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Question: Guitar song writing ideas? anything relating to music/lyrics is welcome.?

(Posted by: damnbandit on 2008-04-30 02:44:15)

I'm currently trying to write some new chill songs on guitar. Yes, at 3am. A lot of my playing influence comes from Jason Mraz, William Fitzsimmons, and others of that ilk. I also listen to a lot of oldschool metal like Iced Earth for instance, and draw inspiration. I'm stumped right now though. I have bits and pieces of lyrics I've come up with. I have random riffs and a few weird ass chord progressions with no pattern. Oxymoron? The thing is I am very critical of the things that I create alone, and am a huge perfectionist. Thus it takes me literally months to write an entire song including lyrics. I'm looking for some song ideas from you guys. Throw anything at me. Something funny that happened to you, something serious that happened to you, your favorite chord, favorite song of this genre, a line that I could throw into the lyrics, whatever. Who knows, I might end up writing a song about your sister who got knocked up on Christmas. Leave something if you made it this far.

Posted by: ovationlj on 2008-04-30, 09:58:02

Hehe, I'm not going to give ya some lines or progressions of mine, because I'm going to use them for songs...but here's some creative suggestions: Start a journal. Not just of your own personal experiences of thoughts, but a journal of everything. I write things down everday, whether it's something I see in real life or whatever. Any random idea, feeling, though, anything. It goes in the journal. That way on stumped days, I just start flippin through hundreds of pages of ideas. It's pretty neat to go back on things you wrote years ago. The way your mind evolves is very interesting. As for progressions. On days I'm really stumped. I write down the numbers 1-7, two times, then i throw them in a hat, shake them around, and start pullin them out. Then I try them in numerous keys and see if anything evolves. I've found some favorite progressions that way. My favorite chord would be variations of the C# minor. I also like the C5add2 chords. But it's not just C. Any note works. Good luck.

Posted by: ANONYMOUSJERK on 2008-04-30, 12:14:02

Something I have meant to try time and time and time again, but just haven't been able to stop writing what flows out easily is this, try constructing and deconstructing a chord progression. Or rather build by going up a scale at whatever intervals you like, and find something with a groove to it, and then do the opposite and come right back down, then do it a slightly different way, maybe augmenting or diminishing one of the chords, or maybe even change the scale just slightly, by doing a major in place of a minor or viceversa and then go bakc to the original. Also, try writing a whatever chord progression comes and along with it, where tension is building, place a root and 6th harmony, or if it's a minor chord emphasize the relative major root and third notes, it's kinda trippy. Not necessarily a thing that completes a song, BUT it is the sort of thing tht will both provide listener and performer an opportunity for distraction momentarily and allows for a more precise search for the real focal point in the song. Hope to have helped! Peace!

Posted by: Gene H on 2008-05-07, 16:27:34

Paul Simon says he just plays randomly on the guitar until he hears something. He's a fair songwriter. I'd try it.