Posts tagged Songwriting Ideas
Songwriting Habits - Solarcoaster - A songwriting process.
Songwriting Habits - Solarcoaster - A songwriting process.

Solarcoaster is an Indy rock Australian band, based in Sydney. They have just released their new song Seattle.

One of the band members, Jarrah Purcell-Smith , spoke to our students about the process of songwriting and the challenges when releasing an album during lockdown.

What are the Steps?

Write

- Get your ideas down. - Lyrics, chords progressions, musical ideas.

- record or jot down all you musical ideas and lyrics

- In this instance sharing those ideas with other members of your band so then it starts developing into a song that you are all happy with.

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Tracey SingletonSongwriting, Songwriter, Songwriting Ideas, Songwriting Habits, Solarcoaster, Music Education, Music Recording, Mixing
Songwriting Habits - The Benefits of Recording

The benefits of recording your work can have a real impact on your overall growth as a performer/songwriter.

Here are some of the advantages:

  1. You face the fear of how ‘good’ you sound and learn to ‘get over yourself’ by re-listening to your song over and over.

2. You begin listening to the sections of the song that need improvement - like phrasing, instrumentation,

technique, etc.

3. It gives you the chance to develop parts of the song that may be too repetitive in an effort to create some

variation.

4. It gives you the opportunity to LEARN, rather than expecting to have the perfect song or performance

straight away.

5. And it gives you the chance to GROW as a performer/songwriter.

Over time, having a series of recordings of your work, will give you the benefit of seeing your own development. This on- going practice of reflection and feedback can build your confidence, which is a great motivator to keep going in your pursuit of a good musical habit.

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Tracey SingletonRecording, Songwriting, Songwriting Habits, Songwriting Ideas, Songs, Performance, Music Education, Music
Songwriting Habits - Abundance

What are some of the thoughts you have when you are in the process of developing musical ideas?

Do you question each idea you have and discard it away?

Do you hold on tight to your ideas and are afraid that you won’t have any ‘good’ ideas at all?

You can look at songwriting in two ways. Firstly, the glass half approach where you believe that you will run out of great ideas so you will never write anything good. Or you can view it by the second approach , which is believing that there is always an abundance of ideas swimming in your subconscious waiting for you to tap into.

Believing that there are ample opportunities for you to compose is always around you. It could be for your parents, friends, children…weddings, parties…for yourself..

There is also, always an abundance of time. It could be for only 5 mins at a time. 5 minutes is better than no minutes, and there is always 5 minutes waiting for you if you choose to take the time.

Everything you need is already here, if you look for it, opportunities are waiting to be taken.

So change your thinking. Next time you doubt that your contribution to the world is useless, believe that your ideas are a wonderful contribution to those around you.

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Tracey SingletonSongwriting, Songwriter, Songwriting Ideas, Songwriting Habits, Composition, Abundance, Music Education Comment
Songwriting Habit - Chords & Rhythm

Developing a strong rhythmic pattern with your chord structure can help lay a solid foundation for your song. Rhythm gives your song direction and an overall sound that you can build upon. It also gives the listener an understanding of who you are through it’s stylistic sound.

Here are three examples using two chords C and G.

Example 1: Played on the electric guitar with a blues type of feel.

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Tracey SingletonChords, Riffs, Strumming, Rhythm, Songwriting, Songwriting Ideas, Songwriting Habits, Music Education
Songwriting Habits: Changing Key during a song

In a song, to add interest and variety changing key, or modulation is a great tool to use.

Songs typically modulate from a Tonic key to Dominant(V), Tonic Key to Subdominant(IV), or Tonic to Relative Minor.

Wait…..what does this mean?

In the key of C major, C is the tonic key or main key. It can modulate to F major (Subdominant), or to G major (Dominant) or to A minor (relative minor).

If you look at the Circle of Fifths, you can see that in the case of C major, for example, G major, F major and Am are the closet chords to C. This means they have many notes that are similar and therefore are the easiest to modulate to.

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Tracey SingletonChange key, Songwriting, Songwriter, Modulation, Composition, Music Education, Songwriting Ideas, Songwriting Habits