Bland Playing

Well, I'll suggest it first since I know it will be suggested anyway. LOL

But make a dedicated effort in the Sunday Songwriters Group. You'll create songs that get you thinking outside the box, get a tremdous support group that will make suggestions for you, and at the end of a year you'll have up to 52 of your own songs to play for folks.

Geoo

Thanks for the suggestion.

I think I'll give that a shot. I'm not sure I understand too much of how to join in on it, though.

Its really pretty simple. Each week, on Sunday, the moderator will post the idea for a song. Its a generic think like this week "Write a song about something that inspires you" You interpret what you think that means and you write the lyrics for a song. Alot of us will even write out a TAB'd chord progression, OR if you have the equipment you can even record it and post a link to the recording so folks can hear it.

What is great about it is that it causes you to be more, on the spot, creative. Your writing about a theme someone else has come up with.

To be polite, it a good idea to recipocate and critique others writing.

Let me know if you need me to be more spicific. My kids are screaming in the background so I am having trouble concentrating.

Geoo

learn to play melodies. hear a melody in your head or stereo, then play it on the guitar. after that, then start with harmonies. anyway, that's what i'm working on.

Join a band.

Develop severe depression, get some surgery and enjoy pain killers....OOOOPPS. Family site.

That Sunday morning song writers group thing suggested by Geo sounds neat. I've looked in the other songwriting thread, but have no idea what to say. Maybe if I actually tried it.....

The Songwriters Club is there for members who have written songs and want feedback or guidance. The Sunday Songwriters is there for those who want a prompt or a subject. Give the Sunday Songwriters Group a try out for a few weeks - the theme for the week is in Bob's post on a Sunday morning - and then try finding your own inspiration for something and letting it loose in the Songwriters Club.

Somewhere in the articles on this site is one by Nick "Mother Of All Moderators" Torres called 458 things Nick says about writing a song, or something like that. It started off as 35 things, I recall, but it grew a little.

Best,

A :-)

BAsic advice: If you want to fiddle around and write your own stuff, fiddle around and write your own stuff. It's like asking how you learn to play open chords. You do that by playing open chords. Sit down with your guitar, try to find some chords, dump lyrics over them, finish it off and try to make your second song better.

If you want some help with some basic chord changes for a new song you can use something called the "CIRCLE OF FIFTHS".
It basically shows you what chords sound good together and what dont.eg C ,Am ,F,G will almost certainly sound good no matter what order you play them.Its a great place to start and especially good when your struggling to find a chorus or middle8 for your new song.
Just do a google search for "the circle of fifths"
Hope this helps.

P.s there is also a way of transposing songs into a different key using a version of it.