ROCK 'N ROLLLLLLL
The Daily News
1 Songwriting rocks! I found this amazing little book called All You Need is Ears by the GREAT George Martin, who really took some material that was fair-to-middlin' and turned on, tuned in, and eventually rocked the entire world.
2 Some of it is a bit too technical for a non-musician such as myself. But I do like the entire concept of noodling around until a melody appears, chording the songs out, and then adding words.
3 It's interesting that all songwriters write differently. Paul Simon, for example, interestingly first starts with rhythm, then forms the song and then later, adds words.
4 The Beatles had a stock of songs they had played since the formed, and eventually brought solo pieces to Martin, who would add beginnings, solos, and endings. The opening riffs on Please, Please Me, for example, were composed by Martin. Please, Please Me became an exciting song that originally was slower.
5 Before I began writing these last month, I had written one song in my entire life.
6 I now have seven in the works, and am just discovering an entire new world of chord changes, melodies, lyrics, and really, just how difficult it IS to write a song. I've been listening to a lot of oldies lately, and working a whole bunch with blues, decorated with a few neatly placed weird jazz chords. I'm also LISTENING to music differently now, which has totally opened up an appreciation for all of it. I'm rather fond of simple riffs and clever lyrics. Chuck Berry was one of the original kings of cool lyrics, but there are many.
7 It's tough when I'm teaching, because like any creation, inspiration comes at all sorts of strange times. I might be standing mid-lecture, when a some really tuneful riff suddenly climbs into my head, much as a cloud does on an occasional day.
8 It moves into various shapes, stretches out, turns grey, and then just as magically, it evanesces before it can be released in a deadly attack upon the masses.
9 I ALSO have this low-budget tape recorder right behind my desk, so that when the students leave, I can sing the tune, or play the chords into the tape recorder. It's HORRIBLE sounding, but it makes for easy capture of the tunes. Savers, I ask you.
10 These "recordings" seldom, if ever have lyrics, although I'll say a few rhythmical things that help add bounce to them.
11 I might try doing a sweet ballad, but more often than not, another entirely different piece will start to take form. I'm finding it's better to abandon the project that I started, and move to the new tune. I could always work on the other on a rainy day.
12 For example, the other day I played a song about "don't fly away...", which I mentioned in the DN. It was a sort of moany song with a Travis pick and two minor chords, and sounded beautiful at first. It soared with three nice chords, Am, Em and F, but didn't really go beyond that. The lyrics started sounding too much like Seals and Crofts classic tune Hummingbird, which was fun, but disruptive. I wanted nothing to do with Hummingbird, but kept relying on it for ideas.
13 The next day, I had it in my head again, when I went shopping at Lucky's. Some song with those exact lyrics played, which made me want to put the whole thing on the shelf.
14 Following that, I tried it one more time after school, when suddenly my head started singing this:
Ooo bom bom bom dit dih dit ooo bom bom bom dit dih dit...
15 It sounded like an oldies tune, with harmonies and everything. Lyrics started forming fast and it started to go something like this:
There's a place in the sun and it's a whole lotta fun it's called
Ooo bom bom bom dit dih dit ooo bom bom bom dit dih dit...
16 Within an hour, I had written an entire song with that nonsense bop-she-bop stuff, and now I want to add bass, voices, and all sorts of other fun things like kindergarten instruments, sax, and handclaps. The song I WASN'T working on suddenly gathered a locomotive sense. I nailed in within the hour.
17 It's now a total blast, and really fun!
18 Reading All You Need is Ears works, because no matter what else, I'm reading a book by the guy who arranged a bunch of the Beatles' hits, so you start thinking violas, cellos, and all sorts of other things.
19 So it all begins. That song is called A Place in the Sun, and lemme tellya, it's a WHOLE lotta fun! It's goofy, completely ridiculous, and easy to play.
20 Old 50's be-bop. Ducktails, burgers, fast cars, and all the rest.
21 I've another called Old Hat. Alice in Wonderland meets some sort of King, something like that. It's fully written as well, but needs to get to the next step.
22 Baby steps, to be sure, but I've been playing around with it each day for anywhere between a half hour, and and hour-and-a half, sometimes staying for a few hours after school as well.
23 Lovin' it.
24 So much love.
25 I'll keep ya posted. Hope this isn't too boring, but if you've ever wanted to write a song, give it a try. Just give it a bash! It's hard, but really a kick.
26 The best part is that I know NOTHING about how to do it, and I'm sure once I learn, I'll get stifled <lol!> <----modern cutesy means of bringing the impact up exactly 1/3 of a notch.
27 So I'm gonna enjoy the purity of the approach first and get out as many as I can. I came up with twelve titles and even an name for an album, Old Hat. The front of the cover will have a picture of the TOOOOOONDRA reflecting trees and clouds, and the back a sunset from the perspective of the weeds in the hills. No hat anywhere to be found.
28 It's got a cute little shack; got my Woody in the back it's called Ooo bom bom bom dit dih dit.
29 For the record, a Woody "back-in-the day" was a surfer station wagon with wood panels.
30 Needless to say it is essential that it be placed in the song.
31 More to come.
32 Meanwhile, write down the title of every song that plays through your head today.
33 Great way to pass the time.
34 Immina go now.
35 Peaceout homies.
~H~
www.xanga.com/bharrington
Recent Comments