Bill Draper
#0

Pat Pattison of Berkley School of Music offers a free course through Coursera.com....he's written a few books as well.


Anyhow, one of his techniques is.....envision a 'skeleton' plan for your lyric first off.


One of his ideas is to think of one theme one idea one 'point of the story' and put it in the chorus. Then, in the verses have three seperate example or viewpoints that lead to the chorus.


So, I'm doing some house cleaning and I'm thinking 'interior decorating' design" as the chorus.


V1


House is a mess, needs some work, can't find nada, I must be a dumb-dumb  jerk


Chorus



time to organize rearrange nothing strange


Improve the Interior decorate design



V2


My thoughts I confess are in disarray, can't do dada, stumblie, fall away



Chorus



time to organize rearrange nothing strange


Improve the Interior design

 


V3


Now me happy, now me glad, but my friend she say, I'm confused and sad, so I say



Chorus



time to organize rearrange nothing strange

Improve the Interior design



So yeah....do you think this is a good technique...can you use it? can you think of another twist on interior design? How about some more titles to turn?


Thanks....Bill


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


  

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Bill Draper
#1

So what to do next with this.....hmmm


I've decided I don't like the word 'decorate'. Its too 'on the surface' superficial maybe?


So maybe change it to "Interior design"  ? or Interior designing?


How will that change my verse interaction with the chorus.....hmmm....I can do it by adding  my or your before the title hook "Interior Design"


To be continued....


Bill


 


 

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Bill Draper
#2

Next I'm  thinking....how am I going to make progress with this...start searching for rhyme of key words?....no...too early for that....I need more development...but what?


So I was thinking on my lesson notes and thought....why am I writing this? who is it for? 


so...yeah...its a self help song...a heal thyself...and then help someone else by passing the info along. ok...but don't want 'preachy'


Verse 1


What happens when the house is hodge podge, everything piled up and disorganized? Can't return things after use...had no 'place to begin with....can't find it next time....loose things...I loose things, I loose things...walking rings walking rings, around the rooms seaching loosing time.


 


Verse 2


scene switch....disorganized thinking...no logical thoughts....what is the cost?...how to fix?


What is my priority, what is most important to me, priority will set me free.


Verse 3


get house in order by getting in touch with who is you.


 


OK...feel like I'm getting somewhere now....what should I do now?


Think I'll work on a chorus now and post that next...now I said it, means I have to do it.


Bill


 

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Arty Redsocks
#3

Bill,


Seeing V1&2 as essentially the same so for mine this would dictate vvcvc structure or better, vcvc. So from there it is making the chorus work for both.


 


Probably rather than interior decorating, spring cleaning which has  better singabiity and could lend it self better to the thoughts of clutter being reorganized.


 


Arty

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Bill Draper
#4

Good feedback Arty, thanks...I need to sit down and write something now that looks like a song...


Bill.


 

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Larry Killam
#5
Enjoyed Da Read Bill.Bring it on.
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Bill Draper
#6
Thanks Larry.

I actually did a rewrite.....in my first post.

This song stuff is tricky even just...keeping it simple!

The 'three things' I was thinking of were....1. my exterior physical house disorganized; 2. inside my brain (interior) disorganized; 3.someone else  has same problem.

yeah...kinda weak I know...haha.

Bill      

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Wes Tibbets
#7
That's an interesting technique. Usually, I have a title pop in my head. I'll get on the laptop or in my notes on my iphone, start and save a page with the title, and then I let it stew in my mind for awhile. When I'm ready to write and have a few ideas, I go online and do a search for lyrics with the same theme. I'll browse through them, get a few ideas, maybe a direction I want to go with it and then I'm off and running.

I also have another way I write. I turn the radio on, listen to a few songs, and something usually pops in my head. Then I turn the radio down to where it is faintly audible to the point that you can hear a beat that's not really the beat in the song that's playing. And then I just write to the beat I hear. I've done probably 20 songs or more like that.

And then last but not least, there is the "EUREKA!" factor. I'll be doing something or even sleeping and I'll sit straight up in bed and head for the laptop. I love those moments because I can usually crank the song out just as fast as I can type it.

Of course after each song, I try to sing them to myself. Edit, write, rewrite and look to see where I can possibly insert an inner rhyme. If I get hung up on something more than a few minutes, I'll just save it to my hard drive and walk away for a couple of days.

On other forums I've been on, someone will occasionally do an exercise where they give an idea for something to write about and everybody is supposed to roll with it. It's truly amazing how many different versions people can come up with for the same idea. It makes for good practice when you're trying to develop your writing.

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Bill Draper
#8
Thanks Wes. Interesting and informative tips.

I like the idea of hook/title capture....and the follow up to see other songs written with similar title. I'll try that.

Bill

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Wes Tibbets
#9
Hi Bill,

I read this article today online about writing techniques. And it had an interesting method. It said that every day, sit down and write about whatever you're feeling at that very moment. Happy, sad, hot, cold, lonely, hungry, etc. Then come up with a good title to uniquely describe that basic feeling. For example, if you are hungry, you might come up with a title called, "Wilting Away". And then write a song around that theme. It sounded like a pretty good technique.  I haven't tried it yet but since you had started this thread along similar lines, I thought it wouldn't hurt to mention it. Thanks for checking out my songs btw. I appreciate all of the input I can get. It's good to have an objective opinion. Best wishes!
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