Frustrated/depressed |
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Jan 14 2010, 10:13 PM
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QUOTE (Enucleation @ Jan 14 2010, 10:04 PM)  I guess we all have our highs and lows. I'm in a low >.> Trying to get a solo part written, nothing works. I've been stuck on writing two other songs for months now.. no fun. It's getting to the point where when I hear a great song I just get depressed because I can't write like that. I feel like if I can't write music better than the things I like... what's the point? Suggestions? Aaahh, thats a common problem I think all musicians have. The trick here is to forget about how other people writes their music, and focus on Your OWN music instead. No one really writes music in order to copy someone else's work - therefore should Your own music either be compared to any one else's music.... For me, writing music is like delivering a mood or a feeling, and I dont get depressed because it doesn't sound like someone else - why should I?? If it sounds like someone else I've failed cause then it doesn't sound like me..... So just forget about how it "shall" be and write it as You hear it, by time You will develop Your own unique style that no one can takes away!!!  //Staffay --------------------  Guitars: Ibanez AM-200, Ibanez GB-10, Fender Stratocaster Classic Player, Warmouth Custom Built, Suhr Classic Strat, Gibson Les Paul Standard 2003, Ibanez steel-string Amps: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Marshall JMP 2103, AER 60 Effects: BOSS DD-20, Danelectro Trans. Overdrive, TC-Electronics G-Major, Dunlop Wah-wah, Original SansAmp, BOSS DD-2 Music by Staffy can be found at: Staffay at MySpace |
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Jan 15 2010, 12:52 PM
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Try breaking your routine, change environment. F.ex continue the song writing process somewhere else. Or if you usually write in the evenings, stand up a couple hours earlier in the morning and start writing.
Break out of the genre! If you're writing a rocksong, play and listen to only jazz for a period of time. That could render some new ideas. Somekind of change is needed if you're stuck in a rut. Good luck finding out what works for you
-------------------- My bands homepage
All time favourites: B. Streisand - Woman in Love, M. Hopkin - Those were the days, L. Richie - Hello |
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Jan 15 2010, 01:02 PM
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I will make some sort of radical statement to this issue - imo. most of the guitar players today can't write songs at all....
I'm not saying that I can either, but most of the songs I hear doesn't have a strong melody or some catchy thing that makes You wanna listen. They are rather built upon the players favourite licks and shows he's/her's ability to handle the instrument. F.ex. simple songs like "Apache" or "While my guitar gently weeps" are not written anymore - the guitar playing of today is far too complex for the general public imo. To take another example, I think thats why Jack Thammerat won guitar-hero last time, there was players that had the similar technique and even greater chops - but his song was just the most melodic.... In studying music, I was always told: "Dont try to play it, if You can't sing it". This pretty much describes what song-writing is to me at least... //Staffay -------------------- Guitars: Ibanez AM-200, Ibanez GB-10, Fender Stratocaster Classic Player, Warmouth Custom Built, Suhr Classic Strat, Gibson Les Paul Standard 2003, Ibanez steel-string Amps: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Marshall JMP 2103, AER 60 Effects: BOSS DD-20, Danelectro Trans. Overdrive, TC-Electronics G-Major, Dunlop Wah-wah, Original SansAmp, BOSS DD-2 Music by Staffy can be found at: Staffay at MySpace |
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Jan 15 2010, 01:57 PM
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QUOTE (Staffy @ Jan 15 2010, 01:02 PM) I will make some sort of radical statement to this issue - imo. most of the guitar players today can't write songs at all.... I'm not saying that I can either, but most of the songs I hear doesn't have a strong melody or some catchy thing that makes You wanna listen. They are rather built upon the players favourite licks and shows he's/her's ability to handle the instrument. F.ex. simple songs like "Apache" or "While my guitar gently weeps" are not written anymore - the guitar playing of today is far too complex for the general public imo. To take another example, I think thats why Jack Thammerat won guitar-hero last time, there was players that had the similar technique and even greater chops - but his song was just the most melodic.... In studying music, I was always told: "Dont try to play it, if You can't sing it". This pretty much describes what song-writing is to me at least... //Staffay I care to fully agree  My friend, who had some success in the swedish grand prix and songwriting in general says just what you said, melody is everything. Without a melody a song is likely to fail. I think he said 9 out of 10 songs in average that he had writted and which succeded had a catchy melody. One of the wisest things he said Will my new saying top that? Fast chops alone will only get you so far. *coughh*youtube*cough*
-------------------- My bands homepage
All time favourites: B. Streisand - Woman in Love, M. Hopkin - Those were the days, L. Richie - Hello |
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Jan 15 2010, 02:11 PM
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QUOTE (MickeM @ Jan 15 2010, 01:57 PM) I care to fully agree My friend, who had some success in the swedish grand prix and songwriting in general says just what you said, melody is everything. Without a melody a song is likely to fail. I think he said 9 out of 10 songs in average that he had writted and which succeded had a catchy melody. One of the wisest things he said Will my new saying top that? Fast chops alone will only get you so far. *coughh*youtube*cough* Oki, I will try to top even that....  The best way to impersonate Yourself is to do a video with Yourself playing some Vai/Satriani -tune even faster than they do it.... Then You are in good company with 100's of players round the world..... //Staffay -------------------- Guitars: Ibanez AM-200, Ibanez GB-10, Fender Stratocaster Classic Player, Warmouth Custom Built, Suhr Classic Strat, Gibson Les Paul Standard 2003, Ibanez steel-string Amps: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Marshall JMP 2103, AER 60 Effects: BOSS DD-20, Danelectro Trans. Overdrive, TC-Electronics G-Major, Dunlop Wah-wah, Original SansAmp, BOSS DD-2 Music by Staffy can be found at: Staffay at MySpace |
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Jan 15 2010, 03:19 PM
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It's a normal issue, but just stay persistant and write as many songs as you can. Most songs you write will be only for practice. You can't make hit songs straight out of the box, even experiences songwriters cannot do that! Songwriting is a skill, it takes time, and it takes inspiration that cannot be pushed. But keep on doing it and it will be OK. I agree with Staffay as well, the songs should be melodic and catchy. You have to make a good vocal line, this is what is the most important thing. Take an acoustic guitar, and play and sing any hit you can find, you will see that they sound just as good on the acoustic guitar. If you do simple chords and good vocal melody, that is already more than a half of the job done. No matter what you put around that core, it will be good. Opposite goes for bad core. You can put symphonic orchestra behind it, it will sound bad.
-------------------- - Ivan's Video Chat Lesson Notes HERE
- Check out my GMC Profile and Lessons - (Please subscribe to my) YouTube Official Channel - Let's be connected through ! Facebook! :) |
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Jan 15 2010, 04:04 PM
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that's totally right ivan!
man don't think you are writing your master piece right now, just continue, be impredictible, if i am stucked in a song i try to get unconfortable in purpose, i really love rock n roll, so if im stucked i trow a weird chord and try to stick with it, so im forced to come up with a melody, and maybe that doesnt work at all, but, dont be afraid of trying, dont fall in love with any part of any song until it's recorded, mixed and mastered, cause when u get into the studio with a real producer he can (and will) tell you to change parts. kinda bad structured comment, the main point is, try try try, and eventually u will get something that you like. --------------------  Check my Instructor Profile Rockers! Got a Blog too!, www.adriantracks.com Follow me on facebook and youtube! -Youtube   |
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Jan 18 2010, 05:51 AM
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When I write a song, I almost always start with a melody. When I do not know what to play, I am trying to use my voice as a guide. Since I am the worst singer on earth... I usually use a sentence and I find a melody for this sentence on my acoustic guitar. Then it gives me the key I want to play in... This sentence is based on my mood.. for example if I'm frustrated I will almost only use swear words to guide my melody
 Once I have found a voice melody I find the place where I want my guitar to punch at the same time as my voice. I use these notes and I try to play it based on the root the 5th, the 3rd or the 4th (usually). Once the basic rythmic line is there I am voicing my chords to make it sound better. I do that with the verse, the chorus and sometimes the bridge and then my basic rythm is written. The other part are easy to find since the base of the song is there. When I lack of inspiration I stick to the melody and try to keep the rythm not to complicated I just want it to sound fun to listen.... By using this methods I rarely lack of inspiration for the rythmic part... I always use a pen and a sheet to write my chords down and all the notes that fits in the key. If I want to add something I will use my primarily chords and play with there shapes (based on a lesson I have wrote on the student instructor's board: https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_fo...howtopic=31321). Good luck with your writing. Edit: I just realized what I wrote really looks like what Ivan said... This post has been edited by Crazy_Diamond: Jan 18 2010, 05:56 AM |
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Jan 18 2010, 05:54 PM
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QUOTE (Adrian Figallo @ Jan 15 2010, 04:04 PM) dont fall in love with any part of any song that's great advice, imo. Be prepared to change any part at anytime, even radically, even eliminate it or move it to the end instead of the beginning. When you get stuck, it's not that your writing is what's stuck only, it's the environment around what keeps you from continuing. Change environment! go away for a couple of days regardless of what's going on. You'll see that automatically you start to have fresh ideas that come out of nowhere. -------------------- Visit my:
INSTRUCTOR PROFILE "If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music." Gustav Mahler Subscribe to my Youtube Channel here |
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