Just listened to LievenDV and the other day it was Trond. Have noticed others also with such a great voice.
Your voice, your vocal could easy carry a song on its own. You could play anything you wanted and your vocal would easy carry the song. You guys and girls could compose what ever you wanted and your vocal would just hit home. You are very skilled playing the guitar also.
I am actually puzzled about this. Why not compose your own songs?
Is it lack of time? To busy with daily life and tasks? A trend?
Also when searching the net, it is flooded with covers- Is it simply a trend?
Also I see so many REACTION videos. That seem very much as a trend.
I have noticed people have become more busy with life last 25 - 30 years, more stretched with time, leaving less room for creativity and own creations. But is that really the answers?
Just a little philosophical tonight and wonder, why there in this community is not more people composing their own songs. Maybe it always have been like that, and I just only noticed because I entered the art of music myself?
Though in my young days, there were bands every where and many were playing instruments. There was a piano, guitar or other instruments in almost every home I visited. Even I was busy with life, I always kept my flute, even I hardly ever played it. Been with me for decades.
Maybe its coming back with this last decade and especially last few years of change in the world.
Was just wondering and puzzled about all this. Especially now entering this world of music and listening to so many great artists within this community. Why covers? Why not making your own compositions?
I think a lot of the members here probably have wrote their own songs or at least had a go, but putting them out there for people to hear can be a huge step. I also think playing/covering your favourite songs from artists you love is such a fun thing to do, it brings a lot of joy
I have a friend who plays only originals and they are great songs and he has an amazing stage presence. Yet in a jam with others he struggles because the jams I play in tend to be jams of cover songs with everyone joining in with guitar and singing.
I have written the lyrics for many of my own songs and played a few, yet keep gravitating towards covers. Why? Socially it’s a different vibe and one that I enjoy. Second, I see writing one’s own songs and performing them as a muscle that needs exercise and for now I’m happy to exercise covers more than my own.
It’s particularly nice in either a jam or open mic when you perform a cover and you see others singing along. That doesn’t happen to my friend who plays his originals.
I’m not saying one is better than the other. Just different.
@tony - Wow, thnx a lot for that answer. Yeah, I get that. - We are not so outgoing as in my younger days where the covers were played at the campfire and in peoples home and we all joined in. Now people meet on the net and such, communities have changed over time. So naturally more covers will be in communities like this.
My questions might seem strange or weird at times, but I have lived a very different life than most. So just trying to understand.
I was kind of away from the world for +20 years working and such within a pretty closed community more or less hidden away. - The biggest shock for me, was to see all those with their head in their mobile phone. - Before having a train ride for an hour or so, it was rare not to get into conversation with people. - Now when I take the train, I hardly even see peoples eyes, because they stare to the mobile phone. ---- Your answer is a big help for me to understand and grasp it, as only recently I left the closed community. - Cheers
If you consider what this site is and who is on here its not surprising there are more cover songs done!
Writing a song is hard , performing one is hard, so doing both is hard^2
We are with covers also already familiar (both as a player and listener) so it hits the comfort spot and you can mentally focus on how it sounds rather than having to take on board new melodies/lyrics etc
Its not just here its everywhere, the biggest stages and acts, often you can almost hear a crowd groan when MegaStars perform their new single rather than the loved old ones we’re used too
Wow, really like that. - I recall how we used to wait for the new album when I was young. Nothing better than getting the new album or listen to their new songs live at the concerts. 30 - 40 years ago.
One of the Justin videos in Grade 1 or maybe early grade 2, about song writing, there is a the dice thing. - I recently watched one who had made his own song, by using that method, so I thought it was more common, but obviously not. - But Tony’s answer makes a lot of sense. Also you mention the comfort spot. - I see that. Really makes sense.- Cheers
People are at their most creative in their youth. Bands peaked when the members were in their 20’s. That’s why it’s better to play those songs than try to come up something better as you get older cos it ain’t gonna happen. Fact of life.
Kim. That was the nicest thing someone has said abot me. probably ever… dont know quite what to say. But i really take it to heart.
To answer your question is not straight forward to me, cause i tend not to cover the «obvious» songs. I dont even know how to play the normal covers… first of all i have to have some kind of connection to the lyrics, they have to mean something to me. There is lots of cool songs, but if i dont connect with the lyrics i loose interest very quick.
I would love to make own music, but i struggle enough to play covers and i dont really play music for others than in this forum, its not scary anymore to put out avoyp here in the forum, since its not «real life» if that makes sense. Its a distance to it all. I never played anything to others live.
So putting myself out there with my own music would feel way to «stripped» in a way. But yeah. It is some kind of a long term goal. 3 chords and the truth
Tony has a very solid point too… and i am in that box. I cant jam with others very good. Since i dont know how to play all the classics, and i cant play any songs in the correct tempo etc. so i am quite limited as a guitarist.
So it is very benefitial and important to learn stuff that others know and can play along with in a jamming perspective.
Just my two cents on the topic Kim
Not sure I agree with this. Look at the classical composers and how often they wrote great pieces late in life. When it comes to pop music, we tend to do most of discovering of music when we are young and thus favour young performers, however its not uncommon for the songwriters behind the chart hits to be older than the performers.
There are way too many exceptions to be a fact of life. I can understand if you talk about “I love you more than you love me” songs. - It’s a kind of youth thing.
But else, I can mention many, where it is rather the opposite.
Will just mention few here, but let the dice roll and the list will become almost endless.
Sting:
Soul Cages, Ten Summoners Tale, Brand New Day - Those 3 albums - Maybe his best
Queen:
Innuendo
From Denmark is Kim Larsen who made great music throughout his life and passed away while still writing lyrics and composing. One of his last albums is so amazing. Born 1945 and passed away 2018.
Also we have Sebastian who have the same. Born 1949 and still writing and composing.
Creativity have nothing to do with age. The lyrics and style might change over time, but creativity is not something to do with age and only happen when you are young.
Try also look here within the community and originals (Not covers): Careless Dice by Jay Kilby. Wonderful lyrics and guitar play. - At least for me, he seem like he is slightly older than in his 20’s
I really appreciate your answers and getting the points. Makes so much sense
I can totally follow you on this. When I started here with Justin and tried to train with the songs from the songbook, I couldn’t find a song I would like to train.
Even before getting started I was bored and felt like torture to train those songs. I love the melody and can sing along and for sure would join in at the campfire, but to use them as a training to learn playing the guitar. I simply can not. I have had to come up with something on my own to get those chords and chord changes trained.
I am very grateful you did a cover from Tyler Childers, else I would most likely never have heard of him. I did a dive and watched some interviews also. He is such a cool guy and also told how the inspiration came to the song: Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven? .
I totally understand and are very grateful for your honesty.
Coming from a background as an orphanage and started working full time on farms from age of 15, totally be on my own and take care of myself. - Got to learn things the tough way, not to shy away
Yeah, I start to see the picture and getting a deeper understanding on this.
And here I sit and not knowing how to sing, no great voice and no skills playing guitar, but can make poems and compose a melody
How strange life can be at times.
We are not far from each other. We could make a band
I really wish for you it will happen, as I see it as a loss for the world if it doesn’t.
And others as well. So great voices and skilled guitar play.
Hahaha… yeah. We should most definatly strt a band
Thanks for your kind words Kim. But i find my guitar and vocal skills to be pretty limited. Thats why i dobt play for anyone else than this forum.
Many already mentioned your great voice. So we can rule that out
Three chords and old faithful strumming and you are good to go.
If making lyrics is a hard part for you, send me a private message and I gladly share my poems with you. Don’t be shy - Think about it. If it could be a help or inspiration, I will help as much I possibly can. We could change few words here and there and it becomes your own songs. Just an idea. Chew on it for some time. I will do it for free and wont have my name involved at all — I am serious about it.
(PS - I only want my name in, if there is some sort of trouble, then I gladly take all the blame, else I will have nothing, not even my name mentioned in a footnote)
Weather here is nice, sun and wonderful blue sky. Will grab my guitar and head for the creek and do my morning training there and also practice my newly 3 chord song
@tRONd - PS. Edit. I also gladly help from scratch making your own lyrics. Few key words and thinking and some lyrics will start form and melody can easy follow or visa versa. Chew on it.
