derekeverett

Thanks everyone for your input and responses. This one simple decision ended up having consequences more far reaching than I intended. I inspired myself to refocus on several other areas of my life as well. I think it's been a great decision, but it's kept me busy this last month. So I haven't gotten any writing done. Despite focusing on writing being the first decsion I made! I am going to spend some time in December reviewing some theory & harmony type stuff. Will be writing by the new year again. I'll be posting here more at that time I'm sure.

Very cool... I'm cheering for you for sure! I was thinking the other day, not even about music actually.. it was a small business related thought.. about how to truly become successful on the next level you have to take risks. Big ones usually. There is a difference between big and stupid often though. Tough to know the difference sometimes I would think. I don't think my heart would let me put songwriting as my #1 priority anymore. Kids have a way of changing your bucket list. But I agree with your sentiment and appreciate your kind words!

Thanks for the encouragement, appreciated. The saying "Jack of all trades, master of none" comes to mind. I don't know what it is about the human condition that we want to take over and control so much. I am learning quickly that spreading yourself to thin is very harmful to the creative process... even if you are skilled at many things. And frankly I'm not skilled in many things. I've sort of become half-assed at a bunch of things instead of excelling in one or two areas. Back to where my true passion lays....

Well almost everything.... In recent years I've noticed that I've become more and more entrenched with recording. Home recording gear got cheaper and cheaper, and computers/software cheaper and better every year. I'm creeping up on 40 now.. and when I was a teenager I wanted nothing more than to record. I got into a studio a couple times, and even took a big recording engineering course sometime around 1993. I thought I loved the technical aspect of recording. Maybe I did then... hard to remember clearly now. Anyway, as the years progressed I got more and more into songwriting. I began to see recording (and becoming proficient with an instrument for that matter) as more of a means to an end. Fast forward 15 years and it seems only natural that I would start with the home studio now that everything required is so plentiful and affordable. This all seems wonderful in a vacuum. Problem is, I've been noticing more and more that I'm a guy with a bunch of gear in his living room, watching Youtube videos about recording, that isn't writing anymore. At least not writing even a fraction as much as I used to. When I look at it honestly, it's been 5 years since I've been anything close to prolific as a writer. Lately I've been noticing that I'm still "trying to get the song/recording right" on songs I've been working on for 10+ years. I have songs I wrote in 2008/2009 that I still refer to as "the new ones". All this has been leaving a bit of a foul taste in my mouth. After much thought on the matter (and honestly a couple of sleepless nights), I've reached some decisions. I don't want to be a recording engineer, not even at an amateur home project level. I don't want to invest money or especially time with that stuff anymore. I understand many people find recording to be a creative outlet in itself, but I'm not one of them. I want to write songs. So to that end, I've spent this past 3 days selling most of my gear. My Monitors are now gone. My interfaces are gone. All my "professional" mics, and stands are gone. My MIDI controllers are gone. I even sold my bass because I don't use it for writing and I don't plan on doing any Dee-Dee Ramone impressions anytime soon. The new Mac Os X came out last week and I did a fresh install on my computer. I'm not putting Logic Pro back on my system. Not installing any of my plug-ins either. I kept my acoustic guitar. I plugged an old pair of computer speakers in, and I have a USB table top condenser mic designed for vloggers on the desk. Software? Garageband will do just fine. I'm making a fresh start as a songwriter again. I wanted to post this here partly as a cathartic measure, and partly to get the thoughts of some others. Anybody else feel bogged down by recording? Don't get me wrong, I enjoy to play with others, and would like very much to record again one day soon, I just don't want to be the guy in the engineering role of it anymore. Back to the old school ways for me. We'll rehearse hard, then pay someone who does love it to set up the mics and hit the record button. From this point forward, Mixing for me will be the act of pouring 7-up into a glass of Southern Comfort. I do feel better for typing this out. I suddenly have a little extra cash in the pocket as well. Think I'll order a pizza for supper...

I thought this was a great story. A little inspiring too. http://www.cbc.ca/strombo/story-videos/96-year-old-writes-heartwarming-heartbreaking-love-song-for-his-lost-love.html

I don't think that's right, I don't believe you need an Am chord to be in the key of Am at all.

Key of D would have a C#, which is the very chord I decided I didn't like...

Thank you to both of you.

I use a piece of software called Songframe to help with writing sometimes. There are times when I need/want to be quiet so the acoustic guitar won't do. It's just basic piano chords that play, but it's more than enough to lay out a song. Songframe is fairly easy to learn, and they have thousands of progressions for the choosing. I think someone with no real musical training could get the hang of it fairly quickly. If you go to Youtube and search "Songframe" some videos should come up. The channel called TanagerAudioWorks should have all the vids on it. There is other such software on the market too. Band in a box is another, although I'm not really familiar with it. A songwriting partner that does have a musical background is in many ways the best solution, but in my experience relying solely on another person sucks. Hope that helps.

Pat knows his stuff. I took this course back in the new year. I also have a couple of his books. I have found his advice helps me with something pretty much every time I sit down to write, or listen.

My musical theory background is not super strong, but I'm trying to learn more and understand more. I'm playing around with some chords here and I think I have a progression that I like. I set out to try and write in the key of A. The four chords I'm using for the verse part of this song are A, C, D7, & E7. When I consider the A major scale, it seems to me that the C should be sharped to make a 1-3-4-5 progression. Yet it sounds SO MUCH better to me without the C sharped. Does this mean I'm not actually in the key of A major anymore? As I type this I think I may have just answered my own question.. I'm in A minor now right? in A minor the C fits. Am I getting a grasp on this? Any input here would be appreciated. Thanks.

Rhyming is something I've been trying to pay more attention with lately. I am finding it interesting how some writers really seem to have a knack for finding words that are perfect for what they are trying to say, and do have rhyming qualities but aren't exact rhymes. Often they just have the same vowel sounds or a similar sound like "sh" or "ch". When the vocal performance is done just right that can be magic that sticks in your brain forever yet doesn't seem cliche at all. I think it's very important to determine whether your lyrics need to bring a sense of finality or resolution to the listener by rhyming or if it is more effective to be more subtle about it or not rhyme at all. Sometimes not rhyming at all at a point where it felt like a rhyme was coming for sure can be really eerie and unsettling. But in a good way.. a way that serves the song.