Having trouble picking what style to write songs


hunter.kane
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hunter.kane
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08/03/2020 9:03 pm

I love rock, and blues but I'd prefer writing rock, I'm having trouble picking what subgenre to play as there are so many and I've tried a lot of them and I haven't done anything I like yet. If it helps i'm in a 3 piece band and our bassist plays pick and slap bass.


# 1
ChristopherSchlegel
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ChristopherSchlegel
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08/04/2020 11:53 am
Originally Posted by: hunter.kane

I love rock, and blues but I'd prefer writing rock, I'm having trouble picking what subgenre to play as there are so many and I've tried a lot of them and I haven't done anything I like yet. If it helps i'm in a 3 piece band and our bassist plays pick and slap bass.

Are there specific bands or songs you could cites as a point of inspiration?


Christopher Schlegel
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# 2
hunter.kane
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hunter.kane
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08/04/2020 8:30 pm
Originally Posted by: ChristopherSchlegel
Originally Posted by: hunter.kane

I love rock, and blues but I'd prefer writing rock, I'm having trouble picking what subgenre to play as there are so many and I've tried a lot of them and I haven't done anything I like yet. If it helps i'm in a 3 piece band and our bassist plays pick and slap bass.

Are there specific bands or songs you could cites as a point of inspiration?

Motorhead, Acdc, Alice in chains, Alice cooper, R.E.M. to name a few


# 3
faith83
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faith83
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08/05/2020 12:54 am

Write the song the way you hear and feel it. Don't worry about style -- the great ones crossed all styles and genres and a great song defies genre anyway.


"I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk."

# 4
hunter.kane
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hunter.kane
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08/06/2020 2:02 am
Originally Posted by: faith83

Write the song the way you hear and feel it. Don't worry about style -- the great ones crossed all styles and genres and a great song defies genre anyway.

thank you.

# 5
JeffS65
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JeffS65
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08/06/2020 7:29 pm
Originally Posted by: hunter.kane
Originally Posted by: faith83

Write the song the way you hear and feel it. Don't worry about style -- the great ones crossed all styles and genres and a great song defies genre anyway.

thank you.

Faith was on target with that feedback.

In the 80's, when I was more metal and hard rock, I tried to write songs that were like the songs of the day. I tried to force my writing to conform to the style of stuff that was going on at the time. The songs and lyrics were terrible (save one or two lyric lines). I was trying to write 'like' a certain style.....did I say terrible? Ok, there were a few acceptable riffs but nothing that would send a millions off to their practice amps.

Though I'm still working within the realm of writing in bits and pieces, the quality of material is much better. Mostly I just don't care about the style. It generally falls within Americana which is a little mix of classic-ish rock, blues and touches of bluegrass and country.

I'm finding that instead of the concept of 'Jeff must write awesome riff!', I start assembling ideas in my head on pieces and parts of a song and without some limit of a style or expectation. What comes to my head is way, way better than my psuedo-riffs in the 80's.


# 6
William MG
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William MG
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08/07/2020 11:21 am

Just my thoughts on the subject, I began song writing as an exercise in theory. Working with what chords are in each key and then just knocking some chords out - sometimes following the conventional 1-4-5 format and sometimes not. That was taught to me by Dave Celantano. Simple yet effective training exercise.

I am not looking for a specific genre, I am just trying to learn sound patterns and what seems to work.

Good luck.


This year the diet is definitely gonna stick!

# 7
hunter.kane
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hunter.kane
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08/07/2020 5:59 pm
Originally Posted by: William MG

Just my thoughts on the subject, I began song writing as an exercise in theory. Working with what chords are in each key and then just knocking some chords out - sometimes following the conventional 1-4-5 format and sometimes not. That was taught to me by Dave Celantano. Simple yet effective training exercise.

I am not looking for a specific genre, I am just trying to learn sound patterns and what seems to work.

Good luck.

thank you

# 8

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