Questions and Answers

This week I’m posting questions I’ve received and answers I’ve given. Because of the way Hotmail works (yeah Microsoft), I don’t have all the answers I’ve written to all the questions I’ve sent out (you actually have to give Hotmail a command so that it keeps the answer). And, at first, I had no idea this would become a weekly gig. So next week I’ll use other questions I’ve received and redo the answers.

These are questions that are common enough, so I think they will be useful for many people.

If you think I’m doing this because I don’t want to spend 2 to 3 hours in front of my PC writing up a column this week, you’re right. But not for the reasons you think. Things are happening here at Guitarnoise. Hopefully by next week you’ll see that I’ve spent most of this week taking care of business for some new things coming up. If the site isn’t bookmarked, make sure you do so now! You will be quite surprised with what is coming in the very near future!

About the questions. Only twice did I not respond to readers. But there were reasons for this. If you disagree with me, that’s fine, I’ll most likely respond anyway. If you can’t be diplomatic in your comments, I send your mail to file 13. And please, do not try to impose your religious, political or social views on me. If I see that no matter what I say you will disagree, I won’t bother.

But any legitimate questions and comments are always welcome. Usually, I answer the same day, although-things happen-it may be that it will take several days. The Internet is not a sure thing and mail sometimes gets lost. If I haven’t responded to you inside a week, first review your wording (in case that’s the problem), then send it back. But I will get around to it. If you feel my answer was not clear enough, write back and say so. If my answers lead to more questions, write back.

Several people have started writing in frequently and that is not a problem for me. Quite the opposite. If you just want to drop a line and say Hello, I always appreciate that. So here we go:

Q: I am the main songwriter in my band and we recorded this demo album of all original songs. Now i have wrote about 30 all together but my band mates have only heard 20 or so. They say they are “great” and “amazing” but i am ashamed to listen to the record because i think the songs are so bad. But even people outside the band say they are reall good. Is it normal to feel this way? Is there anything i can do to make make my songs worthy of me?

A: It’s normal that you feel this way. For me it’s because of my voice… I don’t like to be around when people listen to my songs. Then they come back and tell me they like my voice and I think they’re lying…

But as for the songs themselves, I’ve written over 100. I started writing 19 years ago (There was a period of 8 years where I hardly wrote at all). That’s why I know my songs are good. I’ve got something to compare them with. Well, not all of them, some of them are REALLY bad. And, occasionally, I’ll play something I think is bad to a few people who really love it.

With time, it’ll be easier for you to see the difference. It’s more of a question of confidence than anything else. If you recorded them, you must know there was something good in them. If your band plays, them, even better.

If, however, you have a song that you really don’t like, then keep it to yourself. That’s OK.

And if you’ve been playing a song for a while and every time you go to play it, you cringe, then don’t play it. Even if people are asking for it. First and foremost, it’s about you and what you want to do. The song has to move YOU.

Q: Scenario: A songwriter writes lyrics and melody but is not a strong musician so she gets together with a guitarist, who proposes various chord changes, instrumental hooks, transitional chord progressions between sections of the song, etc. Together they hammer out a brilliant arrangement of the song for live performance and recording. Is the guitarist entitiled to any co-writing credit or does his contribution merely constitute arranging. Is such arranging input, (which is essential to bring the song to life) entitled to any greater reward other than a nice acknowledgment and thanks on the CD cover? Is there a bright-line rule?

Do you know of any other websites that address such issues? I’ve done this sort of work for a number of songwriters in original projects throughout the years. Although my contributions have been highly creative, time-consuming and invaluable, no one has ever suggested they rise to the level of protectable or compensable intellectual property.

A: You’re in the gray zone. The next time you do something like this, I strongly advise that you make the person agree to these terms ahead of time. And get it in writing.

Unfortunately, some people do not have a conscience…

Q: (The first article: So You Want to Be a Songwriter?) It kind of, let me know that I’ve been starting at the right places all this time, but I’ve never took the time to sit down and really Work on it. In other words, I’ve never written a song. But I sure as h**l want to! The only problem is that I don’t play anything else but flute and a bit guitar. I take lessons and all but I still feel…limited. You know, like I don’t have the opportunities to learn and play with all the musical areas. And sometimes, I get so eager, or so many ideas, that it blocks me(not just in music, I also do dances and sll sorts of things!). I feel like it’s to much, and what’s the point, when it’s never going to be heard?

But what if I’d really pull it off, and make something good?? How do I reach out with it? Cuz, you know, I’d really like to not just vent my emotions, but share them too. But where does one start and how does one go further? I feel almost like I don’t even want to tell someone that I play the guitar and have a musical interest, cuz everyone I talk to often know much more, and then me and my ideas would become uninteresting. And it doesn’t help that I’m a young girl!

I hope you could give me some sort of advice about this… Cuz, I don’t have to “reach out” to the great masses, and I certainly Not want to become Brittney 2nd you know… *hehe* But I feel very strongly about music, and I just Know I can if I’d just, I don’t know, got a little push forward. I feel it in my bones… But I’m way to scared to really belive in anything of this, so I guess it felt “realistic” to write to you.

Well, well, I’m not going to dwell in this anymore. But if you have Anything to say to me about this which you think could be helpful, please do!

A: I understand how you feel. I suggest you read my article on attitude (Inflating The Ego) on the same website, that might help. Do not think that people around you know more than you do. They usually just think they know more than you do. Be yourself.

(…)

The first song you write will be the most difficult. But once you’ve written it, you’ll feel good. And it will be easier to write the next ones. Once you have a few, you can then record a demo. Record companies don’t care if you’re a great musician, they have endless lists of musicians who can help you, If your voice isn’t all that great, they can fix it in the studio (however, even if you do have a good voice, I’d recommend lessons). What they’re looking for is good material. So a demo can consist of only guitar and vocals. Then you send this out to the record companies in your country with a short biography. Even if they reject it, they will send you a letter explaining what they liked and didn’t like. Pay attention to it and use that as a basis for your next demo. Some people have sent in seven demos before they were signed, so it’s no big deal.

You can also start a band. Again, if you’re not a great guitarist, get someone who is to help out.

Q: I would be grateful if you can further describe music copyright issues. If I understand correctly, you seems to describe that even though we applying quite similar chord progression, each of us will end up with different compositions anyway.

There’s one case that I know that an original composer had sue another composer regarding copyrighting his phrase of composition. The original composer won the case even though the last 8 bars of music come with only around 80% of similarity.

(i) Can you further describe how can we define what’s called “copy”?

(ii) If everybody try to follow the chord progression as you suggested, can they be accused of copying the work of each others as the music may easily come about 80% of similarity?

(iii) How to define copying the work of others as it seems to be hard to avoid especially in the world of music composition?

A: According to copyright laws, a song consists of three things:

  • A chord structure
  • A melody
  • Lyrics

Hence, you can use the exact same chords, but have a completely different melody.

Intent to copy is also an issue. Coincidences do happen. Having the last 8 bars identical to someone else’s song is no big deal if the rest of the song is different. It’s happened to me. I wrote an instrumental section for one of my songs that is based on keyboards. A few months later, I discovered that Rick Wakeman had used the exact same melody (differing only on the last note: I go to a low note, he goes to a high note) for a chorus in one of his songs.

I don’t particularly like Wakeman, so if I’d chosen to copy from someone, it would not have been him. But I chose to keep the instrumental section anyway.

It’s a bit of a confused area, there are no absolutes.

The basic point is don’t try to copy someone else’s song.

Q: (…) and I’m from Austria. I just read your “songwriter” columns at guitarnoise.com. Maybe you can help me:

I’m playin’ guitar for about 3,5 years now, about 6-8 months ago i started writing songs by my own which go into melodic -hard rock/glam/pomp-hardrock style, e.g. Def Leppard, Magnum, Europe, Bon Jovi etc……..

The first ones I`ve written are pretty cool, if I’d find people to jam with i could try to arrange them in a good way and make something better outta them. But the problem is, that over the past winter, november till now, i had loads of ideas and “just” got 1 full midlle-class song, not bad but also not really good, on instrumental song without lyrics and thousands of ideas i probably never use.

When winter started i thought, lots of ideas will come, cause I’m living in a bigger Skiing area with lots of tourists. But it wasnt like that, even while snowboarding and snowboard-instructing (which was my job the past months.), there weren’t any Useful ideas.

Funnily it seems that inspiration’s coming back now i grabbed an old chorus idea tried to write lyrics 2 days ago, but didnt look at it since then.

I never had lessons, but I’m not sure if I’d take some? I just don’t know how to go on right now, what can i learn by myself, what not? Do i REALLY need a teacher or just people to jam with???

A: I used to work with this beautiful Austrian lady… If they all look like her, I want to move there!

I don’t want to speak against lessons, they have their uses. If you want to become a better guitarist or a better singer, they are definitely worthwhile.

They won’t, however, make you a better songwriter. Obviously, while you were snowboarding, your mind was on your job, on enjoyment, probably on the women. No wonder you didn’t get any ideas. You should view that time as a “vacation” from songwriting. It did serve its use, though. It allowed you to acquire more life-experience, observe more people. Someday, some song, or some part of a song, will come out of all this.

Meanwhile, to develop your songs, playing with others is definitely a good idea. You can also build yourself a little studio. You don’t have to invest a lot of money to do so. If you already have a computer, you can go into digital recording. In one of my next columns (Recording a Demo Part 2), I’ll explain how to do that.

It would take me too long to write all the details now. In the meantime, however, if you don’t play other instruments, try to learn some.

Particularly the bass and the keyboards. You can buy a cheap used bass and keyboard. They don’t have to be high quality instruments and you don’t have to become very good at it. If you go into keyboards in particular, you’ll discover that the approach is quite different from the guitar. Within a few weeks of buying one you’ll probably be writing a whole lot of songs with it.

Also, you need to convince yourself, when you have an idea, to follow it completely through. If you’ve written two lines and have ideas for the last verse or the second chorus, for example, then tell yourself you have to complete that song right now. If you don’t you may never finish it. Or if you do, it might not be as good as what you could do now.

Remember to keep your ideas: write them down, record them. Sometimes you can use several of them to make one song. You can also, on occasion, write “intro” songs. Songs that are maybe two verses long. You start it and finish it in about 30 seconds. Then you place it before another song. Sort of a lead-in.

That chorus you worked on 2 days ago. Take it out and work on it. Don’t leave an unfinished song lying there. Take it out and play it. If you don’t get any ideas, go to the next unfinished song, etc. If something starts to happen, then work on that song and finish it.