I want to see that Blake, really. Could you pleeeeaaase show me?

 

Ow I had exactly the same thing! WOW THAT'S A GREAT IDEA, WAIT IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD, WAIT IT SOUNDS SO FAMILIAR....OH FUCK

 

But there was a little change lately. When I was waiting for the last Coldplay concert @ Lollapalooza I wrote a song on guitar in the key of D. But I think I did something wrong...well anyway. I have a question...

If I'd post some of my lyrics would you tell me if it's good or bad or which direction I should go?

 

 

EDIT: Blake I'm uploading the next part of the tutorial ^^

 

 

EDIT2: Lol never mind I just realised that most of them are just a project.

I want to see that Blake, really. Could you pleeeeaaase show me?

 

Ow I had exactly the same thing! WOW THAT'S A GREAT IDEA, WAIT IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD, WAIT IT SOUNDS SO FAMILIAR....OH FUCK

 

But there was a little change lately. When I was waiting for the last Coldplay concert @ Lollapalooza I wrote a song on guitar in the key of D. But I think I did something wrong...well anyway. I have a question...

If I'd post some of my lyrics would you tell me if it's good or bad or which direction I should go?

 

 

EDIT: Blake I'm uploading the next part of the tutorial ^^

 

 

EDIT2: Lol never mind I just realised that most of them are just a project.

 

SO thats what I'm watching :laugh3:

It's such a shame they didn't change anything in their setlists expect Moving To Mars @ iTunes festival...

 

Okay so I changed my mind again. That song just came out of nowhere yesterday so don't blame me, okay? I didn't....um like work on it or something. I just want you to tell me your opinion. It's a quite slow song on guitar.

The lyrics may not have sense and sounds very stupid (oh yes they are) but well, maybe I'll tell you later what they mean because it's a little weird :lol: :

 

 

"Don't ask me why, cause I don't even know this myself

Don't ask me when, I sent the spell that you break

There were so many roads I could take

Instead

 

I've never thought, of all these things I've done

I've never thought, of all these things I've said

Let me stand in this heat, and

Just. Don't.

Ask.

 

I set this room on fire...

I set this room on fire..."

 

 

Well that's what I got for this moment. I'll probably try to do something with it, but I want to hear/read your opinion is it worth or not, and I understand that these are just lyrics and they don't express anything.

I really like that.

I'd say the last part of the verse "just. Don't.", change that to something a bit longer, it seems to prod out a bit much from the rest.

I do like the room on fire bit, but to me it doesn't really go with the song, if you can somehow weave some other things into it, then it would make much more sense, but I guess...who said it has to make sense!

Oh i really like those lyrics i wish i could write something that good :D

 

The lyrics i have so far is

 

"splash of colour in a sea of gray

A ray of sunlight on a cloudy day

 

 

And then somewhere in the song i want to put the lyric i posted before...

Im armed with patience and high hopes

Against.... and then idk what.

 

But so far i think those lyrics are great i wrote the splash of colour one like 3 months ago and i didnt know how to continue it. until 2 nights ago and i thought of the armed one last night like i posted before :)

Thanks ^^ Yeah that "Just. Don't. Ask." bit is a little longer like you said.

 

Hm... I see what you mean but it's a little hard to replace because it was the idea of the song xD

So here comes the ridiculous part. Don't laugh :lol: That song came out from the Harry Potter scene when Goyle casts Fiendfyre and destroys the whole Room of Requirement. Hahah that must sound so funny. But really. I decided to let this thought in to my head because I was bored of siting in front of the piano trying to think about love and composing the songs or ending my projects. So I thought what the fuck? I can even write a song about movie scene. So it was kind of experiment but I think it didn't turn out as a complete failure cause well you would never thought that it was my inspiration right? And the words can cover with the real life issues I guess.

 

 

 

"splash of colour in a sea of gray

A ray of sunlight on a cloudy day"

 

Great metaphor, I like it!

Yeah but now that Ive been trying to write i listen to every single thing and try to find inspiration from it and find a lyric i can come up with from it lol. like your harry potter kind of thing!

 

But so far those 3 lyrics i have are better than every song ive ever written hahaha im so embarrassed of the other ones.

Don't worry, my songs are sometimes so chessy that... :lol:

But as I said I like your lyrics. They can turn out into something really amazing. Just don't try to push your luck.

After I wrote this part of my little stupid song (yeah I know it's riduculous but I like it still : P) I have to say that if you know exactly what you want to write about it's a lot easier. I knew what I wanted to capture there and thought of all the emotions in the movie and focused on Goyle and his personality. And well it just came out.

Yeah i need to find out where i want this song to go and im gonna take it really slow : ) and i need to find a good chord structure for it which will be the easier part of it.

Also i was thinking that maybe id write down all the words i really like like Combust, Ignite, spark, Soul, etc. and try to use them in songs would that be a stupid idea and pointless or not?

This is going to sound silly, but what I do is carry around a little notebook in my back pocket every day. I mention this because you spoke of writing words down that you like. Next time you're out and about and you hear someone mention a word or use a word in context that you really like, write it down! A single word can sometimes speak more than a full sentence :)

Yeah next time im by a convient store i was gonna buy a little notebook just in case inspiration strikes.

Oh I totally agree! I even thought about it but never stopped for a minute to honestly consider this idea. And since I can carry almost everything in my pocket this should be easy, I'll maybe try this myself some day ^^

And do you have any lyrics you wrote?

I still have every lyric ive ever written i have a huge notebook full of personal stuff of mine and lyrics are included but they all sorta suck hahaha

Great. Can you please show me all of that? Maybe on PM if you're too shy?

Its a little embaressing since they all suck : / but later when i have some time and im not lazy ill send you all of them

idk where else to put this so here:

 

I write song daily since I was in the fifth grade, and I really feel satisfied when I write a song but I find it hard when I find chords and then later write a song for it, like it and the next day I don´t like the lyrics anymore, I´ve written lyrics for a particular song more than 10 times. I don´t know what it is. I feel as if maybe later I wont feel this way and it will be meaningless to me or maybe its good enough for me but maybe everyone will think its dumb. Sometimes I think of a song with lyrics but then later I dont like the lyrics I chose.

Basically, I keep changing my mind about lyrics.

 

help??????????????

I've been writing for a good number of years. What I do is, literally sit down, start writing, and I don't stop until I'm satisfied. Most of the time I manage to create a song in a linear form during that one session.

But the main thing is practise, if you write a lot, you'll get better.

Think of things which mean something to you, because, frankly, you can't write a song about something you don't care about, it's not right. This should be a basis, and really just write, don't think of words that suggest things, or sounds you want, or anything like that, those things waste valuable songwriting time. If you write verses and choruses, you'll find something you like. You might want to work with it, or it might be perfect in that form, either way, it's a basis of a song, and it usually takes off from there.

 

:nod: :nod: :nod:

 

As a writer, I can confirm.

Well, every person is unique with different thoughts and feelings from everyone else. Someone can inspire you in your song writing, of course, but the lyrics should come from YOU. And you cannot rush great lyrics. Great lyrics will most likely just pop into your head when you very least expect it (like while you're driving, walking your dog, cleaning house, etc.), so I'd certainly reccommend always carrying a pen/pencil and paper around with you all the time. I've written several songs, but lots of times the tune comes at a totally different time than the lyrics do. When a tune comes to me, I go someplace private and record myself singing or humming the tune with my camera. And oftentimes the words come to me in the middle of the night. The best advice I can give is to write down any lyrics that pop into your head AS SOON AS they pop into your head. Many times some good lyrics have just randomly come to me, and I neglect to write them down because I think, "Ah, those are so good, I'll not forget them!!" But I do. So by not writing them down I've allowed a lot of good lyrics to get away from me. :( I'm sorry I don't have a lot of advice, but I hope I helped at least a tiny bit. Perhaps you could just frequently jot down exactly how you feel. Be as detailed as possible. Who knows, some true poetry could end up coming from it!! Good luck with everything! Hopefully some great stuff will come to you soon!! :)

^ You are so right! The same thing always happens to me. I have a lyric or tune at 3 am and then it's gone. When I think of them in class I write them on my worksheets. You gotta try to remember that stuff I think. maybe it'll end up not being as great as you thought it would, but you never know. That's my biggest problem...

^ You are so right! The same thing always happens to me. I have a lyric or tune at 3 am and then it's gone. When I think of them in class I write them on my worksheets. You gotta try to remember that stuff I think. maybe it'll end up not being as great as you thought it would, but you never know. That's my biggest problem...

 

Very good idea about writing them on your worksheet when they come to you in class! The times I haven't had a pen or pencil and paper with me, I've even gone so far as to ask for a pen and write the lyrics on my arm. Whatever you do, don't let them escape you when they do come to you, if at all possible. :)

My advice is: think with a pencil, write down things, it gets easier to organize your thoughts

I wanna write better emotional songs..but when i play them i feel embaraced at times..how can i get over this?

Good luck :) I write songs on a daily basis, they aren't that hard to write :)

 

This shows you are confident, doesn't mean you are talented!

Here's a comprehensive guide to songwriting, from someone who's been writing songs for ages; I remember doing parodies to hits I saw on TV when I was 8, and I'm now the songwriter of an alternative rock band. On top of that, I study Creative Writing at university.

 

Of course, I'm not the greatest songwriter that's ever lived - but the examples I'll be using below are from some of the best. So enjoy, and hope it helps!

 

Lyrics

1. First thing's first, go out and buy yourself a notebook. Pocket-sized, if you can. Carry it around, with a pen. And when someone says something interesting, exciting, or thought-provoking, write it down. Write down how you feel. Thom Yorke is a famous example of someone who does this, and if you listen to Radiohead songs, you'll be able to hear the individual phrases that have probably gone in his book: "We are all accidents waiting to happen", "Don't get any big ideas, they're not gonna happen", "Once again, we are hungry for a lynching", etc etc.
   
2. Focus on concrete images. If you want your song to relate to someone, speak to them in a language they can understand.
   Fig 1. "And the pain was enough to make a shy bald buddhist reflect and plan a mass murder." -- Morrissey.
   Why does this lyric work? Why is it good? Well, it sticks in your memory. You picture the image. And it says exactly how Mozza feels, without being so blunt as to say "You really hurt me" (hello Chris/Rihanna).
   
3. Use interesting words. No one wants to hear choppy, shoddy sixth form poetry that describes the sun and the world and our hearts and our souls, blah blah blah.
   Fig 2. "I took the batteries out my mysticism, and put them in my thinking cap." -- Alex Turner.
   Of course, you don't have to be the Arctic Monkeys to be good, Al's just someone who plays with language, and uses interesting words. Don't just shove interesting words in for the sake of it, but occasionally, a word like "mysticism" can brighten up your lyrics.
   
4. If you're going to try and say something profound, say it poetically.
   Fig 3. "If you can't be with the one you love, then love the one you're with." -- Billy Preston.
   This is the hardest of the above to master. It just comes with practice, occasionally luck. But the lyrics that people often quote on Facebook or tattoos just float like smoke. They're not Brentisms.
   
5. AVOID CLICHÉ. This is the most important tip I have for any lyricist. Never say something that's been said before a thousand times before. Sometimes the simplest lyrics are the most powerful - I know people that live their lives by Live Forever - but just don't write a song that's been written by someone else, because chances are, yours ain't as good...
   

 

And the music...

• I'd suggest getting a notebook for your chords as well. If you want to write a song by yourself, riffs and beats are optional, but the basis of songwriting is chords. Get yourself a book to write them in. I personally write influences down, so I have an idea how the song goes, as I can't read music/understand musical terms.
  
• Learn songs by the artists that you love, and learn how the parts you love work. For example, Paradise: work out how to play the melody with the chords, how the melody gets higher in the chorus, etc.
  
• Important one this: never be afraid to copy someone else. Don't go out and say "I'm going to write a Hey Jude", but if some of your chords match with someone else's, hey, it's not the end of the world. Everything's been done, just reinterpret.
  
• Riffs. I've heard of people recording them; Keith Richards doing Satisfaction in the middle of the night to remember it the next morning is one example. But the fact of the matter is, they're your hook. If you can't remember it that well, it's not worth it. In my band we have a saying; if you have to write a riff down to remember it, it's not worth playing. Because after all, a listener isn't going to write it down, are they?
  
• Only put a solo in if the solo is genuinely good. Don't do it for the sake of it.
  

 

Those are my tips for anyone starting out as a songwriter, sorry it's a bit long-winded. My last tip is to pick a nice title - a title can come from anywhere. I Am The Resurrection was spotted in a graffiti tag by Ian Brown. Don't Sit Down Cause I've Moved Your Chair was an injoke with the Arctic Monkeys and producer James Ford. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was the description Julian Lennon gave his dad John about a painting he'd just done.

 

Hope these help. Practice this and you can be the best. And remember, be prepared to break any of these rules as soon as you will stick to them!