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Over 15 years of writing music, I’ve developed and borrowed a few philosophies on composing that have helped make my music more enjoyable and less frustrating. I find these principles to be more helpful, in sum, than music theory itself.

This is way outside of my normal kind of video and I was very apprehensive about posting it. I’m sure many will disagree with my opinions here but I don’t see any harm in sharing what has helped me get to this point. Maybe one day I’ll outgrow all these opinions and find they’re flawed but for now I still consider them to be among several guiding tenets to songwriting, composing, art…

Here’s the link to part of David Lynch’s interview where he explains his puzzle analogy. https://youtu.be/ilPRXtkfZXw?list=RDQMl8QxwW18X5Y&t=87

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Table of Contents:
00:00 Intro
00:54 Importance of Music Theory
02:25 Improving Upon Your Writing
04:20 Hearing Over Writing
06:04 Wrapping Up

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42 Replies to “3 Concepts That Made Me A Better Songwriter – Composition and Songwriting Advice and Philosophies”

  5. 5:50 fascinating. This quote from Stephen King and the preceding one from David Lynch are really instructive. I think this is why when I write melodies they seem so familiar to me. I do extensive searches to make sure that they're not derived from existing ones that I've heard before, and then ask other peeps to see if it sounds familiar to them or if they think I've derived it from something that's familiar to them. But I can't seem to find any sources for the melodies I write, and I'm getting copyrights granted on them so I think that they are "unique" and I am indeed discovering them as you describe… I think I'm finding them familiar even at the outset of writing because I am plucking them from the ether.

  6. I learned a lot from HIM.. the music is always surrounded by the right elements and the singer is so bad you can't help but want to sing over him. lol Really simple music that's easy to understand. For instance, Heartache Every Moment literally sounds like police sirens and a British ambulance during the solo. Hahaha

  11. "It's not about what you wrote. It's about what you do with what you wrote."

    This is true to almost a painful degree. If you simply change the instruments used, 99% of people immediately change their opinion even if the music is EXACTLY the same.

    Just look at the i – VI – III – VII progression. People will happily bash an EDM track that uses it, but then gush and get sappy over an orchestral film score that uses it.

    Non-musicians are deaf and illiterate. Their opinions will always matter since they're usually the audience, but a part of me genuinely hates that. It's like writing a book for children that can't read and then listening to their criticisms.

  12. Love your channel bro. It's helping me a lot. I use the analogy of songwriting is like cooking. It's just a steak or a bunch of noodles. It's how you cook and flavor the steak and what you add to the noodles that makes it a great dish. How you know that you made a great dish is that people enjoy it. I do enjoy your channel.

  14. It's actually NOT possible to generate every 3 minute mp3 file, as the amount of such files are infinite. That's like saying you'll make a computer program that generates all numbers. It's not a question of computer power it's mathematically impossible (even with a thousand quantom super-computers)

  17. Your channel has helped me so much to develop my concepts of music theory and, most importantly, to apply them to my ideas. I just can't thank you enough. If my financial situation becomes more consistent and stable this year, I'll definetely become a patreon. You sure deserve it. Your work is both pragmatic and inspiring. I'm also a big fan of David Lynch and Stephen King, so I went crazy when you mentioned them ?

  23. So true. It's like we are all made up of skeletons that are basically the same, but then we got our features and clothes. the structure is all the same. but we make it our own through our own creativity and personalisation . we infuse it with our spirit lol

  26. I used to like to draw. I wasn't all that good at it, but, one important thing that I discovered was this:

    I'd start out with with a shape. Let's say I was copying a picture of someone's head. I drew the shape of the head. I drew in the mouth, nose, eyes, and ears, for context of where they belong in the picture.

    Then, I'd start shading. Done properly, the picture I'm drawing becomes far more realistic, and far more recognizable, as far as looking more like the picture I was copying.

    Art works like this. Whether it be drawing, painting, or recording music, the shading makes a huge difference.

    What I got from this is something I was already aware of:

    You can take a simple song structure, and, with clever arrangements, and recording, you can put flesh on that skeleton. Listen to some songs with the vocals removed. Use headphones, and really listen for other things that aren't so obvious in the mix. You might be surprised at what you hear that's kind of buried. It's the shading of the picture. It can make something that appears simple stand out.

  27. What you said reminded me of some Guitar Craft aphorisms, so I'll drop a couple here: "A musician is a trained, responsive and reliable instrument at the service of music.", "It is not possible for the musician to play music. But, it is possible for the musician to be played by music." OK, these guys are kinda weird, but there's truth is that!

  28. Best thing about this channel is: you see video, you feel yes you can do it(because he taught it in such a simple manner)
    Then, you try and fail.
    You come back again amd watch same video because there are so many details and examples.
    You keep practicing the thing (scale/mode/chords/etc..) subject wise and you feel amazing about yourself! Lot of love to this man ? Every new thing I learn from here and apply feels like a new dragon ball collected and added to the arsenal

  32. Your philosophy on "discovering" songs as opposed to "writing" songs is very akin to Michelangelo's quote "Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it." I've always liked that quote and really like the idea of approaching the creative process from that standpoint.
    Also, I like to think of writing for creative pleasure as writing music, but commissioned work as manufacturing music.

  36. I find my music most of the time. I suck at the theory, so it's realy matter of discovering sounds, because they come to me as magic, not as science. I'm really curious what scales I'm composing in and how good my chord progressions are, but at the end of the day, what really matters to me are emotions and what my music smuggles to the listener.

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