Shlog Section-f

Just wondering,

When you write, which comes 1st, 2nd and last, of Music, Lyrics and Title?

I know that what you have studied has inspired a song or two, but has a song ever inspired the direction of your studies?

One more if I may.
Do you feel that the key in which a song is in gives it a different feeling, say brighter or warmer?

Thanks a bunch.

I usually have a load of melodies I’ve recorded on voicemail - fragments I have to put together or add to eventually.  At some point I work on the chords for that melody, which usually helps me figure out where I want to go next chordally, which then helps me figure out where I’d like to go next melodically.  It’s like leapfrog.  A scrap of melody gets chords, which leads to chords for the next section, which needs melody added to it and on and on.  Not a pretty process.

While all that is going on musically I ad lib “dummy lyrics,” which are pretty dumb often times.  But usually some bit of that lyric sticks -it just sounds good and feels good coming out.  It’s sort of like praying with a melody.  And parts of the prayer seem like they should be prayed forever, so I keep those parts and work from there.  Sometimes it’s not a prayer but a conversation with a friend I’m imagining is sitting there with me, or I wish was.

From there I sit down without an instrument, with an open laptop, and woodshed the lyric - numerous versions.  Usually only one chorus but many many verses.  I draw on study at this point...and rhymezone.com.  Sometimes I realize more living or studying is needed, so I put that song in a folder that’s bulging these days and wait until I’ve lived enough or learned enough not to fake my way through it’s completion.

Does that answer your questions?

How do you write?

Yes it does and Thank you.

Someone else will need to pick up on “How they write”

In my past Music Major days, I took Composition.  Although mine were technically correct, believe me, no one would want to listen to them, including myself.  Arranging class was somewhat better but not much.  Needless to say I was a performance major.

I ask because I’m envious of those who are creative and find the reasons and whys behind the music enjoyable.

I’m much handier with music than lyrics, so usually it’s some music first, then fumbling around for an idea for the lyric. If there’s some mismatches (and I like a lyric), I can usually mold the music better than I can mold the lyric to fit - but I’ll jigger either one to get a good fit. The hardest part for me is coming up with an idea for the lyric - something to anchor it to. If I don’t do that, it’s very easy to have words that don’t really seem to mean anything at all.

So we’ve seen the “Michael W. Smith Tribute” and of course heard about you and Sammy Stephens and the flee market.

Any plans for one of these light hearted type songs on the next CD?

Never.

You have to see a show to catch those golden moments...and even then they’re pretty rare.