whenever I sit down to write a song, I just go to a quiet spot in the house and just start playing, I don't think about what time it is, or what else is going on, I just think about the song. I'll play around until I finally get an intro to the song. In the intro, it's up to you whether you write chords or a certain lead riff. From there the music can pretty much write itself as long as you just take your time with it and try not to really think about it too much. Once you get the music written, practice a couple of times so that it sticks in your head and you get a real good feel for the song.
Now on to writing the lyrics. What I normally do, and this works (for me at least), is just play the music and sing whatever comes out of my head. If you're not satisfied with it, or you just don't think it fits the song, then start over and try it again. once you get a start to the song the verse is done before you know it.
This is when you actually have to think about what the entire song is going to be about or what it's going to revolve around. just do the same thing that i said in the previous paragraph and start writing the 2ns verse or the chorus, whichever comes next in the song.
From here, it's smooth sailing. Just take your time with the song, if you get stuck just play what you have up until the part where you're stuck and keep trying to add something onto it every time. You'll eventually have something finished and you can just take it to the band after you're done and mold it from there.
I sat down once and wrote a song in 20 minutes, and you know what... It was cr@p! I've come to learn that if you just settle for whatever you can come up with in less than an hour, it usually won't be a great song.
I mean think about it, not only do you have to come up with the words for the song, you have to write the music too. For some people that may be a little more talented than others, writing the music could take 30 min. Or 3 days, or even 3 weeks. Whenever I sit down to write a song, I just go to a quiet spot in the house and just start playing, I don't think about what time it is, or what else is going on, I just think about the song. I'll play around until I finally get an intro to the song. In the intro, it's up to you whether you write chords or a certain lead riff. From there the music can pretty much write itself as long as you just take your time with it and try not to really think about it too much. Once you get the music written, practice a couple of times so that it sticks in your head and you get a real good feel for the song.
Now on to writing the lyrics. What I normally do, and this works (for me at least), is just play the music and sing whatever comes out of my head. If you're not satisfied with it, or you just don't think it fits the song, then start over and try it again. once you get a start to the song the verse is done before you know it.
This is when you actually have to think about what the entire song is going to be about or what it's going to revolve around. just do the same thing that i said in the previous paragraph and start writing the 2ns verse or the chorus, whichever comes next in the song.
From here, it's smooth sailing. Just take your time with the song, if you get stuck just play what you have up until the part where you're stuck and keep trying to add something onto it every time. You'll eventually have something finished and you can just take it to the band after you're done and mold it from there.
Composing Original Riffs
Hello everybody. I didn't know what to write about, so I decided, "What the hell, I'll teach the masses about some tips that may help with their songwriting." However, as stated by the name, this isn't for lyric writing, but rather, for original riff writing. What is a riff? Well, simply put, it is either an arpeggio, chord or some other type of progression that is not a "lick." A lick is usually a two to three second lead piece, connected with other licks. Now that I've filled your brain with some guitar lingo, lets begin. The following are some ways to go about writing riffs.
1. Write through inspiration.What the heck do I mean by this? I mean listen to a song you really like (or maybe just one that everybody else likes) and then grab your thunder - axe (the term I like to use meaning "guitar") and start playing something. Try not to look at the tab for the song though. Now, I want you to just play something, at either the same tempo and timing, start at the same starting note as the song (or something similar), play with the same feel or whatever you want. Just think of something from the song that you really like, and just sort of fool around until you get somewhere. My favorite approach with this method is starting in the same general area of the fretboard as a riff you really like. And yes, doing it this way means you will probably have to look at a tab, but you don't want to copy the song, so just simply glance at the tab, and then begin. Good riffs are something you have to fool around with to get good at. I'll give you some examples of riffs I have made that complement this approach (songs used for inspiration will be named first, then the artist, and then the description):
- Sweet Child O' Mine (Guns N' Roses) - one of my first and in many people's opinions, my best one, came from me starting at the twelfth fret area, and making an arpeggio riff with some distortion. Sounds sort of space-ish. This song was made when I was learning arpeggios.
- Black Dog (Led Zeppelin) - again, another riff where I started in the same area (technically known as "The Key" of a song), and created sort of a blues-ish, jazz-like riff, but still sounds very different from the original song. Not as fast paced as Black Dog, but a great riff none the less.
- Hotel California (The Eagles) - this riff was made from the "feel" of Hotel California, rather than using the same key, which in this song's case uses a capo at the fifth fret (the key of A). Great rock riff, that sounds as though people could dance to it.
1. Write through inspiration.What the heck do I mean by this? I mean listen to a song you really like (or maybe just one that everybody else likes) and then grab your thunder - axe (the term I like to use meaning "guitar") and start playing something. Try not to look at the tab for the song though. Now, I want you to just play something, at either the same tempo and timing, start at the same starting note as the song (or something similar), play with the same feel or whatever you want. Just think of something from the song that you really like, and just sort of fool around until you get somewhere. My favorite approach with this method is starting in the same general area of the fretboard as a riff you really like. And yes, doing it this way means you will probably have to look at a tab, but you don't want to copy the song, so just simply glance at the tab, and then begin. Good riffs are something you have to fool around with to get good at. I'll give you some examples of riffs I have made that complement this approach (songs used for inspiration will be named first, then the artist, and then the description):
- Sweet Child O' Mine (Guns N' Roses) - one of my first and in many people's opinions, my best one, came from me starting at the twelfth fret area, and making an arpeggio riff with some distortion. Sounds sort of space-ish. This song was made when I was learning arpeggios.
- Black Dog (Led Zeppelin) - again, another riff where I started in the same area (technically known as "The Key" of a song), and created sort of a blues-ish, jazz-like riff, but still sounds very different from the original song. Not as fast paced as Black Dog, but a great riff none the less.
- Hotel California (The Eagles) - this riff was made from the "feel" of Hotel California, rather than using the same key, which in this song's case uses a capo at the fifth fret (the key of A). Great rock riff, that sounds as though people could dance to it.
Needless to say, this is quite a good approach to use. However, it works better when you are first starting out, or not so good, because:
1) It gives you something to practice to help "you" get better and;
2) You will learn techniques as you learn how to play, and you will practice them, and practice songs with them in it.Thus you will make a song similar (maybe). Plus, you may not be able to play the song inspiring you anyway, so there will be no need to worry about copying, now will there? You don't have to be a begginer, but I find it easier to use this approach when you are.
2. The "Holes" Method.I call this method the "Holes" method because it's like this. You make an original riff, or a riff of some kind, try to add to it, but it doesn't go with it, (thus you fall into a hole) but you still think it has potential (you come out of another hole). I have done this many times, although I don't plan to use any of the riffs I can remember. However, this method is powerful, because you are trying to make riffs for one song, and many of your failed attempts become riffs for other songs. One riff I tried to use to complete the "Black Dog" inspired song mentioned above, kind of went with it, but didn't. So now, if I want, I have another riff in my repretoire of original ones. So remember; you may want to keep those riffs that you thought were garbage, and make something of them. One major advantage to this method, is if you want to make an album with similar, but different sounding songs, that you want to define your "unchanging sound." Anyway, thats an idea.
1) It gives you something to practice to help "you" get better and;
2) You will learn techniques as you learn how to play, and you will practice them, and practice songs with them in it.Thus you will make a song similar (maybe). Plus, you may not be able to play the song inspiring you anyway, so there will be no need to worry about copying, now will there? You don't have to be a begginer, but I find it easier to use this approach when you are.
2. The "Holes" Method.I call this method the "Holes" method because it's like this. You make an original riff, or a riff of some kind, try to add to it, but it doesn't go with it, (thus you fall into a hole) but you still think it has potential (you come out of another hole). I have done this many times, although I don't plan to use any of the riffs I can remember. However, this method is powerful, because you are trying to make riffs for one song, and many of your failed attempts become riffs for other songs. One riff I tried to use to complete the "Black Dog" inspired song mentioned above, kind of went with it, but didn't. So now, if I want, I have another riff in my repretoire of original ones. So remember; you may want to keep those riffs that you thought were garbage, and make something of them. One major advantage to this method, is if you want to make an album with similar, but different sounding songs, that you want to define your "unchanging sound." Anyway, thats an idea.
3. "Open" up.Use open notes in your songs, even when you are at the 15th fret, you may come up with something that can blow people out of the water, just by adding an open note or two. I have a couple good riffs that use open notes in them, and they sound great. Good for making more "evil" sounding songs. Eddie Van Halen uses lots of open notes in his soloing, so why not use them in your riffs?
4. Find your groove and favorite stuff.Okay, now I'm sure that many people, like me, have a "favorite chord" that they just love. Whether it be the E minor, or the F diminished, you can find chords that you just love so much, and think, "Damn thats good. Lets make some tunes out of it." And thus, a dynasty will begin. Or at least, a whole new outlook on making your riffs. Take me for instance. I just love the a minor chord (preferabally the open one) because it sounds great, has many other places to go that are easily accessible (Asus, AMaj, A7, Am7 etc) and just overall appeals to my ear. I also like suspended chords in general, as they have that great tone that I find just right. Anyway, you can make great riffs, using just one chord letter. I made a very memorable riff, starting with our friend the A minor, and adding sevenths or what not. Not too many songs use a one chord type of riff, so it may be a good thing to check out.
4. Find your groove and favorite stuff.Okay, now I'm sure that many people, like me, have a "favorite chord" that they just love. Whether it be the E minor, or the F diminished, you can find chords that you just love so much, and think, "Damn thats good. Lets make some tunes out of it." And thus, a dynasty will begin. Or at least, a whole new outlook on making your riffs. Take me for instance. I just love the a minor chord (preferabally the open one) because it sounds great, has many other places to go that are easily accessible (Asus, AMaj, A7, Am7 etc) and just overall appeals to my ear. I also like suspended chords in general, as they have that great tone that I find just right. Anyway, you can make great riffs, using just one chord letter. I made a very memorable riff, starting with our friend the A minor, and adding sevenths or what not. Not too many songs use a one chord type of riff, so it may be a good thing to check out.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
5. Use unorthodox means.Great riffs are just waiting to be unlocked. however, you may have to do some sneaky things to find them. You can try stretches that you can barely make, and make some good arpeggios out of them, or you can make some odd chords that you don't think exist (which, they do) or play with techniques or styles that you would never use. Experiment.
6. Let your fingers do the walking.One of the best methods, is improvising. You don't even have to be good at improve, you just have to be playing. I have many great riffs made when I was talking to my friends, or watching tv. Just get relax, don't think about it and play. Just play. I can almost guarantee that one day, when you aren't thinking about what you are doing, you will come up with something that sparks your attention.
7. Unleash your emotion.The most obvious method is to play what you feel. If you are feeling sad, play the guitar, and you will most likely come up with a sad riff. A great one to use (especially if your girlfriend/boyfriend breaks up with you; or better yet dumps you. Not trying to be a jerk, but it's the truth.
8. Conclusion.To conclude, I just want to say that, these are just ideas that you may never have thought or overlooked. If you already knew about these, then all the power to you. I hope I have sparked your interest and influenced your composition skills at least a little bit. One thing I didn't mention is to try moving open chords to higher frets. You an make numerous original riffs like this. Anyway, don't give up; you'll find at least one good riff.
6. Let your fingers do the walking.One of the best methods, is improvising. You don't even have to be good at improve, you just have to be playing. I have many great riffs made when I was talking to my friends, or watching tv. Just get relax, don't think about it and play. Just play. I can almost guarantee that one day, when you aren't thinking about what you are doing, you will come up with something that sparks your attention.
7. Unleash your emotion.The most obvious method is to play what you feel. If you are feeling sad, play the guitar, and you will most likely come up with a sad riff. A great one to use (especially if your girlfriend/boyfriend breaks up with you; or better yet dumps you. Not trying to be a jerk, but it's the truth.
8. Conclusion.To conclude, I just want to say that, these are just ideas that you may never have thought or overlooked. If you already knew about these, then all the power to you. I hope I have sparked your interest and influenced your composition skills at least a little bit. One thing I didn't mention is to try moving open chords to higher frets. You an make numerous original riffs like this. Anyway, don't give up; you'll find at least one good riff.
Your growth
As the years go by in the life of a player, there are two kinds of growth we can experience. Both are necessary for our development as musicians and guitarists. I call them Vertical Growth, and Horizontal Growth.
Here is a common scenario. A person comes in for lessons after already playing for awhile. Maybe they have played for a year, maybe a few years, maybe many years. I say, "play something for me, something you are comfortable with". Now a few different things may happen. They may play nicely, strumming and singing, maybe even throw in a few runs. So I see that for the level they are at, they play well. I then try to find out what they are here for. "What do you want to do, that you find you can't do."
They may say "Well, I play lots of things, but I play them all the same way. I want to learn how to do chord melody solos, more interesting chords and strums, and also improve my fingerpicking so I can try some classical.". In other words, they want to move to a higher level as a player. They want to make VERTICAL GROWTH. They don't want to continue to learn new songs and play them the same way. That would be HORIZONTAL GROWTH. Everyone can always make Horizontal Growth, even on their own. You just learn more material, but you don't actually play any differently, musically or technically.
Vertical progress as a player is the tough one. It requires what is usually considered "work", although I have always found it enjoyable, although challenging. Here is another even more common scenario. Someone comes in for lessons after playing for awhile, and when I ask them to play, they make a couple of excuses, and then they play really badly! Then I ask them to play something else, and they play that really badly! This is the person unable to create Vertical Growth. The reason they cannot raise their level as a player, is because they don't know how to practice to solve problems and achieve results! Also, because of this, there is no solid foundation of technique for Vertical Growth to be built upon. So there is only Horizontal Growth, more things played the same way, in this case, badly.
Do you know how many young players I've seen who play only the beginning of a hundred songs, and play them badly? Lots. Or how many people playing classical who go from piece to piece, struggling with and mutilating pieces as they go? Lots. It is sad, and unnecessary. If you love the guitar, and are dedicated to your own development as a player, if you are dying to play the way the guitarists you admire play, you must know how to create Vertical Growth. This is done through an understanding of HOW TO PRACTICE. I am of course talking about REAL PRACTICE, not repetitive "run throughs" that only re-enforce the muscle tensions causing the problems you already have.
From my experience as a player and as a teacher, it is extremely difficult to create Vertical Growth, once bad, or insufficient practice has locked in tension and bad habits. The good news is, it is not impossible. In fact, the word difficult is not the best word. I use it only because we have such a tendency to under estimate the intensity of concentration it takes to undo past damage. A better word is challenging. And if you want to keep getting better and better as a guitarist, you'd better learn to love challenges! As Mark Twain said "Life is one damn thing after another", and that is what playing and practicing are. One damn problem to deal with after another. But as we learn to actually deal with and solve those problems, what a sweet reward we earn.
In fact, it is not the problems we face in our playing that are really the obstacle to our growth. It is the growing feeling of frustration and helplessness we experience as time continues to go by, and we see no fundamental improvement. We start to feel helpless. We may not admit this feeling to ourselves, we only notice that, for some reason, we are beginning to lose our motivation to practice.
When we learn how to really practice, we start to feel powerful. Problems and challenges don't frighten us, they excite us. Because we know that we can look forward to those problems getting smaller and smaller, weaker and weaker, as we continue to apply the Principles of Correct Practice.It is important to realize that the quality of our Vertical Growth determines the quality of our Horizontal Growth. Any ability we have gained as players has been our Vertical Growth. If our Vertical Growth has been shaky, with weaknesses built in, (which was true of myself, and I think, most players), that shakiness will be in everything we play, so our Horizontal Growth doesn't do us much good, it just keeps us busy, feeling like we are making progress because we are learning a new song or piece. This is why so many teachers turn the page and assign new material to a student, even though the student can't play the material from this week. The teacher doesn't really know how to create Vertical Growth, and so is trying to keep a feeling of movement going. Most students, if they are paying attention, will catch on to this.
If Vertical Growth is strong, than all new material learned will be strong, and will help you grow as a musician, as you absorb new music, and are able to play it well. This is the kind of Horizontal Growth we want.
If you want to learn how to have this Vertical Growth as a regular experience for you, I invite you to visit www.guitarprinciples.com and learn more about "The Principles of Correct Practice For Guitar." It is the approach I have found to work for myself, for my students, and anyone else who actually understands it, and uses it
Here is a common scenario. A person comes in for lessons after already playing for awhile. Maybe they have played for a year, maybe a few years, maybe many years. I say, "play something for me, something you are comfortable with". Now a few different things may happen. They may play nicely, strumming and singing, maybe even throw in a few runs. So I see that for the level they are at, they play well. I then try to find out what they are here for. "What do you want to do, that you find you can't do."
They may say "Well, I play lots of things, but I play them all the same way. I want to learn how to do chord melody solos, more interesting chords and strums, and also improve my fingerpicking so I can try some classical.". In other words, they want to move to a higher level as a player. They want to make VERTICAL GROWTH. They don't want to continue to learn new songs and play them the same way. That would be HORIZONTAL GROWTH. Everyone can always make Horizontal Growth, even on their own. You just learn more material, but you don't actually play any differently, musically or technically.
Vertical progress as a player is the tough one. It requires what is usually considered "work", although I have always found it enjoyable, although challenging. Here is another even more common scenario. Someone comes in for lessons after playing for awhile, and when I ask them to play, they make a couple of excuses, and then they play really badly! Then I ask them to play something else, and they play that really badly! This is the person unable to create Vertical Growth. The reason they cannot raise their level as a player, is because they don't know how to practice to solve problems and achieve results! Also, because of this, there is no solid foundation of technique for Vertical Growth to be built upon. So there is only Horizontal Growth, more things played the same way, in this case, badly.
Do you know how many young players I've seen who play only the beginning of a hundred songs, and play them badly? Lots. Or how many people playing classical who go from piece to piece, struggling with and mutilating pieces as they go? Lots. It is sad, and unnecessary. If you love the guitar, and are dedicated to your own development as a player, if you are dying to play the way the guitarists you admire play, you must know how to create Vertical Growth. This is done through an understanding of HOW TO PRACTICE. I am of course talking about REAL PRACTICE, not repetitive "run throughs" that only re-enforce the muscle tensions causing the problems you already have.
From my experience as a player and as a teacher, it is extremely difficult to create Vertical Growth, once bad, or insufficient practice has locked in tension and bad habits. The good news is, it is not impossible. In fact, the word difficult is not the best word. I use it only because we have such a tendency to under estimate the intensity of concentration it takes to undo past damage. A better word is challenging. And if you want to keep getting better and better as a guitarist, you'd better learn to love challenges! As Mark Twain said "Life is one damn thing after another", and that is what playing and practicing are. One damn problem to deal with after another. But as we learn to actually deal with and solve those problems, what a sweet reward we earn.
In fact, it is not the problems we face in our playing that are really the obstacle to our growth. It is the growing feeling of frustration and helplessness we experience as time continues to go by, and we see no fundamental improvement. We start to feel helpless. We may not admit this feeling to ourselves, we only notice that, for some reason, we are beginning to lose our motivation to practice.
When we learn how to really practice, we start to feel powerful. Problems and challenges don't frighten us, they excite us. Because we know that we can look forward to those problems getting smaller and smaller, weaker and weaker, as we continue to apply the Principles of Correct Practice.It is important to realize that the quality of our Vertical Growth determines the quality of our Horizontal Growth. Any ability we have gained as players has been our Vertical Growth. If our Vertical Growth has been shaky, with weaknesses built in, (which was true of myself, and I think, most players), that shakiness will be in everything we play, so our Horizontal Growth doesn't do us much good, it just keeps us busy, feeling like we are making progress because we are learning a new song or piece. This is why so many teachers turn the page and assign new material to a student, even though the student can't play the material from this week. The teacher doesn't really know how to create Vertical Growth, and so is trying to keep a feeling of movement going. Most students, if they are paying attention, will catch on to this.
If Vertical Growth is strong, than all new material learned will be strong, and will help you grow as a musician, as you absorb new music, and are able to play it well. This is the kind of Horizontal Growth we want.
If you want to learn how to have this Vertical Growth as a regular experience for you, I invite you to visit www.guitarprinciples.com and learn more about "The Principles of Correct Practice For Guitar." It is the approach I have found to work for myself, for my students, and anyone else who actually understands it, and uses it
Incredible Lightness
In my essay "Discover Your Discomfort", I urged you to become aware of the sensations of discomfort you experience while practicing and playing. The reason is very simple. Until you do, you will not be able to be aware of the sensations (that is, your mental awareness of the physical feelings in your body) a good player has, the sensations that you must have to play well. I call this sensation, or feeling in the body, "The Incredible Lightness". I call it this, because once you experience it, and allow it to grow by Correct Practicing, well, it's Incredible. This feeling of lightness is what makes fast, accurate playing possible. Unfortunately, because of ignorance of how to practice correctly, far too many players create for themselves "The Incredible Tightness".
I will quote myself to bring this point home:"The relative state of tension or relaxation in the muscles is one of the hardest things to be aware of. I once saw a person play with so much tension in her right shoulder that it was up to her earlobe! Always trying to be helpful, I pointed this out to her when she finished. As she let her shoulder down a few inches to it's normal position, she told me I was wrong, she wasn't tense, but very relaxed!
The reason she felt this way is because we very quickly become used to whatever we experience, and consider it normal. We never question whatever tensions we experience in learning new skills on the guitar, and in fact consider it part of the doing of it. And it often is, but it doesn't have to continue to be that strenuous. We can learn to do the movements with less effort.
However, when we first try something, it is often not possible to do it without a lot of excess tension. The mistake is, we assume that the tension is inevitable, and never realize we can get to a point where we can get the result we want without all the huffing, puffing and straining. Often, more stretch or muscle development is required, which will come with a correct approach.
Of course, as we continue to try the new skill, and assume the effort we feel must be that way, it becomes ingrained into our approach, and gets worse. So we have a vicious circle, that leads to frustration and bad playing.
So extra tension in the muscles, which every advanced player knows is the number one cause of playing difficulty, becomes a blind spot for us. Usually we are only aware of the result of the tension, which is that mistake we just made. Often it happens we are not even aware of that, because we start to filter out those unpleasant reminders of our troubles. A As you will see shortly, the correct approach to dealing with "mistakes" caused by tension, is to repeat the movement extremely slowly, with a great focus on keeping all muscles relaxed. With each repetition, the muscles learn the relaxed way of moving to produce the result you want.
"So you see, it is lack of understanding of how the body/mind functions, and lack of honest attention while practicing, that gets us in to trouble. You must start to observe your own "Tightness", and replace it with "Lightness", then you will see your level as a player change upward, what I call Vertical Growth. Since many players have no idea what this lightness feels like, here is a very simple way to connect with it. You must then begin to cultivate this feeling in actual playing. Believe me, it feels good! In fact, when you see a good player "making it look easy", it's because it is easy, when you have the "Incredible Lightness".
Let's discover "The Light Finger"The first step in finding "The Incredible Lightness" is to discover The Light Finger. The Light Finger is the completely relaxed finger, brought to the string, and touching the string, with only the weight of the finger. It does not press the string down until told to do so. To discover the sensation of the Light Finger, do this:
- Raise your arms in front of you, without the guitar, and take hold of the index finger of your left hand with the thumb and index finger of your right hand. Completely relax the left index, and wiggle it around with your right hand. This is the Light Finger.
- Touch the palm of your right hand with your left index. Raise the left index two inches from the palm. Now let it drop by it's own weight back to your palm, touching it very lightly, with no pressure. This is how the finger feels when it first touches the string.
- Now hold the guitar, paying attention to the being comfortable and relaxed throughout the body, and slowly raise your relaxed left arm up to the neck, bringing the hand up so that the index finger is lined up with the ninth fret. Have your fingers in a relaxed curl over the 6th string. Allow your Light, relaxed middle finger to fall to the 6th string, behind the 10th fret, so that it touches the string, but applies no pressure. Look at the string under your finger, and see the distance between the string and the fingerboard. Make sure the string does not get move at all down toward the fret.
- Raise your finger an inch, and then bring it back to touch the string again in the same way. Do this over and over, touching the string with the Light Finger, bringing it away, and touching it again. This is called Finger Flapping. Do this a few times with each finger every day. Make sure you keep the inactive fingers as relaxed as possible while touching the string with the active finger. This will get you used to the feeling, and over time, very sensitive to the feeling of complete relaxation.
This light feeling is how your fingers will be when they first touch the string to play a note, and it is the feeling they will return to when they release from a note. It enables them to be prepared for their next job. Many people never have this light feeling, and play with tense fingers all the time, and their playing suffers greatly because of it. This exercise is what I call a Foundation Exercise, one that should be done regularly, no matter how long you have been playing. It will continually act to increase your awareness of the correct and necessary sensations you must have in order to play well. Learning how to bring this feeling in to all playing situations is often a tricky matter, and there is much else to know, but we have to start somewhere!
Here is why. Speed, or the ability to execute movements rapidly and accurately, is simply the result of continuous correct practice that promotes "The Incredible Lightness". If you are creating "The Incredible Tightness" when you practice, you will suffer because of it. Think of walking and running. Does a little kid have to practice running? No, it just happens after balance is mastered, and the ability to place one foot in front of the other, and have all the body parts work together to keep the movement going. After the two year old gets that down, don't worry, he'll be running!
In closing, let me say that all the preceding is founded upon the first two Principles of Correct Practice. I will state them pretty formally, and they apply to all instruments. Principle of Correct Practice #1: Your aware, thinking mind is your primary practice tool. Principle of Correct Practice #2: Control of the fingers is developed by infusing conscious awareness into the muscles through the mechanism of attention while practicing. Remember, as in all things in life, you get out of it what you put in to it (and believe me, it makes me feel pretty old to hear myself saying that, but it's the truth). So read this over and over, and do the exercise, and apply these understandings to your practice.
I will quote myself to bring this point home:"The relative state of tension or relaxation in the muscles is one of the hardest things to be aware of. I once saw a person play with so much tension in her right shoulder that it was up to her earlobe! Always trying to be helpful, I pointed this out to her when she finished. As she let her shoulder down a few inches to it's normal position, she told me I was wrong, she wasn't tense, but very relaxed!
The reason she felt this way is because we very quickly become used to whatever we experience, and consider it normal. We never question whatever tensions we experience in learning new skills on the guitar, and in fact consider it part of the doing of it. And it often is, but it doesn't have to continue to be that strenuous. We can learn to do the movements with less effort.
However, when we first try something, it is often not possible to do it without a lot of excess tension. The mistake is, we assume that the tension is inevitable, and never realize we can get to a point where we can get the result we want without all the huffing, puffing and straining. Often, more stretch or muscle development is required, which will come with a correct approach.
Of course, as we continue to try the new skill, and assume the effort we feel must be that way, it becomes ingrained into our approach, and gets worse. So we have a vicious circle, that leads to frustration and bad playing.
So extra tension in the muscles, which every advanced player knows is the number one cause of playing difficulty, becomes a blind spot for us. Usually we are only aware of the result of the tension, which is that mistake we just made. Often it happens we are not even aware of that, because we start to filter out those unpleasant reminders of our troubles. A As you will see shortly, the correct approach to dealing with "mistakes" caused by tension, is to repeat the movement extremely slowly, with a great focus on keeping all muscles relaxed. With each repetition, the muscles learn the relaxed way of moving to produce the result you want.
"So you see, it is lack of understanding of how the body/mind functions, and lack of honest attention while practicing, that gets us in to trouble. You must start to observe your own "Tightness", and replace it with "Lightness", then you will see your level as a player change upward, what I call Vertical Growth. Since many players have no idea what this lightness feels like, here is a very simple way to connect with it. You must then begin to cultivate this feeling in actual playing. Believe me, it feels good! In fact, when you see a good player "making it look easy", it's because it is easy, when you have the "Incredible Lightness".
Let's discover "The Light Finger"The first step in finding "The Incredible Lightness" is to discover The Light Finger. The Light Finger is the completely relaxed finger, brought to the string, and touching the string, with only the weight of the finger. It does not press the string down until told to do so. To discover the sensation of the Light Finger, do this:
- Raise your arms in front of you, without the guitar, and take hold of the index finger of your left hand with the thumb and index finger of your right hand. Completely relax the left index, and wiggle it around with your right hand. This is the Light Finger.
- Touch the palm of your right hand with your left index. Raise the left index two inches from the palm. Now let it drop by it's own weight back to your palm, touching it very lightly, with no pressure. This is how the finger feels when it first touches the string.
- Now hold the guitar, paying attention to the being comfortable and relaxed throughout the body, and slowly raise your relaxed left arm up to the neck, bringing the hand up so that the index finger is lined up with the ninth fret. Have your fingers in a relaxed curl over the 6th string. Allow your Light, relaxed middle finger to fall to the 6th string, behind the 10th fret, so that it touches the string, but applies no pressure. Look at the string under your finger, and see the distance between the string and the fingerboard. Make sure the string does not get move at all down toward the fret.
- Raise your finger an inch, and then bring it back to touch the string again in the same way. Do this over and over, touching the string with the Light Finger, bringing it away, and touching it again. This is called Finger Flapping. Do this a few times with each finger every day. Make sure you keep the inactive fingers as relaxed as possible while touching the string with the active finger. This will get you used to the feeling, and over time, very sensitive to the feeling of complete relaxation.
This light feeling is how your fingers will be when they first touch the string to play a note, and it is the feeling they will return to when they release from a note. It enables them to be prepared for their next job. Many people never have this light feeling, and play with tense fingers all the time, and their playing suffers greatly because of it. This exercise is what I call a Foundation Exercise, one that should be done regularly, no matter how long you have been playing. It will continually act to increase your awareness of the correct and necessary sensations you must have in order to play well. Learning how to bring this feeling in to all playing situations is often a tricky matter, and there is much else to know, but we have to start somewhere!
Here is why. Speed, or the ability to execute movements rapidly and accurately, is simply the result of continuous correct practice that promotes "The Incredible Lightness". If you are creating "The Incredible Tightness" when you practice, you will suffer because of it. Think of walking and running. Does a little kid have to practice running? No, it just happens after balance is mastered, and the ability to place one foot in front of the other, and have all the body parts work together to keep the movement going. After the two year old gets that down, don't worry, he'll be running!
In closing, let me say that all the preceding is founded upon the first two Principles of Correct Practice. I will state them pretty formally, and they apply to all instruments. Principle of Correct Practice #1: Your aware, thinking mind is your primary practice tool. Principle of Correct Practice #2: Control of the fingers is developed by infusing conscious awareness into the muscles through the mechanism of attention while practicing. Remember, as in all things in life, you get out of it what you put in to it (and believe me, it makes me feel pretty old to hear myself saying that, but it's the truth). So read this over and over, and do the exercise, and apply these understandings to your practice.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
rhyme
All about rhyme. Why? Because I believe rhyme is probably the most abused and misused tool in the world of lyric writing. And I intend to correct this; at least for some up and coming writers.
Throughout this lesson, my main intention is to teach you how to use rhyme so that it is beneficial to your work, like enhancing flow and other reasons, (like grounding weirdness; giving off that story-like effect; verse linkage etc).
Soon I'll give some examples and using those as my starting point, I'll start to explain what you can do with rhyme, and what you should never do with rhyme. (That may make this sound like it is a "Do/Don't" article, but it will never be as clear cut as that).
Before you read my thoughts on whether the rhyming was used to better the work, and how it did so, it would be advantageous for you to read the examples and form some opinions of your own.
Example #1.
This example of, what I believe to be, cringe-inducing rhyming is the first verse of the Pink Floyd classic, 'Time'.
"Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an off hand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting someone or something to show you the way"
So what's wrong with it? Well, my main problem with it is all the similar syllable sounds. Really, though, it makes me cringe when I hear it. (Which is really a shame, as the melody is wondrous). Look closely at the lyrics and you'll see it says "way" twice and "waste" once. And these words sound almost identical when sung.
Now, you probably think I'm making a big deal out of nothing, but one of the things that you really should avoid in songs is ending two or more lines with the same word. I sincerely mean that, because the majority of the time a repeated word will sound idiotic. It's as if the person who was writing the lyrics couldn't think up an additional word that rhymed with - in this case - 'way'.
Another thing to be wary of - unless you're lyrical ability is highly advanced - is conventional rhyme schemes and rhyming couplets. You should look at the rhyme pattern here; it's a ridiculous AABA. It doesn't even sound abstract, it just sounds like the lyric writer (Roger Waters) was stoned or drunk or having an out mind experience when he wrote it.
To be fair though, it's not all bad and therefore I shouldn't be so negative. I have found positive things to comment on in these lyrics such as that third line. Look at it. From a lyrical perspective, it's a truly sublime piece of writing. Mainly because of the observation - which appears to be comparing us to animals - and also because of the 3 internal rhymes. (Internal rhyme - two or more rhyming words contained within one line. )
Another positive aspect of this particular verse is that the rhyming couplet is almost cliched, and therefore fits the topic perfectly. (I'm not being sarcastic). It seems like the rhyming couplet - due to the simplicity of it - was intended to give off that 'dull' feel that is talked about within the verse, and even if that is not the case, it's an interesting technique that you could take into account when working on your own writing. Following on? I said earlier that you should be wary of rhyming couplets until your lyrical ability has advanced to a supreme level. Well now, I'm going to give you an example of simple, standard rhyming couplets used perfectly.
Example #2.
This example is from a Jeff Buckley song, entitled "Eternal Life".
"Eternal life is now on my trail,
Got my red glitter coffin man, I just need one last nail
While all these ugly gentlemen play out their foolish games
There's a flame on the rise that screams my name"
What is there to say about it? Well, for starters, that first rhyming couplet is unusual and very original, and then the second one is more conventional - possibly even cliched. But the thing is, if you surround conventional rhymes with stylish - and ultimately cool - writing, then your lyrics will appeal to everyone. They'll be simultaneously accessible and abstract. That's the thing: you can ground lyrical weirdness with standard rhyming couplets.
For this next technique, I was thinking about what I haven't shown you to do with rhyme. And here's something that I like to call extended rhyming. The basic idea, (or my understanding of it), is more or less rhyming over more than one verse. For example, ABCD-ABCD, or ABBC-DEEC. You should be able to grasp this concept a bit more fully, whenever I give a proper example. So here we go?
Example #3.
The example below is the first two verses of Damien Rice's, "Older Chests". I have divided it into lines in the most obvious way I could see which would illustrate the point I'm trying to make.
"Older chests
Reveal themselves
Like a crack in the wall
Start off small
But grow in time
And we all seem
To need the help
Of someone else to mend that shelf
With too many books
Read me your favourite line"
Let me try and find a rhyme scheme in the way I have laid out the lyrics. ABCCD-EBBFD seems to cover it. Obviously the form of these lyrics is highly unconventional, so it was hard to illustrate fully what I mean. The one thing you should notice is how - in the second verse - he goes back to rhyming words that he used in the first verse.
Hmm?maybe you don't find that as interesting as I do, but still, be aware of the technique. It's one more piece of knowledge to add to your armoury, which will increase the flow of your work immensely. For example, you may have already noted that it's a good technique to use if you want to closely link your verses together, or perhaps you want to give off a story like feel - which is caused due to the repetition of the rhymes.
Closing Comments.
I think now you should have learnt how to manipulate rhyme to your advantage, and to the benefit of your lyrics. So all I have to say is experiment. The only things that can really teach you how to write are practice and analysis. I learnt through practice, but I'm still learning.
You'll never finish learning, but your skills will always develop if you practice and analyse on a regular basis. Find the time and be dedicated. Remember that when you are using rhyme, you should do it in a creative way. Use rhyme wisely. Do not force it.
Finally, do not forget to pick up a pen, and try out your newfound knowledge. You have been reading another of my lessons, and all I hope is that it has inspired some more creativity on your behalf. Hopefully you will be enthused to develop your skills to an even greater extent, and show the world of UG how prolific and talented a writer can be whenever there is dedication and an insatiable desire to improve.
Throughout this lesson, my main intention is to teach you how to use rhyme so that it is beneficial to your work, like enhancing flow and other reasons, (like grounding weirdness; giving off that story-like effect; verse linkage etc).
Soon I'll give some examples and using those as my starting point, I'll start to explain what you can do with rhyme, and what you should never do with rhyme. (That may make this sound like it is a "Do/Don't" article, but it will never be as clear cut as that).
Before you read my thoughts on whether the rhyming was used to better the work, and how it did so, it would be advantageous for you to read the examples and form some opinions of your own.
Example #1.
This example of, what I believe to be, cringe-inducing rhyming is the first verse of the Pink Floyd classic, 'Time'.
"Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an off hand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting someone or something to show you the way"
So what's wrong with it? Well, my main problem with it is all the similar syllable sounds. Really, though, it makes me cringe when I hear it. (Which is really a shame, as the melody is wondrous). Look closely at the lyrics and you'll see it says "way" twice and "waste" once. And these words sound almost identical when sung.
Now, you probably think I'm making a big deal out of nothing, but one of the things that you really should avoid in songs is ending two or more lines with the same word. I sincerely mean that, because the majority of the time a repeated word will sound idiotic. It's as if the person who was writing the lyrics couldn't think up an additional word that rhymed with - in this case - 'way'.
Another thing to be wary of - unless you're lyrical ability is highly advanced - is conventional rhyme schemes and rhyming couplets. You should look at the rhyme pattern here; it's a ridiculous AABA. It doesn't even sound abstract, it just sounds like the lyric writer (Roger Waters) was stoned or drunk or having an out mind experience when he wrote it.
To be fair though, it's not all bad and therefore I shouldn't be so negative. I have found positive things to comment on in these lyrics such as that third line. Look at it. From a lyrical perspective, it's a truly sublime piece of writing. Mainly because of the observation - which appears to be comparing us to animals - and also because of the 3 internal rhymes. (Internal rhyme - two or more rhyming words contained within one line. )
Another positive aspect of this particular verse is that the rhyming couplet is almost cliched, and therefore fits the topic perfectly. (I'm not being sarcastic). It seems like the rhyming couplet - due to the simplicity of it - was intended to give off that 'dull' feel that is talked about within the verse, and even if that is not the case, it's an interesting technique that you could take into account when working on your own writing. Following on? I said earlier that you should be wary of rhyming couplets until your lyrical ability has advanced to a supreme level. Well now, I'm going to give you an example of simple, standard rhyming couplets used perfectly.
Example #2.
This example is from a Jeff Buckley song, entitled "Eternal Life".
"Eternal life is now on my trail,
Got my red glitter coffin man, I just need one last nail
While all these ugly gentlemen play out their foolish games
There's a flame on the rise that screams my name"
What is there to say about it? Well, for starters, that first rhyming couplet is unusual and very original, and then the second one is more conventional - possibly even cliched. But the thing is, if you surround conventional rhymes with stylish - and ultimately cool - writing, then your lyrics will appeal to everyone. They'll be simultaneously accessible and abstract. That's the thing: you can ground lyrical weirdness with standard rhyming couplets.
For this next technique, I was thinking about what I haven't shown you to do with rhyme. And here's something that I like to call extended rhyming. The basic idea, (or my understanding of it), is more or less rhyming over more than one verse. For example, ABCD-ABCD, or ABBC-DEEC. You should be able to grasp this concept a bit more fully, whenever I give a proper example. So here we go?
Example #3.
The example below is the first two verses of Damien Rice's, "Older Chests". I have divided it into lines in the most obvious way I could see which would illustrate the point I'm trying to make.
"Older chests
Reveal themselves
Like a crack in the wall
Start off small
But grow in time
And we all seem
To need the help
Of someone else to mend that shelf
With too many books
Read me your favourite line"
Let me try and find a rhyme scheme in the way I have laid out the lyrics. ABCCD-EBBFD seems to cover it. Obviously the form of these lyrics is highly unconventional, so it was hard to illustrate fully what I mean. The one thing you should notice is how - in the second verse - he goes back to rhyming words that he used in the first verse.
Hmm?maybe you don't find that as interesting as I do, but still, be aware of the technique. It's one more piece of knowledge to add to your armoury, which will increase the flow of your work immensely. For example, you may have already noted that it's a good technique to use if you want to closely link your verses together, or perhaps you want to give off a story like feel - which is caused due to the repetition of the rhymes.
Closing Comments.
I think now you should have learnt how to manipulate rhyme to your advantage, and to the benefit of your lyrics. So all I have to say is experiment. The only things that can really teach you how to write are practice and analysis. I learnt through practice, but I'm still learning.
You'll never finish learning, but your skills will always develop if you practice and analyse on a regular basis. Find the time and be dedicated. Remember that when you are using rhyme, you should do it in a creative way. Use rhyme wisely. Do not force it.
Finally, do not forget to pick up a pen, and try out your newfound knowledge. You have been reading another of my lessons, and all I hope is that it has inspired some more creativity on your behalf. Hopefully you will be enthused to develop your skills to an even greater extent, and show the world of UG how prolific and talented a writer can be whenever there is dedication and an insatiable desire to improve.
inspiration
What is inspiration? As always, first things first: what is inspiration? I'll consult the dictionary for that one, and then I'll give you my definition, (in that order).
Inspiration: Something that gives you new ideas and enthusiasm to do something. Inspiration: An experience, emotion or thought that sparks off a creative flow. In the context of writing lyrics, inspiration is the thing that arouses a desire to convey your feelings and thoughts in the form of lyrics.
Where can inspiration be found? Well to put it quite simply: life. Most lyrics are written from one person's experiences, and therefore inspiration and where it is found, differs for each individual. Now, however, I'll just give some examples of experiences that may cause inspiration.
Example #1: Say you broke up with your girlfriend of 2 years; well then you'd be feeling all kinds of different emotions, and the easiest way to put the past behind you and move on is to write about these feelings.
Example #2: Maybe you saw some news coverage about the war on Iraq, and you have particular thoughts on it. Like say, you were suspicious of America's motives for going to war. Or perhaps the opposite is true. Maybe you were in full support of the war and you wanted to write about why it was necessary to go to war.
Example #3: Your father has just died and you want to write a heart-felt ode to him. Perhaps saying all the things you never said. Telling him how you really felt about him, and how you really loved him. Or perhaps you hated him but now you feel remorseful that he's gone, and you want to write about your confusion over this drastic change in emotion.
Of course, all of these deal with experiences. What about conveying thoughts and original ideas? Perhaps, you've thought of a storyline for your lyrics. Now all you have to do is keep the story flowing, make sure it never gets dull (I. e. keep the suspense on full), and make sure it comes to a complete and justified end. My point is this: you will find inspiration everywhere. In art, in experiences, in novels, in music?the list goes on.
What now? Good question. You see; inspiration is nothing without an artist (painter, sculptor, lyrics writer, novelist etc) to do something with it. The one thing that everyone must work on as a writer is channelling this inspiration. Being able to convey thoughts and feeling in nothing more than words. And also discovering how to do it in an easily relatable way.
Accessibility is a key thing in lyrics, because if no one understands the lyrics, then no one will fully enjoy them. I mean, I'm sure there are a lot of writers who like to have extremely intelligent songs, with lots of amazing metaphors and everything else that is regarded as 'intellectual'. But I'm not trying to tell you how to write intelligent songs which no one but intellectuals will understand. Nor am I trying to teach you how to write nursery rhymes. All I'm doing is teaching you the fundamental things, which are absolute necessities in writing lyrics. It's up to you what you do with this knowledge.
So let me get back to the point: Inspiration can be found everywhere, and will come to you at anytime, but the first thing you must do is learn how to recognise it, and the second thing you must do is learn how to manipulate it. Craft a thought, feeling or experience into a set of lyrics and do it often. Then you may call yourself a lyrics writer.
Inspiration: Something that gives you new ideas and enthusiasm to do something. Inspiration: An experience, emotion or thought that sparks off a creative flow. In the context of writing lyrics, inspiration is the thing that arouses a desire to convey your feelings and thoughts in the form of lyrics.
Where can inspiration be found? Well to put it quite simply: life. Most lyrics are written from one person's experiences, and therefore inspiration and where it is found, differs for each individual. Now, however, I'll just give some examples of experiences that may cause inspiration.
Example #1: Say you broke up with your girlfriend of 2 years; well then you'd be feeling all kinds of different emotions, and the easiest way to put the past behind you and move on is to write about these feelings.
Example #2: Maybe you saw some news coverage about the war on Iraq, and you have particular thoughts on it. Like say, you were suspicious of America's motives for going to war. Or perhaps the opposite is true. Maybe you were in full support of the war and you wanted to write about why it was necessary to go to war.
Example #3: Your father has just died and you want to write a heart-felt ode to him. Perhaps saying all the things you never said. Telling him how you really felt about him, and how you really loved him. Or perhaps you hated him but now you feel remorseful that he's gone, and you want to write about your confusion over this drastic change in emotion.
Of course, all of these deal with experiences. What about conveying thoughts and original ideas? Perhaps, you've thought of a storyline for your lyrics. Now all you have to do is keep the story flowing, make sure it never gets dull (I. e. keep the suspense on full), and make sure it comes to a complete and justified end. My point is this: you will find inspiration everywhere. In art, in experiences, in novels, in music?the list goes on.
What now? Good question. You see; inspiration is nothing without an artist (painter, sculptor, lyrics writer, novelist etc) to do something with it. The one thing that everyone must work on as a writer is channelling this inspiration. Being able to convey thoughts and feeling in nothing more than words. And also discovering how to do it in an easily relatable way.
Accessibility is a key thing in lyrics, because if no one understands the lyrics, then no one will fully enjoy them. I mean, I'm sure there are a lot of writers who like to have extremely intelligent songs, with lots of amazing metaphors and everything else that is regarded as 'intellectual'. But I'm not trying to tell you how to write intelligent songs which no one but intellectuals will understand. Nor am I trying to teach you how to write nursery rhymes. All I'm doing is teaching you the fundamental things, which are absolute necessities in writing lyrics. It's up to you what you do with this knowledge.
So let me get back to the point: Inspiration can be found everywhere, and will come to you at anytime, but the first thing you must do is learn how to recognise it, and the second thing you must do is learn how to manipulate it. Craft a thought, feeling or experience into a set of lyrics and do it often. Then you may call yourself a lyrics writer.
repetitions
Indeed…how to cleverly use repetition in your songs, and inevitably also a discussion of choruses, refrains, bridges etc. Initially, I’ll deal with lyrical repetition. This is whenever you repeat a phrase and keep the same structure but alter the content by adding another detail. For example, (and this is made up off the top of my head):
“I’ve never seen such a queen
In this town before
But then I’ve never been in this dream
Town before”
If you ignore the double internal rhyming, you will notice (hopefully), that the structure of both couplets is more or less the same, and the foundation line still deals with “being in a specific town”. Yet another detail is added, so that the reader if more fully aware of what is happening. That is the type of lyric that you’d sing with a smirk on your face…(like a country song). Now, I actually have a really good example, from the chorus of a great song by The Cooper Temple Clause called, “See this through and leave”:
“Please believe me when I say
This is how it has to end
This is easy on us all
Well easier than other ways
Sleep is all I ask of you
Sleep and not to wake again
See this through and leave my friend
Tears will come and I will end”
Other than the genius rhyming, there are two great examples of this repetition. They are a really good way of saying something differently, for example that “This is easy on us all / Well easier than other ways” is almost conversational, as if the singer is thinking aloud. He says something, but then is not quite content that he’s being entirely honest and therefore he adds in the “Well easier than other ways”.
As for the other one, well that’s just an ingenious way of telling someone that you want him or her to sleep forever/die. “Sleep is all I ask of you / Sleep and not to wake again”. Once more in these two lines he is going back to what he initially says and then adding another detail, and from this we grasp that either he doesn’t want the person to know that he is going to dead shortly (“tears will come and I will end”), of else he wants them to die. It allows open interpretation from the listeners, and all of those who read the lyrics. Does he mean he must commit suicide if the other person does not die? Or does he mean his suicide/death is inevitable but he is too ashamed to let the other person watch him crumble? Think about it…’cause that’s what high-quality lyrics have a tendency to do…they either ask you to think or they force you to think…
Now it is only fair to deal with this in the other sense… If we discuss repetition in the musical sense then of course, we are thinking about sections of a song where the music repeats. It is often the case that the lyrics to this section are also repeated. In, “See this through and leave”, that is the case in the chorus. Additionally, you’ll find a repeating bridge/pre-chorus quite frequently. And in a solo there is often a melodic motif, which is repeated, so as to allow the listener to recognise it and gives the illusion that the solo is completely coherent from start to finish. Without motifs, listeners often feel that the musician is just playing about without really knowing what he is doing.
The public seldom likes people who wander during their songs, either in their lyrics or in their solos or basically anywhere in the song. The person, who hears a song, will often not like it unless it has a hook or a chorus. For a hook all you really need is one good line that you can then repeat throughout the song, in an attempt to let the listener either sing along or just to ground the song. What distinguishes a hook from a chorus, is normally that it is only one or two lines, and secondly that the hook should, by and large, consist of an amazing line or two.
However, the main aim of a chorus is to be rousing, catchy and melodic…at this point in a song the listener wants to sing along. They are rarely too concerned whether the lyrics are any good at this stage…they just want to feel the need to sing. Or else they want to be able to jump around to it. This is why you’ll often find songs that have great lyrics in the verses but something mindlessly simple in the chorus. However, the melodic hook of the chorus is usually far superior to that of the verses.
“Moving on in this life
Losing out on a wife
Moving on in this life
Leaving you with the lies”
“I’ve never seen such a queen
In this town before
But then I’ve never been in this dream
Town before”
If you ignore the double internal rhyming, you will notice (hopefully), that the structure of both couplets is more or less the same, and the foundation line still deals with “being in a specific town”. Yet another detail is added, so that the reader if more fully aware of what is happening. That is the type of lyric that you’d sing with a smirk on your face…(like a country song). Now, I actually have a really good example, from the chorus of a great song by The Cooper Temple Clause called, “See this through and leave”:
“Please believe me when I say
This is how it has to end
This is easy on us all
Well easier than other ways
Sleep is all I ask of you
Sleep and not to wake again
See this through and leave my friend
Tears will come and I will end”
Other than the genius rhyming, there are two great examples of this repetition. They are a really good way of saying something differently, for example that “This is easy on us all / Well easier than other ways” is almost conversational, as if the singer is thinking aloud. He says something, but then is not quite content that he’s being entirely honest and therefore he adds in the “Well easier than other ways”.
As for the other one, well that’s just an ingenious way of telling someone that you want him or her to sleep forever/die. “Sleep is all I ask of you / Sleep and not to wake again”. Once more in these two lines he is going back to what he initially says and then adding another detail, and from this we grasp that either he doesn’t want the person to know that he is going to dead shortly (“tears will come and I will end”), of else he wants them to die. It allows open interpretation from the listeners, and all of those who read the lyrics. Does he mean he must commit suicide if the other person does not die? Or does he mean his suicide/death is inevitable but he is too ashamed to let the other person watch him crumble? Think about it…’cause that’s what high-quality lyrics have a tendency to do…they either ask you to think or they force you to think…
Now it is only fair to deal with this in the other sense… If we discuss repetition in the musical sense then of course, we are thinking about sections of a song where the music repeats. It is often the case that the lyrics to this section are also repeated. In, “See this through and leave”, that is the case in the chorus. Additionally, you’ll find a repeating bridge/pre-chorus quite frequently. And in a solo there is often a melodic motif, which is repeated, so as to allow the listener to recognise it and gives the illusion that the solo is completely coherent from start to finish. Without motifs, listeners often feel that the musician is just playing about without really knowing what he is doing.
The public seldom likes people who wander during their songs, either in their lyrics or in their solos or basically anywhere in the song. The person, who hears a song, will often not like it unless it has a hook or a chorus. For a hook all you really need is one good line that you can then repeat throughout the song, in an attempt to let the listener either sing along or just to ground the song. What distinguishes a hook from a chorus, is normally that it is only one or two lines, and secondly that the hook should, by and large, consist of an amazing line or two.
However, the main aim of a chorus is to be rousing, catchy and melodic…at this point in a song the listener wants to sing along. They are rarely too concerned whether the lyrics are any good at this stage…they just want to feel the need to sing. Or else they want to be able to jump around to it. This is why you’ll often find songs that have great lyrics in the verses but something mindlessly simple in the chorus. However, the melodic hook of the chorus is usually far superior to that of the verses.
“Moving on in this life
Losing out on a wife
Moving on in this life
Leaving you with the lies”
building lyrics 7 steps
Step 1 - Main Idea.The title could be the first thing you do, or the last thing you do. But make sure that you think of your main idea. The main idea is usually something you feel strong about, something you want to persuade others, a story, an experience, etc. Just write down something that you want your song to be mostly about. You could now base the title off of your main idea or just wait and see if you want to use something else, but you are now ready for step 2.
Step 2 - Chorus.Your Chorus should be about your main idea, it shouldn't be very detailed tho. You should write about how you feel about your main topic; even though the chorus doesn't have to say your main idea, just write about how the main idea makes you feel or thoughts that you have. You don't even have to rhyme yet, just jot down your feelings, rhyming could come last if you wanted it to. Now onto step 3.
Step 3 - Verses.Your verses should support your main idea and/or your chorus. Now, the verses should be detailed. Still not having to rhyme, jot down reasons for the main idea, thoughts about the main idea, emotions that you feel while experiencing the main idea(you may have used these in the chorus, but you shouldn't have been detailing them, now is the time to go more in depth with your feelings about the main idea, etc. It's always best to use the five sense six if you see dead people) during the writing process, the audience will be more into the song this way. Do not make your versus too long or the song will most likely become boring. There is usually two to three verses in a song, but it is up to you.
Step 4 - Bridge.You don't need a bridge, a lot of music these days don't have bridges. Bridges are usually used when your main topic is something you feel. The bridge could be like what you do when the feeling comes over you. Usually a more aggressive part of the song.
Step 5 - Rhyming.Now that you have your chorus, your verses, and maybe your bridge, its time to make it rhyme. Go back to your brainstorming and start piecing it together, rearanging it, and tweeking it. If you can't make some of the words rhyme, find a thesaurus to find synonyms of the word you want to rhyme with, and start to piece that together (I suggest www.rhymezone.com for synonyms and rhymes, and many other ways to build your wording). You will also need a rhyme scheme, meaning how often the rhymes occur and in what order they occur. Having a good rhyme sheme is also very helpful when making the melody of the lyrics.
Step 6 - Melody.Melody always depends on what kind of song it is and what rhyme scheme you have. Sometimes it's easier to have a riff on a guitar or piano or something similar. I can't go in too deep on melodies because I have my own style and everyone has a different style (except pop music).
Step 7 - Structure.Time to put the pieces in place. The verse usually comes before the chorus and then theres another verse, and maybe a bridge, sometimes there's also a prechorus which is basically tying the verse and the chorus together, like a transition. but you can put your song together any which way you like.
Step 2 - Chorus.Your Chorus should be about your main idea, it shouldn't be very detailed tho. You should write about how you feel about your main topic; even though the chorus doesn't have to say your main idea, just write about how the main idea makes you feel or thoughts that you have. You don't even have to rhyme yet, just jot down your feelings, rhyming could come last if you wanted it to. Now onto step 3.
Step 3 - Verses.Your verses should support your main idea and/or your chorus. Now, the verses should be detailed. Still not having to rhyme, jot down reasons for the main idea, thoughts about the main idea, emotions that you feel while experiencing the main idea(you may have used these in the chorus, but you shouldn't have been detailing them, now is the time to go more in depth with your feelings about the main idea, etc. It's always best to use the five sense six if you see dead people) during the writing process, the audience will be more into the song this way. Do not make your versus too long or the song will most likely become boring. There is usually two to three verses in a song, but it is up to you.
Step 4 - Bridge.You don't need a bridge, a lot of music these days don't have bridges. Bridges are usually used when your main topic is something you feel. The bridge could be like what you do when the feeling comes over you. Usually a more aggressive part of the song.
Step 5 - Rhyming.Now that you have your chorus, your verses, and maybe your bridge, its time to make it rhyme. Go back to your brainstorming and start piecing it together, rearanging it, and tweeking it. If you can't make some of the words rhyme, find a thesaurus to find synonyms of the word you want to rhyme with, and start to piece that together (I suggest www.rhymezone.com for synonyms and rhymes, and many other ways to build your wording). You will also need a rhyme scheme, meaning how often the rhymes occur and in what order they occur. Having a good rhyme sheme is also very helpful when making the melody of the lyrics.
Step 6 - Melody.Melody always depends on what kind of song it is and what rhyme scheme you have. Sometimes it's easier to have a riff on a guitar or piano or something similar. I can't go in too deep on melodies because I have my own style and everyone has a different style (except pop music).
Step 7 - Structure.Time to put the pieces in place. The verse usually comes before the chorus and then theres another verse, and maybe a bridge, sometimes there's also a prechorus which is basically tying the verse and the chorus together, like a transition. but you can put your song together any which way you like.
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