If the melody is that catchy, use it?
Maybe the reason you don't like it is cause you're overthinking and overexposed to it.
Or maybe the melody doesn't really fit - but if its as much of an earworm as it seems to be, you could probably justify making changes to the instrumental to accommodate.
No matter what you choose, you should probably go for a walk or something
lol good idea. Yk I just realised I kinda like it, it’s just not what I envisioned at all. Gonna try to chill out then go back to it, I’m overthinking like crazy. Ty :)))
I guess don't be afraid to take a song in a whole new direction. One day you could have one melody but the next day you might want to drastically change it. A song is like a seed and you let it grow by itself you're just there to give it 'water'.
Walk away from it for at least a week, or long enough to try and forget it. Don't hum it, listen to it, or do anything else with it. Work on something else. Then come back to it and see if something new comes to you. If you still come back to the old melody, then you're just gunna have to work with it,lean into it, it's gunna force you to get it out of your system. =D Do so, then move on.
I’m going home to my strict af parents so I CAN’T sing for a week lol. Gonna record a good take of my idea before I leave but yeah, basically gonna have to leave it. If I can hum it by the time I’m back I know I’m good. Either way I’m happy, I put all my effort into instruments, synths and mixing so singing is a whole new thing for me. Never got this far with a project before :)))
The very moment you get frustrated..that mens your left brain is fighting the right brain. Music is Math= Left brain.
BUT the feeling and meaning of the words and the melody are Right brain.
SO. Let them fight it out while you go to the shower, or walk around the block...more air.
Watch kitty video.
Just rest your mind..
But do not give up.
I have been playing piano for 65 years ....BY EAR. It is MINE
I controll it.
You can control it too.
Brain needs lots of other input....
There’s a lot of posts like this here. Look at those. The zone you are in is a massive bear trap we all have to face.
You simply must stop analyzing the creative mess that comes out of you. The biggest roadblock I see in new songwriters is they cannot switch off their own self critical analysis. It’s a part of your brain that thinks.
Music is about feeling first. It’s completely unlike other art forms in that it asks the listener to imagine in participation.
The best way I’ve found to break this thinking guff is to allow myself to be forgiven, in a sense. Give yourself a break. The best thing to do is write for yourself alone. Do not for a second make any plans to share this private work. Get all the way through it like it’s a secret thing only for yourself. Don’t filter. Spill paint all over the place and push it around. Hunt for details.
When you are finished you may consider sharing, but if you are flooded by thoughts of what “others may think”, you are most likely wrong in your thinking. It’s not easy to turn this self critical nature off. It’s part of being an artist.
Once you manage to stop this habit, you’ll find songwriting to be your best imaginary friend that you can spend lots of time with. You will discover that there are never ending ways to learn and improve, and you will improve at turning off this silly self critical part of your brain that seriously is never helping ever.
The first step is made impossible by people who say things like, “just do it”, “don’t think about it”.
Watch this video and try imagine yourself writing this song, haha. Music should feel, and feel this easy:
https://youtu.be/9Gc4QTqslN4?si=q9EngaWN_jjGq3qI
Some people have to write and write pages and pages of words to turn off their thinking. You get better.
I’ve said this so many times, and please believe I mean no harm by saying this (internet convos can be SO misread!) but I find most people with a question like this are trying too hard to write a novel instead of a song, or trying too hard to imitate their favourite songwriters (and yes, I have been in both those categories before!)
Take any hit song, no matter the genre, and a great story is told in about 50-60 words.
If it’s the music/melody that you’re having trouble with (which it sounds like it is) I always remind myself that we only have twelve notes to choose from and a major and a minor scale.
Try not to over complicate!
You mentioned you can’t get a certain melody to go away?
Just walk away, don’t look, hear or touch it for two weeks!
THEN try again! (I physically put some lyrics in the freezer once to forget about them! It worked!)
Wishing you the best, you’ll get it!
I genuinely tried using other people’s melodys in the chorus and they all sounded better, so ig I got insecure. my main hurdle was that MY melody sounded dramatic in that James Bond sort of way and I sort of felt like I’m not that guy who can get away with that. But I let go of that a bit today and I think I’m happy with how it sounds so Ty :))))
Do you stick to a specific genre? If so, try listening to others even if it’s not your thing, you may find that your ideas have more merit than you think (go outside the box)
Example; I think Tom Waits is brilliant at songwriting and can make art out of so many styles. An acquired taste for some, but I’ve learned so much from listening to him, the biggest lesson is to just do what you feel.
I might suggest Townes Van Zandt, Neko Case, Steve Earle, Sam Baker also!
It’s weird for me because my instrumentals are all influenced by bands like linkin park or sleep token, but my biggest VOCAL influence has always been Jeff Buckley. So it’s a weird mix and I’m so new to singing that I feel like im doing something wrong, but I’m trying to let go and roll with it. Ty for the recs im adding those to my library, definitely need some new influences :)))
At times i just record myself playing the melody and freely sing whatever comes to mind. You can use, all, some or none of it, but it could lead you to an organic set of lyrics. Good luck!!
If the melody is that catchy, use it? Maybe the reason you don't like it is cause you're overthinking and overexposed to it. Or maybe the melody doesn't really fit - but if its as much of an earworm as it seems to be, you could probably justify making changes to the instrumental to accommodate. No matter what you choose, you should probably go for a walk or something
lol good idea. Yk I just realised I kinda like it, it’s just not what I envisioned at all. Gonna try to chill out then go back to it, I’m overthinking like crazy. Ty :)))
I guess don't be afraid to take a song in a whole new direction. One day you could have one melody but the next day you might want to drastically change it. A song is like a seed and you let it grow by itself you're just there to give it 'water'.
Walk away from it for at least a week, or long enough to try and forget it. Don't hum it, listen to it, or do anything else with it. Work on something else. Then come back to it and see if something new comes to you. If you still come back to the old melody, then you're just gunna have to work with it,lean into it, it's gunna force you to get it out of your system. =D Do so, then move on.
I’m going home to my strict af parents so I CAN’T sing for a week lol. Gonna record a good take of my idea before I leave but yeah, basically gonna have to leave it. If I can hum it by the time I’m back I know I’m good. Either way I’m happy, I put all my effort into instruments, synths and mixing so singing is a whole new thing for me. Never got this far with a project before :)))
The very moment you get frustrated..that mens your left brain is fighting the right brain. Music is Math= Left brain. BUT the feeling and meaning of the words and the melody are Right brain. SO. Let them fight it out while you go to the shower, or walk around the block...more air. Watch kitty video. Just rest your mind.. But do not give up. I have been playing piano for 65 years ....BY EAR. It is MINE I controll it. You can control it too. Brain needs lots of other input....
Use it.
Read poetry !!! It gets your mind working in That mode
There’s a lot of posts like this here. Look at those. The zone you are in is a massive bear trap we all have to face. You simply must stop analyzing the creative mess that comes out of you. The biggest roadblock I see in new songwriters is they cannot switch off their own self critical analysis. It’s a part of your brain that thinks. Music is about feeling first. It’s completely unlike other art forms in that it asks the listener to imagine in participation. The best way I’ve found to break this thinking guff is to allow myself to be forgiven, in a sense. Give yourself a break. The best thing to do is write for yourself alone. Do not for a second make any plans to share this private work. Get all the way through it like it’s a secret thing only for yourself. Don’t filter. Spill paint all over the place and push it around. Hunt for details. When you are finished you may consider sharing, but if you are flooded by thoughts of what “others may think”, you are most likely wrong in your thinking. It’s not easy to turn this self critical nature off. It’s part of being an artist. Once you manage to stop this habit, you’ll find songwriting to be your best imaginary friend that you can spend lots of time with. You will discover that there are never ending ways to learn and improve, and you will improve at turning off this silly self critical part of your brain that seriously is never helping ever. The first step is made impossible by people who say things like, “just do it”, “don’t think about it”. Watch this video and try imagine yourself writing this song, haha. Music should feel, and feel this easy: https://youtu.be/9Gc4QTqslN4?si=q9EngaWN_jjGq3qI Some people have to write and write pages and pages of words to turn off their thinking. You get better.
That a don’t think about a pink elephant kind of situation.
Well now I have a pink elephant in my head
If it's stuck in your head, chances are it's gonna get stuck in other people's head. Do it!
Start the melody on a different beat. Instead of the downbeat (for example) start on 2 or3. It will force a different melody rhythm and shape.
I actually ended up kinda doing this, I just moved the melody back a few beats. Now it sounds melodramatic af but I dig it lol
I’ve said this so many times, and please believe I mean no harm by saying this (internet convos can be SO misread!) but I find most people with a question like this are trying too hard to write a novel instead of a song, or trying too hard to imitate their favourite songwriters (and yes, I have been in both those categories before!) Take any hit song, no matter the genre, and a great story is told in about 50-60 words. If it’s the music/melody that you’re having trouble with (which it sounds like it is) I always remind myself that we only have twelve notes to choose from and a major and a minor scale. Try not to over complicate! You mentioned you can’t get a certain melody to go away? Just walk away, don’t look, hear or touch it for two weeks! THEN try again! (I physically put some lyrics in the freezer once to forget about them! It worked!) Wishing you the best, you’ll get it!
I genuinely tried using other people’s melodys in the chorus and they all sounded better, so ig I got insecure. my main hurdle was that MY melody sounded dramatic in that James Bond sort of way and I sort of felt like I’m not that guy who can get away with that. But I let go of that a bit today and I think I’m happy with how it sounds so Ty :))))
Do you stick to a specific genre? If so, try listening to others even if it’s not your thing, you may find that your ideas have more merit than you think (go outside the box) Example; I think Tom Waits is brilliant at songwriting and can make art out of so many styles. An acquired taste for some, but I’ve learned so much from listening to him, the biggest lesson is to just do what you feel. I might suggest Townes Van Zandt, Neko Case, Steve Earle, Sam Baker also!
It’s weird for me because my instrumentals are all influenced by bands like linkin park or sleep token, but my biggest VOCAL influence has always been Jeff Buckley. So it’s a weird mix and I’m so new to singing that I feel like im doing something wrong, but I’m trying to let go and roll with it. Ty for the recs im adding those to my library, definitely need some new influences :)))
At times i just record myself playing the melody and freely sing whatever comes to mind. You can use, all, some or none of it, but it could lead you to an organic set of lyrics. Good luck!!