5♠ Five of Spades in The Rock Songwriter’s Deck: 52 Ways to Write a Song
The Five of Spades believes you can make a beautiful song out of any set of materials, even garbage. You can take your inspiration from the visual artists who create unique sculptures out of things that they find in the trash.
You don't have to actually go dumpster diving, but find some way to gather a collection of random or happenstance element, just a pile of unrelated bits. (One quick, simple technique is to flip through books, drop your finger on a page, and take whatever phrase or sentence you happen to hit. Another technique is to do Google searches for a group of four or five randomly-chosen words, and use whatever happens to be in the middle of the page on the website that you find through your search.)
Once you've gathered your "pile of junk," start working with the pieces. Play with them, rearrange them, sort them, shuffle them. Eventually you will find them starting to fall into meaningful and interesting patterns. Keep working with your materials until you've molded them into a coherent song.
Believe it or not, this is the final card in The Rock Songwriter's Deck! I hope these exercises have helped you shake up your songwriting process and create some interesting new songs. You can review the entire deck by clicking the link for the "deck" tag on this blog.
Showing posts with label deck. Show all posts
Showing posts with label deck. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
8♣ Meet Captain Sledgehammer
8♣ Eight of Clubs in The Rock Songwriter’s Deck: 52 Ways to Write a Song
The Eight of Clubs asks you to invent a colorful, interesting character, someone very different from yourself. Give your character a name, a history, habits, goals, values, and a cultural context.
When you've developed a clear and vivid picture of your character, write a song that would be a perfect expression of that character's motivations or personality.
The Eight of Clubs asks you to invent a colorful, interesting character, someone very different from yourself. Give your character a name, a history, habits, goals, values, and a cultural context.
When you've developed a clear and vivid picture of your character, write a song that would be a perfect expression of that character's motivations or personality.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
5♥ Your weapon of choice
5♥ Five of Hearts in The Rock Songwriter’s Deck: 52 Ways to Write a Song
The Five of Hearts asks you to let your angry emotions inspire you. Write as if your song were a weapon, and your intention is to hurt someone. It helps if you’re actually angry at someone. But if you're not, just pretend. (“It’s called acting!”)
It's likely that many fine songs were written this way, although you'd have to actually ask the songwriters to know for sure. In any case, anger is a powerful energy that can be used for constructive purposes in your creative life. So don't just sit there seething — write a song!
The Five of Hearts asks you to let your angry emotions inspire you. Write as if your song were a weapon, and your intention is to hurt someone. It helps if you’re actually angry at someone. But if you're not, just pretend. (“It’s called acting!”)
It's likely that many fine songs were written this way, although you'd have to actually ask the songwriters to know for sure. In any case, anger is a powerful energy that can be used for constructive purposes in your creative life. So don't just sit there seething — write a song!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
8♥ Round robin
8♥ Eight of Hearts in The Rock Songwriter’s Deck: 52 Ways to Write a Song
Eight of Hearts suggests a songwriting game that you can't do by yourself. Gather a group of 3-6 songwriters for this game.
Here's how to play: Get a pad of paper, and sit around a table. Decide who gets to start. That person writes down a single line of lyrics, and passes the pad to the next person, who writes the second line of lyrics. As you continue, each person writes one line of lyrics in turn.
Don't talk, don't make suggestions, and don't coach each other. Each of you might have a different idea of where the song is headed, but none of you is individually able to control the direction the song is taking. Just let the song emerge.
"Slow Dancing Beast," on Left Brain's Raspberry Park album, was written this way. The songwriters used Scrabble Sentence Cubes, a game with words printed on dice, as a random element to create the first line of lyrics.
Eight of Hearts suggests a songwriting game that you can't do by yourself. Gather a group of 3-6 songwriters for this game.
Here's how to play: Get a pad of paper, and sit around a table. Decide who gets to start. That person writes down a single line of lyrics, and passes the pad to the next person, who writes the second line of lyrics. As you continue, each person writes one line of lyrics in turn.
Don't talk, don't make suggestions, and don't coach each other. Each of you might have a different idea of where the song is headed, but none of you is individually able to control the direction the song is taking. Just let the song emerge.
"Slow Dancing Beast," on Left Brain's Raspberry Park album, was written this way. The songwriters used Scrabble Sentence Cubes, a game with words printed on dice, as a random element to create the first line of lyrics.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
10♦ Write every day
10♦ Ten of Diamonds in The Rock Songwriter’s Deck: 52 Ways to Write a Song
The Ten of Diamonds suggests that you try, for at least a week, the practice of writing a new song every day. And don't spend all day on it! The Ten of Diamonds insists that you spend an hour at most, from start to finish.
To fit this writing chore into your daily routine, you might have to scale down your expectations. Your song might be very short, or very simple, or very repetitive. It might express a simple and mundane idea that you wouldn't ordinarily think of as song material. Whatever you come up with, it's okay, as long as it's a new creation.
The next day, write another song. It's okay if the second day's song is just a variation on the first day's song, as long as it contains some new element that you've never used before.
Even if none of the songs from your daily writing practice are good enough to use, this practice will strengthen your songwriting skills in a powerful way. You're learning how to write in an easy, comfortable, everyday way. The next time someone hits you with a real-world songwriting assignment, you'll be able say, "No sweat! I can handle this. I write songs every day!"
The Ten of Diamonds suggests that you try, for at least a week, the practice of writing a new song every day. And don't spend all day on it! The Ten of Diamonds insists that you spend an hour at most, from start to finish.
To fit this writing chore into your daily routine, you might have to scale down your expectations. Your song might be very short, or very simple, or very repetitive. It might express a simple and mundane idea that you wouldn't ordinarily think of as song material. Whatever you come up with, it's okay, as long as it's a new creation.
The next day, write another song. It's okay if the second day's song is just a variation on the first day's song, as long as it contains some new element that you've never used before.
Even if none of the songs from your daily writing practice are good enough to use, this practice will strengthen your songwriting skills in a powerful way. You're learning how to write in an easy, comfortable, everyday way. The next time someone hits you with a real-world songwriting assignment, you'll be able say, "No sweat! I can handle this. I write songs every day!"
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
7♠ All tied up and nowhere to go
7♠ Seven of Spades in The Rock Songwriter’s Deck: 52 Ways to Write a Song
The Seven of Spades reminds us that creativity is spurred by necessity. Surprisingly creative solutions can emerge when you have to work within extreme constraints.
Can you write a convincing song that uses only two chords? How about a song that runs exactly two minutes and thirty-seven seconds in length?
Can you write an entire lyric using only one-syllable words? Or without using the letter "i"? Or limiting yourself to words that were in Shakespeare's vocabulary?
Decide on your own set of arbitrary constraints, and then see what song you're able to write within those limitations.
The Seven of Spades reminds us that creativity is spurred by necessity. Surprisingly creative solutions can emerge when you have to work within extreme constraints.
Can you write a convincing song that uses only two chords? How about a song that runs exactly two minutes and thirty-seven seconds in length?
Can you write an entire lyric using only one-syllable words? Or without using the letter "i"? Or limiting yourself to words that were in Shakespeare's vocabulary?
Decide on your own set of arbitrary constraints, and then see what song you're able to write within those limitations.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
4♥ Collage
4♥ Four of Hearts in The Rock Songwriter’s Deck: 52 Ways to Write a Song
The Four of Hearts asks you to collect a file folder of clippings, quotes, pictures — all things that evoke something for you or inspire you in some way.
Step two: Use the clipping to build a collage. Make the most beautiful and inspiring collage that you can with the materials that you have collected.
Step three: Write a song that expresses what the collage is expressing. Try to capture the emotional tone of the collage in music. Let the quotes and images in the collage suggest ideas for the song's lyrics.
The Four of Hearts asks you to collect a file folder of clippings, quotes, pictures — all things that evoke something for you or inspire you in some way.
Step two: Use the clipping to build a collage. Make the most beautiful and inspiring collage that you can with the materials that you have collected.
Step three: Write a song that expresses what the collage is expressing. Try to capture the emotional tone of the collage in music. Let the quotes and images in the collage suggest ideas for the song's lyrics.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
9♠ Introducing Eddy & the Falcons
9♠ Nine of Spades in The Rock Songwriter’s Deck: 52 Ways to Write a Song
Sometimes you are your own worst enemy. Or your own ball-and-chain. And sometimes the fastest route to a brilliant creative breakthrough is for you to pretend to be someone other than yourself.
The Nine of Spades invites you to invent a colorful, fictional rock band. Come up with an album title and the full list of song titles that would appear on the band's album. Then write at least one of the songs on behalf of your fictional band.
If you prefer, instead of a band you could invent a fictional solo artist or a stage musical.
Eddy & the Falcons is a fictional 1950s rock & roll band portrayed by the 1970s rock band Roy Wood's Wizzard on the album "Introducing Eddy & the Falcons." A more famous example is Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the fictional cabaret band portrayed by the Beatles.
Sometimes you are your own worst enemy. Or your own ball-and-chain. And sometimes the fastest route to a brilliant creative breakthrough is for you to pretend to be someone other than yourself.
The Nine of Spades invites you to invent a colorful, fictional rock band. Come up with an album title and the full list of song titles that would appear on the band's album. Then write at least one of the songs on behalf of your fictional band.
If you prefer, instead of a band you could invent a fictional solo artist or a stage musical.
Eddy & the Falcons is a fictional 1950s rock & roll band portrayed by the 1970s rock band Roy Wood's Wizzard on the album "Introducing Eddy & the Falcons." A more famous example is Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the fictional cabaret band portrayed by the Beatles.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
3♥ Dear friend
3♥ Three of Hearts in The Rock Songwriter’s Deck: 52 Ways to Write a Song
The Three of Hearts ask you to write a song as if you’re writing a letter to someone. Your song could be a stylized version of an almost-real message that you might write to someone you actually know. Or it could instead be purely fictional, based on an imagined situation where a made-up character needs to send a written message to someone.
Whether the message is based on real life or fiction, the feelings expressed by the song should be authentic and heartfelt.
Many songs have been based on a slight variation of this idea: a message that can never be delivered, for one reason or other. Unexpressed feelings can pile up, and writing a song seems to provide a way to bring those emotions to a conclusion.
If letter writing seems impossibly old-fashioned to you, write a song in the form of a text message or telephone message.
The Three of Hearts ask you to write a song as if you’re writing a letter to someone. Your song could be a stylized version of an almost-real message that you might write to someone you actually know. Or it could instead be purely fictional, based on an imagined situation where a made-up character needs to send a written message to someone.
Whether the message is based on real life or fiction, the feelings expressed by the song should be authentic and heartfelt.
Many songs have been based on a slight variation of this idea: a message that can never be delivered, for one reason or other. Unexpressed feelings can pile up, and writing a song seems to provide a way to bring those emotions to a conclusion.
If letter writing seems impossibly old-fashioned to you, write a song in the form of a text message or telephone message.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
2♠ First build a framework
2♠ Two of Spades in The Rock Songwriter’s Deck: 52 Ways to Write a Song
The Two of Spades invites you to work out the structure of a song before you introduce any musical or lyrical ideas.
The quick way to do this is to start with a song that you like, and set out to write a new song in the same tempo and with the same musical structure. You might even record a drum track first, in order to have the structure solidly in place.
Then pick some chord progressions and see if any musical ideas or lyrics suggest themselves to fill up the empty space of your song.
This method may require some patience. You can't force ideas to come, but if you sit with the rhythms and chords, things will soon start to fall into place. Don't worry if the song remains incomplete, because you can come back to it again and again over a period of days or weeks. New ideas will inevitably show up and find their places in the framework that you have created.
Before you know it, you'll have a complete song, one that grew naturally and organically in your own musical space. You may find that it's surprisingly fresh!
The Two of Spades invites you to work out the structure of a song before you introduce any musical or lyrical ideas.
The quick way to do this is to start with a song that you like, and set out to write a new song in the same tempo and with the same musical structure. You might even record a drum track first, in order to have the structure solidly in place.
Then pick some chord progressions and see if any musical ideas or lyrics suggest themselves to fill up the empty space of your song.
This method may require some patience. You can't force ideas to come, but if you sit with the rhythms and chords, things will soon start to fall into place. Don't worry if the song remains incomplete, because you can come back to it again and again over a period of days or weeks. New ideas will inevitably show up and find their places in the framework that you have created.
Before you know it, you'll have a complete song, one that grew naturally and organically in your own musical space. You may find that it's surprisingly fresh!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
3♦ Update a folk song
3♦ Three of Diamonds in The Rock Songwriter’s Deck: 52 Ways to Write a Song
The Three of Diamonds asks you to find a public-domain folk song and update the words and music. But the resulting song doesn't have to be in a folk-rock musical style! You get extra points if listeners can't tell that a folk song was your starting point.
Modernize the rhythms, the vocabulary, and the structure of the song, and dress it up in the garb of your favorite current musical style.
The Three of Diamonds asks you to find a public-domain folk song and update the words and music. But the resulting song doesn't have to be in a folk-rock musical style! You get extra points if listeners can't tell that a folk song was your starting point.
Modernize the rhythms, the vocabulary, and the structure of the song, and dress it up in the garb of your favorite current musical style.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Reintroducing the Rock Songwriter's Deck
A year ago this blog introduced The Rock Songwriter's Deck: 52 Ways to Write a Song.
There are many different ways to write a song, and trying different approaches is the fastest way to get fresher and more interesting results from your songwriting process. The Deck isn't a catalog; it's a cookbook. Try some of the recipes that we've posted thus far, and you will at least challenge your creative skills and learn something about your unique creative source.
We have eleven cards left to deal out in this weekly series, and it will resume tomorrow with the Three of Diamonds.
There are many different ways to write a song, and trying different approaches is the fastest way to get fresher and more interesting results from your songwriting process. The Deck isn't a catalog; it's a cookbook. Try some of the recipes that we've posted thus far, and you will at least challenge your creative skills and learn something about your unique creative source.
We have eleven cards left to deal out in this weekly series, and it will resume tomorrow with the Three of Diamonds.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Q♥ Key to your heart
Q♥ Queen of Hearts in The Rock Songwriter’s Deck: 52 Ways to Write a Song
The Queen of Hearts invites you to fall deeply in love and write an honest and authentic love song.
If you're not in love with someone right now, you don't have to fake it. There's another way to play the Queen's game: by taking inventory of the most powerful desires that tug at your heart, and writing a song about one of them.
You must be honest if you want to win at this game. Don't pretend your #1 wish is world peace if what truly moves your heart is the thought of having a #1 hit, or of driving a particular car. The Queen of Hearts is also a lover of luxury. She will sympathize with your most worldly and materialistic desires.
Write earnestly, as though your song will — if you find just the right notes and words — win your beloved’s affection or lead the way to the exact thing you desire. Make sure your song fully embodies your wish.
Who knows? There really is a Queen of Hearts. She is rather fond of songs and songwriters. Maybe she will be so touched by your song that she'll decide to pull some magical strings to make your wish come true.
But even if you don't get your wish exactly the way you imagine it, the Queen of Hearts guarantees that something magical will happen it if you put your full efforts into this song. Count on it — and write from your heart.
The Queen of Hearts invites you to fall deeply in love and write an honest and authentic love song.
If you're not in love with someone right now, you don't have to fake it. There's another way to play the Queen's game: by taking inventory of the most powerful desires that tug at your heart, and writing a song about one of them.
You must be honest if you want to win at this game. Don't pretend your #1 wish is world peace if what truly moves your heart is the thought of having a #1 hit, or of driving a particular car. The Queen of Hearts is also a lover of luxury. She will sympathize with your most worldly and materialistic desires.
Write earnestly, as though your song will — if you find just the right notes and words — win your beloved’s affection or lead the way to the exact thing you desire. Make sure your song fully embodies your wish.
Who knows? There really is a Queen of Hearts. She is rather fond of songs and songwriters. Maybe she will be so touched by your song that she'll decide to pull some magical strings to make your wish come true.
But even if you don't get your wish exactly the way you imagine it, the Queen of Hearts guarantees that something magical will happen it if you put your full efforts into this song. Count on it — and write from your heart.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
6♥ Song therapy
6♥ Six of Hearts in The Rock Songwriter’s Deck: 52 Ways to Write a Song
Songwriting can heal your heart. The Six of Hearts invites you to stare your most painful memories right in the face — yes, those memories you are most inclined to shrink away from. You can use the creative alchemy of songwriting to transform your most troubling emotions into haunting beauty. This transformation process will free you from the chains of the past.
When you're done with the song, you might or might not want to release the resulting song to the public. If you decide that the song is too raw and personal to share, it's okay to keep it private. The healing is still yours to keep.
But your brutal honesty might strike a resonant chord with your audience, following a long tradition of deeply personal confessions that turned into big hits. Your might even help anonymous strangers heal their own emotional wounds through the musical magic of your own healing process.
To play this game, lay the Six of Hearts on the table, and then start with any emotion, any traumatic memory, anything that troubles you. Use your creative skills to explore that part of your psyche and express your deepest feelings. Your songwriting studio is a safe place. Don't hold back.
Songwriting can heal your heart. The Six of Hearts invites you to stare your most painful memories right in the face — yes, those memories you are most inclined to shrink away from. You can use the creative alchemy of songwriting to transform your most troubling emotions into haunting beauty. This transformation process will free you from the chains of the past.
When you're done with the song, you might or might not want to release the resulting song to the public. If you decide that the song is too raw and personal to share, it's okay to keep it private. The healing is still yours to keep.
But your brutal honesty might strike a resonant chord with your audience, following a long tradition of deeply personal confessions that turned into big hits. Your might even help anonymous strangers heal their own emotional wounds through the musical magic of your own healing process.
To play this game, lay the Six of Hearts on the table, and then start with any emotion, any traumatic memory, anything that troubles you. Use your creative skills to explore that part of your psyche and express your deepest feelings. Your songwriting studio is a safe place. Don't hold back.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
8♠ Start with an idea
8♠ Eight of Spades in The Rock Songwriter’s Deck: 52 Ways to Write a Song
The Eight of Spades has an idea: start your songwriting process with an idea! This idea doesn't have to be a profound "eureka" insight; it could be an observation, a bit of advice, or a fantasy of how things might be different that they are. Whatever it is, create a song that clearly expresses the idea, almost as though the song is a sales pitch to sell the idea, to get everyone to see what you see.
Here's how to do it, step by step.
Looking for the right idea? Maybe one of these questions will help get you started:
What are you secretly hoping for?
What's one bit of parental advice that you will never forget?
What does it take for love to survive?
What happened recently that you keep thinking about, again and again?
What did you dream about last night?
What is the secret of your success?
The Eight of Spades has an idea: start your songwriting process with an idea! This idea doesn't have to be a profound "eureka" insight; it could be an observation, a bit of advice, or a fantasy of how things might be different that they are. Whatever it is, create a song that clearly expresses the idea, almost as though the song is a sales pitch to sell the idea, to get everyone to see what you see.
Here's how to do it, step by step.
- Decide on an idea.
- Think of a title for the song, and also a lyrical hook. The title and hook are often the same, but they don't have to be. The hook could be a direct expression of your idea, but it doesn't have to be; it just has to be memorable and to connect to the idea in some rhetorically convincing way.
- Build a chorus that supports the hook. Pick tempo, mood, and chords that provide the best possible backdrop for the idea.
- Then build the rest of the song, usually verses and a bridge, to support the chorus. From beginning to end, everything in the song supports and aligns with the song's central idea.
Looking for the right idea? Maybe one of these questions will help get you started:
What are you secretly hoping for?
What's one bit of parental advice that you will never forget?
What does it take for love to survive?
What happened recently that you keep thinking about, again and again?
What did you dream about last night?
What is the secret of your success?
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
6♦ Shuffle and cut
6♦ Six of Diamonds in The Rock Songwriter’s Deck: 52 Ways to Write a Song
The Six of Diamonds has a new angle on the old technique of imitating a song that you admire. Imitating a song is slightly tricky: you want to somehow appropriate what's good about the song without copying any actual material from the song.
What makes this challenge easier, according to the Six of Diamonds, is to start with three or four songs that you want to imitate. Instead of working with a single song, round up a whole group of them. Then reshuffle the songs into something new, imitating bits and pieces of each of the songs.
You still want to avoid copying any actual material from any of the songs, but when you have more songs to serve as reference points, it's easy to find a place for your new song to stand — somewhere in the middle of the group of songs, without being too close to any one of them.
The Six of Diamonds has a new angle on the old technique of imitating a song that you admire. Imitating a song is slightly tricky: you want to somehow appropriate what's good about the song without copying any actual material from the song.
What makes this challenge easier, according to the Six of Diamonds, is to start with three or four songs that you want to imitate. Instead of working with a single song, round up a whole group of them. Then reshuffle the songs into something new, imitating bits and pieces of each of the songs.
You still want to avoid copying any actual material from any of the songs, but when you have more songs to serve as reference points, it's easy to find a place for your new song to stand — somewhere in the middle of the group of songs, without being too close to any one of them.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
K♠ Your masterpiece
K♠ King of Spades in The Rock Songwriter’s Deck: 52 Ways to Write a Song
The King of Spades asks you to demonstrate your mastery of songwriting techniques.
Write a song that stretches your songwriting skills in every way. Use all the most sophisticated musical and poetic techniques you can muster. Throw in everything and the kitchen sink.
This might be a long song that tries the patience of your audience, but go ahead, try their patience! If you want to impress the King, you must take big risks and hold nothing back.
You can't fake your way through this assignment with your usual gimmicks. This one will take real work and careful craftsmanship. But all your studies have prepared you for this challenge. So get into that music studio and show His Majesty what you are made of! Good luck!
The King of Spades asks you to demonstrate your mastery of songwriting techniques.
Write a song that stretches your songwriting skills in every way. Use all the most sophisticated musical and poetic techniques you can muster. Throw in everything and the kitchen sink.
This might be a long song that tries the patience of your audience, but go ahead, try their patience! If you want to impress the King, you must take big risks and hold nothing back.
You can't fake your way through this assignment with your usual gimmicks. This one will take real work and careful craftsmanship. But all your studies have prepared you for this challenge. So get into that music studio and show His Majesty what you are made of! Good luck!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Q♣ Use the sledgehammer
Q♣ Queen of Clubs in The Rock Songwriter’s Deck: 52 Ways to Write a Song
The Queen of Clubs invites you to take her club and hit people over the head with it. Wham!
In other words, write a song with a powerful, direct, and visceral impact. Don't be subtle in any way. Turn the volume up to eleven. Keep it simple, and make it strong. Spell the key words out if you have to. Sing the title line loudly, then sing it again, and again, and again. The audience should be left with no doubt about your song's message.
If you're afraid you might be overdoing it, that's a sign that you need to dial it up even more — until you're sure you're overdoing it! No doubt some people in your audience will complain that your song is too obvious and too repetitive. But even the complainers will remember your hook and sing it to themselves later, like it or not.
Sometimes you just need to sing loudly and carry a big club.
The Queen of Clubs invites you to take her club and hit people over the head with it. Wham!
In other words, write a song with a powerful, direct, and visceral impact. Don't be subtle in any way. Turn the volume up to eleven. Keep it simple, and make it strong. Spell the key words out if you have to. Sing the title line loudly, then sing it again, and again, and again. The audience should be left with no doubt about your song's message.
If you're afraid you might be overdoing it, that's a sign that you need to dial it up even more — until you're sure you're overdoing it! No doubt some people in your audience will complain that your song is too obvious and too repetitive. But even the complainers will remember your hook and sing it to themselves later, like it or not.
Sometimes you just need to sing loudly and carry a big club.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
K♥ Naked and bloody in the spotlight
K♥ King of Hearts in The Rock Songwriter’s Deck: 52 Ways to Write a Song
The King of Hearts asks you to bare your soul in song. Write a song that expresses, in the most powerful way you know how, the most primal emotions from the depths of your heart.
You might never again write a song this personal and this deeply felt, and no one would blame you. After all, you're not an exhibitionist at heart, and too much honesty can threaten the social order. But, just this once, go stark naked onto the stage (or the tape), protecting nothing, holding nothing back.
Everyone's got one round of earth-shaking, awe-inspiring, achingly beautiful truth inside, and you certainly shouldn't miss your turn.
The King of Hearts asks you to bare your soul in song. Write a song that expresses, in the most powerful way you know how, the most primal emotions from the depths of your heart.
You might never again write a song this personal and this deeply felt, and no one would blame you. After all, you're not an exhibitionist at heart, and too much honesty can threaten the social order. But, just this once, go stark naked onto the stage (or the tape), protecting nothing, holding nothing back.
Everyone's got one round of earth-shaking, awe-inspiring, achingly beautiful truth inside, and you certainly shouldn't miss your turn.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
J♣ Rebel with a song
J♣ Jack of Clubs in The Rock Songwriter’s Deck: 52 Ways to Write a Song
The Jack of Clubs urges you to do the opposite of what people expect. If people think they know who you are as a songwriter and what kind of music you do, it's time to defy their expectations. Rebel against their typecasting. Shatter the mold.
People are getting a little too comfortable with who you are and what kind of songs you write.
Write a song that would surprise, shock, startle, and unsettle them.
(Note: We're not trying to undo years of carefully staged image-building! If your public image is working perfectly for you, you might choose not to release or perform this new song. But even if you don't release it, this can still be a valuable exercise that helps you flex your muscles and stretch your boundaries.)
The Jack of Clubs urges you to do the opposite of what people expect. If people think they know who you are as a songwriter and what kind of music you do, it's time to defy their expectations. Rebel against their typecasting. Shatter the mold.
People are getting a little too comfortable with who you are and what kind of songs you write.
Write a song that would surprise, shock, startle, and unsettle them.
(Note: We're not trying to undo years of carefully staged image-building! If your public image is working perfectly for you, you might choose not to release or perform this new song. But even if you don't release it, this can still be a valuable exercise that helps you flex your muscles and stretch your boundaries.)
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