The Songwriting Mega Thread

[ImNotJoel]

Oops, sorry high jacked the thread. Back to your previously announced discussion which is already in progress

Everything you said pertains to song writing and is very helpful to songwriters and musicians looking to get in the game. Thanks for sharing your story sounds like you had one hell of a ride.

I am 26 born a last week of the eighties (89) so I am too young to remember the grudge invasion. But it would have been interesting to see it all get flipped upside down over night.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

I would think had it easier since they had no direct pressure from "those people" who invested their $$$ in you to make them $$$$$ I have to say walking away when I did even though it caused major problems was the best choice to make. If you were able to change time and Grunge didn't nail the coffin in Hair bands not sure I would be around to share this.

Do you think about the songwriting only as "how to make a lot of money" and become famous?

 

[rtslinger]

Do you think about the songwriting only as "how to make a lot of money" and become famous?

Nope I loved playing bass it was my passion then and still is today. I also was a person who felt I had something to say and my vehicle was my words. The band situation and people driving down the street at 2am screaming Slinger out of a car kind of helps you to lose yourself in the rocking roll dream which became the title of our first album not to mention finding it in a local record store. Just blows your mind.

 

[rtslinger]

Everything you said pertains to song writing and is very helpful to songwriters and musicians looking to get in the game. Thanks for sharing your story sounds like you had one hell of a ride.

I am 26 born a last week of the eighties (89) so I am too young to remember the grudge invasion. But it would have been interesting to see it all get flipped upside down over night.

Yup people just stopped working dropped from contracts left and right stereotyped it just crumbled for so many guys hid their pointy bass from the light of day but it wasn't only bands it was guitar makers as well Dean, BC Rich Jackson to name a few they all suffered the death blow as well. I think about what pressure Cobain must have been under considering his goal was to be like bands he loved like Kiss and others and he nearly single handling stopped that music in its tracks

 

[Whousedtoplay]

Nope I loved playing bass it was my passion then and still is today. I also was a person who felt I had something to say and my vehicle was my words.

I like your answer.

The band situation (!) and people driving down the street at 2am screaming Slinger (!) out of a car kind of helps you to lose yourself in the rocking roll dream

You've been lost, now you're found again.

Thanks for sharing your interesting stories.

(As an amateur bass player, I could only enjoy listening to your stories. I've never had any problems being lost due to ANY luxury of being POPULAR and trying to escape overzealous FANS' "love".)

Yup people just stopped working dropped from contracts left and right stereotyped it just crumbled for so many guys hid their pointy bass from the light of day but it wasn't only bands it was guitar makers as well Dean, BC Rich Jackson to name a few they all suffered the death blow as well. I think about what pressure Cobain must have been under considering his goal was to be like bands he loved like Kiss and others and he nearly single handling stopped that music in its tracks

I think you should write a book about your memories.
I would be first to purchase it.

 

[rtslinger]

I like your answer.


You've been lost, now you're found again.

Thanks for sharing your interesting stories.

(As an amateur bass player, I could only enjoy listening to your stories. I've never had any problems being lost due to ANY luxury of being POPULAR and trying to escape overzealous FANS' "love".)



I think you should write a book about your memories.
I would be first to purchase it.

Thanks maybe some day

 

[Whousedtoplay]

Thanks maybe some day

Almost forgot to ask a very relevant to this thread question.
How were you composing your songs?
What instrument have you used?

 

[rtslinger]

Almost forgot to ask a very relevant to this thread question.
How were you composing your songs?
What instrument have you used?

Good question sometimes I would write on bass or six string other times I could just hear a drum beat and do some scat stuff meaning I may have a melody and no real words yet and sing about peanut butter or anything that fit the phrasing I was going for. I always had one of those mini cassette tape records like this one with me (before digital) and to my surprise they still sale them

I took this everywhere if I came up with and idea I would put it on tape. Writing wise sometimes I would have just a hooky line like the one I mention above about kissing you butt goodbye other times I had Chord progression that just opened to a melody line I had a progression F C Gm C just looping that I wrote and entire song about a broken romance due to substance abuse called Once was your man. It takes you through the person loving this person and the person with the problem and both coming to grips with what they see when they look at their reflection

 

[rtslinger]

Excellent lyrics. The words are very melodious.
You are a very talented poet.
To my regret, I'm not talented enough like some other TB members who commented in this thread.
I CANNOT just take even the most beautiful and melodious words/lyrics and create a melody that could pass my "easy standards".
Any lyrics before the tune work like some kind of muzzle to me.
I have some kind of mental block that in 99.99% the lyrics somehow hamper the flow of the tune.

Thanks missed this compliment. I think what helped me was story writing which I did as a kid long before I started writing songs
So I could weave a tale mostly horror and put myself in places I have never been. this helped me greatly in my ability to write a song
I actual didn't write poems until after 9-11 happen here in the US and I penned something that was recognized by a Poet Society in which I was asked to go to read my poem called "My mind is my prison Later title I walk alone" It was a poem about how the person may have felt who did it and how he would have to hide now for the rest of his life which ended up to be very true.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

I may have a melody and no real words yet and sing about peanut butter or anything that fit the phrasing I was going for

Now we are getting somewhere.
That's my point.

I always had one of those mini cassette tape records like this one with me (before digital)

Another very important point.
Don't let ANY of your precious motives/phrasing/etc... disappear for ever.

mini cassette tape records like this one with me (before digital)

$119 - nowadays for that kind of money ?

9-11 happen here in the US

P.S. You don't need to emphasize it. I remember exactly where I was, minute by minute.
It will be forever with me.

 

[rtslinger]

Now we are getting somewhere.
That's my point.



Another very important point.
Don't let ANY of your precious motives/phrasing/etc... disappear for ever.



$119 - nowadays for that kind of money ?



P.S. You don't need to emphasize it. I remember exactly where I was, minute by minute.
It will be forever with me.

I agree it was just away for me to move ahead much like I did when my dad passed and I had to write a song to help me release what was inside

 

[rtslinger]

But I think one of my best songs I wrote, I wrote when looking in my kids eyes when they were very little and seeing a unconditional love staring back at me. and thinking how did I become so loved?

 

[rtslinger]

Some good advice an this helped me to write original songs was I stopped listening to others people's music and worked on a formula of my own till I had people telling me they hadn't heard anything like that. It took time to get there but it was worth the effort. You don't want to copyright something and find out you stole it from your favorite band or you picked it up from the radio and it was rolling around in your subconscious. I just pen the greatest song in life to find out it is Lady Ga Ga. Now to you people that are new to the game Formula I am speaking of great example is AC/DC they use the same formula to write their songs and from the first 2 or 3 chords you know it is their songs it becomes a unique fingerprint that is your goal. Black Sabbath is another prime example Tony Iommi's Devil's Chord basically just a diminished chord without the third that no 3rd chord paved the way for their sound. But it isn't the only way to fly and you can be vastly talent like David Bowie who re-invented his formula throughout his career. But you need to start somewhere.

 

[Mattrill]

You whaaaat?!!!




It's OK, I just need to stop using my "Time Traveling Machine" and "licking" from the distant future music.
(P.S. Sorry for my sarcasm.)


Now.
I'm a very strong advocate of a uniquely-recognized CHARACTERISTIC voice timbre that could be easily discerned among millions of other voices. The singer's Voice as the messenger of the song's Mood, Character, Style, etc...
Let's say, your voice timbre has a lot of UNIQUELY-interesting qualities. It's a big PLUS.
I tend to separate into two groups the SINGING MUSICIANS who write their own songs and sing it,
and the SUPERB but just SINGERS with beautiful voices.

Another important to me detail in a songwriting process.
It's the song's MOOD, FEEL, character that is a must for me.
Your song has IT. Your band has IT.
By listening to your songs I felt like as went back in time to those melodiously- prolific "a la Beatlesque" years with all those songs' chord progression/harmony and melodic contour.

Now, with all those time accumulated "musical influences/additives", it's sounds really "fresh" and unique.



You are so right. The regular listeners they don't put under the microscope the song's rhythm pattern, chord progression, chord substitutes, etc...
They just take the final product and either enjoy it or no.

P.S. If you want to be noticed as a bass player, become a "flashy extravaganza" like Flea.

Anyway, I sense a lot of potential in your songs. Don't let your creativity get "rusty".

Hey, sorry I haven't replied to this for a while. Can I use that time travelling machine to go back and forget about that post
Don't be sorry about the sarcasm I like it

Thanks for your comments, that means a lot . I showed my band them .

Flea was the reason I started playing bass

We are trying to jam 4 days a week this year, but missing summer bad, so cold now

 

[ImNotJoel]

Just wanted to keep this thread afloat. I had an interesting idea I have chords almost done and lyrics finished for a song.

So I just got a squire tele affinity which I have always wanted a tele of any form. My main guitar is a schecter banshee 8 string great guitar. So for this track it's clean I was planning on recording one track with the schecter playing lower chords and the tele in standard range (octave up from the eight). I am not sure if you guys are familiar with 8s but they are tuned F# standard. You can tune them down to E which is in bass or baritone range.

I am hoping if this works have a nice sonic balance of the warmer sound from the eight as well as lower frequency and a "tamed" twang from the tele. As far as bass I get to experiment which octave to sit in I fear it could get muddy if I am not careful since the 8 string is in its range but it could also sound really cool in the same range.

Anyway just sharing my latest ideas if not sure if I got the courage to post my lyrics. Maybe after a couple drafts but anyway keep writing and keep checking in!

 

[Mattrill]

Sup guys,

Just thought about this thread because i would like to show you some of my songs we played at our gig last night









never really shared stuff out before but I'm really happy with these recordings

 

[Basshappi]

What drives me nuts is that invariably the inspiration always seems to come when I've finally settled in and am starting to drift into sleep. I have to get up and record/write it right then or it will be gone in the morning.