Are you inspired....

[nate-smith]

When I sit an listen to V's music, I just can't help but become overwhelmed. With insiperationto right my own song. But when I sit down to write. I have no ideas, Does this happen to any one else?
But when I don't want to write or am no where near a piano I get the greatest ideas.

(I know this thread belongs in the Creative Endeavors Discussion, but please let slide this time.)

Thanks,

Nate

[Prophetic]

No is the short form answer.

I don't just sit there trying to sound like somebody else because in my head my muse KNOWS what she wants me to write so I know when I'm doing it right or wrong. My muse doesn't look like anything, she just kind of guides me along. I've never seen her, but I can tell it's a girl. First of all, my best song ideas come on a Saturday so I always be sure to get a good sleep on Friday... I usually have to be at home around 1-3:00 PM and around 10:00 AM sunday morning I'll have a little ditty enter my head... or I'll have a spirit/song come to me and kind of tap me on the shoulder and tell it's story. It's quite puzzling because it feels like a scary movie... and I close my eyes and look at what shapes the blood flow is forming on my eyelids... I just let the thoughts float, and um, usually I'll hear something that's key and I'll write it down in my notepad which I carry with me at all times. Later on, when I'm improvising on my piano; which I do daily, the melody will come back in a different form and that's part of the song. Just find a process that works for you, you can't just say, "I want to write a song" It just, it won't be a pure song (in my opinion).

[PianoLover24]

I write my lyrics first. then the melody, then...i can't write the actual music. I also believe i have muse or gaurdian who helps me out. do you usualy think your muse looks like someone famous? lol. i do!

[Manny]

oh!

at least.. I am not the only one who after listen to Vanessa's music wants to write a song.. but It is wierd when there is nothing on your mind.. haaha.. it happends to me!!!  :lol:  :lol:

[VanessaPiana]

yes, the same thing happens to me, too. when i'm nowhere near the piano, that's when i get the get the greatest ideas for a melody or lyrics for a song. it usually happens at night or in a dream when i'm asleep. i once thought i sucked at composing songs, but then i realized that i CAN compose a song, but i never have time. that's why i'm trying to get a piano in my home, so that i can record the melodies so that i don't forget them.

and as for ATM, i learned most the song by ear, and the parts i didn't know i improvised, [like a lot of her other songs] like the verses, and it sounds great. for a while now, i've been thinking about putting a demo tape together, and was thinking about making a demo tape full of cover songs and decided that it wasn't right, so i decided to put a few songs up there that were my own.

[nate-smith]

Well at least I' the only now. Right now I am trying to learn Papa I can't sight read so it usually takes me a couple of days to learn a song. This one is hard.

Nate

[VanessaPiana]

well, all you have to do is play the song and read the music at the same time. when i first learned Papa 2 months ago, i was very confused, b/c i wasn't familiar with the key of Eb Minor, which has 6 flats. it was hard, but i finally got it, thank God. but i only printed out the first page, so i only know bits and pieces. but i learned the conclusion by ear, but i'm still struggling to make it perfect, so i can perform it live someday.

[vampires01]

Nessa totally inspires me, for one. And sometimes my mind comes up dry, but you cannot force songs/lyrics/whatever out of yourself.
 You've got to let it come to you. It might be easier for you to get your thoughts out in words if you carry a journal around with you, that way whenever inspiration hits you you can place down your basic thought and then come back to it later.

 Sitting down inspired and nothing stepping forward happens alot, sometimes at the worst moments too. And other times you're completely ready to lay down something amazing, and beautiful, but once again sometimes happens at the worst times.
 If you're really determined to write something amazing, but nothing's happening. You might try just sitting yourself down, closing your eyes, and let your thoughts swarm about your head. This often reveals to yourself what inspires you and what you feel, the next step from here is to simply put it on paper.
 For the melody; I cannot help. For, I am unsure that way too.

 Does anyone else write down an amazing set of lyrics but simply find themselves melodically-challenged?

[MeganJane]

Yes, definitely. I sometimes write lyrics but can't figure out the music, or the other way round. I am usually working on a million songs at once, lol. As for Vanessa being an inspiration, she is a main influence of mine, apart from Metallica. Metallica and V both inspire me so much but at the same time I feel discouraged because I compare everything I have written to their music. I hold them in such high esteem that I find it hard to be proud of anything I have written. A wonderful thing about V is how she writes about so many different topics- think of Morning Sting, Annie, Half A Week Before the Winter, All is Well, etc. I think a very important thing to remember when writing a song is that nobody else has the ability to express things the exact way that you can. I hope this is helpful to somebody.