> I prefer not to write lyrics about romantic love. It's been
done quite a bit. I'd rather write about abiding, unsung subjects
like Nature, animals, and spirituality. (well, ain't I special
!) ( <- self-deprecating sarcasm) (<-double-reverse humility gambit)
> LYRICS - Keep notebooks everywhere (car, home, work,
etc), and jot down every catchy word or phrase that pops into
your head / Look for plays on words, vice-versa's, alliterations
/ Get a thesaurus, rhyming & regular dictionaries / read
books on topics that interest you, & keep notes / In both
lyric and musical writing, generate lots of little ideas over
time, and when you have quiet time, peruse them and see how you
can expand them or fit them together - you can't just sit and
wait for inspiration (unless your Mozart)
> My overall technique can be described by my motto "Volume,Volume,Volume".
Generate tons of stuff, and statistically, some of it's bound
to be good (..and the wisdom to know the difference). That's
how nature works - she generates tons of stuff, & we humans
decide what is "good" or "bad"
> Try thinking of music as the stage and the sets, and lyrics
as the characters in a play
> Associate sounds with colors and images. Look around and
hear the scenery. Get used to hearing that faint music in your
head - it's always there. You move to its rhythms without even
realizing it. This is not to say you shouldn't study compositional
techniques - they are the tools, but the raw material comes from
within.
> Becoming a composer is not that hard anymore, now that instrumental
virtuosity is not required. You don't even have to be able to
play in "real time". I'm planning books on music theory
and compositional techniques to get novices composing & recording
in a very short time. (I'm also planning to sprout fins and live
with the dolphins)
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
So, Herr Beethoven, how did you come to write the
Moonlight Sonata? "Well, my bass player Horst and me were
just tradin' riffs backstage between shows and it like just came
to me man. And the 5th symphony, I wrote the whole thing in an
hour on the carriage ride to Duke Wilhelm's. I had nothin' new
for the gig, so I had to come up with somethin' quick. The 9th?
In the shower. |
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