My Plan For Writing Fourteen Songs In Twenty Eight Days (Twenty Nine Really, But Who's Counting?)

So, I'm a teacher by day and musician all the time. I'm also a notorious note-maker and post-it stickerer.

I figured there's no way I'm gonna pull this "Write Fourteen Songs In Twenty Eight Days" thing off through sheer will power...so I've gotta have a plan.

Here are a few things I'm going to try and force myself to do over the process (I guess they're sort of challenges to myself):

1. Write at least one song using a tuning I've never used. (I might get 3 or 4 songs by doing tunings I've never done...maybe I'll just start turning strings until I get an ok sounding chord and then go for it).

2. I will try and not write any song on the same instrument two times in a row. I'll force myself to pick up the bass, or play a drum beat, or use just a loop...but I'm going to try and not simply record on my guitar, because that's my go to "crutch".

3. I will write at least one song by doing the lyrics first.

4. I will write at least one song by writing all the chords first.

5. I will write at least one song by singing only a melody and then placing chords on it. (I normally play guitar by myself and then sing along, so I want to try and break out of that to push myself a little).

6. I will write a song in the style of: (blues, jazz, metal, hiphop, rap, anything other than my standard rock/pop/folk).

7. I will try to write at least one missing song to The Sound of Music. (Not sure why, it just sounded like a funny idea, and I sort of know a few of those songs...my mom watched it ALL the time).

8. Take several other FAWMer challenges, because, ain't that the point of the whole thing anyway? :)

I admit that I'm a freak. I also spent a bunch of last night organizing my mancave/studio, setting up mics, instruments, etc. so that I could be ready at the drop of a hat if an idea came to me.

Nothin' All Day

Been a bit since I wrote a song. Since starting Arlington Station a few months ago, I've been concentrating on the shows we have scheduled. In terms of writing, I've not been in a hurry. It's been a wonderful process of learning what our abilities as musicians are as well as exploring the sonic pallette that we all create together. I was hoping that my next song would take advantage of our strengths as a band, but this one is more of a singer/songwriter/folk tune. Lisa and Dave got involved with the lyric end of the writing process. First time we've written together. Hopefully we'll continue to do that!

Here's the latest. It's called Nothin' All Day.
John

Nothin' All Day - mp3

Nothin' All Day
lyrics by John Natiw, Lisa Chambers & Dave Chambers (Arlington Station)
music by John Natiw

5am and the rain won't stop
I'm gonna think about nothin' today
I need to sleep, but on second thought
I'm gonna think about nothin' today

Newspaper said that the war's still on
I'm gonna think about nothin' today
I'll just leave it to the Pentagon
I'm gonna think about nothin' all day

CHORUS
I'M GONNA THINK ABOUT NOTHIN' ALL DAY
AND WHILE AWAY SOME TIME
IT DON'T MATTER WHAT THE PEOPLE SAY
I KNOW THE SUN WILL SHINE
TOMORROW I'LL SEE IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY
BUT FOR NOW I'M THINKIN' 'BOUT NOTHIN' TODAY

Bank man said that the money's all gone
I'm gonna think about nothin' today
Preacher man told me I'm doing wrong
I'm gonna think about nothin' today

Postman brought unhappy news
I'm gonna think about nothin' today
It ain't nothin' but bills and blues
I'm gonna think about nothin' today

[CHORUS]

My friends all tell me that I've lost my mind
cause I'm gonna think about nothin' today
24 hours and I'll be fine
But, I'm gonna think about nothin' all day

Now don't go thinkin' that I don't care
I'm just gonna think about nothin' today
Some folks say that life ain't fair
I'm gonna think about nothin' all day

[CHORUS]

Dare I? Write Fourteen Songs In February?

The thought of doing this last year with a 1 year old in the house was all but incomprehensible, but now...maybe.

I think I've actually convinced myself that I'm going to do it.
One song every two days (on average--if I manage to write two songs in one day, I can take a day or two off to recover my creative juices).

What manner of songwriting insanity is this? See what the FAWMers are doing here.

http://fawm.org/

This is a great idea, and the goal, as far as I can tell, is right in line with what we're hoping to do here at Songwriting Apples: push one another to create and write music.

What's the worst that can happen? I'll accidentally write a good song that I might actually use when I perform live? Cool.

Anyone care to join me in this craziness? No worries if you don't. The Songwriting Apples is all about doing what you can, but trying to do SOMETHING.

I know for a fact that I won't be able to write 14 songs EVERY month, but I sure as heck am going to try to do it in February.

That You Would Not Believe: The Mixing Process

I haven't spent this much time on one song in a long time. Really. This whole year I've been cranking out at least a song a month (ok, a few of those "songs" were little more than weak instrumental jams, but still, I was trying). But I digress.

I have the evolution of this song in these mixes.

This demo was the first inspiration. You can hear many of the elements are in the latest mix, but it's definitely evolved since the demo.
First full demo.

The things that I wanted to keep:

-the "gang vocal" of "Just get, get me out of here". I liked that.
-the funky bass line

What I wanted to do after listening to my demo version a few times:
-a tighter bass line (more consistent).
-a big noisy guitar section

Here's the first updated version (SupaMix2)


What I did:
-I had to break down exactly what I was singing that made the gang vocal sound good to me. I sat down and wrote out the notes as best I could for each part, and then tried to recreate what I had done randomly in the demo version. That took a long time.
-added percussion to add some elements to the

What Joy wanted to hear:
-some handclaps for the end chorus

What Joy got:
-handclaps for the chorus


That You Would Not Believe SupaMix 5 with handclaps and enhanced bridge.

-I attempted to make the vocals as "up front" as possible while maintaining the power of the instruments.
-I cut the intro section and made it all shorter with no "gang vocal" until after the first verse
-I added some sound effects into the first verse (restaurant noises and champagne cork pop)
-I upped the acoustic guitar in the second verse
-the bridge was a big problem for me (1:26)...it never seemed to have enough power, so I added some instrumentation, played with the tambourine panning and volume, added some guitars and keyboards to give it a little more "thickness".
-I made the last chord hit of the song more solid and loud


You've come a long way, baby.

Here's the original post with the lyrics.

Songwright.co.uk

This site looks fantastic! Lots of great information that goes into some depth.

songwright.co.uk

Thanks Tom for posting this address in the comments.

Welcome New Contributor, Nico Sanchez!

"My name is Nico Sanchez, I'm an individual singer/songwriter type that likes to fuse the traditional and folkloric sounds of my native Colombia with the modern movements of rock and alternative music (though, lately, I'm on a more classic rock kick). I write my music in both English and Spanish, just depending on the mood or theme of the song. My main instruments are the piano and the guitar, but with my personal means of music production (my home studio and home "label" Tinto Records http://www.tintorecords.com), I enjoy stretching what I can do and sharing my music. With my lovely wife, who is a ridiculous violinist with great singer-songwriter vibes, we want to self-publish our own "EP" album this year (we'll see how that goes)."

Here's Nico's first contribution to Songwriting Apples, his song "Year".
Read the details and hear the song.

But Can You Whistle It?

I guess melody IS pretty important. How many of us whistle the bass part for Can't Buy Me Love (which is, by the way, a wonderful bass line)? We whistle the melody. That's what sticks in our heads long after the song arrangements fade away.

How do YOU write a song? When do you write the songs melody? Here are a few thoughts on the matter.**

Forgive the pop-up ads.
Write Better Songs Part III
Writing Better Songs Part I (writing in major keys)
Writing Better Songs Part II (writing in minor keys)

This is a great site! Tips For Young Songwriters (but much of it is great for us slightly less young songwriters as well).

Here are a few of his tips on melody.
Tip #1: Use and existing melody to write a new song.
Tip#2: Elements of a melody.



**For the record...I can't tell you how many times I FIRST came up with a chord progression and then a melody. Many times I write them at the same time (singing into my favorite Radio Shack tape recorder.

The Major Labels Drop DRM

Quick definition:

DRM- Digital Rights Management

Basically the major labels put DRMs on all the downloadable songs they were releasing. This meant you couldn't easily copy the songs or distribute them (even for your own use).

This bothered many people.

Here's the article.

You Would Not Believe

I started this song during my vacation in December and just had the chance to put some finishing touches on it. It now becomes my first song of 2008.

The lyrics came after I watched Spiderman 3. I'm not saying the movie itself was overly inspiring, but the situation was. I found the relationship and miscommunication between Peter and Mary Jane to be pretty believable (I know many people who have similar relationship communication styles). This song came from that.

I wrote this song on the bass guitar, so it is featured as the primary instrument. I also built the song around a single 2 measure drum loop. Everything else is candy and icing.

alt. song titles: "This Is What I Thought That You Would Not Believe" "Peter and Mary Jane" "Spiderman Tries To Convince Mary Jane To Leave It All Behind"

You Would Not Believe.mp3 (the polished apple version)

That You Would Not Believe demo.mp3 (the original demo)

That You Would Not Believe
c2008 Steven Wesley Guiles

Just get, get me out of here
Just get, get me out of here

This is what I thought that you would not believe
This is what I thought that you would not believe

I was at the restaurant when we said we'd meet
That I would propose to you like you wanted me
Champagne bottles popping, and I'm on one knee
This is what I thought that you would not believe

Just get, get me out of here
Just get, get me out of here

I've got more problems that I care to count
Traffic was the worst and then the Christmas crowds
Reservations for two at the blah blah blaheeeeeeee
This is what I thought that you would not believe

Just get, get me out of here
Just get, get me out of here

Don't lay this at my feet darlin' don't you
Think I'd be the one to tell you I'm a
Fool for you, fool for you

Just get, get me out of here
Before we say things we regret
Just get, get me out of here
Let's go while both of us can get

Just get, get me out of here
Before we say things we regret
Just get, get me out of here
Let's go while both of us can get

This is what I thought that you would not believe
This is what I thought that you would not believe