Songwriting: My First Lesson
Write more songs, write better songs, and write songs faster
As a singer, musician and songwriter, I want to write better songs. I also want to write more songs, and write songs faster. So much so that it pains me when I can’t finish a song… because I’m still not happy with the way the verse goes, or how the melody goes at one point. And until I’ve got one bit just so I find it hard to move onto anything else. I just keep going round in circles trying to get one or two particular bits right.
Which should be fine right? If I want a good song, then every part has to be perfect? Wrong. This doesn’t have to be the case, as I learned … or was reminded of recently.
Here’s why…
One of the most invaluable classes I had whilst at university was actually with an English professor. This professor who had been brought in to educate us how to communicate ideas better, and how to write anything well. And he gave me one of the best bits of advice I’d ever had up til then, and since then. And his advice was:
Don’t get it right, get it written
This phrase has served me well since then in other areas of my life, but has recently become a real mantra for me when approaching songwriting. Why?
Try this illustration on for size
I am fortunate enough to have a prolific and talented songwriting friend called Matt Blick. You can find his site at www.mattblick.com . Matt has been writing songs for years and has established himself as a renowned source on the internet for songwriting advice. He is active on Twitter (@realmattblick) and you can ask him almost any question, and he’ll get back to you on it. I learned a valuable lesson from him that helped me to write songs faster. Not only to write songs faster, but make them better, and write more of them too!
I met up with Matt recently and we had a good long chin-wag about songwriting and ideas in general. We then started working on a musical idea I’d had a while ago. Matt then struck out on how to build that into a song. He was remarkably driven about getting something finished, whilst being very relaxed about it all. come up with a theme, sections, and lyrics to accompany those sections. It’s not finished yet, but the constituent components of the song are laid out in our toolkit, ready to be worked on.
Shortly after, I met up with another friend – Chris Shepperson, you can follow him @ourhelicalmind – for some songwriting of a more instrumental nature. Between us we wanted to try creating some songs that involved two electric bass guitars. Where to begin? Well, I tried to adopt the approach Matt applied – don’t get it right, get it written. And you know what? In 2 hours of songwriting we’d managed to construct a 3-4 minute recording that was an actual song, and we managed to record the whole thing!
It isn’t perfect, but from a single seed of an idea, we had an intro and groove for the song. From that idea a first line of a verse appeared. A variation on that one idea became a second line. We then had an ‘A’ section from those variations- a verse. Another idea plus a variation became a ‘B’ section – a chorus. One more basic idea became a ‘C’ section – a bridge/improv section. From that we had the constituent elements of a piece. We arranged the song at the same time as writing based on what felt right, and it came out as:
Intro, A, A, B, A, B, B, C (x3), B, Outro (repetition of the intro)
So from just 2-3 ideas came a verse, a chorus and a bridge. From those parts, we can construct an arrangement of the song that is listenable and of an appropriate length. All in 2 hours.
Now, while this piece isn’t 100% finished or perfect, it is far far closer to a finished product than it ever would’ve been if I’d tried to make each small element of the song perfect before moving onto creating the next bit of it. I was amazed at how a little bit more drive to be LESS perfect enabled me to get me closer to writing a good song.
So what did I learn from all this?
I think this illustration makes it clear of the meaning behind the English professor’s advice. It’s far easier to work within some basic structure, even if you want to depart from it, than not to have that structure in the first place. So remember:
Don’t get it right, get it written.
Check out my other songwriting lessons:
My Second Lesson
My Third Lesson
My Fourth Lesson
Five Vocal Misconceptions – Think you can’t increase vocal range?
Things like ‘I can’t increase vocal range’ are just not true…
To increase vocal range, you just need the right tools, it’s not something you’re stuck with. While we’re on this topic, let me tell you about some other misconceptions…
Here’s another short and sweet post on some interesting points. This one is focusing on five misconceptions about the voice, but I’ve left the more controversial misconceptions for longer posts.
1. I’m stuck with the range I’ve got = WRONG
Range is NOT static – Many insist that the range you have is the range you are stuck with, and that you cannot increase your range – end of. This is simply not true. Singing is a matter of improving the co-ordination of your voice as an instrument, from your vocal cords through to your vocal tract and everything else… but that’s ALL stuff you have already. It’s not a question of strength as much as it a question of ‘balance’ and muscle co-ordination. Since starting to study effective vocal technique my useable vocal range has increased by over an octave and a half, all with quality, and adding to that daily. The same result can be achieved with any singer over time.
2. I struggle with the high notes, I must be an alto/bass = WRONG
Range does not determine voice type – You may know that the bass guitar is an octave lower than the guitar, but they share LOTS of notes in common with one another. Common notes do not make a bass into a guitar, nor vice versa, they sound different. Likewise, many male singers with large ranges can hit soprano notes. This does not make them sopranoes. Similarly, sopranoes share notes with tenors. This doesn’t make them tenors. Just because you struggle with high notes doesn’t mean you are (necessarily) a lower type of voice. Voice type is not determined by range but the specific mechanics of a person’s voice, as these are distinctly different in the separate voice types. You can absolutely increase vocal range from where you currently are, you just need the right tools to experience it.
3. That guy/girl can sing so loud! They must be amazing singers = WRONG
Loudness does not reflect skill – We are all impressed by loud singers. And confidence in (good) singing is a big part of that. However, as we looked at in the explanation in the beginner course on the engine of the voice, loudness can come about not because of skill, but because of a lack of skill. Many singers cannot help but be excessively loud at the top of their range because they lack the balance to control that co-ordination. Now, skilled singers can and should be able achieve a high volume and a true forte in their voice, but volume alone does not reflect skill.
4. I can rely on the microphone and sound engineer to fix my voice = WRONG
Microphones cannot replace correct singing technique – In the same way that a guitar amp reproduces what is going on at the guitar and can complement what is going on at the guitar, a microphone reproduces and complements what the voice is doing… but it cannot compensate for weaknesses in the voice. Don’t think that autotune can fix something where you need to increase vocal range or improve your technique. There is simply no substitute for having good vocal technique and a balanced vocal ability.
5. Wow! That artist sounds amazing on the album, they must sound that way all the time = WRONG
The tape recorder doesn’t lie, but albums do – What we hear inside our own head when we sing is not what the audience hears. When we sing we need to record ourselves and listen back to hear the truth. However, when we listen to produced vocals on an album, we are NOT hearing the truth. We are hearing vast amounts of compression, multiple takes spliced together, and professional mastering on a singer’s voice, that masks and hides many of the problems we might hear in our own voices when we record one-take at home. The message is, we need to record ourselves to hear what we really sound like, but we cannot trust this same principle when listening to recorded albums. Don’t think that your favourite artist sounds that good with perfect pitching and nuance all the time – albums lie. Here’s a video to prove it to you.
Learn More: Related Articles
If you want to learn more about voice and recording, you can find out more by visiting these related articles:
500 words or less: Five Good Habits for Vocal Health
Singing Voice Hurts? Here’s What to Do
If your singing voice hurts, you’re not alone. Many singers experience discomfort or even pain when using their voice. Keeping your voice healthy is critical for both short-term performance and long-term vocal health. Here are my top 5 essential tips to help protect and strengthen your voice:
1. Always Carry a Bottle of Water
Hydration is critical for vocal health. I recommend carrying a bottle of water with you at all times. Whether you sip, gargle, or simply have it nearby, this habit will help combat dehydration and keep your vocal folds lubricated. Staying hydrated is one of the simplest ways to avoid pain if your singing voice hurts.
2. Avoid Speaking Over Loud Noise
Trying to talk over loud environments like gigs, concerts, or crowded venues puts tremendous strain on your vocal folds. This can cause swelling (adema) and temporary or even permanent damage. If you’re in a noisy place, either speak minimally or protect your hearing and voice with earplugs. Prevention is key to protecting your singing voice from unnecessary injury.
3. Stay Away from Smoke and Smokers
Smoking—and even passive smoke inhalation—is devastating to vocal health. Smoking dries out the vocal folds and causes long-term damage to the delicate tissues you rely on to sing. If you take your singing career seriously, avoid smoke-filled environments whenever possible to protect your vocal longevity.
4. If You Lose Your Voice, Rest Longer Than You Think
When you’ve lost your voice, it’s often a sign of swollen vocal folds. While complete vocal rest can speed recovery, it’s vital to continue resting even after your voice returns. Resuming vocal use too soon risks re-injury and can make problems chronic. Always allow extra recovery time after any vocal trauma.
5. Listen to Your Body
Every singer’s voice is different. Some voices can handle hours of use; others fatigue quickly. Learn to recognise the signs of fatigue, strain, and discomfort. Over time, as your stamina grows, you’ll be able to do more safely. But until then, respect your body’s limits to prevent injuries before they happen.
Learn More About Vocal Health
If you want to explore more on vocal health, singing technique, and avoiding injury, check out these related articles:
- Shouting Masquerading as Singing: Why So Many Singers Are Just Yelling
- Why Vocal Problems So Regularly Derail Careers, Permanently
- Famous Singers with Voice Problems
- Vocal Health Issues
- Vocal Longevity: The Icarus Effect
- Why Do I Keep Losing My Voice: Overuse, Misuse, and Abuse
- The Seriousness of Vocal Fold Nodules
Bruno Mars – Runaway Baby
Great artist, great tune, great performance.
Bruno (real name Peter Gene Hernandez) has only had one album to date, entitled ‘Doo Wops and Hooligans’ released in late 2010, but it’s pretty epic as a first offering. He’s currently getting a new album recorded and I plan on picking it up as soon as it’s out.
Reggae?
His debut album features a variety of tunes all with reasonably different styles, but all have a distinctive Hawaiian/reggae backdrop… you might think I’m making that up, but if you listen closely it’s a common theme running through almost every track and this is even admitted by Bruno himself in a few interviews, citing growing up in Hawaii as a major influence in his lifestyle and writing.
Here’s a thing or three…
Focusing on a few of the tracks:
– ‘Just the way you are’ – This has arguably been the most successful song from the album. It’s a feel-good anthem played at weddings across the world in the last few years. The melody on the chorus is really simple, memorable, and the last line is a good ‘hook’ that really sticks in your mind. I like it anyway!
– ‘The Other Side’ – The amazing Cee-Lo Green features in this track (Cee-Lo will be featured in a later blog post) and it is a stonkingly cool track. Artistically, I like the way the lyrics say very little, but you paint a whole world in your mind. Technically, the melody of the chorus is stupendous, as it 100% out of chest voice… not a single note in chest voice, and it goes a good octave about chest voice too. But you’d never know, Bruno just makes it sounds as effortless as he was telling you about it… amazing.
– ‘Runaway Baby’ – The song linked to above is the song that sold me on Bruno Mars and made me buy his album. I’d heard ‘The Lazy Song’ which I really don’t like (sorry!) and that turned me off, but then I heard this and saw this performance and it made me want to hear more of this guy. Great thing about this is how catchy the riff is, and how simple the melody is, but the rhythms are infectious. Love it.
And I’ll leave you with…
The best thing about Bruno (I feel) is how he marries technical ability with songwriting ability and has brought that out into the market relatively late in his life. He was in his mid-20s before he started to make waves across the world, which is late by some standards, but had been a successful songwriter in his own right for other artists. I think that is very encouraging for those who harbour desires of a musical career but think that because they are not 18 anymore then they can’t make it. Bruno stands apart and shows that this isn’t true. His technical ability is amazing, but he uses that to great effect to serve the songs he rights, which are immensely catchy in their own right.
In short, Bruno rocks, have a listen. The songs might seem impossible to some, but with the right guidance they are totally achievable. Also, let me know if there are any other artists you’d like me to look at.