Some song musings
I've got a couple of new songs on the boil.
One of these I've been playing around with recording whatever words (and chords) happen to pop out that day into the dinky little stereo mic on my Microtrack recorder. I now have about 4 different versions of lyrics.
Although I don't always work this way I do enjoy letting a song unfold and take it's own shape in a different way than it would if I were working on manuscript paper and writing everything down as I go. Eventually the lyrics will tell me what they want to say with a more focussed clarity and my 4 versions will become 1 version.
Sometimes a song idea will pop out of nowhere at one of my "no-pressure" gigs, often when I'm least expecting it. I enjoy following its unknown path while performing live cos, even being a no-pressure gig I literally have to come out with something that makes sense musically.
How nice to just flow with it and see where it goes. I can't just stop in the middle to try and figure out some chords for a bridge, I have to keep going no matter what. I've birthed at least a handful of songs this way, including these new ones I'm currently exploring.
I love living inside the energy of a song, feeling it work its magic within me, speaking to me in some deep mysterious language, changing me forever in some way through its very presence in my life. Sometimes a new song will shroud me in its aura for days, even weeks, as it works its changes upon me.
One of these I've been playing around with recording whatever words (and chords) happen to pop out that day into the dinky little stereo mic on my Microtrack recorder. I now have about 4 different versions of lyrics.
Although I don't always work this way I do enjoy letting a song unfold and take it's own shape in a different way than it would if I were working on manuscript paper and writing everything down as I go. Eventually the lyrics will tell me what they want to say with a more focussed clarity and my 4 versions will become 1 version.
Sometimes a song idea will pop out of nowhere at one of my "no-pressure" gigs, often when I'm least expecting it. I enjoy following its unknown path while performing live cos, even being a no-pressure gig I literally have to come out with something that makes sense musically.
How nice to just flow with it and see where it goes. I can't just stop in the middle to try and figure out some chords for a bridge, I have to keep going no matter what. I've birthed at least a handful of songs this way, including these new ones I'm currently exploring.
I love living inside the energy of a song, feeling it work its magic within me, speaking to me in some deep mysterious language, changing me forever in some way through its very presence in my life. Sometimes a new song will shroud me in its aura for days, even weeks, as it works its changes upon me.
posted by Julianne at 12:56 AM
2 Comments:
Wow, that's waaaay cool...
I'm not a songwriter, so I can only imagine that same feeling I get in my art work.
I've always wanted to write songs, I used to play around with just me and a piano, but I could NEVER repeat the same song over again, as it was gone after the moment.
Stream of consciousness, and all that jazz...
Sounds pretty cool the way it works for you...
Heya mela!
Mmm, I'm like you, if I don't document it, it's usually gone forever, it's really just improvising. Years ago a jazz pianist friend of mine said to me "you should always record everything you do" - I never forgot that. Who knows what good ideas will show up while improvising around..... and oh so nice not to have to return to the land of thinking until later on, when listening back. So go ahead, get some el cheapo dinky recording thingy and press the red button next time you sing....
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