Songwriting....
Discussion
Why is it that some people presume that if you're a musician, and particularly if you play in a band, you HAVE to write your own songs. I personally just don't consider myself a composer or songwriter, but almost everyone you meet assumes that I must have some desire to write meaningless lyrics and forgettable melodies. I've seen many comments on this forum relating to it being pointless playing other peoples songs .... How wrong that is.
I've been playing a very long time and was in a string of original bands from when I was 11 years old, and all of these I had a part in the arranging and maybe helping some of the musical part of the band songwriting procedure, but never have I had the desire or inclination to sit and write 'a song'.
I am proud to admit that I make the bulk of my income from playing covers, so I may be a little biased than many, but mostly because of a huge majority of peoples assumptions that you wish to become the next big thing, and the reality is I'm quite happy playing other superior compositions that the public actually like, rather than bore an empty venue with sub-standard rubbish the megalomaniac singer wrote.
As this is the glorious PH-land I will compare it to the world of the motor vehicle. My opinion is that songwriting is like car design.
Not many people should actually attempt it, and most people will fail miserable. It's likely that only a handful of good original designs from a very few talented and extraordinary people will surface during a certain period. There are very few truly talented songwriters that compose beautiful songs that will stand the test of time, so why do people kid themselves that they are one of them. Your mates brother in law who's written over 200 songs in 6 months and they've a gig down the Kings Head, is NOT the next Paul McCartney.
If you wish to play an instrument for the shear joy of it, please do, most of us started this way. Be proud to play well written, anthemic songs, regardless who wrote them..
I've been playing a very long time and was in a string of original bands from when I was 11 years old, and all of these I had a part in the arranging and maybe helping some of the musical part of the band songwriting procedure, but never have I had the desire or inclination to sit and write 'a song'.
I am proud to admit that I make the bulk of my income from playing covers, so I may be a little biased than many, but mostly because of a huge majority of peoples assumptions that you wish to become the next big thing, and the reality is I'm quite happy playing other superior compositions that the public actually like, rather than bore an empty venue with sub-standard rubbish the megalomaniac singer wrote.
As this is the glorious PH-land I will compare it to the world of the motor vehicle. My opinion is that songwriting is like car design.
Not many people should actually attempt it, and most people will fail miserable. It's likely that only a handful of good original designs from a very few talented and extraordinary people will surface during a certain period. There are very few truly talented songwriters that compose beautiful songs that will stand the test of time, so why do people kid themselves that they are one of them. Your mates brother in law who's written over 200 songs in 6 months and they've a gig down the Kings Head, is NOT the next Paul McCartney.
If you wish to play an instrument for the shear joy of it, please do, most of us started this way. Be proud to play well written, anthemic songs, regardless who wrote them..
Edited by chevy-stu on Wednesday 21st July 20:04
On the other hand I have the complete opposite view and think that the creative part of music is the important bit. This can mean that you can end up with a pretty small audience. I have never played a straight cover but a band I played in did a cover of Wuthering Heights in which we incorporated a bit of Lou Read's Oh Jim, or Oh Heathcliff in our case, which made it a totally different song!
In my opinion the quality of the song is less important than the creativity that has gone into it, even if it's crap; at least it's my crap. I would never join a covers band and am still writing my own stuff now. Hard bit is finding suitable lyrical subjects having unfortunately passed the "my baby done me wrong" stage of life.
It's for the same reason that I cannot play a single song on the guitar that anyone knows - only my own crap.
L.F.
In my opinion the quality of the song is less important than the creativity that has gone into it, even if it's crap; at least it's my crap. I would never join a covers band and am still writing my own stuff now. Hard bit is finding suitable lyrical subjects having unfortunately passed the "my baby done me wrong" stage of life.
It's for the same reason that I cannot play a single song on the guitar that anyone knows - only my own crap.
L.F.
chevy-stu said:
Not many people should actually attempt it, and most people will fail miserable. It's likely that only a handful of good original designs from a very few talented and extraordinary people will surface during a certain period. There are very few truly talented songwriters that compose beautiful songs that will stand the test of time, so why do people kid themselves that they are one of them.
... I know just what you mean, albeit from a different perspective of being a DJ rather than a 'true' musician (although I do play guitar recreationally and used to write my own songs once upon a time)...I'm always being asked why I don't produce, and even though I'd love to, and have tried to, I'd have to be creating something pretty special for it to be worthy of gracing a dancefloor and earning it's place above every piece of music ever recorded that I could otherwise choose to entertain people with...
I've got a handful of DJ/ Producer mates who can make something that is just that, and with the added benefit of being tailored to their own unique style ... BUT... I know many, many more who kid themselves that their productions are of a reasonable standard, simply because very drunk people fail to evacuate the dancefloor when they decide to impose one of their painful creations upon them!
lockhart flawse said:
On the other hand I have the complete opposite view and think that the creative part of music is the important bit. This can mean that you can end up with a pretty small audience. I have never played a straight cover but a band I played in did a cover of Wuthering Heights in which we incorporated a bit of Lou Read's Oh Jim, or Oh Heathcliff in our case, which made it a totally different song!
In my opinion the quality of the song is less important than the creativity that has gone into it, even if it's crap; at least it's my crap. I would never join a covers band and am still writing my own stuff now. Hard bit is finding suitable lyrical subjects having unfortunately passed the "my baby done me wrong" stage of life.
It's for the same reason that I cannot play a single song on the guitar that anyone knows - only my own crap.
L.F.
It sounds like you've got a very realistic approach to writing and playing your own music... It sounds like you're happy in what you do though, but it's a shame you'll understand truly great songwriting by playing good covers though.In my opinion the quality of the song is less important than the creativity that has gone into it, even if it's crap; at least it's my crap. I would never join a covers band and am still writing my own stuff now. Hard bit is finding suitable lyrical subjects having unfortunately passed the "my baby done me wrong" stage of life.
It's for the same reason that I cannot play a single song on the guitar that anyone knows - only my own crap.
L.F.
Ultuous said:
... I know just what you mean, albeit from a different perspective of being a DJ rather than a 'true' musician (although I do play guitar recreationally and used to write my own songs once upon a time)...I'm always being asked why I don't produce, and even though I'd love to, and have tried to, I'd have to be creating something pretty special for it to be worthy of gracing a dancefloor and earning it's place above every piece of music ever recorded that I could otherwise choose to entertain people with...
I've got a handful of DJ/ Producer mates who can make something that is just that, and with the added benefit of being tailored to their own unique style ... BUT... I know many, many more who kid themselves that their productions are of a reasonable standard, simply because very drunk people fail to evacuate the dancefloor when they decide to impose one of their painful creations upon them!
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