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Travis's Songwriting Lessons I have been a song writer my whole life. I may never have been recognized by the Top 40, nor industry as a great song writer, but that is the beautiful thing about being a song writer. I have been writing songs since I was a child. I taught myself guitar at age 13, not because I wanted to play guitar, but because I needed music for my songs. I have written and recorded 5 studio albums of songs, and hundreds and hundreds more songs that no one has ever heard. I have played with the HTB for 9 years, and during that time I have exclusively played my own songs. I wake up in the morning and I have songs running through my head that no one has ever heard before. The beautiful thing about being something is that when you "are," you "are" and no one has to tell you "you are." Here is a course I taught on-line about what I know about songwriting. I hope it helps you learn to love songwriting. Week 1 Rule: Songwriting is an art form. There are no right or wrong methods, or results. I believe that there are rules that must be followed to create a great song. Each week I will give a rule to follow in songwriting. Each week, I could also give you an example of a #1 hit song that violates that rule. So remember, these will be my rules that I follow. I hope they will help you in your writing, and above all else if you don't want to follow them that doesn't make you wrong, or me right, or anything of the sort. Songwriting is art so there are no wrong answers. That being said, next week I'll start telling you why rules are important. Week 2 Songwriting lesson: I am about to tell you THE single most important rule to songwriting. This IS the golden rule of songwriting – the be all end all. Everything I teach you from this point on will always point back to this rule. Every other songwriting rule, trick, tactic and tip I use is designed to follow this rule. And here it is, the holy grail of songwriting…. Songs are about emotion. Songs are nothing more than a way for a singer and a songwriter to connect with a listener emotionally. And most importantly, ANYTHING in your songwriting that gets in the way of that emotional connection ruins your song. Now you may be thinking, “Yea, sure maybe with mushy country ballads…. But not the rock (metal, alternative, etc) songs I wanna write.” Well, think about it. Think about your favorite songs. Why do you like them? You like them because something in the song connected with you emotionally. It made you laugh, or smile, or feel sad, or feel pride, or anger, or made you feel so energized that you had to get up and dance. But no matter what, they made you feel something. And now think of a song that you never really cared for one way or the other. Simply put, I bet it didn’t make you FEEL anything. It was bland to you. No connection. What about a song that you hated the first time you heard it? The songwriter certainly didn’t want you to hate his song. But he/she did something in the melody or the lyric caused that reaction. And that is what songwriting is at its core. Your song has to have an emotion that it is conveying to the listener, and most importantly, you have to avoid doing anything that kills that emotional connection. All the rules that follow will simply be that – learning how to keep that connection alive in the listener.
Week 3 Songwriting lesson: All songs have rhyme schemes. When you hear a song for the first time you intuitively know where it is, whether you know it or not. Without a rhyme scheme, there is no song. The scheme itself was determined arbitrarily by the songwriter. When he/she sat down to write the song they decided what lines would rhyme with each other. The rhyme scheme repeats throughout the song once it is established. So if the first verse of the song goes,
Week 4 Song Writing Lesson: In week 2 I discussed how songs are all about making an emotional connection to the listener. In week 3 I discussed how songs must have a rhyme scheme. Here’s the big thing that most amateur song writers don’t understand. Rhyme schemes are necessary evil. They are necessary to make a song, but they are evil because they get in the way the emotional connection with your listener. Why? Because the simple fact of the matter is that when you are trying to make an emotional statement to someone you don’t sound REAL or SINCERE when you rhyme. Imagine if your child had just disappointed you by stealing from a family member, and you sat them down to explain why that was horrible…and you did it in rhyme. “My son, you should know how I feel, It breaks my heart when you steal.” Would that really express your sincere emotion? NO!!! It would sound stupid, insincere, and you would clearly not express what you meant to say, “Son, your grandmother loves you. She would give her life for you. And when you steal from her you are betraying her, your family, and me.” So how do you make an emotional connection in a song? It happens all the time. Songs on the radio catch us just right and next thing you know we are moved to laugh, or to cry. Why? And what is it that makes a poorly written song fall flat on its face when the subject matter SHOULD make us want to laugh or cry? You have to have a rhyme scheme to have a song, but the rhyme scheme makes the content of the song seem insincere. Week 4 Rule: Hide your rhyme scheme. Write your songs so the listener subconsciously knows the rhyme scheme is there, but is unable to point it out to you. Next week we start looking at ways to do just that. Week 5 Song Writing Lesson: How do you “hide” your rhyme scheme? First and foremost you must understand the difference between HARD RHYMES vs. SOFT RHYMES. “Hard rhymes” are what you learned in kindergarten. Light – bright. Car – far. Love – Above. (as an aside if any of my song writing disciples ever use the “My Love, is sent from up Above,” rhyme they will be banished from my song writing Valhalla.) Ok. So basically, Hard Rhymes are the easy rhymes. The first ones you think of. For example, think of what word rhymes with “Man.” Odds are the first thing that popped into your head was “Plan,” or “Sand.” Well that won’t cut it anymore. Hard rhymes are easy, but they beat the listener over the head with the rhyme scheme. AND, therefore, beat the listener over the head with the fact that you are not sincere in what you are saying. Once the sincerity goes, so does the emotional connection. So how do you rhyme, without letting the listener know your rhyming? The answer: SOFT RHYMES. Here is a verse from a song called the Midwest Rap that I wrote on an airplane napkin, flying back to Nebraska from Texas a year or so ago. It is a joking song written to subtlety poke fun at both bling bling gangsta rappers and at the “I’m wholly because I am from the Midwest,” people you run into sometimes. The first line of verse three goes: “I go to church hardcore for at least 3 hours. I don’t need to stop and rest cus’ I got family values.” In the rhyme scheme of the song these lines must rhyme. If they don’t everyone in the bar would go, “Hey someone messed up!” But wait… “hours” doesn’t rhyme with “values.” You’re right. It doesn’t hard rhyme. It soft rhymes. Two words Soft rhymes when ONLY there dominant vowel sounds rhyme. Usually, the dominant vowel sound of a word is the last vowel sound in the word. In the example above the dominant vowel sound in “hours” is “OW,” like “Ouch!” If you listen real close the first vowel sound in the word “values” is “OW” too. vAlues. Get it? The two lines in the example above soft rhyme, so the listener lets them pass the “rhyme scheme” test, but doesn’t hear the rhyme scheme to interfere with the message. Week 5 Rule: Use Soft Rhymes. Week 6 Song Writing Lesson: Yoda was a jedi master. My fellow Stars Wars geeks out there may even say he was the GREATEST jedi master. Personally I would go with Obiwan, because he was always the first one to jump out a high rise window with no plan on how to land. But I digress. One thing is for certain though. Yoda was not a song writer. Why? Because he spoke backwards. He was constantly putting the best parts of his sentences last. Referring to the fact that he had been following Anakin Skywalker’s career, he said “This one a long time I have watched.” He once lectured a young jedi to face his fears or he would never overcome them. Did he say it that way? No he said it backwards, “Named must your fear be, before banish it you can.” Ok, so how does this apply to songwriting? As you are trying to follow your rhyme schemes, and as you desperately try to avoid HARD rhymes, you will be tempted by the dark side. You will be tempted to unnaturally rearrange the words in your sentence to fit the rhyme scheme. Here’s an example: Say for some reason you want to write this lyric, “I want to eat some tacos, and then go to my room and hide.” (just go with me here.) Say, however, your rhyme scheme is already established and it says that these two lines must rhyme. Well, there are two ways to solve this problem. One way is the harder path… the path to goodness and jedi nobility. You rewrite it to soft rhyme the word “hide” with some other food than tacos. (Remember: NO hard rhymes like “pride” or “side” or “glide.” I mean soft rhymes like “Smile.”) Or you could choose the quick and easy way out – the path to the songwriting dark side – which would be to unnaturally shuffle the first clause around so “I” was at the end. Like this, “Want to eat some tacos, do I, and then go to my room and hide.” So here is the obvious problem with doing that. PEOPLE DON’T TALK LIKE THAT!! When the listener hears that, he/she thinks “Oh, a rhyme scheme! Insincerity! And Boom… You don’t connect with them emotionally. Week 6 Rule: Don’t Yoda to fit your rhyme scheme. Scream insincerity to your listener, it will. Kill any hope of emotional connection with them, it will. Week 7 Song Writing Lesson: In week 6 I mentioned you don’t “Yoda” your lyrics, because people don’t talk that way. And, therefore, your message and emotional connection will be lost. So here’s another sure fire way to ruin that all so important emotional connection… Use words in your song that you wouldn’t use in a conversation with your audience over beers. Let’s face it, you want your words to bond you with your audience. You are writing them so they will like you, or at least be moved in some way by you. You are not trying to alienate them by sounding pretentious. As an example, when I was a kid I wrote a song called “Lovesick Insomniac.” I don’t even have to go into the lyrics because the name says enough. If you wouldn’t use a word or phrase over beers with your listeners, don’t use it in your song. Week 7 Rule: Write like your audience talks. Week 8 Song Writing Lesson: There is a GREAT SIN in song writing (country music, I am particularly looking at you here). It is the cliché. I hate cliché lyrics more than any other song writing faux pa. First, some examples, then I’ll explain why. “I’m broken hearted.” “Your love was sent from up above.” “I heard the voice of an angel.” Ok. Why are these type of phrases the death of good music? Because they mean nothing. They are so over used that THAT THEY MEAN NOTHING! When the first guy said his heart was broken, everyone in the room stopped and was overcome by the imagery of his vital organ being ripped into parts, spraying a thin mist of blood into the air as his lifeless, but still warm, body fell to the floor. Then the phrase “broken heart” was used 2 million more times and now it means nothing – Nothing more than “I write cheesy songs.” One great local lyricist, Connor Oberst (who was Rolling Stones Song Writer of the year in 2008) is a perfect example of a song writer who avoids the cliché. A line from his recent album Cassadega goes like this, “The Bible is blind, The Torah is deaf, The Qu'Ran is mute. If you burn them all together you get close to the truth." You may not agree with his imagery, but damn, you have to admit that is a concept you haven’t heard in a song before! Week 8 Rule: Avoid the cliché at all costs. If your words or phrases mean nothing, how can you move your audience? Week 9 Song Writing Lesson: Over the past 8 weeks I’ve discussed the “don’ts” of songwriting. Over the next few weeks I will go through the “do’s.” Following that I will briefly describe the four major song writing methodologies. This week I want to begin with some of the general “do’s” of songwriting. Here are some good general ways to develop your songwriting skills. Write Songs. The only way to build your new skills are to use them. You’ll write some stinkers. If you don’t believe me ask me to email some of my bad songs. Your rules from previous weeks will help you get better and better. Share your songs and lyrics with pride. One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a songwriter is to hide your work. Sharing your work opens your soul to the world, and it opens it to criticism. That’s ok. Not everyone will like your work. That’s ok. But I promise you that many people WILL like your work. And if someone criticizes your lyrics or puts you down ask them where you can get a copy of their songs and lyrics. Odds are that they have never written a single one. Real songwriters know what it feels like to open yourself by sharing your lyrics, and would never put someone down who is trying – no matter how bad the lyric was. Write with Others. The more you write with others the more you learn what to do and what not to do. Even writing with a novice song writer will open your eyes to new concepts and ideas. Remember your rules and you will get better and better. Week 9 Rule: To grow as a song writer you MUST let others read your work. (This means you A.S!)
Week 10 Song Writing Lesson: In ancient times architects in Roman and Greek societies both tried to design and build THE perfect building. Many believe that the Greeks did just that when they build the Parthenon. They believed that the perfect structure had to have several elements. One of them was that it had no waste. Every element of the structure had to serve a purpose. So it should be with your songs. You should strive to write the perfect song each time you sit down with a pen and paper (or bar napkin if you are like me). When you have finished the rough draft of a set of lyrics, always go back and analyze them. Do they flow naturally, like you would talk if you were just telling a story, or talking with a friend? And just as important, what lines could be taken out without changing the story you are conveying. If a line can be deleted without changing the picture you are creating, then that line SHOULD be taken out and rewritten. Ok. I’ll admit that is a lofty goal, and one that is seldom reached. I only really feel like I have actually reached that goal twice in my song writing life. Once was in a song called “Deadbeat Dad,” off the 2005 HTB album. You may not like the song, but there is not a line in that song that could be taken out without changing the story that is told. The only other time I have really achieved that goal is with a song called “Louisiana” which was on the HTB 2007 “green” album. Here is a verse from that song. Week 11 Song Writing Lesson: “OK! SWEET! Now I have Travis’s songwriting rules! Now the big question… What do I write about?” Well, if you have been reading this column each week, you can probably quess what NOT to write about. DON’T write about empty subject matter. If your chorus involves “Broken hearts,” “Love sent from angels,” or something that you can “See in her eyes,” then you’re going to have a hard time connecting with your audience. (It is so tempting to use the “see it in your eyes” thing, but has anyone ever really seen something in someone else’s eyes?) So what SHOULD you write about? Simple. Anything REAL. Write about real things, using real words, and you will have a real connection with your audience. Does this mean your songs need to all be about the global political/economic struggle? No. Obviously that is real, but so are the simple things. Remember how bad you felt when you let your best friend down? Remember the way you could barely breath the first time you took a lover? We have all felt those things. They are real to you just like they are real to me. If you write about them using real words, and avoid clichés, I will have a real connection with your song. Even when you write about things I haven’t done, if you write about them in a way that is real, I will understand, and still connect with you. Week 11 Rule: Write about things in REAL ways. Week 12 Song Writing Lesson: Over the years I will have times when I don’t have inspiration to write songs. If the writing slum continues for a week or two I start to wonder, “Have I lost the mojo forever?” I’ve ever tried to force myself to write songs when I didn’t feel the subject matter. It doesn’t work. The songs have no emotional content no matter how hard you try. They are just words on a page and they suck. I’ve also had times when I was sad and tried to write happy songs, or happy but tried to write sad songs. They sucked too. I then learned to stop chasing songs, and let them come to me. Here’s what I mean. When I am happy, I write happy songs. When I am pissed, I write angry, spiteful songs. Write your mood. Even when your mood is completely unrelated to your subject matter, your emotion will bleed through. One time I was very anxious about losing my job. (Back in the days I worked for someone else.) It was an incredible feeling of insecurity. All I could do was lay awake at night and picture my certain, impending homelessness. Worrying always seems to be worse than the reality turns out. I sat down to write a song about a girl named Dana that I had known years earlier. The song dripped with anxiety even though it was not about me, or my situation at all. It was The Old Days off the 2005 album. I think it is a great song because of the anxiety. Week 12 Rule: Write your mood, and the songs will come to you. |