Tips For Young Songwriters

Nat & Alex Wolff Answer Your Songwriting Questions

2012-01-12T22:11:00.000-06:00

Here it is, the post you've all been waiting for!

I collected more than 160 questions from readers for Nat & Alex! To respect their time and keep the focus on songwriting, I narrowed that down to 20. In some cases I combined or re-worded questions to try to cover as much ground as possible. When I could I identified who asked what, so you can see if your question got in there.

Also I have to say that while preparing for this interview I enjoyed getting to know Nat & Alex's new CD Black Sheep. I highly recommend it. In a word: inventive! Always fresh and surprising in a very good way. That's more than one word. Moving on...

Thanks so much to Nat & Alex for taking time out of their busy touring schedule to "talk" with us here on TFYS!!

And of course, thanks to everyone who sent in their questions!

Now without further ado...

Part I: Inspiration

Many readers want to know if your songs are real or imagined. For example, "Hardcore Wrestlers" is clearly written from an imagined point of view! But what about the more introspective songs on Black Sheep? How close do your songs ever get to describing your own true feelings and experiences?

Alex: Nat & I agree "Hardcore Wrestlers" was true to us when we were little. As young adults "Black Sheep" is more about ourselves now, it was different then.

A lot of readers asked about specific songs - whether they are true to life or imagined, and what made you write them. Please pick two or three to tell us about...

Alex: "Disappointed" is an honest song about how people my age feel about their insecurities.

Nat: "Illuminated" Feelings that are real don't necessarily come from one particular situation. Let the people who listen take what they want from it.

Melissa asks:
Who has inspired you the most as songwriters/composers and why?
And I add:
Besides The Beatles, since I think their influence is pretty clear!

Alex: Our inspiration for "Black Sheep" is The Replacements and Simon & Garfunkel. The Replacements for their sound and rock, and Simon & Garnfunkel for their harmony and fusion.

Nat: Both have awesome lyrics however we like modern bands like MGMT and Arcade Fire.

Your lyrics tend to include really great phrases, like "I am only beautiful on Monday Afternoons" or "Colorful Raindrops everywhere." Do interesting word combinations get you started writing, or do those come out of working on an idea for awhile?

Alex: "Lullaby" came from "Do you ever think of me when balloons fall." It comes from a phrase or something going on in our lives.

Nat: I'm always thinking of song titles and different phrases to use in lyrics. Anytime I get an idea I write in down on my Iphone notes.

The Rock Fairy asks:
What was the craziest inspiration for a song you've ever gotten?

Nat: When I was 10, I wrote "Banana Smoothie" because I wanted to make a concept album about Hawaii...I never got past that first track.

GUI asks:
What was the most inspirational place you've been to write a song?

Alex: New York, buildings that catch your eye when you are walking around. Africa, Italy and France, romantic countries. Or, any place you get really bored.

Nat: I think Alex got that covered

Kathy asks:
Do you ever start with a beat or rhythm?

Alex: Usually that doesn't happen.

Nat: Sometimes getting a good beat or rhythm is inspiring.

Vivian_n asks:
Do you sit down to write at a regular time, or only when inspiration strikes?

Alex: Only when inspiration strikes

Nat: Sometimes its good to have a plan to write but usually the best songs seem to come at random times.

Part II: The Writing Process

Many fans are curious about how the two of you interact. Is there competition between you when you write? Have you written any songs together? Do you help one another out? Do you ever argue over how a song should go?

Alex: We started writing together recently. We used to argue but now we are comfortable with each other, makes it easier. We help one another which is often best.

Nat: We only fight when Alex steals my jeans.

Vivian_n asks:
What are the steps or process you follow to write a song?

Alex: No steps, just be as real as possible.

Nat: It's different every time.

Several people asked about music versus lyrics... Which comes first for you? Do you find one or the other more challenging? Do you have any particular strategies for matching melody and lyrics together?

Alex: It's up in the air, spontaneous. Usually with a basic set of lyrics. Sometimes we write poems and they turn into songs.

Nat: Other times we have melodies that we spend time finding the right words for.

Tiahara Bennett asks:
Does writer's block ever come your way?
If so, what do you do to get over it?

Alex: Sometimes writers block comes when I've written a bunch of songs in a row. When I talk about music constantly, it blocks my inspiration.

Nat: I agree, Alex.

Makenna and Harold and Vivian_n ask:
How long does it take you to write a song?

Alex: Depends on the song

Nat: Sometimes it can take 15 minutes, sometimes I will spend months on lyrics.

Angela Robbins' 3rd grade class asks:
Are you writing a song now? If so, what is it called?

Alex: We are always writing a song

Nat: Alex and I are working on a song together... we are not sure about the title yet.

Makenna asks:
How old were you when you started writing songs?

Alex: Nat started writing when he was 5 and I was about 6 or 7.

Nat: It's quite obvious which Wolff is the genius.

Sanitra Henderson asks:
Have you ever written a song that was so personal you kept it to yourself?

Alex: I kept "Disappointed" to myself for a while. I still can't play it in front of certain people.

Nat: It's rewarding to have people enjoy the music that was once so personal.

Part III: Revisions

One of the things I'm always telling the kids I teach is that songs don't just pop out of your head in finished form. (At least not often!) So I want to thank you for letting your fans see some of your revision process at work.

Tiahara Bennett asks: I've noticed that you guys change lyrics to some of your songs. Why do you do that?

Alex: Lyrics always have lots of revisions. We are meticulous when it comes to that.

Nat: In "I Won't Love You Any Less" I rewrote the verses many times. I first had a verse that went "If I try to hold your hand, if I try to make you bend if you start calling me obsessed" and it was just an off the cuff line. It made the song about something else so I changed it to be more clear and hopefully more poetic. I changed it to "If I try to hold your hand while you slip and slide towards another man, cause of you I get no rest."

GUI asks:
Do you ask someone's opinion about the lyrics before finishing them, and if so who?

Alex: We ask each other.

Do your melodies generally evolve too, as you work on a song? What kinds of changes do you make to your melodies and why?

Alex: We usually don't change the melodies.

Nat: I do think the melodies evolve and build on each other from verse to chorus.

What songwriting advice would you give to your younger selves if you could?

Alex: Try to be as real as you can. All you have to do is be true to you and nothing else matters!

Nat: Write and write as much as possible.

Bonus Round
Nat, you knew somebody would ask this. Are you ready to reveal it? Will you ever reveal it? Will you reveal it for Ashley?

Ashley asks:
What does RCMJNBNOE mean? (From "Proof Of My Love")

Nat: Sorry I can't disclose that information...its top secret, CIA stuff.

One of my own fans, Anna asks:
Are you going to write any songs with Monty Harper?

Nat & Alex: Sure, sounds great!

Me: I just might have to hold you to that! ;-)

Giovanna asks:
Do you ever stop and think that there are people across the world who love you and love your music and know and sing all the songs you've ever done? How does it make you feel?

Alex: It makes me feel wonderful. We love our fans around the world.

Nat: Its exciting to have anything you make or create and care about... appreciated by others.

That's it! Thanks again to Nat and Alex and all my question askers. I will leave you with a video from Black Sheep!

Thanks, Everyone!

2011-12-20T20:09:00.000-06:00

Thanks to everyone who sent in questions for Nat & Alex! I collected more than 160 questions!!

Now I'm sorting through them, and I'll post the interview as soon as it's ready.

In the meanwhile, enjoy their new CD, Black Sheep - it really is awesome!

Thanks!!

Ask Nat & Alex (Formerly of the Naked Brothers Band)!

2011-12-15T11:38:00.005-06:00

Dear Readers,

I've been given an incredible opportunity to interview Nat & Alex Wolff about their songwriting, and I'm going to let you in on it!!

Nat & Alex Wolff

If you aren't sure who I'm talking about, think "The Naked Brothers Band" from Nickelodeon. Their first two CDs were with the band, but now they've gone solo (or should I say duo?), and they have a new CD out called Black Sheep.

Many of you have asked for advice on becoming famous with your music. Well, here is your chance to ask two talented young songwriters who have actually been there, done that! Nat is about to turn 17 and Alex recently turned 14. They made their first hit record around the ages of 13 and 10!

Do you have a question for Nat & Alex? Send it in and I might include it in the interview!

I'm looking for questions that are pretty specific, and I'm most interested in questions about writing songs, of course! I'll include your best questions in the interview!

Send questions to monty@montyharper.com with "Nat & Alex" in the subject. Or post them here in the comments. Ask as many as you want.

You have just a few days to respond. I'll be sending my questions to Nat & Alex on December 20, and I'll post their answers here as soon as I get them!

Getting Meaningful

2011-10-23T22:56:00.003-05:00

Hi there, Monty! My name's Maggie, and I'm 14. Being so young, I have no idea where my head will be by the time that I graduate high school, but at the moment, the only thing that I can really see myself doing in the long term is writing music and playing in a band, whether we become wildly famous or I'm stuck living on bread, cheese, and water for the span of my adult life. I... I really love music. I live for it.

However, I don't have a lot of life experiences in my inventory on which to base meaningful and well-written songs. There are certain issues that I feel quite strongly about, but I feel they're inappropriate for songwriting, that I may come across as trying to (immaturely) be 'the next big controversy'.

I want to write songs with lyrics that help people, that inspire people. If I help even one person with my lyrics, it will have been worth it; I just don't know how to do it yet. If you can think of any tips at all for me, could I ask you to post them on your blog?

Thanks, and I really appreciate you even taking the time to read this comment. :)

Hi Maggie,

Thanks for writing. I shortened your question a bit for my readers; I hope you don't mind.

In a moment I will refer you to an older post called "What to Write About." I give some excellent suggestions there (if I do say so myself) about how to generate ideas. These will work for anyone, old or young, and I won't repeat them here, so please do go read them, but first...

There is an extra dimension to your question beyond just what to write about. You really want your songs to help and inspire people. It's fantastic that you want to use your music to make the world a better place! And it sounds like you have the passion to make it happen. Also I must say, Maggie, that you show unusual maturity to recognize that due to your age, tackling controversial subjects might come across the wrong way, and that you still have a lot of life to live before you may feel you have any deep insights to share. I agree. Just keep writing. As you gain skill and confidence, you'll know when it's the right time to tackle some of those issues you feel strongly about.

In the meantime, don't sell yourself short! Like any dedicated young person, you have a lot to offer. (For some really cool inspiration, check out the book It's Our World, Too!: Stories of Young People Who Are Making a Difference by Phillip Hoose.) Your youth may mean that you are inexperienced, even naive, but it probably also means you are creative and have a fresh way of looking at things. You certainly have the potential to reach your peers with inspirational and meaningful lyrics.

OK, enough pep talk. Here are two specific ways to write a meaningful song:

1. Write a great feel-good song. Think about how energized you feel when you play your favorite happy song! ("Good Day Sunshine" may be a good example, or "Good Vibrations," or "Walking on Sunshine.") Next time you feel great, try to write a song that will help someone else capture that same great feeling. Start with some brainstorming. Why do you feel so good? How does your body feel? What thoughts are going through your head? Try to come up with a unique playful phrase to capture how you feel in that moment.

Writing "in the moment" does not require life experience; you just need to be observant and aware and expressive about how you feel right now, and why you feel that way. And a great feel-good song really can touch people, lift their moods, and help them get through troubled times.

2. Write about your problems, but don't try to provide answers. What's your biggest trouble in life right now? Is it something you could write about? Of course it is! Just like with the feel-good song, write your trouble song "in the moment." What's the predicament, how does it make you feel, and why? If you aren't comfortable putting your problems out there for the world to hear, write in third person, as if the song is about somebody else. Or disguise the situation by changing the details, while staying true to its emotional core.

And don't worry if you have no solution to offer. That's OK. In fact your song may resonate better with your audience if it doesn't try to provide a solution. Listeners like the freedom to come to their own conclusions.

Can a song about your troubles help other people? Absolutely! Think how you feel when you recognize the sad situation in a song. ("It's like she's inside my head!") It's very comforting to know that whatever your troubles are, you aren't the only one feeling that way. If you write a great trouble song, your audience will recognize themselves in it and not feel so all alone. (Check out the Beach Boys Pet Sounds CD for some awesome examples.)

Finally, two bits of advice for living your life in a way that will keep you on track for deep meaningful songwriting as you mature:

1. Get the very best education you can. It doesn't matter what you study; a good education will expose you to new ideas, aide you in your search for meaning and wisdom to put into your lyrics, and help you become a clear communicator and a deep thinker. Not to mention giving you something to "fall back on" if you ever get tired of subsisting on bread, cheese, and water. :)

2. Don't ever go suffering for your art. There are a lot of people who will tell you that you have to suffer before you can create great art. There's a certain logic to this idea: "misery gives you new experiences that are the raw material you need to write meaningful lyrics." Sometimes great art can come from great suffering. But the key here is: it doesn't have to! Great art can also come from perfectly well-adjusted happy people. We all suffer quite enough in life as it is. That's just part of the human condition. Extra needless suffering won't improve your songwriting. In particular, as a musician you'll likely run into people who abuse drugs and alcohol. Yes these can be great tools for increasing suffering, but they will not make anyone a better songwriter. Nuff said.

Oh, and don't forget to check out: "What to Write About" for more ideas.

And just write. The bottom line is: any song worth recording will help someone get through their day!

I hope this helps!

Has It Really Been So Long?

2011-10-18T14:01:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted to this blog! Some folks have asked me if I'm still here. I am. I have been answering people's questions directly, when I can, so I do have a few good "articles in the rough" waiting to be posted.

I've also been doing a lot more songwriting with kids in schools lately, so I'm planning to revive this blog as a tool for teachers and students interested in learning more. I just wanted to let you know that I haven't abandoned the site, and there is more to come soon.

In the meantime, you can check out the songs my students wrote last year at Skyline Elementary and at Richmond Elementary here in Stillwater:

<p><a href="http://montyharper.bandcamp.com/album/songs-of-the-rich-and-famous">Songs of the Rich and Famous by Monty Harper and the 2011 Skyline 5th Graders</a></p>

<p><a href="http://montyharper.bandcamp.com/album/richmonds-believe-it-or-not">Richmond's Believe It or Not by Monty Harper and the 2011 Richmond 4th and 5th Graders</a></p>

Enjoy!

How Can You Tell if Your Melody is Original?

2008-11-30T21:20:00.003-06:00

On Nov 28, 2008, at 2:02 AM, Anonymous wrote:

errm Hay....Im frm N.Z on the other side of the world and was wondering...

How can you find out if A melody is already been used but you've totally just made it up on the spot??? I'm just beginning to write my own song and I was unsure if the melody was already in use...

Is it helpful if I listen to all types of music to see if it has been used or... use it any way..

Hi New Zealand,

This is a fantastic question.

You don't just want to "use it anyway." If a melody is already part of an existing song, then it belongs to the owner of that song, and is covered by copyright. So if you use their melody for your song, they could in theory sue you for lots of money. Actually, you aren't likely to get sued unless the song you write (with the stolen melody) becomes a big hit.

So, for legal reasons, you should try to make sure your melody is your own, but once you've done your best, don't worry too much about it.

There's another reason to make sure your melody is your own, from a songwriting standpoint, and that is purely a point of pride. Personally, I don't want to re-write somebody else's song. I want my songs to be my own. The whole point of artistic expression is to create something new.

There are some times though, when using an existing melody is OK and even can be a good thing. For example if you are a beginning songwriter, putting new words to an existing melody can be a fun exercise for learning about song structure.

Sometimes teachers will write a "piggyback" song, to help teach some facts. That is, they will put new words to a well-known melody, and that makes it easy to tell other teachers how to use the song. For example I could say to other teachers, hey if you need a song about insects, try this, to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" -

Count their legs and you get six
And they know some nifty tricks
They can fly or walk or crawl
Some can even climb a wall
In their exoskeletons
Insects are a lot of fun

OK, not the greatest lyric ever but you get the idea. You can sing it without written music because it fits a familiar melody. It's also important to note that "Twinkle Twinkle" is in the public domain, that is, it's so old that the copyright on it has expired. You can find lists of songs in the public domain by searching online.

Another type of song written to a familiar melody is the parody. Weird Al Yankovic is the undisputed king of parody. He takes familiar popular songs and changes all the words, so Michael Jackson's "Beat it" becomes "Eat it," just to give one example. In a parody, the original song is being made fun of in some way, so it's important to use the melody of the original song in order to make that connection. The copyright law allows for this, however I hear that Weird Al always asks permission anyway.

So, unless you are doing a songwriting exercise, writing a piggyback song for educational purposes, or writing a parody of an existing song, you want to try to make your melody original - one that never has been heard before.

This can be a challenge. Our brains are filled with all the melodies we've heard since birth. Those melodies are waiting in the wings to jump to mind whenever needed. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether the melody you're singing is one you've just made up, or one that was already stored in there somewhere.

Even two of the Beatles (my favorite band to use as an example) lost law suits for stealing melodies - John Lennon with "Come Together," and George Harrison with "My Sweet Lord." They didn't do it on purpose - they just didn't realize how closely their melodies matched pre-existing songs. When you are that famous, nobody will let you get away with writing a song that sounds like another song!

On the other hand, if you look at it mathematically, it's easy to write a new melody. There are enough different notes and rhythms to choose from that the number of possible melodies is astronomically huge. We haven't even come close to using them all up. There are plenty of melodies to go around for anyone who wants to write original songs.

OK, so how CAN you know whether you made up a new melody, or whether you're humming a tune that's already been used?

That's actually a tough one. As I already pointed out, even some of the greatest songwriters ever have stumbled over it.

What I do first is I ask everyone around me to "name that tune." If I hum a melody for my wife, she is likely to recognize it, if it's one I already know - after all she knows many of the same songs I do. If she doesn't identify the melody, then I try it on my mom. She knows a lot of older songs. If it's really bothering me that the melody sounds familiar I'll ask a few more people, especially people I know who know a lot of songs.

The more people you ask, if they all say they've never heard it, the more likely it is that you made it up yourself. Because we all carry so many melodies around in our memories, you only need to ask maybe five or six people before you can have a pretty good assurance that the melody is your own.

When can you stop worrying about it? Of course you can't ever be 100% guaranteed, but once you've made a good solid effort, you've got to move on, otherwise you'd never get a song written. If the melody sounds so familiar to you that you don't trust it, then put the song aside for a while. Come back to it a few months later. Maybe you'll be able to identify the melody then, or maybe it won't sound familiar any more. In the end you have to go with your own gut feeling.

If somebody you sing your melody to says, "Yeah, that sounds like such and such song," then what do you do? This is a good thing, because now you'll find out why it sounds so familiar. Look up that song, listen to it, and see if your melody is the same. If it really is close, then you should consider changing your melody a little here and there to make it different.

I also want to say that I don't go around testing out all my melodies on all my friends. I only test the ones I feel suspicious of. Those are the ones that either just sound familiar, or seem to have popped into my head out of thin air.

If I work hard inventing a melody to go with certain words I've written, and I revise it as I go, making it really fit the emotional ups and downs my song and the rhythm of my lyrics, then I can be pretty confident that I have invented an original melody. It's back to what I said about the math. There are so many melodies available, that if you work hard at creating one, it's very very very unlikely you'll arrive at the same melody that somebody else did.

But if a melody just pops into your head, you are right to worry. It might be your own, but it's also likely that you heard it somewhere. It's worth investigating to find out!

Coming back to my favorite source for examples, Paul McCartney was afraid when he wrote "Yesterday" that he had stolen the melody, because he woke up with it in his head. He tried it out on all his friends and bandmates, but nobody had heard it before. As it turns out, it was original, and today it's one of the most famous melodies in the world. So you don't want to give up on a melody right away, just because it may seem familiar.

Finally, I will leave you with a resource that is definitely worth checking out. There is a website called midomi.com where you can sing a melody into your computer's microphone, and it will tell you the name of the song! Of course it can only do this if you sing clearly, and if midomi.com has that song in their database. So I use this website as if it were just one of my friends that I check melodies with. Even if it can't find a melody there, I still ask several other people. It isn't a perfect answer to the problem, but it helps, and it's a lot of fun to play with!

I hope this helps!

On The Sunny Side of the Street

2006-08-17T11:59:00.001-05:00

Hiya Monty!

Well, you see, I have written quite a few songs but they all seem to be very sad and my music teacher keeps telling me that I need to write about happy things. However, I find it very difficult to find happy inspiration. Please could you give me some 'happy' ideas to write about.

Thanx,
Natasha

Hiya Natasha,

First of all, sorry it took me so long to write back - I haven't had a chance to do any blogging stuff over the summer.

I'm not sure if I agree with your music teacher, without knowing more about you.

Your teacher might just be worried for you. If your songs are all sad, does it mean you're always sad? Could it mean you're depressed? Depression can be a serious problem, so she would be justified to worry about it.

If you are clinically depressed, forcing yourself to write happier songs won't help. But help is available. If you think you might be depressed, take an online screening test. (Here is a typical one.) If it suggests you may need help, talk to a parent, teacher, or other trusted adult about what you should do.

My personal favorite most helpful book about depression (and I'm no expert) is Learned Optimism by Dr. Martin Seligman. The book is written for adults, with information for parents. The exercises work for kids.

Most likely though, your songwriting is just something that helps you process your normal sad moments. Everyone feels sad sometimes, and we all have different ways of dealing with it. Maybe you tend to write when you're feeling down, and you just don't feel the need to write when you're happy.

Now if you write songs for your own satisfaction, there's nothing wrong with writing a bunch of sad ones. But if you hope to make a career out of songwriting, your music teacher may be right - your songs will need to appeal to a wider audience than just yourself.

True there are plenty of bands out there that do dark, down, negative stuff, and they have plenty of fans. But most hit songs are hits because they make people feel good. The one thing I hear over and over about the early Beatle's music is that it made people feel happy, and that fact is the key to why they were so insanely popular.

And even if you don't care about writing popular music, it can't hurt to push yourself to write something different whenever you're stuck in any kind of a rut. Attempting a new type of song is always a great way to learn and grow as a writer, and as a person.

So, here are some thoughts that will hopefully help you get started at writing a happy song. I'll try to include lots of different approaches, so maybe at least one will work for you...

Write When You're Happy
Like I said, maybe you only feel motivated to write when you're sad. So pay attention to your moods, and next time you feel deliriously happy about something, sing! Put that happy energy into some music. You don't have to stop what you're doing and write, just use the moment to grab some inspiration. Jot down a word or two or record a bit of melody. You can always come back to it later to see if you can turn it into a song.

Keep a Journal
It is always good writing advice to write in a journal as often as you can. Keep track of your moods. Write about what made you happy today. Keep your songwriter's ear open for a phrase that might make a good song title.

Look Back
In your journal, write about a happy memory from when you were a little kid, or a happy dream you had once. Write down all the details, then see if you can capture that moment in a song.

Listen
Listen to lots of happy or joyful music. Ask your friends and family what music makes them happy and listen to their recommendations. Put some happy music in your head, mix it around, and see what comes out when you sit down to write. "I'm Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves must be about the happiest song I can think of.

Brainstorm
Make a list of things that make you happy. A lot of upbeat songs you hear on the radio are about romantic love, but you can write about anything. Donovan once write a happy song about his favorite shirt!

Always Look On the Bright Side of Life (Be Ironic)
That's the title to a very funny song from the Monty Python movie, The Life of Brian. The characters are facing death, but they start singing this happy bouncy tune. If you're having trouble finding something positive to say, you can write a happy song using irony. Irony happens when attitudes seem the opposite of what you would expect. Pick a topic that really brings you down, but for humorous effect, write about it from the opposite perspective, as if it should make people happy.

Get Silly
If you can't come up with a sincere topic for a happy song, try getting ridiculous. Just write a nonsense song with noises instead of actual words. (Think "Crazy Frog" for example.) Or, come up with some absurd images, like a tree that grows lollipops, or a flying guitar - both of which have been made into actual happy songs, by the way. You can brainstorm by choosing words at random from a book. Put adjectives in one column, nouns in another, and verbs in another, etc. Then put together random combinations using one word from each column. Look for an image that makes you giggle, or a combination of sounds that go well together. Have fun with it.

Get Angry
There's a whole world of emotion other than sad or happy. If you are stuck in a rut with sad songs, and happy isn't doing it for you, writing an angry song might get you moving. To me, sad says "Why does it have to be this way?" While angry says, "I'm ready to do something about it!" So try taking a sad song you've already written as a point of inspiration. Ask yourself what the situation is that makes the singer sad, and what could she do about it? Write some ideas in your journal. Then write a song about taking action. Instead of "I'm down" your song can say, "I'm not gonna let you keep me down."

Get Hopeful
Hope is another emotion that can spring from sadness. Again, start with one of your sad songs, and ask yourself what hope there could be in the situation. See if you can focus on one ray of hope and spin it into a new song of its own.

I hope I've helped!

Creating Arrangements for Your Band

2006-04-27T09:36:00.001-05:00

Hi,
My name is Diggory (age 10) I am starting a band called the CrAzY ApEs. We have all the instruments and equitment but we don't have anything to play with the songs.

p.s. Please help

Hi Diggory,

They sure make it look easy on TV, don't they?

It sounds like you have songs you want to sing, but you don't know what to play on the instruments to go with the songs while you're singing. In other words, you need to know how to create an arrangement.

I'm going to ask you the tough questions first, and tell you what you need to do to become good at arranging in the long run. Then I have a couple of ideas that might help you start making music with your band right away, so keep on reading.

How well do you know your instruments? Have you taken lessons? Are you able to play some songs? Can you keep a beat? Do you know a lot of chords, and how to follow a chord chart?

The first thing you need to do if you haven't already is learn your instruments! The second thing is, keep learning! It takes time. So have some patience.

A drummer who knows how to keep a beat and knows lots of patterns and fills for different styles of music can hear a song, pick a pattern to go with it, and he'll pretty much know what to play.

A guitarist who can keep rhythm and knows different chords can read a chord chart. All she needs is the names of the chords - A E A E G etc. - and she'll know what to play. With some trial and error, she can probably even figure out for herself what chords will sound good with a particular melody.

A keyboard or piano player who can read music will be able to play an arrangement out of a book. A keyboardist who can improvise will be able to play an arrangement from just a chord chart, or figure it out "by ear."

So it isn't necessary for your band members to be able to read or write music on a page, but they do need to know how to play their instruments. They need a very strong foundation of basic skills and music theory.

When you sign up for lessons, let your teacher know that you want to be able to put together arrangements for your own songs. Some music teachers will focus on teaching you how to read music that's written out. That's a great skill to have, and you should learn it. But it takes an extra set of skills to make up your own arrangements. Make sure your teacher is willing to work with you on improvisation and music theory.

Once your musicians each have a basic feel for rhythm and everyone knows how to change chords, you'll be ready to start coming up with your own arrangements.

Start by writing out a chord chart for the song. When everyone is looking at the same chord chart you can all count along and change chords at the same time. There is no right or wrong way to do this, as long as all the band members know how to read your charts.

I usually write out the chord names and beats in rows of boxes. Each box represents one measure of music. I make a chart like this for each of my songs and refer to it often while I'm recording.

On the right is the chart for my song "A Pet Like That" so you can see what it looks like. You can listen along in my podcast of the same name (podcast links are to the left).

So, everybody has a chart? Now count off the tempo - 1, 2, 3, 4 - and let each player play what they think might work. Your fist attempt will probably sound like a mess. Just keep trying. Between takes, discuss which ideas are working and which are not. Try something different each time and pretty soon it will start to sound like a song.

In addition to taking lessons, just listening to your favorite bands will help. And I mean REALLY listening. Learn to hear each instrument separately in a recording. Pay close attention to what your instrument is playing. Learn to play those parts yourself. Learn as many songs as you can. If you pay attention, you'll start to get a feel for arranging and for knowing what you might play to accompany your own songs.

Diggory, I know you are dying to make music with your band right now, and you don't want to take 10 years of lessons first. I don't think you should skip the lessons, but you can get started having fun with your band at the same time. Don't try to sing a song right at first. Just see if you can all play along together and get a groove going. Let the drummer start a beat, then strum the guitar along with that, and just play. Don't worry if it doesn't sound like anything; just have fun.

See if you can find an adult musician willing to work you through a rehearsal. I'll bet if you ask around, someone will be curious enough about the "CrAzY ApEs" to come help you out for an hour or two. Ask your teachers and parents if they know anyone they could recommend. Let your adult guide show each of you what to play. Make sure that you honor their time with a serious rehearsal. Do what they ask you to, and keep the goofing around to a minimum. If you are able to make progress, your guide will probably be willing to help you out again.

It takes a lot of hard work to make music in a band. It's also a lot of fun when it comes together and starts sounding good! Keep practicing!

Use an Existing Melody to Write a New Melody

2006-02-15T22:19:00.001-06:00

Hello Monty,

I DO perform at my local church and very often at least once a month we have Gospel Concerts. I have so many different beats.. and I am finding it so hard to get a melody to it! How do I go about that? I have tried all sorts of different melodies from other songs. It could just be me but can you suggest anything?

Many Thanks,

Elsie

Hi Elsie,

It's not just you - coming up with a melody can be a challenge. Many people feel they can't do it. I remember as a kid, trying to invent a melody, but everything I hummed turned out to be an existing song. Once I broke through that barrier and actually sang my own melody, it became easier and easier to do. Now melodies flow out of me like water. However, it's still often a challenge to find a good melody to match a particular set of words. When I write words first, I almost never settle on a melody right away - I'll try many different ideas until one finally sticks.

It sounds like you have written some words and you want to find a melody to go with them. You've tried all sorts of melodies from other songs, but none of them fit. I'll give you something new to try in a minute. But first, a word or two about using existing melodies.

Using an existing melody from another song is sometimes appropriate. If you make a joke out of the original song, that's called a "parody." Weird Al Yankovic is the master of parody. He took Michael Jackson's song "Beat It" and changed it to "Eat It," making it all about food. More recently he changed the Kink's classic "Lola" to "Yoda!" These songs are funny because the new lyrics resemble the old lyrics, while totally changing the meaning of the song.

But I don't think you're trying to write a parody. Another case where new words get put to an existing melody is what educators call "piggy back" songs. New words can "piggy back" onto a familiar tune in order to help teach a lesson. These songs are easy to share, because all you have to do is say, "Sung to the tune of...", and anybody reading the words will also know how to sing it. Barney (the big purple dinosaur) did this a lot. "I love you, you love me..." is sung to the tune of "This Old Man," for example.

However, melodies are protected by copyright, which means somebody owns them! John Lennon and George Harrison were each famously sued for songs they wrote with melodies that resembled other songs. Copyright law allows for some exceptions, called "fair use." Both parodies and piggy back songs (if they are educational) CAN fall under fair use, although the law is somewhat tricky.

Some melodies are so old that their copyright has expired. Those melodies are in the public domain, which means you can use them. So, make sure that if you do use another song's melody, it's in the public domain. Here is a website that will help you identify which songs are in the public domain: http://www.pdinfo.com/

But, if you are writing an original song, what you really probably want is an original melody to go with it - one you can call your own!

I'm going to give you a crazy suggestion that I think will help you write a melody. I say it's crazy because it seems sort of the opposite of what you've been trying. I've written a song or two this way, and it's a fun exercise.

1. Find a song you really like. You're going to use it as a model. Better yet, have a friend choose a good song for you that you haven't heard. If you are unfamiliar with the melody, that will be an advantage.

2. Copy out the lyrics word for word on paper or on a computer. Make each line of words cover the same number of beats in the song, either four or eight beats per line. (Or three or six... depending on the time signature of the song.)

3. Now put a new piece of paper next to that (or a new window on the computer) and start writing your own song. Chose a totally different topic from your model song, so that you won't be using similar words and ideas.

4. As you write, copy certain things exactly from your model song. This is important! Give your song the same number of lines. In each line use the same number of syllables. Copy the same pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. Copy the rhyme scheme.

Example: "Like a bridge over troubled water" --> change it to "I'm in love with a purple monkey"; that's fine. But don't change it to "I'm in love with a purple antelope" because the number of syllables is wrong (10 instead of 9). And don't change it to "I'm in love with a tangerine tree" because although it has 9 syllables, the stresses are wrong ("-ine/Tree" is unstressed/stressed, where "water" is stressed/unstressed). Make sense?

5. If you find yourself uninspired, then write nonsense. Just focus on the patterns of the syllables and use any words that fit. It's only an exercise after all, and it's really about the melody. You can always fix the words later if you want. But do this quickly now.

6. If you're using a song you know, put your paper away for a couple of weeks, and don't listen to the model song during that time. This way you can come back to the words with a fresh pair of ears.

7. Get your paper out, try to forget the song you copied, and write a new melody for your words. Use a piano, guitar, or just your voice. Sing the words all on one pitch if you have to at first. Try different combinations of long notes and short notes - which words sound better when you hold them out? Have the pitch go up at the end of a line; then try it going down. Just keep singing it until a great melody clicks into place.

I'm guessing that with your new set of words you'll find it much easier to write an original melody. Why? Because these words follow an established pattern that another songwriter has already used to write a melody. If that writer had success with this pattern, so can you.

Once you've enjoyed some success at writing melodies to existing word patterns, go back to the words you wrote that you were having trouble with. By then you'll have some new skills for smoothing out the words and arranging them into a pattern that can support a great melody.

Give it a try, have fun, and good luck!!

Music Lessons Can Help

2006-02-14T07:17:00.001-06:00

Hi. My name is Amanda and I'm 19 years old. I like to sing and write songs, but the problem is that I can't seem to get my ideas on paper. I tried so many times to write a song and it never turns out right. Then when I try to play my guitar or keyboard, I can't hear the difference between one note and another note and I can't seem to get the rhythm. Can you help me? Thanks!!! -Amanda

Hi Amanda,

If you enjoy listening to music, then you aren't tone deaf, which means
you just need some musical training. I would suggest that you take
voice, guitar, or piano lessons. Once you have the basic musical skills
down, songwriting will seem a lot easier.

Thanks for your help! I will try getting into music classes when i get the money. I gotta get a job to pay for it, or I'll never be able to afford it. About how much do lessons cost?

I really hate to guess how much lessons might cost you. It would depend so much on where you live and who you hire. Also on whether you get individual lessons or sign on for a class.

There is a website, PrivateLessons.com, where you can type in your area code and get a list of music teachers near you. Also if you Google "piano lessons", "guitar lessons", or "voice lessons" you'll find many resources online - some of them are free. These might be good places to start until you can afford to hire a teacher.

Tips For Young Songwriters FAQ

2006-01-25T06:42:00.001-06:00

Howdy! Welcome to Tips For Young Songwriters!

This blog is more than the mere ravings of a mad songwriter. I rave in response to readers' questions. And without a question from YOU, this blog just won't live up to its full potential. So send me your question!

But first, please look over the most frequently asked questions listed below. If your question has already been answered, then we both just saved ourselves some time! I do try to answer everyone who writes, but new and interesting questions get answered first.

So, to get right down to it...

If your question is about one of the articles I've already written, then post it as a comment. Just click the link at the bottom of the article that says "comment" and go from there. (You don't have to be a member to post your comment.)

Otherwise, you can email your question to me with this link: Send Me a Question!

Now, here is the FAQ list...

Part I - Questions about TFYS
(OK, so these are made up questions, but it's stuff you might want to know.)

Q. Who should ask questions here?
A. Anybody who wants to. Even though this is "Tips for Young Songwriters," the answers can get pretty sophisticated. I figure anyone who's been writing songs for less than 100 years is a young songwriter. But since I work with elementary students on songwriting, I try to make my answers understandable on that level.

Q. How long will it take to get an answer?
A. Who knows? Sometimes I answer right away. Sometimes it takes months, to tell you the truth. It depends on how busy I am at the moment, and whether or not I know right away how to answer your question. It also depends on whether your question has been answered already. (See above.) If I'm too slow for you, you are welcome to pester me with another email.

Part II - Questions about Songwriting

Q. Can you give me some good advice? How do I write a song?
A. Yes, I have been asked these questions many times, in various forms. My answer is - please, read this whole blog. Or get a book on songwriting from the library. Try to write a song or two. Then ask me a specific question.

Q. How can I become famous?
A. Is that REALLY what you want? You have to devote your every waking moment to it. I can't help you much, either. As you can see, I'm not really famous myself. But for some advice on this topic, see this post: Becoming Famous

Q. My songs aren't very good. What can I do about it?
A. Many people tell me their songs aren't very good. This is only to be expected, since you are a beginning songwriter! Start by changing what you tell yourself and others: instead of "My songs aren't good," say "I'm still learning." Say it out loud. Right now. There you go. Now check out these encouraging posts: Learn by Doing, You Can Write a Song. Then read the rest of this blog and practice, practice, practice your writing!

New Digs

2006-01-24T06:52:00.001-06:00

It's been over a year since I posted a new "Tips for Young Songwriters" column to my website, although I have been answering questions by email and through my MontyNews newsletter.

So I'm finally getting organized and moving "Tips" over here to Blogger where I can easily keep it updated and invite more discussion. Old articles will appear rapidly, and I will date them with the original date they were written.

Please feel free to leave a comment or submit a question! Happy songwriting!

Elements of a Melody

2005-12-05T11:07:00.001-06:00

Hey Monty,

When ever I come up with a melody, it somehow always sound to.. like childish. Pop and R&B are hot on the market now these days... and I'm aiming for that. Could you please give me some advice???

Phoenica

Hi Phoenica,

Sorry to take so long getting back to you. Actually something I learned at the recent CMN conference reminded me of your question and helped me think how to answer it.

There are basically two elements to a melody: its rhythm and its intervals. If either the rhythm or the intervals (or both) in your melody are too simplistic, the song may come off sounding "childish."

Let's look at intervals first. An interval is how far up or down the pitch moves between two notes. What I learned at the conference was that small children learn to sing certain intervals first. My guess is that songs for very small children use mostly intervals that small children can handle, so melodies using mostly those intervals may sound childish because we are used to hearing them in songs for small children. Another way of looking at it: since our brains learn those intervals first, one could argue that they are the simplest intervals, and songs based on those intervals may sound simplistic.

OK, so what are those intervals and how do you avoid over-using them?

What I learned at the conference was that the interval from ME to SOL is the first one small children can sing. Then they add LA. On a piano keyboard you can hear these intervals by playing E then G then A. Play G G E A G E - does that sound familiar? "A tisket a tasket" or "Nanny nanny boo boo" or "It's raining it's pouring, the old man is snoring." All these follow the same pattern, and it sounds pretty childish.

Expanding on this idea, the major chords are made of simple intervals - thirds and fourths, so perhaps a melody that stays within the major I, III, and IV chords is in danger of sounding childish or simplistic as well. If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't panic. I barely know what I'm talking about myself. This is all music theory. I recommend that you take any chance you get to learn as much music theory as you can, and your writing will become more sophisticated for it.

But as a quick fix, just to get your creativity going, try this. Write a melody using only the black keys on the piano. That will get you playing with some intervals that are more sophisticated, or at least different from those you might be used to.

Look this up on the Internet: pentatonic blues scales. Once you learn a few of those you'll start to incorporate some really cool jazzy intervals into your writing.

Now on to rhythm.

Again, a simplistic rhythm could make your song sound childish. The simplest rhythm would be a line of quarter notes, or a steady beat. "Where is thumbkin, where is thumbkin?" Add in a couple of half notes and you get the Barney song (also known as "This Old Man" to us old-timers): "I love you, you love me, we're a happy family." The rhythm is: quarter quarter half, quarter quarter half, quarter quarter quarter quarter quarter quarter quarter. Yawn.

Again, this is more music theory. But you don't have to know what a quarter note is in order to hear that the rhythm to the Barney song is very simplistic. So how do you spice it up? How do you keep your rhythm interesting and sophisticated? Make it swing, use syncopation, use rests. Vary it up a bit.

First take a look at your lyrics. If the words of the song form a long regular rhythm, then try re-writing it so that you break it up a bit. For example:

"I baked a juicy peach and apple pie, and then I had to shoe away a fly."

It would be really hard to write an interesting or catchy melody for words that follow such a long regular rhythm. Give it a try.

Now try this:

"Hey, fly! Get offa my pie!"

Similar idea but I boiled it down to a few key words. This line has a natural rhythm to it too, but it's a bit more varied and interesting. Try writing a melody for it. Which do you like better?

One more:

"Juicy juicy apple pie. Get away, fly! Get away, fly!"

My point is that if your lyric is stuck in a rut, do a little brainstorming and you'll be able to find a bunch of different ways to vary up the rhythm and make it more interesting, and therefore more sophisticated and less childish.

Finally, some general advice: Listen, listen, listen. Now that I've drawn your attention to intervals and rhythms, go listen to some pop and R&B or whatever you want to write, and pay attention to the way the pitches and rhythms move around. Try to pick up on some new ideas that you can add to your own writing.

Have fun, and I hope this helps!

Becoming Famous

2005-09-28T11:14:00.001-05:00

Dear Monty,

I saw your article and I just wanted to know if there is an age limit to be in the music business. I love music and I write songs. I have a good singing voice but I'm only 12 years old. Is that a problem? And how do you get famous anyway?

Thanks,

Melanie-(Coyote)

Hi Melanie,

No, there's no age limit to being in the music business. Even little kids have "made it big." (Shirley Temple and the Olsen Twins are a couple of examples who come
immediately to mind.)

However, it's very hard for anyone of ANY age to find fame. It takes enormous talent and hard work, plus a good chunk of luck.

You've got to start out by getting very very good at what you do which takes practice, practice, practice.

Even if you become a fantastic singer/songwriter, it still takes a lot of hard work, promotion, and a good bit of luck to become famous.

The best advice I can give you is to work hard at your music as long as you love doing it.

I believe most professional musicians, myself included, are happy to make a living at what they love to do without worrying too much about becoming famous. For me it's really about the songs and the kids I sing them for!

Learn by Doing

2005-09-27T11:11:00.001-05:00

Hiya!

I’m not exactly a kid anymore I’m almost 15 but I have always loved music and I am a singer, well I am for my music class and I am in my school choir. I would love to be able to write my own songs and I have but they never sound good and I have only recently started. I work on my songs and try to progress them on but I was just wondering if you had any good tips that you could give me.

Jenny

Hi, Jenny,

As a beginner you naturally have a lot to learn. I would advise you to check out a couple of books about songwriting from the library to arm yourself with plenty of basic knowledge about song structure, melody, rhyme, meter, imagery, etc.

But songwriting is like any skill. You can't learn to do it just by reading about it. You learn a lot more by doing. If you get really stuck on a song, put it aside and start a new one. You won't learn anything sitting around being stuck. If you write a song and you don't like it, that's OK. You don't necessarily have to fix it. Just try to do better with the next song. You will learn more by writing ten bad songs than you would learn struggling and struggling to write one great song.

So, read some books, then write some songs. Then look back at the songs you've written. Ask yourself what you like or don't like about them. Then read those books again. This time a lot of stuff will make more sense, because you have more experience at writing.

Most of all, don't worry if your songs don't seem as great as the ones you sing in choir or hear on the radio. The people who wrote those songs wrote a lot of duds while they were learning, too. Everyone does. That's just what you have to go through before you can get really good at it. It's the way the world works. Keep writing and you'll keep getting better at it!

I hope this helps!

Matching Words to Rhythm

2004-09-24T10:29:00.001-05:00

Hi Monty,

Over a year ago I read your document on how to write a song and I always loved music and I wanted to write my own lyrics and I didn't know how to and where to start until I read your notes. I wrote many songs but the only problem I have now is when I am in the studio it is not lining up with the music. Am I doing something wrong? They are good lyrics but putting it on wax is not a match. Do you have any recommendations? I appreciate any help you can offer.

Thanks, Chino Bazbeg

Hi Chino,

I'm glad my column helped you get started!

Without hearing your music, it is hard to guess what the problem is. You say the words are not lining up with the music. This doesn't happen by accident. In songwriting, often the words come first. In that case the music must be written specifically to match with the words. Often the music comes first, in which case the words are written specifically to match with the music. (Sometimes they come together, words and music at once, but for me that only happens in short bursts, then I have to fill out the rest either music first or words first.)

When you match music and words together you have to be aware of the musical qualities of the words. How many syllables are there? Where are the stresses? These things will match the number, lengths, and accents of the notes.

A good place to start is with the downbeat. If you count along with the music the downbeats are where the numbers fall. For instance in rock, most songs are in 4/4 time, or four beats to the measure, so you would count along 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. Those are the downbeats.

Now match some words like this: "1, 2, 3, 4 - I don't know how." That's one word to each downbeat (quarter notes).

If the words each had two syllables instead, you would also be singing on the upbeat, or the "and" which comes between the beats. "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 - I'm a lazy hairy cow." (Eighth notes.)

If you have your words written out, you can circle each syllable that lands on a downbeat. So in the silly example above, you would circle "I'm" "laz" and "hair."

You might try using triplets - three syllables to each beat, like this: "1 and a 2 and a 3 and a 4 - Are you the kind of a cow who can sing?" Circling the downbeats gives you "are" "kind" "cow" and "sing."

Notice that the downbeats happen on the same syllables that you naturally stress when you talk. If I changed that last example to "Are you a singing sort of hairy cow?" and then tried to match the words to the "1 and a 2 and a 3 and a 4" triplet pattern, it just wouldn't sound right. Try it.

But, if we took that last line and matched it to a different rhythm, it might work. This time we need to mix rhythms, starting with a triplet, then proceed using the upbeats like this - "1 and a 2 and 3 and 4 and 1." Circle "are" "sing" "sort" and "cow."

Write out the words to some of your favorite songs and circle the downbeats and you will start to get a feel for how words and music fit together. Then try it with your own words. When you have the downbeats circled, then as you sing they provide a visual cue as to where the beats belong in the words. Take it slowly at first. The more you work with it the more natural it will seem.

Don't be afraid to change the words as you are setting them to music. I often find that I've used too many words. To make them fit more naturally with the music I often drop words that aren't really needed. For instance: "I know a place where cows can sing" might become "There's a place where cows can sing" or even "In the place cows sing" or "In the land of singing cows."

In other words, keep playing with it until you get each phrase to fit well.

Best of luck!

Brainstorming

2004-02-28T10:55:00.001-06:00

Monty,

thank you your website has helped me a little with my songwritting along with other half decent websites. Well i've wrote some of a song but its not quite finished and theres still some changes i need to make. I doubt its like any of your songs! Please stop with all the fido the dog stuff on your getting stuck page! you dont really write about fido the dog do you i mean come on. How can anyone brainstorm about that!
- Ianonebird

Hi lanonebird,

Thanks for your comments! Concerning Fido, I can brainstorm on anything - that's the point to brainstorming. You can take any word or idea as a start and let your brain expand on it until you have enough material to use. It doesn't really matter whether you stick closely to the original idea or not, especially near the beginning of the writing process. I admit Fido the Dog is a silly example, but maybe I will write a song about him some day, just to prove it can be done!

Best of Luck

2004-02-27T10:50:00.000-06:00

Monty,

I didnt use any of your ideas but ure information as helped me a lot im now on the process of writin a song called "shes so fine" i just thought of it in my head cuz my cuz was on about songwritin so i decided to give it ago thanx uve helped me alot from liverpool09

Hi liverpool09,

It's sure great to hear from someone I've helped! Best of luck with your song!

Tone Deafness

2004-02-26T10:48:00.001-06:00

Monty,

First of all happy New Year!

Monty my dilemma is that I do not sing, but I write poetry which is turned into songs. When I try to turn the poetry into songs I do not know what I am doing. How can I get the melody for this when I do not sing?

Please help!

- Anthony

Hi Anthony,

I wrote about adding melody to existing words in my last column. If you play an instrument, that column may help you. However, some of my advice there does also require doing a bit of singing.

When you say you do not sing, I'm not sure what you really mean. You might mean that even though you can hear a tune in your head, you don't control your voice very well or are embarrassed by the sound of yourself singing. If this is the case, don't sweat it - songwriters don't have to be great singers. The advice in my last column should help. And if you'd like to improve your skills (it never hurts to do that!) maybe you can join a choir or take private lessons. I took private lessons myself for a while to improve my singing voice and it helped a lot!

The other thing you might mean is that you can't really even hear a melody in your head. Some people believe they are "tone deaf" and are unable to hear and reproduce different pitches. Such people claim that they "can't carry a tune in a bucket." True tone deafness is very rare. If you are really tone deaf it means you can't tell the difference between one pitch and another. Music would sound like meaningless noise to you. So if you can enjoy music, then you probably aren't tone deaf. There's hope for you yet. You can improve your singing with practice! See the paragraph above!

Of course you can always follow the last bit of advice in my answer to Ryan above, and find a writing partner who sings like a bird to add melodies to your poems!

Adding Words to Melody

2004-02-25T10:46:00.001-06:00

hey,

great page, im 17, i have played guitar for 2 years but ive played a lot. Im getting pretty good, but i cant seem to put any words with a good melody, just wanted to let you know somones lookin at your page, and ill get back to you on how everything goes. Ive already got an idea or two. Thanks---Ryan

Hi Ryan,

If I read your comments right, you have a melody and you need words. To me this is always difficult. I usually have no trouble writing a melody if I have the words first. I can even come up with words and melody together at the same time pretty easily. But if I come up with a melody that has no words, finding the right words takes some effort. I have a lot of melodies lying around myself that I haven't put words to yet.

I think this is because, at least for me, when the melody is set already, it can be very confining. The words then have to have a certain number of syllables in order to fit, and yet they still need to make some kind of sense. So it's like working a puzzle. The melody gives you the form and the mood, and you have to find words that fit both.

But take heart - it isn't impossible.
Here's a general method you can try...

Record the music you've written - nothing fancy. Just use a tape recorder and play or sing your melody the best you can. Now you can listen to it without having to focus on performing it at the same time. Get comfortable, close your eyes, listen over and over, and let your mind wander. Daydream. What do you see in your head? What images does the music inspire? What situation are you thinking about? Once thoughts begin to come to you, write them down. Don't try to make the words fit the rhythm of the music yet - just write, as if you were writing in a diary. Get the ideas and images down on paper.

Gather words. Now that you have some idea what your song is going to be about, go back and circle the key words - the words that are most important to the song's mood, story, or theme. Do any of them fit at key places in the melody? These important words need to go where the melody will bring them out - the end of a phrase, or the high point in a line. They need to fit naturally with the melody so that when you sing the words, the emphasis comes on the right syllables.

Pick a word you want to use and sing the whole melody using just that word. Where does it sound the best?

If your words don't fit, or if you think they would be hard to rhyme (assuming you want them to rhyme, which isn't necessarily so) then try to come up with other words that are related to the same idea. Brainstorm a whole list of words. Use a thesaurus to help with this. (In a thesaurus, you look up the word you've got and you'll find a list of other words that mean the same thing.)

Work the puzzle. Once you figure out where your most important words will go, then start filling in the rest of each line. Approach it like a puzzle. Keep trying different ideas until all the pieces fit. You may want to record the song again, with the words you already have filled in. Just sing "dum de dum de dum" during the parts you don't have yet. That way you can easily listen back while your brain works on filling in the rest of those words.

Keep at it. This method may sound tedious and mechanical - sort of uninspired. But if you wait for inspiration to strike, you can easily wait forever. Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands. Following this method may seem like a lot of work at first but at some point you are likely to suddenly see the light and find that the words are filling themselves in more and more easily.

It also gets easier and feels more natural the more you do it. Practice makes perfect.

Or - find a partner. One final thought - you could always find a writing partner. If you look at all the top radio songs in a given week, you may notice that most of them are written by a team of two people or more. Sometimes two heads really are better than one. Some partners both write words and melody. Often one partner is a lyricist, who writes only words, and the other is a composer, who writes the melodies. If you find the task of putting words to your music to be too much of a hassle, there's no shame in finding a wordy partner who enjoys that sort of a challenge.

What to Write About

2004-02-24T10:27:00.001-06:00

In this month's column I have several letters from readers to respond to. I'll start with two readers having similar troubles...

Monty,

Im just a teen and i have a band i love to write songs..... just none of them are that good.....i dont know what to write about anymore.....my band is pop and punk so i dont know what to write about!

PLEASE HELP ME!

.~*THANKS*~.

- Sara

hi
i am only 11
i want to write a song because if I want to start a band, I want a good song. Every time I sing a song it is all nonsense. I could say i like green eggs then say have you ever read a book in my lyrics. Could you please give me good tips on writing a good song.
Thanks

- Miriam

Hi Sara and Miriam,

First of all, as a beginning songwriter, you are allowed to write songs that are "not that good" as you say. Songwriting is something you get better at as you go along, but you have to write the bad ones before you get to the good ones. That's the way the world works. So don't let it discourage you. If you feel you haven't written a great song yet - just keep working at it and sooner or later you will!

Now, if there is one piece of writing advice I've heard a million times it is this: write what you know! As a young person you probably don't know much. This is not an insult. What I mean is just that you don't have much life experience. The longer you live the more you learn and the more you will feel that you have something to say with your writing. (I myself have been writing for many years and am just beginning to feel that I have worthwhile things to tell the world.)

But lack of experience should not hold you back, because on the flip side of the coin you probably know more than you think you do. (Even if your parents say it's the other way around!) Read on for a suggestion that will help you discover what stuff you know.

A second consideration, especially if you want your band to accumulate fans, is to write about universal feelings and experiences - things everyone can relate to. A song is by nature a personal statement, but if a song is too personal, people won't relate. The best songs present a universal message in a personal way.

So, for example, suppose I loved anchovies (those nasty little salty fish that some folks put on their pizza). If I wrote about how great anchovies are, very few people would relate to the song. However, if I wrote about how my love for anchovies makes me feel like a weirdo, a lot of people would relate. Almost everyone has some kind of quirk that makes them feel like a weirdo at times.

If all you listen to is top 40 radio, you might get the impression that songs have to be about being in love or getting dumped. But people write songs about all sorts of things. The Beach Boys started off writing about surfing and cars - those were their hobbies. What are yours? The Beatles wrote a song based on a circus poster ("For the Benefit of Mr. Kite" on the Sgt. Pepper CD). Maybe you can turn some piece of artwork that you like into a song. The group They Might Be Giants wrote a hit song about a night light! ("Birdhouse in Your Soul" on the Flood CD). What object in your room might inspire a song? I recently saw the movie School of Rock - great movie! The kids in that movie write a song about what makes them angry. What makes you angry, sad, happy?
Here are some assignments:

1) Listen to your favorite CD and write down the topic of each song. Then go back and make a guess at what real event in the songwriter's life might have inspired each song (it doesn't matter whether your guesses are right or not). Write down your guesses. Finally, for each song ask yourself if there is a similar event, object, or person in your life who could inspire a song.

For Example: This is a song about loosing a close friend; Maybe the writer had a friend that died; My good friend moved away last year - I could write about that.

2) Figure out what you know. Start with a blank page and write "I know what it's like to..." at the top. Now make a list of items that could finish that sentence. Some examples: make a friend, lose a friend, stub my toe, fight with my sister, swim in a lake, fly in an airplane, stand on my head, step on a frog - whatever!! It doesn't matter if your items seem trivial or silly. Write as many as you can. Fill the page. Don't think about it very much - write as fast as you can. See if you can fill the page in two minutes. When you just can't come up with any more, take a break. Then go back and look at each item and ask yourself how you might expand it into a song. You'll probably have enough material to keep you writing for weeks!!

3) This is the same as number 2, but with a different start. Write at the top of your paper: "Things that make me angry!" Or you can try "sad" or "happy" or any other emotion in place of "angry."

Try these exercises - they are guaranteed to find you something to write a song about or your money back!!

Writing Melody

2004-01-24T10:26:00.001-06:00

Dear Monty,

I read your article on song writing, the thing is I can write the lyrics, I put all my heart and soul into them but it is the tunes I get stuck on, I really like music and would love to be in the music business one day, whether it's managing or as the act, but I'd like to. Do you have any tips on writing the music for songs? I usually sing along as I am writing but they tend to be boring and all the variations are the same, I really need some help as I think I have some pretty good lyrics that need music for them.

Yours sincerely, Jayne

Thanks for the question, Jayne - I hope this helps...

I remember when I was very young, trying to come up with an original melody. Every tune that came out of my mouth belonged to a song I already knew. I just couldn't force my brain into a new pattern and hum something that hadn't been sung before.

Once the idea occurred to me that I should be able to write a new melody, I became a little obsessed with trying. I kept at it and it didn't take too long to actually do it. I think I started by switching melodies in the middle of a song, like humming one line from "Yankee Doodle" then suddenly switching to part of "Mary Had a Little Lamb." This helped shake things up a bit and opened up new possibilities to my musical mind. By adding more little changes and variations I eventually landed on a melody that was all my own.

These days my brain is practically a melody-writing machine. I can start singing any time and guarantee an original creation. Usually the melodies I come up with are interesting and catchy - some more so than others of course. I'm almost never at a loss for a melody when I write lyrics. (Sometimes it takes a little more work than others, though.)

Anyhow, I'm not just bragging - my point is that I believe melody writing is a skill that you can learn. It takes experience and practice - like so many things, the more you do it the better you get at it. Sure there are some melodic geniuses out there (Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, ...) who seem to have extra talent just built in. You may never write melodies as great as some of theirs, but you can certainly improve your current abilities, no matter who you are.

In a moment I'll suggest some things you can do right away to make up a melody.

Building Your Chops Over Time

But first, what do you need to do every day to become a great melody writer later on? Listen and learn! Listen to all kinds of music every chance you get. And learn to play an instrument.

Then learn your favorite songs on your instrument. Even if you are a beginner, you can pick out a melody on the piano. Just try until you figure out how to make it sound right.

If you don't play an instrument yet, hum songs without singing the words.

When you listen to or play a melody, notice how patterns repeat and how they change. Notice when the notes go up or down. Do they jump way up, or skip just a little? Notice how the rhythms change or repeat. Soak it all in.

Legos

By the way, some writers are afraid that if they listen to other people's songs, their own songs will come out sounding too much like something that's already out there. I disagree. Any new song is made of bits and pieces of other songs.

Imagine you have a big box of Legos. Some of the pieces came from a Star Wars set, and some from a pirate ship set. But you take those sets apart, dump the pieces together and use them to build a dinosaur. The more different sets you dump into your box and mix around, the more interesting things you can build out of the various parts.

Well, the big box is your brain, and the different Lego sets are the songs you know! The more songs you hear and/or learn, the more great new melodies your brain will be able to create out of all the bits and pieces.

Try These Ideas Now

But don't worry, if your Lego box is pretty empty at this point in life you can still write a great melody. We'll assume you've got words and you're working on a melody for your song.

(Of course you could write music first then words, but if you are new at writing melody, it will probably be easier to write words first.)

Here are a few things to try right now to help you write a melody:

-> Get a tape recorder (or a digital recorder) and use it! Don't worry about anyone else hearing your work - keep your tapes secret if you want. But use the recorder to listen back to yourself. It helps a lot. Really. I will mention it several times below. Because it helps. Really. Trust me!

-> Talk it out. Speak the words to your song out loud several times through. Try to say them with feeling, as if you are reading lines for a play. Record yourself and listen back. Unless you talk like a robot, you will hear the pitch of your voice go up and down as you speak. Is there almost a melody there already? You can bring it out by mimicking your voice with an instrument - try to play your words the way you spoke them on a piano or guitar. Remember your voice is an instrument, too - try singing along the same pattern you spoke the words.

-> Use an instrument. If you play an instrument, use it to work out a melody. I like to use guitar because I can play chords and sing at the same time. But any instrument will work. (If you have to use your mouth to play your instrument, then sing the words along in your head while you play.) Just try different things until you find a melody that works.

-> Groove to a beat. Just about any "toy" keyboard you can buy these days comes with built-in beats. If you have a keyboard like that, play a beat that most closely fits your song. Adjust the tempo (speed) so that it's comfortable. (Try it slow at first - speed up if needed later.) Record yourself while you sing along and see what happens.

-> Change your instrument. If you usually write with a particular instrument, and your melody is coming out boring or too familiar, then put that instrument down and use a different one - or maybe just use your voice instead. Sometimes this happens to me - I play the same old chords on my guitar and it just isn't helping me think of a new melody. Any other instrument I pick up, even if I don't know how to play it very well, will lead me to a new melody I might not have otherwise come up with.

-> Use trial and error. Take one line from your song (I like to start with the most important line - maybe the first or last line of the chorus) and sing it as many different ways as you can come up with. Change something each time, and record yourself. Then listen back and see what you like or don't like. Here are some things to try changing: Change which word gets the most emphasis; Hold different words out longer, or sing them really short; Add empty space between some words; Repeat some words; Try singing on one pitch, or note, for as many words as you can before it just has to change; Make the pitch go up after the first word, then try going down instead; Try making different words land on the highest pitch, then the lowest.

Keep it up until you get a melody you really like. Usually once I get one line to really sound great, the next line and the next follow pretty easily. Sing the second line the same way, or the same way but at a higher pitch, or with the same rhythm but a different melody. Before long you'll have the whole song figured out.

-> Make the verse and chorus different. Once you figure out how to sing the chorus, make sure you sing the verses differently so your song will be interesting to hear. Change at least one thing as you go from verse to chorus or chorus to verse. For example you might change from long slow notes to short fast ones, or change from lines that go up in pitch to lines that stay the same or go down.

-> Revise! As you try these different things, remember that you can always change the words, too. If there is a word or two that doesn't fit well, or is hard to sing, change them to something that fits better. I often end up changing my words quite a bit as I start to fit them to a melody - it's kind of a back and forth process.

-> Don't force it! As you try different melodies using the suggestions above, pay attention to how you pronounce your words. Make sure you don't end up singing a word with the wrong emphasis. Otherwise your listeners will have a hard time understanding you. For example, if you are singing the word "dinosaur" make sure it sounds like "DINE - o - sore" and not "dine - O - sore."

-> Emphasis the right words. As you write your melody, consider which words are most important and make sure those words are brought out by the music. For instance if you sing "I took my DOG for a WALK" that's really clear. "Dog" and "Walk" get the most attention and even if that's all the listener hears, they will get the idea. But if you sing "I TOOK my dog FOR a walk" you run the risk the listener will hear "Took" and "For" but miss the word "dog" - and therefore have no clue what you're singing about.

Even if they hear "dog" they might wonder why the word "for" is so important. Of course people don't really think about such things when they're listening to a song. But when you're listening your brain is processing the information and these thoughts happen without you even knowing it. You might just be left with the feeling that the song didn't make much sense, but you don't know why.

You don't believe me? Try it yourself. Sing "I took my DOG for a WALK" and then sing "I TOOK my dog FOR a walk." Which one sounds better? I rest my case.

Hey, you just made up two different melodies! You're getting the idea! Now go try it with your own songs!

Have fun!

Getting Stuck

2003-10-24T10:25:00.001-05:00

In August we learned that you CAN write a song. In September we talked about how to get started. So this month we'll talk about what comes next - you get stuck!

One question I'm often asked is whether writing a song is "hard." Many kids (and adults) seem to think it must be hard. Kids often tell me "I wrote a song but it's not very good," or "I tried to write a song but I got stuck."

To me, songwriting is not hard, but it does take a lot of work. You have to have patience with yourself and keep after it. Don't settle for "it's not very good." Keep working on your song until you think it's great!

If you get stuck, that's normal. I get stuck on my songs all the time. I have words that don't seem right, or the music doesn't sound right, and I don't know how to fix it. Or maybe I can't think of any words or music at all.

It's easy to get stuck, but lucky for me, and for you, there are lots of easy ways to get unstuck too! Here are some thoughts...

Don't sweat it.

First of all, writing a song should be fun! Don't take it too seriously. If your song makes you happy, then enjoy it! Don't worry if it's not good enough for anyone else to hear, just... wait a minute, that sounds familiar...

What I'm trying to say is, give yourself a break! You haven't written very many songs. This might even be your first one. You can't expect to write a number-one hit right off the bat! So just have fun with it. You will get better at it the more you do it.

Still, there might be a time when the song you're writing is really important to you. Maybe you're writing a song for your mom for Mother's Day. Maybe you have something important to tell the world, or you want to write a song to sing for a talent show. Maybe you just want to prove to yourself that you can write a great song.

Whatever the reason, you really want to finish this song, but you are stuck! Don't panic. You will get unstuck. Just believing that will help you a lot!

On the other hand, don't wait around hoping the song will magically fix itself. There are things you can DO. So read on, and do them...

Writing is not a linear process.

I am going to tell you a secret, and this was one of the hardest things for me to learn about writing. Writing is not a linear process!

The word "linear" means "in a straight line." When you read a story or listen to a song, you hear it in a straight line from start to finish. But you can bet it wasn't written that way!

When I first write words down for a song, I may have no idea where in the song they will go; I might end up writing the third verse then the first verse then the second. I'll probably write the last line of a verse before I write the first line. The paper I work on is always a mess. I cross out lines and re-write them. I draw arrows all over the place. When it's too messy to read, I re-copy it onto a clean sheet.

The biggest mistake new writers make, I think, is to try to write linear. If you start with the first line, and try to get it perfect in your head before you write it down, then work on the second line, then the third, always trying to get it right before you go on, so you won't have to change it later, well... guess what? You will be STUCK in NO TIME FLAT!!!

So,

* Don't worry about whether the words are perfect; just write something. You can change it later if you need to.

* If your pencil is on the first verse but your brain is on the last verse, just skip a line and start writing the last verse. You can put it in the right order later.

* If you write one verse (or line) and then get stuck on the second, try writing something new to go before what you already have, instead of after it.

Gather the right tools.

Don't sit there feeling stuck because you don't have what you need to get some work done!

After reading that last part about nonlinear writing, you know that you will need LOTS of blank paper. If it worries you to waste paper, then use scratch paper. (Keep a box to collect any paper that is blank on one side and would otherwise be trash.)

While you're at it, get a few sharp pencils, too. (Don't worry about an eraser - erasing just slows you down. If you must get rid of some words, cross them out.)

You might want scissors and tape. When your page gets messy you can cut out the good parts, then tape them onto a blank sheet in the right order. That way you don't have to re-copy it all.

Three good books you'll need to use are a dictionary, a thesaurus, and a rhyming dictionary.

You will want a dictionary in case you think a particular word might work, but you aren't sure about the meaning. Then you can look it up.

A thesaurus is a book of synonyms (words that mean close to the same thing.) So if you say to yourself, I need a word that means "kid" but "kid" doesn't really fit, then find "kid" in a thesaurus and you will have: baby, bairn, boy, child, girl, infant, lad, lass, son, toddler, teen, tot, tyke, and youngster to choose from!

If you need a word that rhymes with "kid," look up "id" in your rhyming dictionary. (Yes, the "k" is missing - you look up words by their endings!) Then you will have: bid, did, grid, hid, lid, ... all the way through "toilet lid" and "underbid" to choose from.

Don't sit there stuck because you can't think of the right word - use these tools! If you don't have a dictionary, thesaurus, and rhyming dictionary at home, maybe you can do your writing at the library and use theirs.

A rhyming trick.

If you can't get to a rhyming dictionary, one trick to use is this:

1. Take the first letter or consonant sound off of your word. (Example: "Crab" becomes "ab")

2. Go through the alphabet from A to Z and make a new word with each letter at the start. (Example: Ab, Bab, Cab, Dab, Fab, etc.)

3. Some won't make sense, but write down that ones that do. (Example: Cab, Dab, Fab, etc.)

4. Don't forget to try common two-letter combinations, too, such as "th" and "dr." (Example: Drab, Blab, Flab)

5. To get two syllable words, use common prefixes at the beginning - try this with all your one syllable words form step 2. (Example: Rehab, Prefab)

If you're stuck coming up with a word that rhymes, this method works pretty well to give you a few quick choices.

Spelling

Don't worry about spelling!! Just write. As long as YOU can tell what word you mean, spelling doesn't matter. There is no need to get stuck just because you don't know how to spell a word! When your song is finished and you want to make a nice copy, then worry about spelling.

Go back to brainstorming.

Last time we talked about brainstorming as a way to get started. It's also a good way to get unstuck.

Suppose you are writing a song about your dog and you already brainstormed. One thing you wrote was that you take him to the park. So you write "I take Fido to the park." But it doesn't fill much space, or seem that interesting. So now you are stuck.

Get out a blank piece of paper and do some more brainstorming about your dog at the park. Close your eyes for a minute and picture the two of you there. What do you see? What do you hear? How do you feel? How does Fido feel? Write down everything that comes to mind. He chases squirrels, he barks at ducks, he pees on a tree... everything!

Now go back to your song. You have lots of words to choose from. You write, "At the park, Fido chases squirrels. He barks at ducks and little girls." (You decided to leave out the part about peeing on trees, so you can sing this to Grandma and not be embarrassed.)

Now you're getting somewhere!!

Write what you know, or do your research!

Maybe you are stuck because you don't know much about the topic of your song. If you're writing about your dog, Fido, and you don't really have a dog, that could be a problem!

In this case there are two choices - write about something else, or do your research.

If you must write about Fido, even though you don't have a dog, start by reading everything you can about dogs. Write down the interesting stuff. Then go borrow somebody's dog - take him for a walk or to the park. Play with him. Feed him. Pet him. Write down things you notice or find interesting. Now you have material to work with!

Get into character!

Here's a way to brainstorm that might help if you are running out of words for your song. Become the subject of your song. If you are writing about Fido the Dog, then be Fido the Dog. Imagine the world from his point of view. Start with a blank page and write as if you are Fido describing your day...

"Boy am I hungry. That bacon smells awesome! I can't stop slobbering! I hope he gives me some. Maybe if I jump up on my hind legs and whine just a little..."

Soon you'll have a thousand new ideas to work with! They don't have to go into your song with Fido saying them (unless that's what you want) - you can repeat the details using your own point of view, like: "Bacon makes Fido stand up on his legs; he whines and he slobbers, he dances and begs."

Give your brain an assignment, and do something else for a while.

So maybe you're really stuck, and your brain just ain't storming. Did you know that your brain can solve problems on its own, while you aren't using it? It's amazing - give it a try!!

I do this all the time. I give my brain an assignment, then go do something else. By the time I get back to the song, I usually can get unstuck right away, because my brain has been working on it without me.

Do it like this:

1. Try to figure out exactly what you're stuck on. Is it a particular word? Do you have verse one, but no ideas for verse two? Maybe you are telling a story and you don't know what should happen in the middle. Whatever it is, tell it to your brain, like this: "Brain, I need to figure out ...." You fill in the rest.

Be as specific as you can.

For example: "I need to figure out the next word" is not very specific. "I need to figure out a good word that describes my dog" is better. "I need to figure out a way to describe my dog that also rhymes with the word 'Fido'" is even better!

2. Write down your brain's assignment.

3. Do something else: go for a walk, take a shower, take a nap, (just before bed might be a great time to give your brain an assignment!) ride your bike, read a book, listen to music, mow the lawn, mop the floor, take Fido to the park to chase squirrels - whatever. (I don't recommend TV or video games for this - they may keep your brain too busy for it to work on your song.)

4. Don't try to think about the song while you do this something else you are doing.

5. At some point, the answer may just pop into your head. If not, that's OK. When you have time to work on your song again, look at your brain's assignment. (You did write it down, right?) The answer may come then. If not, try a different assignment for your brain, or try one of the other ideas below.

The forest for the trees.

Have you heard the expression that you couldn't see the forest for the trees? It means you are paying too much attention to the details to see the whole thing.

If you are stuck working on the details of your song (particular words) then it might help to look at the whole song for a while. Get a fresh page and ask yourself how many verses will there be? What will each verse be about? Write a sentence about each verse, but don't try to make it rhyme or fit with the music. You are writing an outline!

Now go back and see if the details come in more easily. Sing what you have so far, and sing "la de da de da" wherever there are words missing. Your brain just might fill in those missing words for you.

Do something else creative

If you are really stuck, take a break and do something else creative. This will give your brain a different kind of stimulation and might help loosen up some new ideas for your song. You can color, paint, play with Play-Doh, build a block castle, build with Leggos, or act out a scene with your stuffed animals or action figures.

If you feel like you're getting too old for some of this stuff, great! Do it and it will REALLY give your brain a jolt! You may suddenly find yourself humming or singing while you play, and presto, you're right back into writing your song.

Use visualization.

So you sit down to work on your song and you have no ideas. Maybe it's time to try a visualization.

Close your eyes and imagine that you have finished this song, and it's great. You are getting ready to perform it. You step out onto the stage and take the microphone. The crowd cheers. The music starts. You feel the beat. The audience is moving and grooving in their seats. You take a breath and sing...

Just let it play in your head like a movie - this is daydreaming!! The only difference is that you get yourself started on purpose, to daydream about your song.

When you start singing in your daydream, you might find that the song is right there! Just watch and listen as long as you can.

Then write down or record what you heard. It may be hard to remember it all, but even if you get a few words or a little bit of music down, that's great! Now you have something to work with, where you didn't have anything at all before!

If you are writing a song for a particular reason, make sure you daydream about the actual way you will use the song. For instance if you are writing a song for your brother on his birthday, picture yourself at the birthday party. Think of all the people who will be there. The candles are lit. Everyone sings "Happy Birthday" and your brother blows out the candles. Then you stand up and say, "I have a song I'd like to sing..."

As you are singing, picture the people's reaction. Your brother has a big grin on his face. Your parents are weeping with joy. Your brother's friends' mouths are hanging open in awe!

Seriously - this is YOUR daydream, and it is important to visualize things going your way! Imagine that your song is great and people are loving it. It will help you to write a great song!!

Try this whenever you get stuck. Even if you don't get specific words or music from your daydream, it will help build your confidence. If you can picture success, you can achieve success!!

Think of your song as a long-term project.

Finally, remember, if the song you are writing is important to you, then it's worth some effort to write it. Don't expect to do it all at once. You may get stuck and unstuck many times before the song is done. Give yourself lots of days, and work on it a little each day.

Try not to skip a day, even if all you do is read over what you already have. That way your brain will keep working on it for you whenever it gets a chance.

Have patience with yourself and hang in there. You'll finish your song, and you'll love it! All your friends and family will be really impressed, too! Believe it! Do it!

Inspiration

2003-09-24T10:21:00.001-05:00

Two of the questions I'm asked most often about songwriting are about getting started: Where do you get your ideas? Do you start with words or music?

Inspiration can come as words, music, or both. It can also be a feeling or a concept or a title.

Here are some examples from my own songs:

"Lisa Lee Elizabeth" began as a "what if?" I thought, "What if somebody had a really long weird name?"

"Hanging Out With Heroes at the Library" began with our summer reading program theme one year. The theme was "Hanging Out With Heroes at the Library" so I just wrote a song with that title.

As many have guessed, "The Brainiacs" was inspired by "The Addams Family" theme song - I was trying to make up something like it, but different. Before I even knew what "The Braniacs" would be about, I came up with the series of three notes, two snaps, two more notes, and a pop, which starts off the song.

I got "Jungle Junk" started by playing with the sounds of some words together: "Jingle jangle jungle junk..." I wrote all the words before I added any music.

"Grandma's House Tonight" began with words and music. I was singing what I was doing: "Backing out the driveway, into the street..." There's a name for making stuff up off the top of your head - it's called improvising. Most of what I improvise disappears into thin air never to be heard again, and we can be very glad of that! But if I improvise long enough I always run into a new idea that's worth keeping!

Finally, I don't always wait for inspiration to strike me. Sometimes I go looking for it, especially when I need a song on a particular topic. For last summer's library programs I needed songs about dinosaurs, so I did some brainstorming. I sat down and wrote out as many ideas as I could about dinosaurs. Most of the ideas I didn't use, but the song "You're a Dinosaur" grew out of that first brainstorming session.

OK, so that's how I get my ideas. But what about you? You can write a song, too! How will you get started?

The best way to learn how is to do it. So, I will give you some things to try. Do the ones that seem easiest to you. See if you can write a short song!

Just try it and have fun...

Oh, and please write back to let me know how it went!

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1. Ask "What if?" Come up with your own what-if questions - write down as many as you can think of. Then pick your favorite, and answer it with a song (or story or poem). Here are some ideas to get you started - just fill in the blanks! What if there was a really huge _______? What if there was a teeny tiny ________? What if all the __________ disappeared? What if it rained __________?

2. Start with a good title. Whenever you see a slogan or title or clever saying - on a sign, bumper sticker, poster, on TV, in a book, in a movie - ask yourself if it might make a good song title. Sometimes changing a well-known saying around makes a good title too. Write them down as you find them. Pick your favorite and try singing it!

Hint: Go to the library, look at the books on the shelf, and write down any titles that you really like. I once wrote a song using a book title: "Nasty Stinky Sneakers."

3. Start with a bit of music. Listen to the sounds around you. All kinds of things make rhythms and melodies. What does a bird sing? A school bus door? A cash register? What rhythm does the washing machine make? How about a woodpecker? (We had one pecking on our house today!!) Pick a sound you like and see if you can imitate it by singing it. Can you add words? Turn it into a song!

4. Start with word play.

Rhymes - pick a word and write down several words that rhyme with it. See if you can make a sentence out of them!

Here's an example: My daughter, Evalyn, and I made up a song together today. She was scooping up her "ice cream juice" as she calls it, and I said, "The ice cream juice is on the loose!" She added, "Chasing a goose!" And later she added "In a caboose." I started singing it as a song: "The ice cream juice / is on the loose / chasing a goose / in a chartreuse caboose!" (She had a ball changing the color on me - the caboose was blue, then green, then yellow... )

Alliteration - sometimes the same sound several times in a row sounds silly! Like the "S" sound in that last sentence. Pick an animal and write it down. Then find other words that use the same sounds. Try putting the words together different ways. For example you might have a "sneaky snake snack," or a "pink pig playing in the park" or a "fine fish swishing." See if you can sing your words! Turn them into a song!

5. Improvise. Little kids are great at this - they will just open their mouths and start singing whatever comes to mind. Older kids and adults get embarrassed - they tend to think it has to sound good or they have no right making such a lot of noise. Well, I'm giving you permission to make all the noise you want!

I like to do this in the shower, while driving, or doing the dishes. Just sing whatever comes to mind. You don't have to use words if you don't want to - sing "la la la" or "doo doo doo" or even "la doo da doo" if you want to get fancy. Don't worry if it's good or not. If you're lucky, you'll sing something you like. If so, sing that one part again into a tape recorder so you don't forget. Use it to start making up a song.

Hint: Improvising is something you get better at the more you practice doing it!

Another Hint: Maybe the only thing you can think of is a song you already know. That's OK. Sing it. Then sing another one. Then sing part of the first and suddenly switch to the second one. Or just start changing the words, or start changing the melody. Pretty soon you'll be singing your own ideas!

6. Brainstorm. Get a big blank sheet of paper. Write your favorite topic at the top or in the middle. Then start writing down ideas and words related to your topic. Put them anywhere on the page that makes sense to you. Draw pictures if you want, too. Ask yourself lots of questions and write down the answers. Whatever your topic is, what do you like (or hate) about it? How do you feel about it? What does it look, sound, feel, smell, or taste like? What does it do? What do you wish about it? In a few minutes you will have a page full of good song ideas.

Hint: If you don't see a good song idea on your page, try some of the other ideas listed above and use them with your brainstorming page. Add some what-ifs, or try the word play ideas or improvise using words from your brainstorming session.

Good luck, and have fun! Don't forget to write and let me know about your song!

You Can Write a Song!

2003-08-01T07:08:00.001-05:00

Yes you can! Your brain was designed to make music - it's part of being human.

Sometimes people lose their music from not using it, but you are young, and you love music - I know because you're on my fan list!!

So you can write a song!!

Look at my daughter, Evalyn. When she was only one year old she started writing songs! Her first one went "Mmmm ba mmmm" over and over.

OK, so you're thinking "Mmmm ba mmmm" isn't exactly a million seller, and you're right. But Evalyn's song was a big hit around here. She loved singing it, and her mom and dad loved hearing it. And what better reason is there to sing your own songs than for the pure fun of it?

Am I saying that any old sound you make is a song? Well, no...

Songs have two parts, words and music. Music can be any sort of "organized sound." Usually music has rhythm and melody.

If you aren't sure what rhythm and melody are exactly, don't worry. They are both in you and they come out naturally when you sing.

So if you sing a few words, does that mean you wrote a song? Almost...

If you write down what you sing, record it, or remember it in your head so that you can sing it pretty much the same way every time, then congratulations, you wrote a song!

Songs can be short or long; they can repeat the same thing over and over and over or never repeat at all; they can be nonsense or they can tell a story. But all songs tell something - even if it's just a feeling.

Do you need a guitar or piano to write a song? No! Your voice is an instrument, so use it!

Do you need to be able to read or write music notation? No! Written music is just one way to remember how a song goes. Get a tape recorder and sing into it. That's what I do, and it's an easy way to remember your song!

When Evalyn sang "Mmmm ba mmmm," even though her "words" were nonsense, they were the same every time. They had a particular rhythm and melody. And she was telling us something with the way she sang it - she ways saying "I feel calm and happy." Her song was as sweet to my ears as anything I've heard on the radio!

If a one-year-old baby can do it, so can you!

So next time you feel happy, sad, angry, or silly, let the world know with your very own song!