Where have all the SongWriters Gone.

[MIKE 450]

Hi everyone who play acoustic, well where have all the songwriter's gone. What happened to simplicity, to the day when you sat with your acoustic and WROTE a song.

To often I go to youtube and watch in horror, at kids getting caught in the act of technique. and I wonder What ever happened to the Song.

Storytelling is a wonderful thing, and the acoustic guitar is a marvelous instrument to play and mix with YOUR voice. Instumental guitar "while good" can become boring. So I'd like to ask everyone to sit down on their arse and write a song!

When you've done this, tell ME/US where we can hear it. I'm just one of those guys' who love's a bloody GOOD SONG! GO FOR IT NOW!

[JB]

You make a good point Mike and I'm certainly guilty of being lazy when it comes to progressing from music to lyrics ... it's all too easy to put a nice combination of chords together and then start a new project

[MIKE 450]

Thanks JB, Yes indeed we are all guilty of putting together beautiful cords combinations, then moving on to a new project. I have been writing songs for for a long time and I'm often asked "How do you write songs"

There are various techniques to writing songs,mine is very simple I use the journalist type method. I write a story about a certain subject, then I get a fresh sheet of paper and edit it down to a SONG! trying to keep it short and sweet for ears to hear."try not to be boring"!

During the edit stage I'll be looking for at least three good verse's and a chorus "this can and must vary try looking at how other songs are structured"

Don't wait for words to fall out of the heavens,there are plenty of words to chose from. Simply write your thoughts down THEN look at them and edit.

Some songs can come flooding out in ten minutes other's take weeks.The idea is to enjoy the journey of writing a song,remember to stay with the same song until it's finished.

I hope this helps some of you who have been wanting to write a song.I believe there is a good song in everyone.

[Rick Jones]

I tend not to try for verse-chorus-verse etc, I just do whatever comes out, but often, if it sounds too formulaic, I drop it.
To each his own, but I just aim for maximum expression, sometimes it's in the lyrics....sometimes it's in the guitar part...and in very rare cases,it's in both, but I think my guitar can say as much as my voice...so I let it go.

[MIKE 450]

Thank you John for posting this, your site your music and stories are quite simply Acoustic Heaven.

My post was a knee jurk reaction to the amount of youngsters out there who seemed to have forgotten Songs,your music epitomises everything songs should be like.

I've spent this cold Saturday morning listening to you take me round the world on your musicail biplane, and I'm Blown away.

I feel so silly not knowing you had this site,but then I've been away working. You are now on my favorites John WELL DONE! I will be listening again.

[mutley2209]

lost in Ikea

[singlereed]

...long time passing.

[MIKE 450]

Some of my live acoustic songs can be heard at www.myspace.com/michaeldickinson1

Be warned the songs are recorded live and drink had been taken! But they do tell there own little stories, which I'm proud of.

[riverdog]

I just want to to give a shout out to ya Greypicker; especially about Nepal because my son has been stationed there and I've become aquanted with it through his experience and your music adds to that; I especially like "The Reeds"; well done! He has since been transferred to the Moscow Embassy, but he really liked Nepal. I will see him for Christmas for the first time in years and his Christmas gift is; you know it, a guitar that he can take back to Russia! I've been so busy, hardly time to check in but this subject of songwriting is dear to me since thats where I started and the guitar was my only vehicle so good post Mike450 and fellow mates! Mr.Dickinson I loved "2 Yellow Cranes" as well and I really like the tone of your voice; well done. I'd love to share my simple music sometime when I am able, nothing fancy, just the tunes I hear in my heart within my limited ability ya know. Still love the avalon s201, very pleased and the one I grab the most!
God Bless to all & Merry Christmas,
riverdog

[riverdog]

Hey John,
Thats awesome going over to Nepal, I wish him well and good pickin' too! I love those gibbys. My son knew what he wanted so got him an Ibanez Art 320 electric and I set it up, it's pretty sweet. He did not want to take his old Les Paul I gave him years ago. I am trying to figure out how to make a youtube video and attach it to an email or preferably get my pro tools working right ( buffering problems, not enough ram? )and do it that way. I don't want any production, just me and "Ava" (as I call her) live. My problem is I am very computer illiterate when it comes to this stuff and I have no one to help me. So with such limited time to experiment its frustrating. I learn better by visual ya know. But I do have several songs recorded on my computer's camera and audio. It ain't great but you can get a good idea and Ava sounds pretty decent on it. I'll get there eventually. You flyin' to the states any time soon? I sure could use your expertise! I'll show you the sunny side of N. Florida, some cold beer and we'll do some pickin' and some fishin' too!
riverdog