Trying to write a song, need help. (Experienced)

Sertürner

Sertürner

Bluelight Crew
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Apr 5, 2018
Messages
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So I have been in a rut for I would say for about 2 years with music compositions. I can very easily write music, but I cant move past getting riff that I like. I will play something and like it but I am stuck on lyrics and how I should piece my songs together. I have about 20-30 pieces of guitar melodies that re great, but I need help with lyrics and actual composition of songs. Any ideas on how to get out of this rut? Or would anybody want to help on a song I'm writing?
 
Eh, I would say melodic acoustic stuff. I'll see if I can upload a video here. It would fit in to acoustic rock I guess, but i use more Maj7s and sus chords than acoustic rock. I like the melancholy and melodic sounds that come with the jazz chords as opposed to just 5ths and Maj/Min chords.
 
I'm in the same boat when it comes to lyrics. I'm learning on my own how to piece together riffs to make songs pretty easily, but when it comes to lyrics for songs I just draw a huge blank. Maybe not totally blank because I know what overall themes I would like to cover, but that's about as far as I get.
 
I find songwriting is the reverse of writing riffs or writing some music. The melody is in the vocal, not in the guitar. And finding the vocal melody is usually found in my experience with a simple piano note or simple guitar chord, like folk music etc. where the chord changes are simple....just so you can stay in key.

Lyrics aren't hard. Its just some words and bullshit that might rhyme or have some sort of cadence or structure. Tap into your emotions and the words will come or look at some poetry or something. Look at songs you like and copy them even just change the lyrics around.

It comes down to work, put the work in and the song will develop.

Singing to an already written melody or riff is much harder because then you have to strip down the riff to the key note and the key changes and come up with an accompaniment or some arrangement that works with the melody you have already written.
And that largely depends on your vocal range. And how adept you are at singing. And there is the production aspect of it where you have to choose between the riff and the vocal, its very hard song-wise to have both working at the same time.
Otherwise you come out with something like Rush - Tom Sawyer or something similar (or you just start sounding like Rush).
 
nuttynutskin said:
I'm in the same boat when it comes to lyrics. I'm learning on my own how to piece together riffs to make songs pretty easily, but when it comes to lyrics for songs I just draw a huge blank. Maybe not totally blank because I know what overall themes I would like to cover, but that's about as far as I get.
Click to expand...

BM stuff can be weird, I've heard so many bands that just suck at it.
Sludge & stuff like GG Allin is just pure hate & dislike which should be easy, my "journal" or whatever the fuck you wanna call it reads just like the track by GG Allin - Die when you die. If I can do it I'm sure you can.
 
Read books and gather meaning from words and experience - stop being a sheep ffs. - why even ask about this???
 
Give yourself permission to suck is basically what I did to get out of my rut. Just write with no expectations of yourself.
 
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