“Hey, I wrote a blues!” “Seriously?” “Yeah, I quite like it.” “Are you a blues player?” “Umm, well I do a bit and this one just seemed to, like, come out.”
“Hey, I wrote a rap!” “Seriously?” “Yes – good flow, nice rhymes.” “Are you a rapper?” “Umm, well not really but I had these lyrics, and it just seemed to fit, you know.”
Now, SongExpresso likes a good blues. But the blues has somehow turned into an international language enabling guitarists (and others) of all abilities the world over to jam instantly. Yeah, hear my scale tones!
And, as regular readers also know by now, SongExpresso likes some good hip-hop. But, again, hip-hop has turned into a some sort of worldwide thing where anyone can participate. Yay, hear my rebelliousness!
It’s cool. Let’s make music and have a good time. Are there any rules? Who cares?
SongExpresso thinks this can sometimes be a little bit like international English. International English is an amazing thing that allows people from all over the world to communicate using words. However, if you ask an actual English-speaking person, then probably this is a bit like the language they speak if it had been abducted by aliens and replaced with a near replica. Like SongInstantCoffee… (TM waived).
Please don’t stop writing blues or rap. If it is your intention to write blues or rap. But can they sometimes be a tempting refuge for lyrics or music that don’t have anywhere else to go? Can they sometimes be a lazy way out if we are not struck by melodic inspiration? No! Collaborate, leave in the freezer, do over in the style of another artist. Do the work…
Writing original melodies is one of the hardest things. Anyone else sometimes tempted to fit into pre-existing styles that aren’t really our own? How do you get over melodic blocks? As always, SongExpresso would love to hear…
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