by Robert Petchell

1. Keep it simple.

2. Look for elements in the words and music that can be repeated to give the song something that people remember even after hearing it once.

3. Don't make it too long

4. Don't be afraid to repeat parts of the song - a chorus, an important verse or one line .

5. Try and think whether anyone else might be able to sing it.

6. Give it a beginning and an ending. This will help it sound like a finished song rather than a half finished idea.

Extracted from How To Write A Song by Robert Petchell in SCALA NEWS #8 March/April 1989.

Robert Petchell is a singer/songwriter, composer and lyricist. He has had two albums of his songs released.

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The Lyricist's Toolkit

by Robert Childs

How to hew, hammer and hone your lyrics. Some tools you can use.

The lyricist is a word craftsperson who smoothes and hones words so that they are appropriate to the mood of a song and convey to the listener what was intended by the writer. In fact, a very interesting book written by Sheila Davis in the mid 1980s was entitled The Craft of Lyricwriting. That book is still worth reading although you might not agree with everything that Davis says as she writes from her particularly American (and New York) background.

Any craftworker usually has a range of tools at hand. The craftworker might not always use those tools and there might be some that are never used but there is usually one tool, at least, that gets continuous use and which helps establish the craftperson's style. And any one of the other tools might be used only occasionally to provide that added touch that transforms a block of wood or a lump of clay or a heap of scrap metal into a masterpiece.

So what tools can a lyricist use? The answer seems transparently obvious. The tool for most is a pen or pencil and a piece of paper. Added to this are the inner workings of the lyricist's mind, usually, but not always, in solitude and often in the wee hours after midnight. For the more technology conscious, the pen and paper might be replaced by a computer or word processor and some lyricists write only with a musical instrument at hand and let the melody dictate the lyric they are writing.

This does seem obvious but there are many less obvious tools that the lyricist can employ and many of the most successful do use them as they see fit.

Dictionary

A good dictionary is essential for anybody working with words , not only for spelling but for meanings and nuances previously unknown to the lyricwriter. English is a very dynamic language and the stock of words is continually being added to, so the dictionary you had at High School might no longer contain the latest words or meanings. Even so, how many of the hundreds of thousands of words available to us do we use in normal speech. let alone our lyricwriting?

Clearly the lyricist must not be too abstruse for his or her audience but neither is there the need for continued monosyllabic platitudes in lyricwriting when the full richness of the language is as close as that dictionary with 20 years accumulated dust on it.

Some writers use more than one dictionary since the meanings can differ slightly and these can be used to colour the lyrics. Look in any well stocked bookshop's reference section and you will find an immense variety of dictionaries.

Thesaurus

Many writers supplement a good dictionary with a thesaurus (originally derived from the concept and the classification system of Peter Roget. Some thesauruses are simply referred to as a Roget's). The thesaurus comes in handy when you want to pursue a theme in a lyric but want to avoid using the same word all the time. The thesaurus can also stimulate other ideas and lead your thoughts into new paths.

Just as the dynamic nature of our language affects the currency of dictionaries, so it is wise to update thesauruses from time to time to encompass new words and meanings. Penguin have published an affordable Thesaurus which is based on Roget's original classification whilst Macquarie have a Thesaurus with a different structure which is tuned to the Australian idiom.

Rhyming Dictionaries

These are a particular subsection of dictionaries specifically designed for poets and lyricists. Generally they do not define words as dictionaries do but they merely list words that rhyme. As such they perhaps could better be called "Rhyming Lists "

Usually the rhymes are grouped according to the main vowel sounds, then according to the associated consonant alphabetically. Within that subsystem, sounds can be grouped as single syllable, double syllable and sometimes even triple and quadruple syllable rhymes.

Some lyricists scorn rhyming dictionaries and, certainly, it can become too easy to reach for the list of rhymes rather than put a little thought into the rhyming structure of a lyric. Nevertheless, how many lyricists have wasted a considerable amount of time physically listing all the rhyming words they can think of, only to lose the thread of what they were writing and the impetus of the creative process? Used sensibly, a rhyming dictionary can be a very useful tool in the lyricist's toolkit.

Candles and Sweatbands

Lyricwriting certainly tends to be 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. What's worse is that the flame of inspiration often flickers out and physical circumstances often conspire to thwart the lyric craftworker from working on and completing a masterpiece. These circumstances are common to almost all lyricwriters and probably all creative people. Some lyricists have developed definite techniques for coping with the moments when inspiration dries up or the physical environment is not conducive to creativity. These might include activities such as reading, listening to music, walking the dog, sleeping or removing oneself to more conducive surroundings. Only you can decide what's best for you. Even so it might be helpful to understand the nature of the creative process and to learn some of the techniques for overcoming "writer's (i.e. lyricwriter's) block".

Two books which can help you understand how to use your most useful and most complex tool - your own mind - are Writing on Both Sides of the Brain by Henriette Anne Klauser and the highly recommended Becoming A Writer by Dorothea Brande published by Macmillan. The latter was written in 1934 but it anticipates much of the later research about the creative right-sidedness and logical left-sidedness of the brain.

Both books suggest very useful techniques that can help you separate your creative moments and your desire to edit what you've just written (the logical left hemisphere of the brain taking over from the creative right hemisphere). Creativity, for example is often easier when you are just slipping into or just coming out of sleep. Perhaps this is why so many lyricists (and writers in general) burn the midnight oil. Not only are there fewer distractions (the TV is off, the family is all in bed asleep) but their logical processes are not as acute because they're physically so tired. This can work against you if you fall asleep!

Another suggestion is to make a binding contract with yourself to write at a certain time of day without fail, no matter what the circumstances and no matter what you write.

So there can be a lot more in the lyricist's toolkit than just a pad and pencil. If you are happy and, on top of that, successful with your lyricwriting and you don't have any of these items in your toolbox, don't worry, indeed, congratulations! But if the words won't come or when they do you're still dissatisfied, consider the craft worker who hews, hammers and hones and put ,yourself in that person's place.

© Copyright Robert Childs 1990

Extracted from The Lyricist's Toolkit ... by Robert Childs SCALA NEWS # 17 September/October 1990

SCALA President Robert Childs released the CD Revenge in 1994.

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Dry Times (or Once Around The Block)

by Rob Woodard

Many (I wonder if it's most) writers, whether they work with songs, poems, short stories, novels or plays, suffer a 'dry spell' or 'writer's block' at some point in their careers.

There are many reasons for this (perhaps as many reasons as there are writers!) and certainly too many to list here, but I guess some of the principal and recurring ones are pressures and demands on a writer's time by work or family commitments; a change in the writer's lifestyle, attitude or environment; being emotionally distressed; a loss of confidence or a lack of success; being stuck in a rut etc. etc. For a lot of writers the reason may be totally inexplicable! You just lose the songwriting muse; the spark fails to ignite you anymore.

Whatever the reason though, and depending on the length of the inactivity, a dry spell is worrying to the writer. A writer may sense that he/she is completely burnt out/dried up and may despair that he/she will ever write again. For a writer then who genuinely loves writing and needs that outlet for emotional release and self expression, a writer's block can be extremely traumatic and genuinely distressing.

What about the experiences of professional songwriters? Their very livelihood depends on their ability to keep writing good songs. Perhaps their experiences may offer us some explanation or consolation. One of the best brief discourses on writer's block comes from American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega:

I hadn't written in two years, since I wrote 'Luka'. 'Cause so much had happened in my life that it took a while to find the rhythm of writing again and get my confidence back. My career had gotten in the way of work. I was trying to write, and I couldn't come up with anything, and I felt horrible and horribly impotent. 'Cause the more I would try to write the more I would feel like I was just doing nothing.

From the article 'Vive La Vega' by Steve Pond, Rolling Stone magazine (n.d.)

Certainly the case with Vega is that her songwriting muse came back. Writers always hope that it will, but with many there is that nagging doubt in the backs of their minds that they've lost it forever. There is no sure-fire remedy for the cursed block but there are techniques and practices which may help.

1. Force yourself to write. Set aside a regular time to write, either with pen and paper or with a musical instrument. At these times go over some of your older, completed songs. Recall how, why , where and when they were written. Read them. Play them. Sing them. Look in your notebook at any unfinished lyrics or tunes. Can they be reworked or edited? Can a number of unfinished songs be combined to make one song? While the inspiration to write new songs might not be coming you may still be able to 'polish off' incomplete older material.

2. Immerse yourself in different/new kinds of music. Seek diversity! Be eclectic. New melodies, rhythms, styles and instruments may create a spark, lyrically or musically.

3. Do lots of walking! Many writers from William Wordsworth to Virginia Woolf have been devoted walkers. Plenty of songwriters have been too. Oscar Hammerstein II was a devotee of walking and has said so in print. The relaxation, change of scenery, new observations etc. may be beneficial to your songwriter. And it'll help your fitness too! Pete Townshend believes in the benefits of walking but he obviously doesn't believe in writers' block:

But ideas for songs come from an inner thing. You have to need to share, to communicate for some reason. What you write about comes from what you see and do. It doesn't come from space. If you're short of ideas get your ass up and go walk around in the city. You'll get an idea in fifteen seconds.

From the book Written in Your Soul by Bill Flanagan (Contemporary Books, Chicago & New York 1987)

4. Watch 'live' performers, especially those performing new or original music - like at SCALA's performance venue. You may hear a line, a title, a riff, a tune, a whole song which really affects you, moves you, inspires you.

5. Take a breather, a change of scene, a short holiday (and that's not always easily done), or even just a Sunday drive somewhere completely different.

6. Talk to other songwriters. Again, they may motivate you, encourage you, collaborate with you etc. etc.

7. Don't get too despondent and think you'll never write another song. Believe it's only a period of inactivity which will pass and that your writing talent will re-emerge. Perhaps you might try a new hobby, pastime or interest while your songwriting is 'on hold'.

8. Read widely - fiction, history, current events, poetry, biographies of musicians and songwriters you admire etc. A line, idea, comment, piece of knowledge may enthuse you to write about it. Try reading interviews with and articles on songwriters and see how they approach their writing. You may find out how they deal with song writing droughts and come across pearls of wisdom like this one from Sting and which seems like a good place to cease my waffle:

I see songwriting very much as a craft, which is learned by trying to handle almost every style. And once you've got your chops together, songwriting is a modular system. You chop, you change. I'm quite adept at writing songs. What you can never be adept at is being in tune with inspiration. That's the Great Accident, the Great Imponderable. I used to get so terrified of not being able to write a song. "What am I going to write about? I'm totally empty of ideas and inspiration." And then I realized after about five years of this terrible block that some of the time you have to be on 'input'. You just have to receive and then retransmit it and hope it comes out as something else.

From the article 'The Rolling Stone Interview: Sting' by David Fricke Rolling Stone magazine. n.d.

© Copyright Rob Woodard. October 1990

Extracted from Dry Times .... ... by Rob Woodard SCALA NEWS # 18 November/December 1990

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Thoughts on Writing Songs

by Chris Davies

I was living in London at the time and had been playing around the folk circuit when someone approached me to record. I went into the studio and played and sung some blues. The guy came out of the control room and said, "That's great, now play me some of your own songs." I looked at him, paused and asked, "What do you mean, my songs?" He said, "Don't you write - songs? You'll never get anywhere in the U.K. unless you write your own stuff!"

I went away and started to write. Six months later I'd written a waste paper basket full of garbage. That was my first mistake. I'd thrown away all the ideas I thought were no good, so keep everything; it doesn't matter what you think of it, there might be a good line or two in there or even just a thought that might come in handy later.

At the time, I was spending quite a bit of time with another song writer who hadn't yet MADE IT! His name was Al Stewart (just thought I'd drop the name). Well, Al was writing just as much rubbish as me only he was going out and singing it. First I used to watch the audiences walk out when he sang, then I watched them stay as he improved and finally I watched them come especially to see him while I still hadn't performed anything I'd written. That was my second mistake. I didn't believe in what I was doing.

I remember one night at a SCALA venue when I was performing with Matthew (the slide wizz; remember him?!). We introduced a song we'd written a couple of days ago and made light of the quality of the words because we'd thrown it together in twenty minutes. Someone up the back yelled, "don't worry about it mate, I couldn't write that in twenty years."

Most people will admire the fact that you can write anything at all. Don't measure yourself against your peers, you're not less than, you're different from. That doesn't mean don't learn from them.

As an example, if you write words but have trouble with the music go and buy a book of songs, particularly songs you're not familiar with. Just lift the chord progressions from the book, write them down on a piece of paper and play - the ideas will come. It will help a lot if you know enough musical theory to at least know what chords belong together. There's nothing worse to me than being; in the middle of writing a song and not being able to think of the next chord change. Also, don't worry about repeating yourself; most people do. They just try to find new ways of playing the same thing. You will have noticed that (or should have) if you've seen me play.

If you're stuck for words, try these ideas. Try to write short rhyming stories about incidents or other people you know or have read about. I find that writing, about myself frequently goes nowhere - too personal, too subjective. Don't think that you have to write in a consistent style. Write a ballad, a blues, a piece of rock and roll, a funny song, whatever mood takes you at the time. I remember wasting years fighting with myself about writing in the blues idiom. I felt silly doing it because I didn't belong to that culture and then I realized that the blues culture itself didn't really exist anymore. Neither does the folk culture in the way that it used to so it really doesn't matter as long as you get some pleasure from the end result. Lastly, and this is something Robert Childs told me to do, get yourself a Rhyming Dictionary.

© Copyright Chris Davies 1992. Extracted from Thoughts on Writing Songs by Chris Davies, SCALA NEWS # 29 September/October 1992

Chris Davies' songs appear on the JustaBoutEverything CD 1995 and I'll Change 1997.

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