Songwriting Tips

Hi Hello

Before you all shout at me for not posting on Sunday I'm just gonna tell you that life happens and I got really busy with school and such and just didn't have time to post. But I am here today with the post I was planning on writing on Sunday, another one of my "tip" posts.

Are you thinking about writing songs? Or just started out writing songs to increase your musical abilities? Are you getting frustrated? Thinking about giving up on writing songs? Well stop. Stop what you are thinking and listen up (or read up).

Here are some tips or rather things to consider when you are first starting out with songwriting...

Lyrical Content

1. Just start writing. Even if you are not writing in a "song" or "poem" format, just start writing. The best way to start maybe is to start a journal. It can either be a daily journal or a weekly journal. Just start writing down your day and your feelings about situations. If something happened, even if it was something minor like forgetting to buy milk at the store, then write about it. Sometimes the best songs come from minor, almost insignificant, events that happened to the writer. The more you write the better you will get.

With time you can move on from the journal and start writing down poems. Lyrics in songs are like poems. Poems don't always have to rhyme. They just have to have a flow to them, and a meaning behind them. Short lines, but each line has a meaning and a purpose. The stanzas can be short or long, however long you feel it needs to be. You never know, one of the poems might make a great song!

With practice this your writing will become better and better and it will come easier to you. Practice doesn't make perfect, but it does make progress.

2. Write about real life experiences (if you can). I find it easier to write about experiences that you have actually been through, at least when you are first starting out writing. You can get all your feelings out about a situation that you've been through by writing it down. Not only could it make a great song but it also is a great therapy session for yourself to just let it out.

If you are like me, and don't really have that much of an exciting life to really write about, then you can go off of general topics like relationships. Relationships are a great start to write about. This doesn't have to be about dating, they can be about friendships. They don't have to be negative, they can be positive as well. They can be silly or they can be serious. Whatever inspires you when you grab that pen and paper, just write it down. Find a topic and start writing about it, I cannot stress that enough...just start writing.

3. It doesn't have to tell a story right away. Don't sit down and start writing thinking that you need to tell a story in order or events or how it happened. You can start writing a story starting in the chorus, if that is the easiest part for, then start working at the verses and other aspects of the lyrics. You might find too that all you can write is a few lines of something and then move onto the next. You never know, sometimes lines from different intended songs might fit well together and create a new song all together. Just work at expressing your creative freedom. There are no limitations when you write songs, just write.

Instrumental Content

1. The best way to start off writing the music part of the song is to learn how to read and write music. Just like when you start school and you're learning to read and write words, learn how to read and write down music. I cannot stress how important it is to learn to read music. It is the foundations of every song. Im not saying that you need to go to college and learn theory and how to invert chords and write counterpoint, but I am saying that you should know the names and beats of different notes as well as the notes on a scale and how to build a chord (but first what a chord is). Learn the basics and trust me, you will be thanking me later.

2. Pick up an instrument and just start playing it. I would suggest to first learn the basics on piano. Get a keyboard and learn to play the piano enough to write simple melodies. Im not saying to pay for lessons or learn to play large symphonic pieces by Beethoven or anything like that, just enough to know the basics and to start writing melodies.

After you have learned the basics on piano you can start to pick up other instruments, this can be anything that you please although most will start to pick up the guitar. With the guitar you can start to learn it and, just like anything, the more you play the better you will get. Now don't start playing these instruments thinking that you will be able to write music with the snap of your fingers. It doesn't work that way, just like writing the lyrics, it will take time and practice. Not everyone can be prodigies.

3. The best way to come up with the melody to songs or the chord progressions of a song is to just start playing. Pick up your guitar or sit down at your piano and just start playing something. I would suggest not playing a song that you already know from a well-established artist because this will influence your writing. Sit down somewhere quite, clear your mind, and start fooling around with whatever you are playing. Start strumming random chords one after another until something sounds cool and then WRITE IT DOWN! Same with piano, just start playing random keys and chords and when something sounds good WRITE IT DOWN!

I cannot stress enough that when you come up with something that sounds good write it down so you do not forget it and you can come back to it later and replay it. This is why it is important that you learn to write music on a scale so you can write down your melodies and chords later. If you are really good with your ear and will be able to identify a chord or note by listening to it, you can record yourself on your phone or tape recorder or program on computer so you can come back to it later. Although I would also suggest that you still write it down because technology can still fail you at times.

Just like with the writing, just sitting down and practicing will make progress and it will come easier to you with time.

Other Tips

1. Write in silence. If you listen to music while you write you will be influenced by the song you are listening to and there is a chance that you could copy when you hear. Maybe not in lyrical content but definitely in musical content. It is important to be careful about this when writing because you do not need a copyright case coming your way later in life when you try selling your music. So write in silence and try clearing your mind before you write so you don't get songs stuck in your head and start writing similar to that particular song.

2. Keep a notepad in your bag or on your phone. Inspiration can come at random times during the day or night. When that inspiration hits you're gonna wish you had something to write it down on. So I suggest that you are out and about during the day that you keep a notepad and pen in your bag or purse (if you are a lady) or start a "note" on your phone's note app and type it in. If you are home, keep a notepad by your bedside, sometimes inspiration comes from a dream you had. You can wake up and write it down right away if you have something by your side at the ready.

Although this doesn't help much with melodies, if is extremely helpful with lyrics. But, if you do come up with a melody that you like you can either sneak away to a bathroom or a private room and record it briefly on your phone, or write it down on your notepad. If both of these options are unavailable then you can just keep trying to sing that melody in your head until they become available. In which case, I would suggest not listening to any music until you can write it down or record it for fear that you might lose it.

3. Don't stress about it. Not everyone starts off writing amazing songs. The first song that I ever wrote was absolutely horrible. It was proper cringe worthy and, unfortunately, I had to have it performed in front of a crowd for a school project (music theory 2 was a horrible experience). But, with time, they got better. They still are pretty horrible and need improvement, but they are getting better indeed. Don't look at the artists that you listen to now and think that it comes easy for them from the start. Ed Sheeran even said that his first songs that he ever wrote when he started out were horrible. He says that they are probably the worst songs anyone could ever hear, but look at him now. His songs are complex and beautiful and he's selling out multiple shows at Wembley Stadium.

4. Don't compare yourself to anyone else. You are you for a reason. You are not like anyone else in this world and you should embrace that. When you compare yourself to other people that is when you start slowing down on your progress. Now, you can strive to be like a particular artist as inspiration to improve. That is perfectly fine, in fact, it might be more rewarding for you to have a person to inspire you in your writing. Their work and push you to work harder and to improve. But do not look at one of your pieces and then one of theirs and think that yours is way worse. If you are just starting out your work is not going to be as good as theirs. And once you start comparing that is when you lose the drive and start practicing less and less.

It takes time. Just like anything else, you need to practice in order to improve and get better. To master your craft you need to work at it. No one gets anywhere without working towards it. Even those child prodigies that you see popping up here and there had to start somewhere. They didn't just pop out of the womb playing 12 movement orchestra pieces. They had to learn from the start just like you, they just started earlier.

That is all I have for you today. If you liked this or have any other tips that I did not mention, please leave a comment and tell me what you think.

I will see you on Sunday!

Until next time my misfits,
Stefanie

Something's Gotta Give

Hi Hello

All Time Low released their new single "Something's Gotta Give" off their upcoming album Future Hearts and all I gotta say is WOW. The single came out on Monday, January 12 and it is an all around great song. I'm gonna break it down and talk about a few of the components of the song and give you my honest opinion and then I'll speak on the music video.

First off, the overall sound of the song. When I first listened to this song I got the feeling of an younger All Time Low mixed with musical maturity. It also has this nice Rock edge to it that sets this song apart from other bands in their genre. I think all All Time Low fans can agree that they have really redeemed themselves since Nothing Personal. One part of the song, musically, that made me fall in love with this song is the drumbeat and vocal duet towards the end of the song. I love when a song strips down to just a simple drumbeat and vocal fanfare that allows for the audience to really showcase their love for the song at concerts. Those are generally my favorite parts of songs.

Lets talk lyrics. These lyrics, are very relatable. It talks about finding that break in a situation that can turn an low point into a high one. Everyone has that moment in their lives when nothing is going right in your eyes and you are just looking for that "something" to give and make it turn around. This is the interpretation that I'm getting from the lyrics. Very personal to the artist and to the listener. I feel just like their song "Weightless" that this can be a song of inspiration for many. With "Weightless" we were taught that it may not be your day but you can change that and make it your week, your month, your year. This can be taken the same way. It might not be going okay now, but something is gonna give and you just gotta stick out until then or take the initiative to make it happen.

Melody. This song is very catchy. I listened to it a few times last night and I was singing it for the rest of the night and even when I woke up this morning. The melody is not complicated. Its very easy to pick up and sing along to. You will catch on very quickly after a few listens which I feel is a great way to start off with when releasing the first single off an album. You want to draw the audience in, and a catchy yet simple melody is a great way to do it.

Music video. So they released the music video for the song today (Tuesday, January 13) and I gotta say, its a very All Time Low-like video. Its weird and funny at the same time. I must say though, if you have a bit of a weak stomach I would not suggest you watch the video. Basically Alex is dressed like French Fries at a burger joint and (in the beginning) he's walking around trying to get people to talk to him and pretty much stay by him. There is a break in the video that made me laugh because Alex is winded from chasing after a girl, but then he sees his reflection in the window of a shop and is horrified. He's a zombie. The scenes play back how they actually happened as him being a zombie and eating his band mates as well as an innocent cat. If you are squeamish I wouldn't watch it. Overall, I enjoyed the video and thought it was great.

Overall, my review out of 5 stars is a perfect 5! Love this song and the video and it has got me stoked for the album.

Any other song reviews that you wish me to do, just leave it in the comments and I'll listen to it and do a write up.

If you wish to read over the lyrics to "Something's Gotta Give" you can click here.
If you want to listen to the song (audio only) you can click here.
If you want to see the music video you can click here.

Until next time my misfits,
Stefanie

The Power of Discovery

Hi Hello

Today I'm coming at you with something that I've always had a problem with but never knew just how to articulate it until recently. This problem being narrow-mindedness in others. I have come across many people in my life who are so narrow-minded and refuse to see things differently or do things outside of their comfort zone but then talk bad about the way others live and what others like.

Although this problem relates to all topics and aspects of life I am going to slim it down to a specific topic to fit the contents of this blog; and that is music. Now, its one thing to like a specific genre of music the most and dub it as your favorite and listen to it all the time. I have a few favorite genres of music that I tend to gravitate towards right away because I like the sound and vibe that I get and most times I relate to the stories in the songs the most, but I also listen to a wide variety of music that is totally different from my favorite genre. I feel this is what gives me a nice rounded spectrum of interests when it comes to my career, but people who stick to one or two genres of music because they claim its "the only good music" just annoy me.

"Good music" based on taste and personal style and opinion is relative. The reason why its a "music taste" is because it caters to your personal interests, style and opinion, but music taste does not just stop at one or two genres...it expands to all music. My favorite genres of music are more Alternative or Pop styles, its what I have the most of on my iPod, but I also have many other genres like Rap, Hip-Hop, R&B, Country, Celtic, Christian...the list goes on and on. This is because if I hear a song that I like, I like it and it goes on my iPod. If it gets me dancing in my car or humming along and stays in my head all day its a good song (unless its the unfortunate case when a song I don't like gets stuck in my head). Point blank...a good song is a good song.

I have these different genres in music because I opened my mind up to give other genres a chance and it turned out that there are some genuinely great songs if you give them a chance and expand your horizons. If you just sit there and refuse to listen to anything else because you feel like they can't "play an instrument so they are not true artists" or "they don't even sing they just talk fast" then you really need to take a second look at it. Not every artist needs to play an instrument to be considered "talented" and not every form of music needs to be sung by the vocalist. Music is a form of art, lyrics are a form of poetry, and poetry is a form of art.

Music tells a story and its up to the creator to find the medium for that story.

Now I understand if there is a specific genre of music that you just can't relate to and just don't click with. Like I said earlier, music taste is based on personal style and opinion, and if you don't click with a specific genre that is one thing, as long as you gave it a chance. Music is made to be relatable (for the most part). Generally the artist felt something or experienced something that resinated so deeply with them that they wrote about it and created a piece of art. Although they are dead nervous to share that work of art with the world, that nervousness is made up of them hoping that it relates to others and that they are not alone in the situation.

I know its hard to get into a song that you cannot relate to and that is perfectly fine. You're not going to like every song that is ever made. I know that there are going to be genres of music that you just cannot get into, the content doesn't fit right, the style, the personality of the artist...and that is perfectly fine as well. All I say is that you give these different genres a chance. Start listening to a radio station that you don't normally listen to, search other genres and artists on YouTube or Spotify or Pandora and start listening to whatever comes up. If you don't like it at first, try a different artist or song. Sometimes you might just start out on a song that you just don't like. It doesn't mean that you give up and base the rest of the artists in the genre on that one particular song.

Give them a chance, expand your horizons, discover music. One of my favorite things to do is to discover. Find new genres of music, movies, books, places, cultures, hobbies, people. There is a whole other world that opens up when you expand your interests and try something new.

Until next time my misfits,
Stefanie

New Music

Hi Hello

Happy New Year, again. So far my year has been off to a pretty relaxed start. I spent my New Year's Eve doing something spontaneous and fun and I'm a firm believer on how you spend your New Year is how the rest of the year will be. I've then spent the rest of my vacation relaxing and doing things that I like to do; eating, sleeping, watching netflix, and reading. I even organized my bookshelves and set up Apple TV in my living room (of which is like the greatest thing to happen to my household).

But unfortunately tomorrow I start back up with my schooling and work. That means my life will go back to its regular schedule; school work, work, relax, repeat. So to get me into the swing of things I decided to look up some new music to listen to on my way to work as well as in my down time.

I have found some bands that I have grown quite fond of in the past week and here they are...

Hands Like Houses. They are an Australian band and I don't know why I haven't listened or heard of them before now. They have been around for quite a while now and through my research on the group I found that a lot of my friends listen to this band. Why they have not recommended them to me before..I don't know, but I'm glad that I found them now. They are going to be on the Vans Warped Tour this year and I am pleased about this..very pleased.

As It Is. It took me a while to get into this British Pop Punk band but after a while of listening they definitely grew on me. They are from the Brighten area and the lead singer, I can see, is a very talented person. He has his own channel on YouTube, Patty Walters, where he does covers of songs and plays every instrument in these covers. This band will also be playing the Vans Warped Tour and has been added to my list of bands to see this summer.

PVRIS. I know what you are going to say...why haven't you been listening to them before? Well here's the deal, they have been on my list to listen to for months now but I just never got around to actually listening to their music because of other bullet points on my agendas. Until now. I sat down and listened to them and I was in love. Listened to them for a whole day...a binge listen if you will.

Those are bands that I have currently listened to and have already added to my music library. But there are bands that I need to still look up and listen to. Those bands are...

BabyBaby (Rock, Indie)
LeCastle Vania (Electronica) [requested from reader]
Trophy Eyes (Pop Punk, Hardcore)
Alive Like Me (Alternative, Hardcore)
Handguns (Pop Punk, Rock)
Lee Corey Oswald (Punk, Pop)

If there are any other bands or artists that you want me to look up please just leave a comment below and I will put them on the list to listen to and I will do a blogpost about what I think of each band.

Until next time my misfits,
Stefanie