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PostPosted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 10:46 pm 
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i know two very famous song writers that use their dyslexia to their advantage........it requires a little thought

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PostPosted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 11:43 pm 
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Richard Hawley wrote:
i know two very famous song writers that use their dyslexia to their advantage........it requires a little thought


John Lennon is one who is often quoted as having been dyslexic

I suppose Stevie Wonder would have to be a little troubled by word-blindness ....didn't have much effect on his ability to write some fantastic tunes and master every bloody instrument he picked up after about 8 seconds though!

If not those two, then

NODDY Holder - couldn't spel 4 shit :wink:

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 Post subject: Re: Song Writing
PostPosted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 10:46 am 
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little mama wrote:
I've struggled with music theory. I'm dyslexic and that may be why it's so difficult. But how on earth can I write songs?


Music theroy, in particular reading and writing music, is something that I've never been able to grasp. For a while it bothered me, but I came to the conclusion that it doesn't matter! I taught myself to play guitar, it came quite naturally, so there must be some sort of instinct about it. And I can usually get a tune out of most instruments, with a bit of tinkering...

I've met some people who are classically trained musicians, who can play beautifully when working from sheet music, but they struggle to improvise and create their own music.

And I guess that makes the difference - some people can learn music theory and master an instrument, but nothing beyond that. Some kid with no formal training, can pick up a guitar or sit at a piano, and create original music from nothing.

Some lucky sods can do it all!

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 Post subject: Re: Song Writing
PostPosted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 10:55 am 
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simong wrote:

I've met some people who are classically trained musicians, who can play beautifully when working from sheet music, but they struggle to improvise and create their own music.



ditto!

Never been able to read music, taught myself to play years ago using a copy of The Beatles Complete. As long as it had the little boxes that showed me where to put my fingers (that sounds a bit dodgy! :shock: ) I was ok.......apart from they were all in the key of F & Bb!!!!! :evil:

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 Post subject: Re: Song Writing
PostPosted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 3:29 pm 
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simong wrote:
I've met some people who are classically trained musicians, who can play beautifully when working from sheet music, but they struggle to improvise and create their own music.

And I guess that makes the difference - some people can learn music theory and master an instrument, but nothing beyond that. Some kid with no formal training, can pick up a guitar or sit at a piano, and create original music from nothing.


yep, i can't read music and i'm fully self taught - when i was 15 we had a little school band and the girl who played piano was a grade 99 or whatever piano and i had to work out supergrass' 'alright' for her by ear and show her exactly how to play it and she just couldn't grasp it - and i can only play one handed piano!!!

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 20, 2006 6:16 am 
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Well, that's encouraging. Dyslexia isn't just about spelling of course, it's a way of thinking. But you put me in mind of a jazz class I used to go to and the other musicians could follow the gist of all the technical stuff but what I could do that noone else could do was to follow a complicated scale. They all dropped out one by one and our brilliant pianist kept testing me over and over. He was amazed. He said that none of the professional singers he worked with could do that. I'm not silly, I know noone wants to hear a set of scales, but I need to hold on to these things to gain more confidence. I've been thinking of learning the guitar but from what I've seen, it's so difficult! I'm full of admiration for you who can do it. I've been impressed by the things I've read in this thread. :)

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PostPosted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 1:53 pm 
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Richard Hawley wrote:
tough one,i just go really quiet in my mind when they arrive,its hard to let them in sometime's as its a bit rude when one arrive's and your with your Mum in Asda or something,i made a new one up in soundcheck yesterday,.............................i really want to help you out but find it hard to explain.Tape them as quickly as possible work on them a load after and develop the idea if needs be and be patient as they sometime's need a bit of distance from you to get what its all about.As in don't listen to the tape for a while.......its a bit like a crossword when you can't get a clue............you go back to it..........see it in another light..........and BOOM..........the answer is with you.Hope this helps.


gotta say that is great advice! It''s really turned a light on in my head. So often I sing something into my voice recorder then listen back, think its shit and delete it. The odd one survives that i would have deleted but didn't get around to it and I begin to see the seeds of something quite interesting in it. Maybe I should keep em all for a while see what i make of them in time.
Worst I find is getting a song through when I'm in bed and half asleep. theyre usually the best but It can happen that I can't be bothered to get up and record it. SO I determine that I SHALL remeber it in the mornig ...but no it's always gone.

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 11:32 pm 
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Little Mama, I couldn't write down musical ideas using proper notation either. The best way I find is to record a rough idea with just me and the guitar (usually into a wee dictaphone) then I'll write down the words and just write the chord changes above the relevant syllables in those words. That is the barebones to make sure I remember it.

When I'm recording it properly I tend to improvise with other instruments over the top of that skeleton until something fits.
If you don't have access to other instruments yourself, the internet is crawling with sites full of musicians who would be more than willing to collaborate with you - usually just for the love of making music.

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 12:03 am 
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i write nothing down apart from the words.

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 10:08 am 
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Same here. sometimes i wish I wrote down the chords cos when I go back to a song I often have to work out what I played! I have even gone back to some songs and not been able to crack what i played in the first place :roll:

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 10:58 am 
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It's different for everyone, that's the beauty of it.

If I sit and deliberately try to write a song, usually nothing happens and just end up playing a Paul weller song that I was trying to pinch in the first place or something.

Believe it or not, I've written most of my songs whilst on the loo! Great place to be alone with your thoughts so take your guitar with you next time!

I can't read music at all, but I understand it and I think that is the key. Don't worry about knowing the theory on paper, learn to understand the sound you want to acheive in your mind by listening, experimenting, and not being afraid to not do too much. Usually less is more and overdoing it can kill songs.

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 11:37 am 
Any of you local with an interest in the art of songwriting might be interested in this:

http://richardhawleyforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=9992

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