"The secret of all effective originality is not the creation of new and tricky words, but one of putting familiar words into new relationships."
~Leo Burnett
I thought it would be interesting to talk about originality in songwriting. So often lately, I hear writers say they don't want to be like anyone else. Why learn rules and forms, when it only serves to stifle a truly original idea? Hmmm…does it indeed?
The thing about rules is that usually they're created for a reason. Now I'm not saying you can't write without following a specific format, or rhyme scheme, or just about anything. What I am saying though is use these rules to help you find your own voice.
Okay, what does that mean? In this column, I've talked about great songwriters, people like Noel Coward, Irving Berlin, Lennon and McCartney. I've suggested reviewing their material to see why the songs they write are so great. What makes them great? Why do we listen to them over and over and over again?
It's not that they are particularly clever, their words aren't always that poetic, the tunes aren't that difficult and there's a familiar ring to what they're saying. Aha, that's the point. These writers have taken the basic formulas for writing and made them fresh with their own originality. They have not sacrificed their own voice for the sake of following rules and forms. Let me say that a different way, they have not lost their own originality because they followed a standard form.
That's the point. It's like learning how to paint. Once you've learned how to mix colours, apply paint to a canvas, work with brushes, understand the use of perspective and you've mastered these technical skills, you can abandon the standard results and create your own. You are not bound by the skills because they've become second nature to you.
I just read an article this morning about not following rules for songwriting. The author claimed that rules were meant to be broken and an aspiring songwriter should follow their own voice. Hmmm…I agree. Are you confused yet? You have to find your own voice but you also need to learn how to walk. I suppose one could argue that if you keep on writing without learning the rules eventually you will stumble on the forms that work for your voice. Much like monkeys in a room with paints and canvas, given enough time will paint a masterpiece.
We're not monkeys. Give yourself all the tools you can possibly get to give your songwriting a chance to breathe. Let your own voice come through. Be original. .
Until next month, KEEP WRITING!!!
"Originality is the fine art of remembering what you hear but forgetting where you heard it."
~Dr, Laurence J. Peter
Jane Eamon is a prolific performing songwriter in the Okanagan Valley. Veteran of many songwriting workshops, she's currently one of the hosts of the popular Songwriters in the Round series in Kelowna. Email her at: info@janeandgord.com.
Visit her website: www.janeandgord.com