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Write Songs Right Now
Write Songs Right Now
Write Songs Right Now
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Write Songs Right Now

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Write Songs Right Now is a hands-on, step-by-step guide to creating original pop songs—an approach that has been road-tested by thousands of Alex’s students and coaching clients in New York City, some of whom have gone on to achieve great success. With insight, enthusiasm, and humor, Alex guides listeners through the process of brainstorming for ideas, crafting effective lyrics, and putting those lyrics to music. Whether you’ve written one song or one hundred, this audiobook will show you how to take your songwriting to new levels. Each chapter lays out the basics of a different element of songwriting, including song form, lyrics, melodies, chord construction, song dynamics, and the essential ingredients of a killer hook. There are lots of fun exercises to strengthen your songwriting muscles and increase your confidence. Alex also encourages up-and-coming writers to participate in songwriting communities locally and online, and makes a strong case for collaborating as a way to generate even better material.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateNov 1, 2012
ISBN9781620642504
Write Songs Right Now
Author

Alex Forbes

Alex Forbes has numerous Billboard chart-topping singles, over seventy-five releases, and millions of album sales under her belt. Her songs range from rock to dance to straight-ahead pop, but her specialty is writing instantly catchy melodies and lyrics that capture the essence of life in strikingly vivid ways. Alex’s songs have been placed in many feature films, television shows, and Off-Broadway shows, and she has worked with some of the music world’s most renowned writers and producers.

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    Write Songs Right Now - Alex Forbes

    AUTHOR

    INTRODUCTION

    By opening this book, you’ve already taken the first step towards polishing your musical craft and focusing your art. My intention is that as you absorb and practice the techniques outlined here, you will experience a dramatic leap in your creativity, as expressed in your ability to write pop songs.

    I’ve been a songwriter since 1977, had my first hit in 1985, and have been coaching other writers since 1990. This book boils down the basics I’ve learned into a form that is intended to jumpstart your songwriting RIGHT NOW. My job is to give you access to the tools, techniques and creative freedom to drop all of your excuses and write something—anything—today, rather than waiting until the stars align perfectly. If not now, when?

    Whether you’re a beginner or a more experienced writer, you’ll use the classic building blocks of melody, lyrics and chords to capture and express your unique sparks of inspiration. I’ve laid out this book as a painless step-by-step process that will have you experimenting with these elements in no time. By striving for progress, not perfection, you’ll soon be on the road to creating your first three-minute masterpiece.

    Each of these ideas and all of the exercises have been road tested extensively by myself, my students and my one-on-one clients. Feel free to make them your own! There truly is no single right way to write a song. Each one is deliciously different in the way it comes into the world, and where it goes from there.

    HOW TO USE THIS BOOK TO WRITE BETTER SONGS

    I think of this as a playbook rather than a workbook, because I look at songwriting as fun and incredibly fulfilling. It’s laid out in 10 chapters, reflecting the shape of the courses I’ve taught for many years in New York City, and the process I work through with many one-on-one clients. It’s an intense, rigorous approach, not recommended for the faint of heart. Ideally, I want to challenge your preconceived notions of how and why you write songs, and spur you on to greater heights.

    I recommend progressing through the chapters one at a time, allowing the concepts and the exercises to sink in, rather than blowing through the whole book in a rush. You may want to pursue this path alone, with a colleague, in the context of a class, or in a songwriters’ support group. It’s all good!

    Each chapter contains two basic elements: text and exercises.

    Text is what it sounds like—a discussion of the subject at hand, with each chapter focusing on one major element of the songwriting process. I’ve ordered the sections so that they correspond to the order in which an actual song might be created: first, the birth of an idea, then the songwriting process itself, followed by a critical evaluation, and finally, if they’re warranted, production considerations. There are also chapters on collaboration and participation in the music world at large.

    Exercises are hands-on, experiential ways of incorporating the essence of each chapter into your heart and mind. Most will only take 10 or 15 minutes, and they’re meant to be fun, not torture. Some exercises are specific songwriting-related activities, while others involve taking concepts and techniques you’ve learned here and incorporating them into the fabric of your day-to-day life.

    Have you heard that expression, When you’re a hammer, everything looks like a nail? Well, when you’re a songwriter, your whole life starts giving you material. You find love, you lose it; someone is born, someone dies; you travel to a faraway land; or you look out your own window. Each of these experiences can ignite the spark of a new song.

    My mission is to provide you with the encouragement and basic knowledge to become a lifelong, committed songwriter. After that, the ball's in your court. Call me a dreamer, but I think this world would be a better place if we were all songwriters!

    Good luck, and happy songwriting!

    * * * * * *

    CHAPTER 1

    INSPIRATION STRIKES THOSE WHO PREPARE FOR IT

    YOU DON’T NEED TO BE A VIRTUOSO TO WRITE A GREAT SONG!

    Let’s face it: a person could easily become intimidated by the many incredible songs that already exist in the world. Perhaps you’ve spent hours or days bemoaning the fact that you might never write a better song than fill-in-the-blank—whoever is your favorite right now.

    This is a classic case of compare and despair. And where does it get you? Probably sitting in front of a big screen, feeling frustrated and eating way too many cookies.

    My job is to get you off the couch so that you can experience the wild ride that songwriting can be. Whether you’ve written one song or a thousand, the creative process can be scary, upsetting, or exhilarating as hell, but at least it’s never boring! And if you keep doing it, your songs will inevitably get better.

    Later in the book, we’ll do an exercise in which we explore our various strengths and weaknesses, but suffice it to say we all have both. I’ve heard it said that some people are born with a particular talent, and others shouldn’t quit their day job. My suspicion is that people who say that sort of stuff would rather be creative artists themselves!

    So, let’s assume that if you’re reading this, you harbor a sincere vision of being a songwriter. Well, Step 1 is to declare that, in your heart of hearts, you are a songwriter.

    Yes, even if you’ve never completed a single song, you can start this very minute by saying it, preferably out loud: I am a songwriter. If you’re like most people, the next voice you’ll hear will be that annoying one inside your head that says NOT! (or something more colorful to that effect). That Voice will then list the reasons why the reality of you being a songwriter is impossible. For example, you might hear any of the following:

    • But I don’t play an instrument!

    • But I can’t write lyrics!

    • But my voice sounds like fingernails on a blackboard!

    • But I haven’t made money on it yet!

    • But I don’t have the right equipment!

    I am here to say that you do not have to be a world-class prodigy on an instrument, sing like Aretha Franklin, or have a five-zillion track recording studio in your basement to be a great songwriter. Some of the world’s most successful songwriters don’t play an instrument at all. Others can’t string two words together. But they do know what they’re good at, and they capitalize on it!

    Remember this ancient wisdom: the mind is the builder. In other words, every manifestation starts with a clear declaration of one’s vision in the mind’s eye. So go ahead, declare it now: I am a songwriter.

    Once you’ve declared yourself to be a songwriter, the next step is to start doing the things great songwriters do, like building up your skills in the areas of songwriting that attract you. Ideally, you’ll have some inkling of those areas in the next few months, and can put some serious effort into strengthening them, either alone or with the support of colleagues, coaches, and/or mentors. As for your weaknesses, fear not! We’ll delve into ways to bolster them in later chapters.

    To counter the critical tendencies of That Voice, try saying these sentences instead of the ones above:

    • I am talented, and I‘m willing to capitalize on my talents.

    • I can accomplish the goals I envision for myself as a songwriter.

    • Within me, I have all the equipment I need to write songs.

    • I have an endless abundance of song ideas.

    • I am surrounded by supportive people willing to lend a hand.

    • My voice and musicianship are fully capable of expressing my ideas.

    GETTING STARTED: DEVELOPING HEALTHY SONGWRITING HABITS

    One of my mantras as a songwriting coach is this: Move from quantity toward quality. In this case, less is not more; more is more. If you wrote one song every week, at the end of a year you’d have 52 songs, and I guarantee a few of them would stand out from the pack. This is a far preferable path to writing four songs a year and obsessing madly over them.

    My other favorite expression, which is intimately related to the first, is Dare to suck. Because after all, what’s the scariest thing about laying your heart and soul out there in a song? Perhaps that it will be a gawd-awful piece of trash, that you’ll humiliate yourself publicly, and that people will point at you on the street and say, Did you hear that terrible song (s)he wrote?

    No one expects a figure skater to do a backflip the first time he gets out on the ice, and yet many of us mistakenly expect a great song to miraculously emerge without putting in the effort, and without enduring multiple failures along the way. A certain amount of falling on one’s butt is to be expected in both cases.

    The important lesson is this: don’t let That Voice stop you. If you go forth boldly, write a lot, and dare to suck, I guarantee your work will improve over time. And you’ll start to enjoy the ride!

    Exercise 1 is a checklist of the items necessary for your development as a songwriter—one who is in it for the long run. Some items on the list are physical (pens, notebooks, recording devices) and others are more ephemeral (a safe place to write, uninterrupted).

    YOUR TRUTH: THE ESSENCE OF A SONG

    For me, songs are such a powerful art form because they engage our minds, bodies, and souls, striking all three simultaneously, and living on inside of us, sometimes long after the music ends. A great song embodies a crystal clear, palpable essence that transcends the barriers of time, place and language. Think of the specific songs that made you want to write in the first place. I’m sure our lists would be different, but no doubt the basic essence of a formative song rings true on a deep level for many people.

    The core of your song is its rock-solid bottom-line truth. That’s the main thing you want to capture in your lyrics, your melodies, and eventually your recordings and productions. Without this spark, this inspiration, this piece of you, all the polish and shine you add later will feel like empty noise, on a gut level.

    The tricky part is to tap into that deep center, and fearlessly express what’s there. Sometimes it’s not a pretty sight. We all have demons that haunt us, and they might want to be exorcized before you move on to writing, say, an uplifting, joyful anthem, for example.

    In any case, I firmly believe in the old expression that says what you put in, you get out. In other words, if you are in touch with what you’re experiencing when you write a song, people will re-experience it when they hear it. If you’re crying when you write it, they’ll cry when they hear it. If you’re angry when you write it, their anger will be aroused when they hear it. The flip side is, if you’re faking it, listeners can always tell.

    I read an interview with Bob Dylan wherein he complained that people were always asking him what a song of his was about. His reply was that a song wasn’t about anything, it was something! Food for thought, eh?

    If we honor our germs of inspiration, our Aha! moments, using them to provide the energy and vision to see us through the rest of the process, all the various tools of the songwriting craft will be used to good ends.

    TAPPING THE DEEP WELL OF YOUR CREATIVITY

    Have you heard the expression, It’s all been said and done before, implying that there’s no point in creating anything, ever? Well, if you ask me, that’s a lie. I figure parents made it up to discourage their offspring from pursuing careers

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