Ok - I figure if I'm ever gonna write a song all by myself, I need to be able to play guitar.  So, Saturday I bought this little baby.  She's an Alvarez RD20SC. 

So far, I can play a "G" chord!  I'm working hard on "C" and "D".  (That "C" is kinda hard!)

Today I completed the storyline for another one.  I had started this one about three or four years ago and had a few lines and an 'idea'.  Monday night we had our local NSAI meeting a song that someone played reminded me of the one I had started all that time ago.  (It's not the same story as his, but there were a few lines that had a similar theme).

So I came right home, printed out what I had from all that time ago, and yesterday and today I got two verses and a chorus.  I kept thinking it needed a bridge but had no idea what, so I sent it to a couple of friends, to get a reaction.

One friend says "but what happened to "him" and "her" and "the other him"?  So I said "aha! now I know what my bridge needs to say!!"

So I'll work on that the rest of the week.  The point is.  The more you write, the more you write.  It's a pretty good feeling!!

I guess the key to writing is to ..... well, write!

I finished got all the components down in a lyric yesterday.  VCVCBC.  General consensus is that the 'twisted' hook is really good, but the story needs some work.  It's too generic and run of the mill; of the "it's been done to death" variety.

So, it needs polishing, but my first goal is to keep writing.  To get into the habit of writing - every day.  So I'm moving on now with another one.  I've got a verse (or is it a chorus?) done today on the new one.

Later!

This challenge thing is working out pretty good.  I dont know if the determination and focus is what's working or if this is just one of my "blue moon" creative periods; but I'll take what I can get for sure!

This song is coming along nicely.  It's gonna be Verse 1 / Verse 2 / Chorus 1 / Verse 3 / Chorus 2 (there is a slight variation in the choruses, not much).

All I have left to do is Verse 3.  I  know what the story is, I just have to get that verse into words.  Then I'll post it here.

Then there'll be TONS of re-writing to do.  After all, great songs are not written, they are RE-written! :-)

That's my hook for my new project.

I was almost asleep Friday night when it came to me.  I'm not sure what I was thinking about when I thought it was a "he said/ she said" thing.  Then I thought ..... "hmmmmm...." and I wrote it down, and a few ideas of where the story was going.

Yesterday I got the chorus done .... I know what I want the story to be, but I cant get the verses headed in the right direction.  So, I'm gonna work on that a little more this afternoon.

I'll report in tomorrow!

Today I was telling someone that we had "storms rolling through" and suddenly I thought "hey, I like the sound of that" .... storms rolling through.  So I quickly wrote it down on a sticky note and put it in my wallet so I could remember it after work. 

I've only got six lines, and although I'm sure I wont keep all of them ... I think I've got some pretty good images.  I'll work on it some more this weekend and maybe I can post a bit of it Sunday night.

Stay tuned!

Ok - I completed my challenge for today.  It was an itty bitty one, but I did accomplish something.

Several months ago I wrote something for a friend.  There was one line in it that was just not right.  It was throwing off the whole the thing.  I couldnt send it to him til I fixed it.  Today, I fixed that line, and sent it to my friend. 

I hope he likes it.  (He'll say he does, but I hope he really does.  It's important - to me anyway).

And I mean that in more ways than one.  I havent written here since October.  And unfortunately I havent been doing much songwriting either.  Life sort of got in the way.  Both my (grown) kids, and my granddog are back home with me for a while and life is challenging to say the least.  I have a four month old great-niece that I love to babysit.  And, I am helping a friend with some promotional things for his new album slated to be released in May so that keeps me pretty busy. 

When lamenting to a friend and fellow songwriter last night that I have really good intentions of writing more - or at least more often - but I never seem to follow through, he challenged me that for the 40 days of lent (yes I know you are supposed to give up something but work with me here) that I could discipline myself to write something every day.  A line, a hook, a verse, a silly poem, a journal entry - something - every day. 

Thanks Keith!  I think I can do it!  I'm surely gonna give it my best shot!

Here is the (really bad) pic of me receiving my certificate for NSAI Coordinator.  Debi graciously let us hold her Emmy Award to spruce up our pic. I should've held it a little higher (over my face), or maybe at least a little straighter.  :-) 

I'm still hoping they're going to send us a copy of the one of all of us with Mac Davis!

That's Trish Matthews, Me, Debi Cochran.

I just realized that I could crop Trish out of this pic (sorry Trish!) and pretend Debi is awarding me my very own Emmy!

Yep, another class by Steve.  On a whole different topic.  Also punctuated with real-life examples by Steve and his guitar.  

This class was all about “how are you going to house the information that you’re putting forth?”

How it happened is how we tend to write it, but that’s not always best.  Do a ‘person-check’ on every song you write.  Nine times out of ten the original will be the right one but occasionally you will find that a few simple changes of pronouns will make all the difference in the world without having to re-write any of the lines.  

Again, I took lots and lots of notes.  Cant possibly type them all here.  And it wouldn’t be fair to you or Steve if you got them all from me instead of hearing them yourself from him. 

Writing:  Re-Writing – Steve Seskin

My third class with Steve.  All three were great, and each was a very different and specific topic.

Again, I’ve condesed five pages of notes into this:

Writing with a blank page is easy.  You can go anywhere (without your editor).  When re-writing you have to focus on what you’ve already said and stay true to the story.

1-    Tone – It’s not what you said, it’s how you said it.  Is it powerful enough?  Is it whiny or condescending?

2-    Factual accuracy – you cant say “I pulled out of Nashville on Hwy 67” if there is no Hwy 67 in Nashville.

3-    Emotional accuracy – Does what you’re saying connect emotionally with the rest of the song?  In this case some events of the story may have to go by the wayside to keep the emotional level in sync.

4-    Content must tell you who is talking.  Example: “It hit me like a ton of bricks” vs “Dad’s words hit me like a ton of bricks”.

5-    Re-order the lines for the best last impression – the ending emotion.

6-    Prosody (as discussed in the previous class)

Get rid of the phrase “it works”.  It should be brilliant!  It’s not a race.  However long it takes is what you have to spend. If you don’t love every word and every note in your song, you should be re-writing it!

Melody Master Class – Jason Blume

Jason says there are three reasons songs become hits:

1)    Melody ….. 2) Melody …. And 3) Melody.

He says prior to the 80’s the lyrics were more important and melodies were more standard.  Now music is more melody driven.

One of the biggest pitfalls a writer can get trapped in is being too wordy.  If the lyrics are too wordy you cant be melodic enough.  He was once told by a publisher (some years ago) “son, y’all have enough words in these here lyrics for a whole album”.  By the way, Jason started out as only a lyricist, so that gives me hope to build on!  He writes his melodies without an instrument.

Be willing to re-write your melodies.  Many people re-write and re-write the lyrics but few ever re-write melodies. 

KISS – Keep It Simple and Singable. 

Separate the title with the melody.  If someone only hears the melody without vocals they should immediately be able to tell where in the melody the title is.

Don’t steal the thunder from the chorus by using your high note in the verse.

Incorporate musical hooks into your song. (ie: Honkytonk Badonkadonk – the opening sounds live but it’s not, and the opening groove puts your mind in the mood for the song)

Repetition:  Repeat melody but change chords.  Or keep the rhythm of the melody but change the actual notes.  (ie: Dancing when the stars go blue).

How can you re-write melodies?

1)    shorter is better

2)    take one line and try different rhythms

3)    vary tempo

Magic Moments:  The unexpected WOW!  (ie: I’ve got friends in low places)

Jason says:  it’s all learnable!

Tools – Using both ends of the pencil – Chuck Cannon

Chuck’s class was more of just talking to us (and getting feedback from us) than it was an actual class.  There was a lot of back and forth (not really Q & A) in this session.  He started out with a bit of a bio and I was really relating to a lot of it and again, thinking “cool, I really can do this!”  I took a lot of enthusiasm and encouragement with me when I left this class.

He analyzes hit songs.  The form.  The rhyme scheme.  And he says get to the hook quickly.

He writes on paper – with a pencil.  He leaves a blank line between each line of lyric for re-writing.  He never erases, just strikes through and writes above the original line. He writes ideas in the margins, then writes the actual lines in the body of the paper.

Hit songs are not written, they are rewritten.  Write too much, then edit out what you don’t need.  Keep only the very best lines. 

Analyze what’s on the radio – but be aware it’s out of date by the time you can write something and get it cut.

Write your own feelings – something that you feel and can relate to.  Main objective is to elicit an emotion from the listener.  Be detail specific. 

You must be irrepressible. You must keep coming back.  You must keep at it til you get it right.  One of your tools is your own audacity to believe that you might have something to say that someone else wants to hear.