|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,947
PG Music Staff
|
|
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,947 |
I do think it's a very helpful idea. It can apply to any art form, really. I think it's a good way to practice more then anything else, but maybe that's just me.
Thanks for the share.
Cheers,
Ember
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,180
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,180 |
I agree with the practice part.
I am of mixed minds on this. When I am writing the concept of a song, I try and go into the "zone" and try just writing something real and authentic, without giving one thought to whether someone else might like it or not. I have thousands of such ideas and sketches in a DAW that are parked somewhere for a better day.
Once I find something I LIKE, however, I start to take it more seriously, and I am not sure "worry" is the word--but a lot of CARE goes into the process at that point.
For example, if I think it will help to figure out and then record the chorus melody as a violin part so I can sing to it to get a more accurate vocal, I will take the time to do that, though it adds more time. And so on with a lot of other things.
So, I guess in the beginning I don't worry when I am just coming up with song sketches, but when I land on something I want to be pleased with, I get OCD as hell.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 3,414
PG Music Staff
|
|
PG Music Staff
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 3,414 |
Wow - I can really get behind the message of this article. I myself have fallen to that same thought process before. Sometimes just not caring is the best way!
Cheers,
Deryk
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,684
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,684 |
Don't worry, be happy l.o.l.
win 10 64 bit 16gb,i7 chip, ssd 500gb, m-audio air, ,Roland BK-7M, 1000,shure sm7b,sonar,acid,mixcraft, variety of plugins.Sample tank 3,Kontakt. TC Helicon Voicelive 3 2 . https://beatmaster1.bandcamp.com/releases
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,082
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,082 |
I guess in the beginning I don't worry when I am just coming up with song sketches, but when I land on something I want to be pleased with, I get OCD as hell. Me too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,947
PG Music Staff
|
|
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,947 |
Don't worry, be happy l.o.l. Basically the gist of the article.  Just summarized!
Cheers,
Ember
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 19,468
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 19,468 |
I guess in the beginning I don't worry when I am just coming up with song sketches, but when I land on something I want to be pleased with, I get OCD as hell. Me too. Same here. For me the early part of writing lyrics is about getting something down to work with. I'm not all that fussed because whatever I get down is just a starting place. Once I have something, I then use the writing tools that I've picked up over the years and work on making my lyrics cohesive and as engaging as I can. With music, I often work on music and lyrics side-by side. So, when a lyric changes, my melody (or chord) may or may not also change. Again, with music, I firstly aim to get a melody in place that fits the rhythm and syllabic stress of the lyrics. Once that's done, then I modify it to make it more interesting. Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2024
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,180
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,180 |
Did anyone not see my copyright and trademark on this comment???? Just kidding!!!! Great minds think alike.  Originally posted by David, quoted by Josie (a David collaborator) and then re-arranged by Noel (another David collaborator) as: I guess in the beginning I don't worry when I am just coming up with song sketches, but when I land on something I want to be pleased with, I get OCD as hell. Me too. Same here. For me the early part of writing lyrics is about getting something down to work with. I'm not all that fussed because whatever I get down is just a starting place. Once I have something, I then use the writing tools that I've picked up over the years and work on making my lyrics cohesive and as engaging as I can. With music, I often work on music and lyrics side-by side. So, when a lyric changes, my melody (or chord) may or may not also change. Again, with music, I firstly aim to get a melody in place that fits the rhythm and syllabic stress of the lyrics. Once that's done, I then I modify it to make it more interesting. Noel
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,890
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,890 |
I equate song writing to kidney stones. It’s protracted and painful. I wrote but a small handful of songs during my 30 years of playing in bands. When we discovered BiaB in 2012 I realized other than the public domain I was gonna have to write to post. I have deep admiration for those prolific writers who crank out good material on demand and for those who participate the various write a zillion songs in X days scenarios, etc. I can’t fathom it. My objective is to write something passable and then let Janice bail me out with her vocals and/or or let a co-writer make me look good! Bud
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos are here on our website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,947
PG Music Staff
|
|
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,947 |
I equate song writing to kidney stones. It’s protracted and painful. I have yet to have this particular experience (kidney stones) and hope to never go through that, even if it's only over writing a song. 
Cheers,
Ember
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913 |
I have passed two kidney stones that caused near mortal pain, and many more that were downright unpleasant. If songwriting is that unpleasant, stop doing it for all that is pure and holy!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,890
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,890 |
I have passed two kidney stones that caused near mortal pain, and many more that were downright unpleasant. If songwriting is that unpleasant, stop doing it for all that is pure and holy!
OK, OK, I was a bit hyperbolic But writing ain’t easy for me! I’ve been through the stones thing twice. My doc said it was the closest a man could come to the pain a woman experiences in childbirth. Bud
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos are here on our website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913 |
One of my coworkers in the past had several children and kidney stones as well. She said she would choose childbirth pain over kidney stones if she had to make the choice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139 |
"Why Caring Less About Your Songs Will Help You Become a Better Songwriter." Great advice, that.  Regards, Bob
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913 |
By the way, practicIng being prolific at songwriting eases the pain. It’s not unlike building up callouses on your fretting hand. That’s really the point of the article.
Last edited by rockstar_not; 07/27/18 04:36 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 8
Newbie
|
|
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 8 |
This is a great topic, and is my first reply on this forum as a new user (just purchased BIAB yesterday and just starting to fumble around with it). I can personally attest to the advice of "don't worry so much about what you're writing - just write, dammit". I have been playing guitar for 50 years or so, and have picked up several other instruments along the way. But every time I sat down to try and write, I would get stuck. To me, my writing was never "just right" and I would criticize myself into analysis paralysis - then just give up. Then, about 10 years ago, I decided to try again. I started with lyrics. I went to RhymeZone.com, and just began putting song ideas together, often just starting with a title. Once I had my verses, choruses and bridges spelled out, I put music to them - kinda like the way Elton John does it. I literally did not care if the finished song sounded good or not. In fact, one song I considered an absolute throwaway, took me 15 minutes to write and another hour to record - and it is still my wife's favorite song by me. Go figure. Here it is: https://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=7362038Anyway, over the next while I ended up writing and recording 20+ songs, when I was totally convinced I couldn't even write ONE!! I think some are pretty good, some are terrible - but I don't care. I just sat down and wrote.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,561
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,561 |
Hi Mike, Welcome to the forum and to Band-in-a-Box! Listened to "Summer Sun" and quickly realized you're no beginner to recording, mixing and audio production. This is a nice tune. I like the way you've doubled your vocal and instrumentation selection. Seagulls at the end was cute. Again, welcome to the show. Hope to hear a lot more from you in the User Showcase.
Jim Fogle - 2025 BiaB (1124) RB (1) Ultra+ PAK DAWs: Cakewalk by BandLab (CbB) - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8 Laptop: i3 Win 10, 8GB ram 500GB HDD Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 8
Newbie
|
|
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 8 |
Thanks a bunch, Jim I used JamStudio.com for the backing tracks, and believe it or not, sang the vocal through my guitar's chorus pedal to get that doubling effect. The seagulls were from a sound effects website. Sometimes the best ideas come from simple improvisation. Thanks again for the nice comment. If you liked my throwaway song, hopefully you like others even more, haha. Mike
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 22,134
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 22,134 |
Hi Mike, Welcome to the forum and to Band-in-a-Box! Listened to "Summer Sun" and quickly realized you're no beginner to recording, mixing and audio production. This is a nice tune. I like the way you've doubled your vocal and instrumentation selection. Seagulls at the end was cute. Again, welcome to the show. Hope to hear a lot more from you in the User Showcase. Another welcome. This is a good song. I agree with Jim. You are far more advanced than most if not all BiaB beginners. I'm interested in how you use BiaB in your songs.
Today I bought a doughnut without the sprinkles. Diets are hard!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 8
Newbie
|
|
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 8 |
Another welcome.
This is a good song. I agree with Jim. You are far more advanced than most if not all BiaB beginners. I'm interested in how you use BiaB in your songs.
Well thank you Mario. You are too kind. I am really looking forward to using BIAB as I am planning to get back into writing and recording after a far-too-long hiatus. The songs currently on my site are mostly from 8-10 years ago. The backing tracks are not that great, they were from a free chord-builder website. But it did the job. However, BIAB has re-sparked my creative juices. I've got a lot more to say through music!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,561
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,561 |
I've not heard of JamStudio.com before. If the songs you've posted are representative of what the site can deliver, it's quite impressive.
Jim Fogle - 2025 BiaB (1124) RB (1) Ultra+ PAK DAWs: Cakewalk by BandLab (CbB) - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8 Laptop: i3 Win 10, 8GB ram 500GB HDD Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 8
Newbie
|
|
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 8 |
I've not heard of JamStudio.com before. If the songs you've posted are representative of what the site can deliver, it's quite impressive. Just another tool in the box! It's like BIAB extra-lite 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,947
PG Music Staff
|
|
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,947 |
The opinions shared here have continued to be really cool to read. Thanks for keeping things interesting, guys.
Cheers,
Ember
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 139
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 139 |
I just went out and looked at JamStudio - interesting way to lay down tracks. Can you export to .wav files or is it just limited to MP3?
Thanks!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,565
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,565 |
I agree 100% with the idea of write, write, write...but with the purpose of improving skills and discovering new paths.
I DISAGREE 100% with the idea that what should be delivered to a listening audience is mediocrity or sheer volume with little regard for quality.
My mental picture of this idea is to have a workshop chock full of completed songs, fragments of songs, etc. but only let the ones that I'm really proud of out the door.
Windows 10, Intel Core2 Duo E8500@ 3.16GHz, 8 gig ram, BIAB 2025 MegaPak, SampleTank2, Oxygen49 Kybd, Neewer NW-800 mic
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Windows® Today!
If you’ve already purchased Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Windows®, great news—a new update is now available! This update introduces a handy new feature: a vertical cursor in the Tracks window that shows the current location across all tracks, and more.
Discover everything included in this free update and download it now at https://www.pgmusic.com/support_windowsupdates.htm#1124
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Windows®: Boot Camp: The AI Lyrics Generator
With Band-in-a-Box 2025® for Windows®, we've introduced an exciting new feature: the AI Lyrics Generator! In this video, Tobin guides you step-by-step on how to make the most of this new tool.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Windows®: Boot Camp: The AI Lyrics Generator video.
Check out the forum post for more information.
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Windows®: Using VST3 Plugins
Band-in-a-Box 2025® for Windows® now includes support for VST3 plugins, bringing even more creative possibilities to your music production. Join Simon as he guides you through the process in this easy-to-follow demonstration!
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Windows®: Using VST3 Plugins
Join the conversation on our forum.
Video: Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Windows: Using The BB Stem Splitter!
In this video, Tobin provides a crash course on using the new BB Stem Splitter feature included in Band-in-a-Box 2025® for Windows®. During this process he also uses the Audio Chord Wizard (ACW) and the new Equalize Tempo feature.
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Windows®: Using the BB Stem Splitter
Check out the forum post for some optional Tips & Tricks!
Congrats to Misha (Rustyspoon)…downloaded/installed a full Audiophile 2025!
Breaking News!
We’re thrilled to announce that Rustyspoon has made PG history as the very first person to successfully complete the download and install of the full Band-in-a-Box 2025 Windows Audiophile Edition (with FLAC files)—a whopping 610GB of data!
A big shoutout to Rustyspoon for stepping up to be our test "elf!"
Thank you for your support, Rustyspoon!
Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Windows Videos
With the launch of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Windows, we're adding new videos to our YouTube channel. We'll also share them here once they are published so you can easily find all the Band-in-a-Box® 2025 and new Add-on videos in one place!
Whether it's a summary of the new features, demonstrations of the 202 new RealTracks, new XPro Styles PAK 8, or Xtra Styles PAKs 18, information on the 2025 49-PAK, or detailed tutorials for other Band-in-a-Box® 2025 features, we have you covered!
Reference this forum post for One-Stop Shopping of our Band-in-a-Box® 2025 Videos - we will be updating this post as more videos are added!
Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Windows is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Windows is here, packed with major new features and an incredible collection of available new content! This includes 202 RealTracks (in Sets 449-467), plus 20 bonus Unreleased RealTracks in the 2025 49-PAK. There are new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 4, two new sets of “RealDrums Stems,” XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAK 19, and more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 with savings of up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special—available until December 31, 2024! Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
2025 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
We've packed our Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK with some incredible Add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is automatically included with most Band-in-a-Box® for Windows 2025 packages, but for even more Add-ons (including 20 Unreleased RealTracks!) upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49. You can see the full lists of items in each package, and listen to demos here.
If you have any questions, feel free to connect with us directly—we’re here to help!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums65
Topics83,797
Posts761,829
Members39,208
| |
Most Online8,978
20 hours ago
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean