Page 6Introduction
Like all great musicians, great songwriters are probably born, not made. No tutor, no book, no course, can make you
write songs that embed themselves in the memory of a generation and achieve critical as well as commercial
acclaim. Only a few people will ever compose songs of the stature of 'Good Vibrations', 'Strawberry Fields Forever',
'Walk On By' or 'Like A Rolling Stone'.
Some of us grew up being told these were just pop songs, disposable artefacts to enjoy today and throw away
tomorrow. Thirty years on they aren't looking quite so disposable, and we are beginning to appreciate that the artists
who wrote and performed them are maybe not as common as was once assumed.
Craft
Even so, you can learn to write good songs, songs that will not only please yourself and your friends but may also
please the ears of people in the music industry who need songs for their artists. If you already write songs, there's
always something new to be learned about the craft, an insight or trick to help you improve or try a new avenue.
Inspiration cannot be turned on like a tap. All songwriters with any experience know the difference between writing
when inspired and writing to meet a deadline. It can be the difference between sailing a boat with the wind in your
sails and rowing the damn thing. But there are certain tricks you can use to try to encourage inspiration, by
cultivating a fertile expectancy. This could be a way of putting yourself in the mood, perhaps by listening to music
that affects you.
A good songwriter should be able to write a song on order. This can be done purely from craft, even if there isn't any
inspiration at the start. And sometimes a song started in the spirit of trying to bolt one together without a strong
inspiration can be transformed and become truly inspired halfway through the process.
Unconscious and Conscious Elements
When a song is taking shape, it is a delicate entity. For many writers it starts as a mood, a feeling. This feeling
attaches itself to a chord, a chord sequence, a melody or a rhythm, or a phrase. Suddenly what was ordinary is
"ensouled" in some way, like a charged battery. At this point a thousand possibilities hang about the embryonic
song. As it is shaped, many subtler choices – some conscious, some unconscious – are made. These choices are part
of the craft, and in this area knowledge about songwriting can make a vital difference to the finished song.
A songwriter plays a curious mixture of roles, and different writers identify with these roles in differing amounts. In
one way, the songwriter acts as a midwife, bringing into existence something that subjectively feels as though it
already has an existence of its own. This is why songwriters, when interviewed, often express the feeling that in
some way the song is not really theirs. They speak of trying not to get in the way, of listening for what the song
wants, and of not imposing on it and forcing it to take on a form that is alien to it. It is as though the songwriter is a
medium or "channel" for the song.
In another way, the songwriter is someone who practises a craft, as a sculptor takes a block of stone and carves it
away until a form is realised. This also has its truth. Looked at from this angle, knowledge of songwriting technique
is a positive thing because it enables you to surpass your limitations. It will keep you from writing the same song
over and over.
You need an awareness of both roles. The "midwife" role will keep you in a frame of mind that is open and prevent
too much conscious interference; the "sculptor" role will take a good inspiration and make it better. That's what this
book is about.