SUNDAY SONGWRITER'S GROUP - WEEK 43

I'd like to post an idea here. I am practising a bit with making music to go with lyrics. It would be nice to practise that here too. Maybe you could pick a set of lyrics every week, of the assignment the week before. Making it a bit different every week, like picking lyrics with rhyme, without rhyme, with long sentences, short sentences, without chorusses etc. Then let the ones who want to, turn that lyrics into a song and record it. I know I'd like to hear my lyrics being turned into a real song by different people, and I'd sure like to practise my skills on that terrain.
Dunno if you like it, as this is a songwriting and not guitar playing forum but yeah... Just an idea ;)

We tried a Sunday Composers group to go with the Sunday Songwriters for a while, but it didn't take off.

Maybe it's time we revisited the idea.

Best,

A :-)

We actually tried revisiting the idea and that didn't work either.

-marv

Karla

Maybe you could post something in the
Jams and Collaborations Forum.
It seems to me that gets used for alot
of Jams which is cool and all that but I would like
to see a few more collaborations.

I would also be interested in an exchange of lyrics
if that would help.

John

I didn't know this has been tried before... Ah well, I'll start with doing some more of my own lyrics.
I know about the jams, but I don't know my scales :oops: I should learn them before joining in in a jam...

I wasn't thinking of you joining a jam but posting on
that forum to see if any body would be interested
in exchanging lyrics for music on music for lyrics.

I'm working on a collaboration with Jamir right now
that she posted in the on Songwriters Club forum and it's been
alot of fun so far.

I have some lyrics hanging a round if you're interested
or if you want to check my postings. The only thing I
would like is that you ask before using anything.

John

I wasn't thinking of you joining a jam but posting on
that forum to see if any body would be interested
in exchanging lyrics for music on music for lyrics.

I'm working on a collaboration with Jamir right now
that she posted in the on Songwriters Club forum and it's been
alot of fun so far.

I have some lyrics hanging a round if you're interested
or if you want to check my postings. The only thing I
would like is that you ask before using anything.

John
I'm trying to get somthing going in that direction, I can do Backing tracks to lyrics and I can write lyrics ( been a while since i have posted here :oops: ) I'm always looking for a new project :D I'm trying to finish up a song that scratchmonkey wrote( Bat Boy) .

I agree with the celt, I like doing the jams but i would like to see more collaborations on that forum. If anyone here has some ideas or would like to colaborate let me know--the dog

I know I'd like to hear my lyrics being turned into a real song by different people, and I'd sure like to practise my skills on that terrain.
Dunno if you like it, as this is a songwriting and not guitar playing forum but yeah... Just an idea ;)

I think it's a good idea Karla, and I've been thinking something similar. But there's already nothing stopping any of us just asking if somebody would like to make up some music for our words - as Jamir did, (and got a response from The Celt).

What seems to be needed is more composers rather than more lyric writers, so I'm sure that lots of posters here who don't post accompanying music would be happy to let you have a go at setting their words to music if you want to practice your skills in that area.

One potential problem is that some of the posters here don't seem to have attempted to set their own offerings to music - or even tried to sing them - so although it might mean something to them it's often not "song friendly" or well constructed when it comes to trying to devise an accompaniment.

I don't agree that "this is a songwriting forum and not guitar playing forum" though - surely it's both? A song is not a song until it's set to music. Until then it's just words, or perhaps even a poem, or potential lyrics - but with no music it's not yet a song.

The better writers here do post guitar playing to go with their words. I'd like to see more posters trying to do that - this is Guitarnoise after all. As soon a s I get my act together I'll certainly be boring you all with some rough and ready playing, and even rougher singing! So look out. :twisted:

Yeah, good point, Chris about a song not being quite a song until it's set to music. In fact, I don't usually even post my lyrics on here until I've done the music because I usually end up having to make changes.
(Sorry I don't have a way of recording and posting at the moment--someday hopefully.)

But you're also right that it may be hard for some writers to hear their lyrics put to music by someone who has a completely different interperatation. I do think collaborating is great. But it's not always easy, and I wonder how it would work with someone who lives in a different state, or country. It sounds like fun, but on the off chance the song ever becomes a hit, I just wonder how that'd work.

Joe

I do think collaborating is great. But it's not always easy, and I wonder how it would work with someone who lives in a different state, or country. It sounds like fun, but on the off chance the song ever becomes a hit, I just wonder how that'd work.

Joe

I don,t think it would be that much different, you send E-mails and mp3 files, and even telephone. songwriters probaly do this a lot more than you would think :D colaboration can be as simple as someone making a backing track and someone else adding to it and creating lyrics for it. the follwing link is an example, nroberts did the bass, drums, rhythm guitar, and i added some guitar parts, and some spoken words ( could just as well been lyrics) you get the idea :wink: A while back some of the mods did a real nice colaboration( I think it as Nick, dhodge and gnease). maybe they will post it again for us?

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=213596&songID=2035214

This is like anything else, just keep the process simple, don't over complicate it, and have fun with it. -the dog

I agree with the celt, I like doing the jams but i would like to see more collaborations on that forum. If anyone here has some ideas or would like to colaborate let me know--the dog

The jams are great, especially for newer players first learning about recording and multitracking. But I think a number of GN members are ready for more advanced, "holistic" projects. So far, there have been only a couple of real collaborations (as opposed to serialized jams) on original tunes. Some of these have never even made it to completion or the forum, even though they've shown real promise. Day jobs generally get in the way -- I know mine does. Nevertheless, I think we need to encourage and foster some real beginning-to-end song development. Getting it done well requires someone to take charge of the process and keep it moving as a project. This is just as important as the creative input from songwriters, performers and engineers.

Cutting to to the chase: 'Dog, if you want to run (and contribute to) a song creation project, I suggest you cross-post to the songwriting and collaboration sections "advertising" for writers and performers to put together a song creation and recording project. You can make this as complicated or simple as you wish. You might even want to enlist a couple of people not in the upfront creative process to help mix and master the final product. It could be a cool thing. Someone has to kick it off, manage it and nurture it -- could be you.

I agree with you gnease, we have taken some baby steps but "advertising" in the song writng forum would be the way to go, so I will do so in the near future as soon as i get my thoughts together on the logistics involved in this :lol: scratchmonkey wrote a song that i did a backing track to and pbee is doing the vocal as we speak ( thanks pbee!!) I will do the final touches on it. I'm hoping that will prime the proverbial pump :D Mean while we have a track we are working on based on a drum and slide acoustic guitar track submitted by moedecker. I'm doing a guitar part and laying down a bass track. any one can add to it, maybe even some short vocal parts :?: --the dog

Sometimes I forget what kind of forum this is - one with nice members. If I feel the uncontrolable urge to steal someones lyrics, I'll politely ask and get permission ;) I can practise enough that way, enough lyrics being written here every week.

However, I'll check the jams & collaborations forum a bit more often to see if there's something I'd like to join...

Hi Karla

Interesting discussion going on here. I don't think anyone would mind you putting their lyrics to your music but please just send them a personal message (PM) to get their permission. Don't take offence if someone says no though.

As for collaborations I'd love to see more of them. I have actually been trying to work on an assignment for the end of this year that will require some collaboration - I haven't worked it out yet though.

As for conversion of lyrics to songs I know personally my conversion rate is very low. I have a good number of sets of lyrics and about a half dozen 'nearly there' music compositions none of which go together well enough to form a whole.

The Composer's Group proved a problem logistically - not everyone could post within deadlines, some could only post midi files of powertab. etc. With the growing use of soundclick amongst our members I reckon there's an opportunity to both collaborate more and work on compositions rather than just lyrics. However, I think it should be done within either this forum, for specific assignments, or through the songwriting club forum on a more song by song basis.

Dog - just let me know what ideas you have and I'll see how I can offer my assistance as one of the mods of this forum.
Day jobs generally get in the way - pesky day jobs

Bob