Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

Hi everyone,

The past few months I've been writing lyrics to several songs. I keep a notepad and hand-recorder with me *everywhere* I go, always. I'm finding that the tunes I come up with truly are a reflection of the music I've grown up with, from every genre I've ever loved - often a combination. It's not as if I'm trying to emulate any one artist - in fact I don't write anything with an instrument so that even my playing style doesn't influence what I'm trying to convey musically. Instead, I've been starting with a lyrical concept, and an emotion, then I try to come up with a tune to convey it.

It's a real eye-opener for me when writing music this way. I'm finding that the melodies, snippets, little riffs that come to mind to express myself sometimes sounds alot like a band or artist that I've grown up listening to, tho I can't always place the song or the artist. I'm getting a real understanding for what it means to be inluenced by another artist/song. It's as if what I think is my own expression is similar to someone elses, which is kindof scary to me.

I find myself hunting for the song I think I might have been influenced by to make sure I'm not inadvertently copying or too close to that artist. If I find the song and see that my version is only similar, I try to tweak it so no one can say i sound like them, and if i can't find the song, but think I've heard something similar before, then I junk the tune completely on a hunch "just in case".

Does anyone else suffer this "influential" dilemma and how do you cope with it?

thanks,
Chris

We all write from a point of reference that was established by what we have heard & enjoyed. I doubt that there are very many of us who haven't had this problem.

The ones who most successfully break from that mold are often the ones whose music all sounds the same to me ( like Dave Matthews, I guess). Yeah, their stuff is new & fresh but they can't seem to get away from it as soon as they invent it.

I refuse to listen to the radio, but I still hear music everywhere I go & nearly in everything I do. Yes, it influences me, but I try to take an unoriginal idea far from where it went in the 1st place, when I'm writing. Sometimes I just throw out random chords or notes until something stucks in my mind that it'll work, but I only do that when I'm frustrated by the results of my efforts. Different productions also can make something sound new & different, but DO try to do it better than Kid Rock!

There's also the Lennon/McCartney approach, where you simply tack two completely different musical ideas together & force them to work.

Not me! Everything I do is influence free-I'm an Original! (J/k).

Yeah, man, I've dealt with that quite a bit, and learned to love it. There are always going to be those little musical pieces that float around in the back of your brain, only to resurface occasionally.

Never junk your ideas!! NEVER!

My writing approach is similar to yours, and I've found it best to develop parts simultaneously (if possible).

You shouldn't get hung up on chord progressions or melodies...we all recycle. If your new song is built around a riff that sounds exactly like "smoke on the Water", yeah, you're gonna want to tweak that...Lyrically, I'm guessing your expressing yourself IN YOUR OWN WORDS, so that shouldn't be a problem.

I've got a song on my profile that "borrows" from a LOT of people, including: A WHO intro, a PRETENDERS vocal idea, and in one section, a melody that came from Andy Taylor (Duran Duran).

I'll give anyone $1000 that can figure out which song it is (This is a lie. I don't have $1000).

The point is that if you put your own touch on it, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

These replies are putting my mind at ease. Thanks tons for the insights and shedding light on your approaches. More input = better

joseph6 wrote: My writing approach is similar to yours, and I've found it best to develop parts simultaneously (if possible).

You shouldn't get hung up on chord progressions or melodies...we all recycle. If your new song is built around a riff that sounds exactly like "smoke on the Water", yeah, you're gonna want to tweak that...Lyrically, I'm guessing your expressing yourself IN YOUR OWN WORDS, so that shouldn't be a problem.

I'm a pretty linear thinker. I mean, I actually start the song at the beginning of the lyrics up to whatever follows, then start chipping away at the rest of the lyrics and tune as I go. So I'm not sure what "develop parts simultaneously" would look like. My brain doesn't really let me do that if I understand what you mean - although one song I've just about completed on paper (and voiced/sung on "tape" to retain it for future completion) started with the chorus that popped into my mind, then I stepped back and thought - now how do I get to that chorus naturally

So as of yet, those "riffs" I was speaking of were basically me dreaming of what a solo or riff might take off where a lyric ended, then I recorded it via "humming it" so I wouldn't lose the idea. Then during "practice" I take those "hums" and try to replicate them on guitar to see if I can make them sound like how I imagined them. Anyways, yeah - it's all original for the most part, but I do find myself at times sounding like Black Dog lol.

Thanks.

KLUGMO wrote:When I write it is all about emotion. I will put 3-4 chords together that I like. Then play them at different tempos with some exageration here and there. From this I will hear something that catches my atention. From that I build the lyrics at the same time. The words bring music and the music brings words. For me it happens at the same time always. .

I've tried writing like this originally, but I had a really hard time making it work for me, so I figured I'd try a new approach - I can play an orchestra in my mind pretty easily. It's getting it out of my mind and recorded that's the challenge for me, so I decided to try it this year to see if I could develop it. I think I'm not a mature enough guitar player to hit everything naturally is my problem. But I like what you're saying about "words bring music, and music brings words". Very true.

oh and btw, you have an incredibly tasteful voice - that's you singing on your profile right?

KLUGMO wrote:Yea Chris, thats me and I'm soon going to have 6 more up for your ears to critique. I would suggest that you use other players in your area for your lead sections or maybe the whole song if you just can't get the sound you are looking for. You will find that over time you will have a diverse collection of DEMOS. You will also pick up a lot of short cuts and tips from other players. I also think you will find that other players hear your music differently than you do and if you have an open mind about it (which a lot of writers don't) what they hear may actually be better. Remember, if you only use your input in writing and recording you will probably end up with music that all sounds similar. Not a sermon just my thoughts.

Well taken. I'm currently at a disadvantage in terms of finding other musicians to work with - at least in person. Partly due to time constraints and partly due the fact that established musicians would have to treat me as a charity case if it was going to work. I'm a decent player but not experienced at all. In any case, I'm looking forward to these 6 songs of yours to critique ^.^

cheers

NEVER search for the tune that sounds like the one you wrote.

If you wrote it and you put enough of yourself in it, that usually will indicate that it's original enough..

That will inhibit your writing.

Capt. Scott wrote:NEVER search for the tune that sounds like the one you wrote.

If you wrote it and you put enough of yourself in it, that usually will indicate that it's original enough..

That will inhibit your writing.

AMEN !