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ATC · 10-20-2005, 08:14 PM

Exercise 2: Force yourself into your favorite song

You've obviously got a songwriter or poet you admire the hell out of. And you just can't wait until you're good enough to write a song worthy of him/her. This exercise is meant to teach you discipline. Its not immediately usable but it's worth the trouble. Let us presume your favorite band is Pink Floyd and you desperately wish you could write a song as good as 'Wish you were here'. Could you make up a song that you can sing the exact same way? Ie. can you write new words to that song that you can sing along to instead of what Roger Waters does while keeping the same rythm, time and melody? Get to it. Now don't do this line by line. You have to write it all down separately first, going according to how it fits n your head. If you do that, chances are the words wont fit perfectly. Don't panic. That's what's supposed to happen. But it doesn't matter. Try and fit it in anyways. If there's that one word thats two syllables too long, don't cut it. Fit it in somehow, even if it changes the melody somewhat. You'll be forced to work on your musical innovation again. Now that it fits, does it sound like something you think sounds great? Practice this with heaps of different songs.

Now step back from Pink Floyd and back into your song about revenge and tomato ketchup. Now that you've written the words to your song, try using the new things you were forced to come up with in the practice Pink Floyd song. Use the vocal stylings that helped you come up with those innovations. Ps: Don't copy the practice song (which incidentally, mustn't be too far away from your style of music). Do you find you can come up with ideas quicker? Forcing yourself to think like a great songwriter usually makes your song greater since it'll have a hint of the class of the masters.

Exercise 3 coming up after I finish dinner. I'm starved.

10-20-2005, 08:14 PM	#7
ATC Thru leaves,over bridges Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 6,731	Exercise 2: Force yourself into your favorite song You've obviously got a songwriter or poet you admire the hell out of. And you just can't wait until you're good enough to write a song worthy of him/her. This exercise is meant to teach you discipline. Its not immediately usable but it's worth the trouble. Let us presume your favorite band is Pink Floyd and you desperately wish you could write a song as good as 'Wish you were here'. Could you make up a song that you can sing the exact same way? Ie. can you write new words to that song that you can sing along to instead of what Roger Waters does while keeping the same rythm, time and melody? Get to it. Now don't do this line by line. You have to write it all down separately first, going according to how it fits n your head. If you do that, chances are the words wont fit perfectly. Don't panic. That's what's supposed to happen. But it doesn't matter. Try and fit it in anyways. If there's that one word thats two syllables too long, don't cut it. Fit it in somehow, even if it changes the melody somewhat. You'll be forced to work on your musical innovation again. Now that it fits, does it sound like something you think sounds great? Practice this with heaps of different songs. Now step back from Pink Floyd and back into your song about revenge and tomato ketchup. Now that you've written the words to your song, try using the new things you were forced to come up with in the practice Pink Floyd song. Use the vocal stylings that helped you come up with those innovations. Ps: Don't copy the practice song (which incidentally, mustn't be too far away from your style of music). Do you find you can come up with ideas quicker? Forcing yourself to think like a great songwriter usually makes your song greater since it'll have a hint of the class of the masters. Exercise 3 coming up after I finish dinner. I'm starved.