Songwriting 101. Part 2: Inspiration

hmm... interesting

Man, that was great. Something different than most of the lessons. Though I'm anxiously looking forward to lessons about harmony, theory and things like that. Keep it up, Kole

Guitar Sushi wrote: Hahaha, he has a lisp!!!

So what? He explained everything understandably

Interesting. It really is a good way to find inspiration, looking through the newspaper. However, I would have pointed out that anything can be used, be it a book, magazine, anything.

Can't wait until the next video! =D

great lesson kole

Guitar Sushi wrote: Hahaha, he has a lisp!!!

So what?

oh great its the guy with no soul

hey i think this guy,s videos are great, I mean their like so unique, and to all to those idiot comments above me: maybe you should find something better to do than poke fun of strangers you losers!!!!

great ill try this out. i got a lot of ideas about the article you chose too. cant wait till the next vid.

good lesson but lets face it, i doubt any amazing songs will come from people who have had lessons on songwriting. but still the lessons good for people who want to learn how to write songs (like me!)

Good lesson.

The room needs like a carpet or something, the reverb's not cool.

Hey awesome video I think I'll try this some time!

Killer stuff Kole!

cool stuff keep them coming

Hey Kole, this is good. Im glad your doing these lessons even if some people slag you off. Good work!

That's nice! Thanks very much. I can't wait to the next lesson. Great lesson man!

this is probably the biggest load of shit i've ever seen.

He has absolutley no idea what he's talking about, spends the first 4 minutes explaining that it's possible to find inspiration (anyone who didn't already know that is a moron) and never actually gets around to saying anything remotely useful.

And, as if that isn't enough, he has an incredibly irritating voice (and face)... my advice to anyone who hasn't watched this yet:

avoid like the plague

Thanks for this Kole. Don't let a few idiots who have never and probably will never do anything musically discourage you with their rude and useless comments.

There were some good ideas in this video, but like Unie I'm also looking forward to lessons on harmony and theory.

This is a great lesson. Anybody who thinks this is a load of shit is too stupid to see the potential of this lesson to inexperienced songwriters.

great great lesson, i think this is going to help me a lot, as i usually when i go to compose i pick up the guitar and try to jam a song out of nowhere, and end up wanking up and down the fretboard lol

thanks, cant wait for the next =D

interesting,looking forward too the next one,keep it up man

Okay, he definitely knows what he's talking about, but I have to say the guy himself is pretty monotous and uninteresting. Still good though.

haha
"you could be completely right!!...or not.."

nice lesson

Not so great, I am really stuck in rut song writing wise and this did nothing to help me out of it. Hopefully the next episode will be better.

I don't know. I write alot of song but it's weird how they come about. i can't just grab a piece of paper, sit down, look at something and be INSPIRED to write about it! It doesn't work that way for me. My songs come at me all at once... complete with melody, harmony and rhythm. As a matter of fact I just finished one before I came here. I have no idea where it came from or why. But it was there so I wrote it. HA! Strange, huh? Anyways, I could be wrong (and I am alot) but this songwriting stuff seems to be built-in! I really don't think you can be taught to do it. (Kind of a bold statement from someone who's never been published) But, I've been around other musicians who struggle to write. They try writing with books and end up with lines and lines of broken sentences, and fragments here and fragments there....AHHH..... Just drive yourself CRAZY !!! Mine come ready made.. I write it down, pick up the guitar, find the key and there it is. When I'm done with it I am INSPIRED to do one thing, tho. And without being too kornny, I always look up and say; "Thanks". "That was awesome..."

I'm sorry for that double post. My bad

I'm generaly on the fence too, but in a different way. I'll just randomly get a single good lyric or verse in my head, and from that I try to write a song, so only the first bit's inspiration and the rest is method. But that said, the newspaper idea worked...

I can't force inspiration unless I'm listening to music. Looking at the newspaper is too real unless I'm looking at something about the weather or nature and get some epic ideas, but that's it.

The best means of inspiration for me is seriously just music. I hear a riff that really hooks me and later on once the song is stuck in my head I form a variation of that riff and develop it from there, whether I'm in the shower or on the bus or just reading. I get the best ideas after waking up in the morning when my mind is blank and relaxed. I usually don't even try to think of music but my imagination always goes nuts when I least expect it.

Kole's lesson is good but I think a newspaper is kind of a bland way to find inspiration. It should really just be a matter of doing something that gives you ideas; I don't know anyone who goes crazy for reading headlines unless they're obsessed with politics or depressing news. I should give him props for sticking to a specific technique instead of generalizing, but it almost strikes me as his own last minute idea.

Kole's main point was really just to write down your ideas.

Like in finding forrester. He said you write your first draft with your heart, and your second draft with your head. Writing down an amalgamation of bit and pieces that give you inspiration is a great idea. Fantastic idea. These vids are obviously meant for beginners, but their perfect for them. WRITE DOWN YOUR IDEAS!

Great lesson. There are many ways to approach writing a song and they can all work. For those of you who get on here and badmouth people maybe you should post a how to video and let us comment on you. Its so easy to drag someone down.

Great lesson. Its always nice to have more then one way to create. Different ways to get and form ideas are always useful.

As for those who like to get on here and make rude comments, lets see your how to video and let us make fun of you. Its always easier to tear someone down. Let us get a chance to rip you.

I checked out his website and.... he harges 1 dollar a minute? holy shintos thats crazy....

His whole image is very interesting.

Although this does have some helpful content for people new to songwriting, personally I find him very patronizing and slightly up himself. Still, I'll be interested to see what his other lessons are like.

it would have been a lot better if he actually made an example using his method and showed us, it just seemed like he kept saying the same thing over and over, he didn't really go into how you take those things you get from what inspires you and actually putting it together to make the actual song, I can't say it was a good lesson

SheKILaDZE wrote: I checked out his website and.... he harges 1 dollar a minute? holy shintos thats crazy....

What exactly is your point? That's a pretty standard charge in the US for quality guitar instruction. I have heard that there is a person in the US who charges $200 per hour.

:S i just sit and improvise for a while and then finde a riff to play on and then things come togeather

Grab a newspaper, find something that pulls you in? Hmm, okay...

... hey, Page 3!

MA 4 ever wrote: Not so great, I am really stuck in rut song writing wise and this did nothing to help me out of it. Hopefully the next episode will be better.

+1

Nice lesson but the Beatles are huge there not small at all lol

Hello Everyone,

Thanks for watching and remember to send me a message if you have any specific questions.

Peace.

-Kole

I like the whole "inspiration" idea, but if he's so professional, why doesn't he do like Dahl does and give us an example of what's to come? Doesn't that provide for motivation? I think it's nice theory and all, but checking out his improv tracks and stuff, I'm not that impressed. They are pretty easy...now if I heard improv'd SOLOS over that, then that might be a reason to tip my hat off to the guy.

i hate when people make jokes about The Beatles like that... "A small band, you might have heard of them..." i heard the same thing from an instructional video from Epiphone and it made me wanna jab the guy in the eye ball with a screwdriver.

other then that, i'm eager to watch the rest of the series.

As a professional guitarist and instructor, I personally don't feel these songwriting videos offer anything truly practical. Some good points were made, but in all honesty you could have condensed those good points into a few seconds instead of spending 2 long videos on an intro. No offense Kole as I'm sure you read these comments. Props for making the videos, I would just do things differently.

Also, from one instructor to another, I'd really recommend dropping your lesson prices dude. That's just a ripoff. Split it in half and that would be much more fair.

Anyway, not to steal away from this video, but if anyone wants read an article I wrote on songwriting, check it out here: http://www.infiniteguitar.com/songwriting.html. I could write an entire book on the topic, but this is a short and sweet article about taking practical steps to songwriting.

Peace!
Sean

I almost fell asleep in my chair. All he did was say the same things over and over again in a droning voice and none of it helped. It sucked.

Hey this stuff is pretty kickass Thanks Kole!

I don't know why some of these guys here are leaving negative feedback, your music and lessons rock bro! and your Improv CD is very cool too

A neat idea to find inspiration. Unfortunatley i almost fell asleep before he got to the point. And thank god he said it was ok to use a red pen, i was panicking coz i couldnt find any pencils or blue pens.

im glad u made this series Kole.
especially since now me & my friend are starting 2 write songs 4 a demo. thanx a lot & im looking forward 2 watching the rest of the series.

Paul Tauterouff wrote: Thanks for this Kole. Don't let a few idiots who have never and probably will never do anything musically discourage you with their rude and useless comments.

I couldn't agree more with Paul. Great lesson Kole! I've heard some of your stuff so I know, for a fact, that if you are teaching something, people are going to get a lot out of it! I will definitely be recommending this to people. You brought up some interesting concepts that are in line with some of the ways I go about song writing as well as some new ideas. Keep up the great work. By reading some of the posts, I see you're helping a lot of people!

Best lesson ive ever seen on inspiration. U rock! Keep up the good work i can't wait for your other lessons to come out.

Hah if you all ready didn't know this stuff.. then good luck!
This lesson is pretty pointless it teaches how to be an artist

Wow, thanks Kole I'll be sure to try that one out. Keep them coming.

yeah, he's going to get to harmony and theory, after bullsh*tting his way thru dozens of lessons. "whats dos yous thinks thes nesxt steps issss?" Ifs yous saids melodys ors harmonys yours wrongs. Itsss inspirations!" Wow, what wonderful insight!!! You're a genius. I wish we could go back in time and tell that small time band (not even funny joke btw) and tell tehm to use inspiration. Imagine how good they would have been if they would have used Kole's patented "inspiration!"

TokaiRocker2000 wrote: hey i think this guy,s videos are great, I mean their like so unique, and to all to those idiot comments above me: maybe you should find something better to do than poke fun of strangers you losers!!!!

maybe you should find something better to do than praise some idiot's SH*tty lesson videos

What jackass was it who put an S in lisp?

You stretched it out quite a bit more than you needed to, but you did make a few good points. I'm surprised people don't think you can search for inspiration. I always thought it common knowledge, but apparently not. (after reading some of the posts)

I don't do newspapers, but I might look online sometime. One time that inspiration hits is when I'm riding my bike. I always forget everything when I get to the destination though. I'll have to put a notebook on it so I can stop and write stuff down.
Your headline made me think of purple by the way. Might be good for something funky.

this is a very helpfull video
tanks duuuudeee!!

need to make the next one, i'm on the edge. lol

i cant decide whether that was really cool and enlightening or just a load of crap... i think ill give it a try and then decide

You said something about inspiration coming out of nowhere. I sometimes have that happen to me. The problem is, is that's only good for like a verse and a chorus and then it stops. Is there any like tips about that. Plus I don't get the paper. haha.

I'm a natural born skeptic but this is good info. I think the next few videos will bring the concepts he's trying to convey together.

i have a question i have lots of inspiration but i have a problem when i write it´s difficult to put music to it so what do you recomend
1.first music then lyrics
2.or lyrics and then music
i´m open to different opinions

popeton26 wrote: i have a question i have lots of inspiration but i have a problem when i write it´s difficult to put music to it so what do you recomend 1.first music then lyrics 2.or lyrics and then music i´m open to different opinions

Thanks for the question,

The answer depends a lot on the topic you are writing about and how you want to express it. Most of the time I usually have musical ideas first and write lyrics later, although I always have the topic in mind. This is mainly because I try to use the vocals/lyrics as another "piece of the puzzle" in my music rather than the focul point.

However, if your Lyrics are by far the most important part of the song, then I would recommend starting with them and adding music later. I'll go into more depth on this topic later, but think of using unique chords on certain words.

For example: You could use a Diminished 7th chord on a word like "Death, Petrified, Fear, etc." and work your way from there.

Hope this helps.

-Kole
www.KoleMusician.com

Hey Kole,
Thanks for the lesson. I am a guitarist branching out to other aspects of creating music. I live in an area with a million guitarists where no one wants to play bass or drums. So its basically me, my guitar, and my mac book.

I don't sing and I hate poems and writing lyrics, but I think I might start to take a peek at it and this offered a good starting place. Usually I just make riffs in my head all day, then I'd jot down what i thought the tab would look like or pick up my guitar real fast and figure it out before I record it. I've got folders full of them then eventually I improv or piece together the songs like a puzzle. Sometimes I'd have arms full of groceries and I'd be sprinting up the stairs and throw them down before I forget a riff. Anyway, thanks again.

F1sk,

It's good to hear that you are writing down your ideas and are branching out in other areas of music, those two things are very important and overlooked in many developing artists.

Also, your very welcome and I'm glad my video helped.

Take care.

-Kole
www.KoleMusician.com

Alright, I quite enjoyed that, and I'm not an inexperienced songwriter. It gave me good ideas. Heck, I got inspired just listening to this guy. He's amazing; he really knows what he's talking about. All of you guys who just complain about him, just don't watch anymore! You guys can keep on sucking, and those of us who wish to be good in the near future will take this guys advice and hit the ground running.


. . . though the Beatles joke was pretty horrible. . .

Hey there Kole

Your songwriting video looks very promising, funny, because I'm a poet, but I can't write a lyric to save my life, I play alot of John Mayer sounding stuff, and blues and etc,

I consider myself a good singer, but I have that problem, I can't write a lyric to save my life, I have everything I need to inspire me and I intend to use this video to my advantage, keep making vids, and thanks!

wonderful video!
good work
Thanks for the suggestions.

DiDi90 wrote: wonderful video! good work Thanks for the suggestions.

DiDi90 wrote: DiDi90 wrote: great video! good work Thanks for the suggestions.

great video! good work

Thanks for the suggestions.

Thanks a lot this helped me a lot.Im starting a band and i have done some songs but i never though the newspaper could help me.Cant wait till the next vid.

you fags who keep making fun of this guys lisp need to shut the f!@# up and focus on the point of the lesson the guy was just trying to give people a broader perspective on ways to find inspiration so instead of putting some one down maybe you should try helping a few people

i just wanna ask a couple things and make a couple points:

is this gonna develope into making entire songs with lyrics AND music?
instead of just looking for inspiration for lyrics and stuff

also, different folks different strokes
whatever works for you in writing songs, do it
don't let other people tell you how to do it
writing is a very personal thing
do it how you see fit
i've written a few songs, and most of them just came to me all of a sudden out of nowhere
so i guess i'm more on the side of uncontrolable inspiration, but that's just me

are you gonna get into specific genres too?

and maybe you can do something on, like, making riffs too
i don't know, just puttin stuff out there

peace out peoples

Is this gonna develope into making entire songs with lyrics AND music?

Yes, I will be going over techniques, theories, ideas, etc. for composing both lyrics and music in this series of videos.

Are you gonna get into specific genres too?

For the most part I will discuss topics that can be applied to all genres, however certain techniques fit better in certain styles and I will certainly highlight this when it comes up.

Thanks for the question and Happy New Year!

-Kole

Bleed Blue wrote: i just wanna ask a couple things and make a couple points: is this gonna develope into making entire songs with lyrics AND music? instead of just looking for inspiration for lyrics and stuff also, different folks different strokes whatever works for you in writing songs, do it don't let other people tell you how to do it writing is a very personal thing do it how you see fit i've written a few songs, and most of them just came to me all of a sudden out of nowhere so i guess i'm more on the side of uncontrolable inspiration, but that's just me are you gonna get into specific genres too? and maybe you can do something on, like, making riffs too i don't know, just puttin stuff out there peace out peoples

I don't think that it is meant as the holy grail to writing, so you are right different strokes for different folks and it is personal, what it does provide however is a nice starting point for those of us who have never written.

Meh...nothing concrete in these. He seems to lack conviction and experience. This info might be helpful to the very novice songwriter but there's not too much that's applicable to a more veteran songwriter.

btw, I looked up him on myspace and he has a newspaper clipping on there about him...but his name is Kyle. Please tell me he didn't change his name from Kyle to Kole for show biz purposes??

^Oh, and i guess your Jim Morrison.

Ok, I'd say that this was a decent tip for starters. The only thing that I didn't like was that 11 minutes were spent on something that could have taken 3. Otherwise, good job!

Good video, great idea.

Nice video overall but you guys could have worked on the opening more. When recording in a large room like when you have your openings, use a lapel mic (small mic that clips to your shirt) instead of using a far away shotgun mic. Doing this will cut down on all the reverb of the room and make everything a lot more clear which is important when it comes to instructional videos.

I'm in the TV production field so its something I think about all the time when recording but I just wanted to toss that out to you for any future videos you may do for this site.

PaperStSoapCo wrote: i hate when people make jokes about The Beatles like that... "A small band, you might have heard of them..." i heard the same thing from an instructional video from Epiphone and it made me wanna jab the guy in the eye ball with a screwdriver. other then that, i'm eager to watch the rest of the series.

+100

Bassmastajazzyj wrote: Nice lesson but the Beatles are huge there not small at all lol

he was being sarcastic

Great Kole!
I am stuck with a song now for 6 month. Music and melody is ready (even recorded in the final version. I just need words man!
The same sentence comes to my mind each time I start ('who can say I am wrong'). I'll dig through the newspaper (got to get one in the English language). Just want to ask you: 'do you have an inspiration trick starting from one phrase?

Bo from the Rail Road Riders www.myspace.com/railroadridersbo

Larsebo,

Thanks for watching the video and I'm glad you liked it. I'll make sure to listen to your band this weekend. As for the "inspiration trick"...

This is one possible thing I would do. Lets take this phrase "Fortune Favors the Bold." (One of my all-time favorite phrases). Now make a sentence or line using each word like so... (Don't worry about making it rhyme yet, just write out all your ideas first)

1. My Fortune has turned for the better (Uplifting/Optomistic)
2. Your Fortune has turned for the worst (Angry/Vengeful)
3. She'll read your Fortune (Mysterious/Mischevious)
4. Etc.

Once you write down all of your ideas pick out the lines you like best and use that as your starting point. Each line will probably have different musical meanings/intentions indicated in (parenthesis).

Hope this helps!

Your thoughts and ideas are ingenius. Your camera presence leaves something to be desired.

You look nervous, CHILL OUT! Keep 'em coming!

Kole I just wanted you to know, its 1 o'clock in the morning, and I just composed what will probably be a really good song thanks to our method. Keep on making more videos, they're great!! cheers

Guitar Sushi wrote: Hahaha, he has a lisp!!!

Yeah, and...? Who gives a shit?! He's ace!

The Black Salts wrote: I can't force inspiration unless I'm listening to music. Looking at the newspaper is too real unless I'm looking at something about the weather or nature and get some epic ideas, but that's it. The best means of inspiration for me is seriously just music. I hear a riff that really hooks me and later on once the song is stuck in my head I form a variation of that riff and develop it from there, whether I'm in the shower or on the bus or just reading. I get the best ideas after waking up in the morning when my mind is blank and relaxed. I usually don't even try to think of music but my imagination always goes nuts when I least expect it. Kole's lesson is good but I think a newspaper is kind of a bland way to find inspiration. It should really just be a matter of doing something that gives you ideas; I don't know anyone who goes crazy for reading headlines unless they're obsessed with politics or depressing news. I should give him props for sticking to a specific technique instead of generalizing, but it almost strikes me as his own last minute idea.

i think he just used the newspaper to help some newbie who has no inspiration. doesnt mean that is your only choice for inspiration.

I thought the video was funny, especially at the beginning. But I did find his tips interesting and I'll have to try them out sometime.

in my opinion, screw inspiration, just think up something that makes sense and sounds good, if that works...

Awesome lesson Kole!! Thats given me some good ideas for writing Lyrics. Keep the lessons coming Kole!!!!

wow great beatles joke, and stop being so damn over enthusiastic

you smoke entierly too much pot!

i think he's gay

Great lesson!! That gave me some great ideas!!

denstille wrote: i think he's gay

even if he is how would you know? great stuff kole. i didnt have a news paper so i used words that you used yourself and the summary next to his vid Great job im gonna go watch vid 3!

he is boring as hell

denstille wrote: i think he's gay

I think also

Boooooring

great videos/lessons i'm going to start writing a song, before i thought i cant make a song but you give me hope that i can make songs.thank you very much kole.

Omg, this guy talks like a robot, it's pissing me off!

Alls I needed was to watch the first 7 minutes of this. Thank you, good lesson, with a great example.

UNIe wrote: Guitar Sushi wrote: Hahaha, he has a lisp!!! So what? He explained everything understandably

maybe hes gay ...? lol

lets here him sing....

uh...bigal...get reel amazing songs can come from anywhere,anybody,at anytime,,dont be so closed minded..

bigal224 wrote: good lesson but lets face it, i doubt any amazing songs will come from people who have had lessons on songwriting. but still the lessons good for people who want to learn how to write songs (like me!)

come on big gal dont be so closed minded

Man did he think he was funny from "The little band, dont know if you know them, The beatles..."

thank you very much for this lesson. i've been searching for inspiration and so far nothing, but i cant wait to try the newspaper. thanks kole

Great stuff, I always try to find Inspiration in other peoples songs and in myself

I have a lot of ideas in my mind and a lot to say and I always Take Time with my guitar trying to get something together, but Its hard to create the back bone to my ideas and even that little riffs come to mind and To the point I was wondering if you can make a video about creating the structure and skeleton of a song and knowing where specific parts in the song.

Thanks,

Karem Idrees.

ive made up a riff but no lyrics yet (N)

Wow, I wish i saw this vid earlier, I've been delivering papers for a year.

i might start taking notes

You talked about inspiration but what about word choice of the song. because some people may not understand what i am saying