many genres have enough material in the same key and similar tempo that you can take a verse from here and a chorus from there type of thing
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How to write a really, REALLY unoriginal song?
- Thread starter pklima
- Start date
I'd buy a 2-disc compilation of whatever genre you are looking at.
listen to the whole thing like twice, back to back.
pick up your guitar/bass/keys whatever and just go for it.
listen to the whole thing like twice, back to back.
pick up your guitar/bass/keys whatever and just go for it.
The irony is they wrote the song about formula song writing...and used a formula chords progression..... but then chose a melody and performance style to make it fresh and original. There's some mad chops in that song! Probably my favorite BT song...
Very good idea. Or a few of those hour-long Youtube mixes from the last few months. You easily notice the songs that stick out and what makes them stick out, so then you'll know what to avoid when you want to be stereotypical.
I will answer your question by directing you to The Flintstones, Season 2, Episode 1: The Hit Song Writers.
Instructions are clearly defined within the episode.
You're not wrong my friend. Brilliant analysis
If I may be permitted to make one slight addition: the obligatory "up-a-whole-step-key-change" going into the last double chorus...
If you looked at the Andy Gullahorn song I referenced early in this thread, you'd see that I addressed this very thing.
The last verse has a line that says :
"Hooooooold out your noooooootes...And prepare to modulaaaate...Then modulaaaaaaaaate."
You can probably guess from the multiple vowels that those are long notes. They are.
1- slap some "loopz" together. Make sure the drum beat is one of those that originated in 1990, but is still used today. And make sure that one of the loops is taken from a well know funk tune that has already been oversampled. Anything by James Brown will fit the bill. For deep cultural reference, the Meters. Do not allow any playing by real musicians - you cannot risk the introduction of creativity and originality into your song.
2 - Then go through recent songs performed by what I call "Urban Yodelers" - you know- the vocalists that trill all over the place like a coked up canary, and make note of what words they have in common. Take those words, and assemble them into a set of lyrics. For extra impact, use profanity. And "Baby" has to be used at least 10 times per verse.
3 - Further - do not allow the vocals to be laid down in a single take. You must record them one word at a time, until there is not the slightest bit of life or soul left. If you are skillful, maybe you can feed your lyrics into Siri, and record that.
4 - VERY IMPORTANT - you must over use auto tune. Your song will not be a hit without it.
5 - Finally, over maximize, over produce, jam all tracks up louder than every other track, then compress it until the VU meters do not move at all from beginning to end, and make your final mix as loud as you can without digital distortion.
6 - to absolutely insure a hit, have the band or the vocalist do or wear something that is more outrageous and attention getting than anything that has happened previously. And they must wear some attire or make - up or something that will make people ignore the music altogether and spend weeks talking about that outfit. Remember, if it doesn't look good on video, then it won't be a hit. Nudity is kind of passe these days. I have a great idea - while the music is played in the background, have the band stand in a circle with machine guns and commence shooting at each other until no one is left standing. Guaranteed smash hit, right there. After that, who needs a follow up?
2 - Then go through recent songs performed by what I call "Urban Yodelers" - you know- the vocalists that trill all over the place like a coked up canary, and make note of what words they have in common. Take those words, and assemble them into a set of lyrics. For extra impact, use profanity. And "Baby" has to be used at least 10 times per verse.
3 - Further - do not allow the vocals to be laid down in a single take. You must record them one word at a time, until there is not the slightest bit of life or soul left. If you are skillful, maybe you can feed your lyrics into Siri, and record that.
4 - VERY IMPORTANT - you must over use auto tune. Your song will not be a hit without it.
5 - Finally, over maximize, over produce, jam all tracks up louder than every other track, then compress it until the VU meters do not move at all from beginning to end, and make your final mix as loud as you can without digital distortion.
6 - to absolutely insure a hit, have the band or the vocalist do or wear something that is more outrageous and attention getting than anything that has happened previously. And they must wear some attire or make - up or something that will make people ignore the music altogether and spend weeks talking about that outfit. Remember, if it doesn't look good on video, then it won't be a hit. Nudity is kind of passe these days. I have a great idea - while the music is played in the background, have the band stand in a circle with machine guns and commence shooting at each other until no one is left standing. Guaranteed smash hit, right there. After that, who needs a follow up?
Sorry Bard...I missed it: You know what they say though...great minds think alike !
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