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Post by scumbum on Nov 19, 2013 14:18:51 GMT -6
I found this on the Purple Devilsite . Its drBills guide to Songwriting , 1. Keep yourself in good physical and mental shape. No one can write when they are sick or depressed. If that means a gym, running, scheduled time, etc. - do it. If that means meds or a psychologist, do it. Keeping a well rounded physical / mental / spiritual balance is ESSENTIAL to surviving what will end up being a difficult journey. 2. Put yourself on a schedule and stick with it. If on a film, I"ll say to myself "I'm going to write/finish "X" minutes of music today. If I'm writing for other purposes, I'll commit to writiing "X" pieces per week. COMPLETE that goal, whether good, bad or ambivalent. Often that kind of deadline allows for a different mindset and level of creativity that you cannot approach while "waiting for the inspiration". And on inspiration - YOU CANNOT WAIT FOR INISPIRATION. If you are a gardener, you don't wait for inspiration on your clients lawn. If you're an attorney, you don't not show up in court because you do not have the final arguement "inspired" in you. You just DO IT. And really, beyond all the details, that's the secret. If you're a composer/songwriter, you just DO IT. Period. There is no not doing it. Hopefully for your clients, you'll be inspired on the day your are scheduled for them. If you have "the gift", you will mostly turn out good to inspirational stuff. If you don't, you'll get better and mostly turn out mediocre stuff. 3. Have long term goals. 4. Have your studio in shape where you don't have to crawl behind racks, or do other creative killing tasks. Templates for orchestra sounds, rhythm section sounds, etc. Also, patchbays, bussing paths set, a mic up and ready, etc. 5. Surround yourself with the BEST musicians/orchestrators/arrangers/engineers/producers/etc. you can afford. Then go one tier higher. Keep working up. Talent congregates and pools together. Associate with the best and people will eventually hear your name. Do NOT keep every dime for yourself, invest back into your production collaborators - musicians, engineers, etc. You will move up faster. 6. If you use samplers or synths, buy some new stuff. It will inspire you. 7. Always have a sequencer or recorder in "record" or at least "record ready" while you are sitting and fooling around. Having to set up a mic or boot a computer or let your 8 track warm up will more often than not cause the muse to run... Carry a small digital recorder with you like you would your phone so you can hum into it, speak in a lyrical idea etc. no matter where you are. Be ready to CAPTURE that muse whenever he pokes his head out. 8. Do not be paralyzed by the need to create a masterpiece. If you've got it in you, the best way to get it out is to write like crazy everyday. That masterpiece might be internally scheduled to be #127, and if you only write 10 songs a year, it's going to take 13 years to get at it. Do not be paralyzed by knowing that what you just wrote is mediocre at best. 9. Nurture and be up front and FAIR in any co-writing relationships. Be generous. Treat your musicians like Kings and Queens. They are the lifeblood of your music. Again, be fair and generous. 10. Compartmentalize! Have individual folders on your computer for ideas, sketches, writing, production, mixing, mastering. Fill up those folders and keep something in all of them. Different processes. It's all about producing music, but on Thursday, you might not feel creative so you open up the ideas folder. On Friday, you might want to work on fleshing out that sketch that you love. Saturday might be the day for other musicians. If you really, really don't feel like writing, then mix or master on Monday. 11. Come up with some sort of database to allow you to keep track of your music, cowriters, publishing companies, derivative titles, alternate mixes, alternate names/publishers, etc. I use a custom setup in filemaker pro. 12. Embrace the seasons of life and use them as your servants, make loss of love, new job, unemployment, marriage, kids, whatever - make it work for your writing muse. 13. Leave room for others creativity. I'll often work out some complicated chord change and beautiful melody, then put in 8 bars of Dmi, and not fill in ANYTHING other than basic rhythm or even just a click.......waiting to see what will happen when I have Jim in to play guitar or a WW player or  Musicians step back and play LESS when you fill in all the cracks. Allow them some room to stretch out. You can always fill in the cracks later after they are gone. 14. Final tip. Don't give up. STAY FOCUSED. If you have "the gift" you can/will write. You need to find steps like the above (although perhaps completely different) that nourish and help your craft to grow. 15. Don't spend so damn much time on GS. |
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Post by Johnkenn on Nov 19, 2013 17:33:46 GMT -6
Drbill is a songwriter?
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Post by scumbum on Nov 19, 2013 18:19:22 GMT -6
I know he does stuff for TV , for example "Modern Marvels" has his music playing in the background . |
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Post by tonycamphd on Nov 19, 2013 22:15:22 GMT -6
number 15 made me lol, i read somewhere he writes 300 songs per year!! i won't write 300 songs in my life time..guaranteed.
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Post by scumbum on Nov 20, 2013 12:38:02 GMT -6
I'm gonna try his list and see if I really improve .
I've heard its best to write only when your inspired but then others like drBill say just keep turning them out like a mad man even if they aren't that good .
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Post by henge on Nov 21, 2013 14:26:45 GMT -6
Absolutely write every day...without fail. You're probably not going to get a keeper everyday ;-), but it will guarantee that the good stuff does get out.
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Post by tonycamphd on Nov 23, 2013 0:33:21 GMT -6
Absolutely write every day...without fail. You're probably not going to get a keeper everyday ;-), but it will guarantee that the good stuff does get out. Anton, can you expound on this? do you mean write daily music, lyrics, or ?? You definitely come up with some killer shit, so i'm interested in hearing a bit more detail about where you come from....if you don't mind me asking... thanx T |
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Post by henge on Nov 23, 2013 8:41:03 GMT -6
Well the whole idea is to TRY to finish something everyday. Obviously the vast majority of it will be shit but it makes the good stuff come out faster it seems. Also you get into a groove which is conducive to getting the good ideas out.
There's no way I could get a lyric a day but I know some guys that can do that. When you start to feel burnt take some time off and then start again.
Instead of waiting for inspiration to come to you, grab it and squeeze the shit out of it!!LOL
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Post by scumbum on Nov 23, 2013 11:50:31 GMT -6
Well the whole idea is to TRY to finish something everyday. Obviously the vast majority of it will be shit but it makes the good stuff come out faster it seems. Also you get into a groove which is conducive to getting the good ideas out. There's no way I could get a lyric a day but I know some guys that can do that. When you start to feel burnt take some time off and then start again. Instead of waiting for inspiration to come to you, grab it and squeeze the shit out of it!!LOL I can see how that would work now . If you write EVERYDAY and in the habit of doing so , alot of the time it will be "mediocre" stuff . But the advantage writing everyday is it maximizes your potential for catching the great "inspired" music the days it does come . For example its like hunting a rare wild animal . You know this rare wild animal comes to drink at the watering hole every now and then . So everyday you go out and hide in the bushes waiting for it to show up . If you go EVERYDAY and wait , eventually , one day , he'll show up and and you'll get him because you were READY and waiting . But if you get bored of waiting , and then start to only go to the watering hole a couple times a week , the chances of you catching him are not gonna be very good . It can happen , but most likely , when the wild animal "inspiration" shows up , you'll be out doing something else that day and your gonna miss it . So if you go to the watering hole everyday (write a Song) you'll be ready when that rare wild animal (Good Song) finally does shows up , because you'll already be hiding in the bushes with your loaded rifle . |
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Post by henge on Nov 23, 2013 14:36:28 GMT -6
Well the whole idea is to TRY to finish something everyday. Obviously the vast majority of it will be shit but it makes the good stuff come out faster it seems. Also you get into a groove which is conducive to getting the good ideas out. There's no way I could get a lyric a day but I know some guys that can do that. When you start to feel burnt take some time off and then start again. Instead of waiting for inspiration to come to you, grab it and squeeze the shit out of it!!LOL I can see how that would work now . If you write EVERYDAY and in the habit of doing so , alot of the time it will be "mediocre" stuff . But the advantage writing everyday is it maximizes your potential for catching the great "inspired" music the days it does come . For example its like hunting a rare wild animal . You know this rare wild animal comes to drink at the watering hole every now and then . So everyday you go out and hide in the bushes waiting for it to show up . If you go EVERYDAY and wait , eventually , one day , he'll show up and and you'll get him because you were READY and waiting . But if you get bored of waiting , and then start to only go to the watering hole a couple times a week , the chances of you catching him are not gonna be very good . It can happen , but most likely , when the wild animal "inspiration" shows up , you'll be out doing something else that day and your gonna miss it . So if you go to the watering hole everyday (write a Song) you'll be ready when that rare wild animal (Good Song) finally does shows up , because you'll already be hiding in the bushes with your loaded rifle . Dead on! Great analogy. The idea that I came up with today will never see the light of day. It's shit, but now there's room for , hopefully, a good idea to come in. |
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Post by tonycamphd on Nov 23, 2013 16:43:12 GMT -6
that is a great analogy scum, except mines a little different, i wait at the watering hole, then when a great song idea shows up, i shoot it full of holes and kill that rat bastard!!! hhmmm..., maybe i should rethink my routine....8)
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Post by drbill on Jan 20, 2014 20:42:55 GMT -6
Yes, drBill IS a songwriter. Among other things.....  |
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Post by Johnkenn on Jan 20, 2014 20:44:04 GMT -6
DB!
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Post by drbill on Jan 20, 2014 20:46:50 GMT -6
number 15 made me lol, i read somewhere he writes 300 songs per year!! i won't write 300 songs in my life time..guaranteed. I was hoping for one a day this year, and I thought I was gonna make it, but a 5 CD Roots/Americana package I did this year killed me, well, that and moving my studio and residence out of LA. I only made it to 354. heh heh I don't think I'll ever try that again.... |
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Post by drbill on Jan 20, 2014 21:53:06 GMT -6
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Post by tonycamphd on Jan 20, 2014 22:02:22 GMT -6
number 15 made me lol, i read somewhere he writes 300 songs per year!! i won't write 300 songs in my life time..guaranteed. I was hoping for one a day this year, and I thought I was gonna make it, but a 5 CD Roots/Americana package I did this year killed me, well, that and moving my studio and residence out of LA. I only made it to 354. heh heh I don't think I'll ever try that again.... Hey doc, good to see you here man |
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Post by Johnkenn on Jan 20, 2014 22:15:01 GMT -6
354 is insane...I wrote about 35 last year...and thought half of those were turds...
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Post by scumbum on Jan 21, 2014 15:51:12 GMT -6
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Post by scumbum on Jan 23, 2014 18:58:34 GMT -6
Yes, drBill IS a songwriter. Among other things..... Since the Grand Master has arrived , maybe you can elaborate about "the Gift"...... How can you tell if you have "the Gift" or not ? Is it when most of the stuff you write is good ? |
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Post by drbill on Jan 25, 2014 12:45:32 GMT -6
Yes, drBill IS a songwriter. Among other things..... Since the Grand Master has arrived , maybe you can elaborate about "the Gift"...... How can you tell if you have "the Gift" or not ? Is it when most of the stuff you write is good ? Grand Master? heh heh Probably more like the Grand Poobah..... That's a difficult question. And really, one that we can only answer for ourselves. I don't like it when others pass judgement on whether or not someone else has any talent or has "the gift". There is no threshold below which you say someone doesn't have "the gift", or above which you say they are "talented". Nurturing "the gift" takes longer for some than others. It doesn't mean that slow bloomers don't have it - and it doesn't mean that one hit wonders do. It just means it takes more nurturing for the unknown hard working guy than for the guy who wrote a song for with Katy Perry because he had one cool idea and knew her manager, and ultimately got a cover with her and it was only his 3rd song that he'd ever written. I think one indicator as to whether or not you "have it" is whether or not you have the drive to write. If you have an insatiable drive to write music, I'd hazard a guess that you have the gift - although this is not always true. (We've all met the exceptions to this rule - the hard working guy who is absolutely the WORST you've ever heard.) But if you keep at it constantly, chances are, you'll improve. Also, if other people love your music and want to use it for their TV show, their commercial, cover it for their new CD, chances are you have the gift. We are not the deciders of whether we have the gift or not. Ultimately, that is decided by those who LISTEN, BUY and USE our music. One thing I've learned (the hard way) is that what YOU (and me, and any of us) feel is great is often not. And other things we were inclined to throw out - like John's turds - are what resonate with other people. I've been able to attain a high end production esthetic over the years and have a varied group of clientele that allows me to release virtually everything I write. And guess what? My self proclaimed "masterpieces" are often very rarely used, while pieces I cringed at sending in are in constant use. Go figure..... So, although I wrote that list several years ago, it still holds pretty true for me. It guides and directs my pathways, and pushes me into greater creativity. Now, if I can only get through this move, get a new studio built, and get back to work, I might be able to write and finish a song a day next year. LOL Good luck with your muse. bp |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2014 18:56:19 GMT -6
Hmm,
i seem to lack some writing talent, despite others around me might think differently. Same with music and literature. In fact mostly i am like:
And the most awkward moment is always something like this:
But i try hard to write every day. Even if it is for the dump bin....
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Post by scumbum on Apr 2, 2014 17:05:32 GMT -6
Ok Grand Poobah , I have a question for ya ,
So the goal is to write as many songs as possible , a song a day .
Lets say you have a solid idea for a song , its got a vocal melody , but No lyrics or title , just a scratch version , rhythm guitar and vocal melody , all the parts are pretty much there....Verse , Chorus , Bridge , Ending.......
But listening to it , you can tell its "ehhh ok"....kinda like album filler material , if that .
What do you do with it ?
Go ahead and spend the time to actually finish it , write lyrics , Title , fine tune all the sections/transitions , record it.....get it done .
Or once you are half way through and find out the song is just gonna be "ok" , do you abandon it and move on ?
Is it good to go ahead and spend the time to COMPLETELY finish a mediocre song ? Is that whats makes you a better song writer , finishing songs no matter what ?
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Post by Johnkenn on Apr 2, 2014 21:32:10 GMT -6
Ok Grand Poobah , I have a question for ya , So the goal is to write as many songs as possible , a song a day . Lets say you have a solid idea for a song , its got a vocal melody , but No lyrics or title , just a scratch version , rhythm guitar and vocal melody , all the parts are pretty much there....Verse , Chorus , Bridge , Ending....... But listening to it , you can tell its "ehhh ok"....kinda like album filler material , if that . What do you do with it ? Go ahead and spend the time to actually finish it , write lyrics , Title , fine tune all the sections/transitions , record it.....get it done . Or once you are half way through and find out the song is just gonna be "ok" , do you abandon it and move on ? Is it good to go ahead and spend the time to COMPLETELY finish a mediocre song ? Is that whats makes you a better song writer , finishing songs no matter what ? Drbill is no longer with us. Writing a song a day is ridiculous. You know what they'll sound like? Like you wrote a song a day. |
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Post by scumbum on Apr 2, 2014 21:43:32 GMT -6
Ok Grand Poobah , I have a question for ya , So the goal is to write as many songs as possible , a song a day . Lets say you have a solid idea for a song , its got a vocal melody , but No lyrics or title , just a scratch version , rhythm guitar and vocal melody , all the parts are pretty much there....Verse , Chorus , Bridge , Ending....... But listening to it , you can tell its "ehhh ok"....kinda like album filler material , if that . What do you do with it ? Go ahead and spend the time to actually finish it , write lyrics , Title , fine tune all the sections/transitions , record it.....get it done . Or once you are half way through and find out the song is just gonna be "ok" , do you abandon it and move on ? Is it good to go ahead and spend the time to COMPLETELY finish a mediocre song ? Is that whats makes you a better song writer , finishing songs no matter what ? Drbill is no longer with us. Writing a song a day is ridiculous. You know what they'll sound like? Like you wrote a song a day. Ha !.......it will sound like I wrote a song a day....... Well if Grand Pubah is gone ...what advice do you have on this topic ? The hard part about a song a day is that it takes up ALL your time each day . I then don't have time to work on or finish older songs . All my energy is on getting that new song done for the day . |
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Post by Johnkenn on Apr 2, 2014 22:07:45 GMT -6
There seems to be two schools of thought...Drbill and I are on opposite ends. However, whatever works for you should be what you follow. I can see working on your craft every day...Flexing the muscle every day - even if the idea ends up in the trash...but I think the idea of writing a song a day is setting you up for failure. Who has 365 good ideas a year? I don't. The world doesn't need another shitty song. There are plenty of them. Why waste your time on something that isn't worthy? Spend it on ideas that inspire you. Quality over quantity. Hugh Prestwood - one of my favorite writers ever - wrote 10 songs a year. About 8 of those would get cut. Of course, the guy is a genius, so we can't all achieve that...But he crafted those 10 incredible ideas over time and didn't let them go until they were perfect. Find your balance and go from there.
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Musicians step back and play LESS when you fill in all the cracks. Allow them some room to stretch out. You can always fill in the cracks later after they are gone.
