Songwriting 101. Part 3: Awareness

It's the man with the ever-changing hair!

Oh and great vid too

i dont feel like you ever surpass rhetoric and quite puncture practical advice. especially when speaking on musical ideas like being "aware".
youre coming off like L Ron Hubbard



you can have all the power around you!

(if you buy my cd, book, whatever, etc)

Is this guy stalling? 10 minutes on Awareness? This is just like the inspiration video...he just went into depth on one of the things he gets inspiration from: People and Surroundings...and of course we have to wait another month or two for the next one... Maybe he get to the next step with a pencil in his hand by November?

Who is Kole anyways?

Lets get a well known artist to talk about songwriting!

this reminds me of the time that i fell asleep while watching songwriting 101: Part 3: Awareness : | i agree with patfarlow. plus songwriting is kind of different from person to person and can't really be taught imo

I liked it

sure you can teach songwriting!

Donovan taught Harrison, look at "while my guitar gently weeps and tell me thats not a good song!

this guy needs to be "aware" of how monotoned he is!! it would of help me focus more if he had some....pizaz. maybe some explosions.

As dumb as some people might think this is, he does have a point. It's the simple things around us that writers tend to write about. Then they just expand on it and get creative. It's definitely alot more creative than the downers posting some of these comments.

I really enjoyed it despite what these people are saying. Anyway I guess ill post some of my notes, just quick ones ive done. Just some random things I liked the best out of what I quickly got.

Shes at the center of all these people, they all love her. Yet her life is filled with self doubt and loathing. Why I wouldnt know, I guess we all hate ourselves inside anyway.

A man, looks the guy who denies he has feelings at all, but I know these types, they normally have the most feeling of all.

Wind softly moving the leaves the sun peeks through the gaps. Isnt this heaven.

Just a few ideas I had down, hope to see everyone elses and that this might help someone.

Oh great job!! !!
I just got out and found a cat dead!!
Can i use this?? :/

I don't know if all these "how to think when creating a song" lessons are that much beneficial. Lots of people already have the inspiration to create, but don't have the necessary skills to write down their ideas and don't know the fundamentals of chord sequences, song structures, etc. I think you should focus more on those things, rather than all these metaphysical nuances ;]

Music is not scince, just write down what ever you feel...

UNIe wrote: I don't know if all these "how to think when creating a song" lessons are that much beneficial. Lots of people already have the inspiration to create, but don't have the necessary skills to write down their ideas and don't know the fundamentals of chord sequences, song structures, etc. I think you should focus more on those things, rather than all these metaphysical nuances ;]

His building up to that I believe, just going over insperation techniques etc, im sure he will get to it soon.

Nomak1 wrote: Music is not scince, just write down what ever you feel...

Music can be what ever you want it to be. that is the great thing about music. some one could write a song about that clumsy girl that he was talking about and some one else could interpret it as something completly differnt about a gay bumble bee or something like that. music doesn't have to be one thing

Nomak1 wrote: Music is not scince, just write down what ever you feel...

I really don't say music is science, though to some degree, it can be. But in order to write down what you feel, you must know, how to write it. It gets much faster and convenient doing so when you know all that theoretical stuff.

stating the obvious. get to music dude.

demondown666 wrote: stating the obvious. get to music dude.

Nah dude these are awesome first steps for people who have NO idea how to get started. I'm sure he'll go into the mechanics later. Kole, I'll do the notes exercise after class and post the results here within a few hours.

this isnt bad i kinda went "wow never thought about that"

I've wrote a great deal of music since I started guitar and a ton of lyrics since I got into music. The fact that this 'pointless' stuff has helped me recently is kind of astounding.

Feel bad inc. wrote: I really enjoyed it despite what these people are saying. Anyway I guess ill post some of my notes, just quick ones ive done. Just some random things I liked the best out of what I quickly got. Shes at the center of all these people, they all love her. Yet her life is filled with self doubt and loathing. Why I wouldnt know, I guess we all hate ourselves inside anyway. A man, looks the guy who denies he has feelings at all, but I know these types, they normally have the most feeling of all. Wind softly moving the leaves the sun peeks through the gaps. Isnt this heaven. Just a few ideas I had down, hope to see everyone elses and that this might help someone.

Great Contribution, now we need more people's observations! Here are two of mine...

*As I was in the library I overheard 2 different conversations (One was an arguement between a girlfriend/boyfriend and the other was a call about a loved one being in the hospital)

*The thing I found more interesting than their stories though, was the fact that they were completely oblivious to anyone or anything around them; so completely zoned out and captivated in their discussion that they didn't notice how loud they were or where they were.

Sloofus wrote: Nah dude these are awesome first steps for people who have NO idea how to get started. I'm sure he'll go into the mechanics later. Kole, I'll do the notes exercise after class and post the results here within a few hours.

Thank you for pointing that out and if some of those people would have watched the video more carefully, they would hear me say that I wanted to introduce this video before I got to all of that stuff anyway.

Also, I'll be looking forward to reading your notes/observations.

-Kole

Ok this actually had alot of good points. Do any of you even Write? Very helpful, for me anyway.
This is what I got out of a conversation I recently had....

She's Gonna get used again tonight. She's looking for love, and just finding pain. We'll all go insane on a Saturday night.
Her face tells the story of all the "fun" She's been having.
Hey temple is now a shack. Everyone is using someone else tonight.

Lol I think I read to far into things. Well thats my 2 cents

Just another one from me.

She's gonna keep getting used, junky for feeling, bonds between others. Right now she feels she's got nothing, she wants to get some, but cant. She decides to latch onto the first thing she can, yet that thing always seems the guy who's looking for this exact type of girl to use. Guess she doesnt care, she gets her fix.

Great contributions from both of you Chobbit and Feel bad inc. I actually found it really interesting that you both started with almost the exact same line "She's gonna get used."

Keep them coming everyone!

Hey Cole,

Just out of curiosity, how regularly do you plan on adding the videos? And what's the overall "schedule"?

Here are some of my observations:

* They all attack him now. They didn't all use to. Now they see they can get on top so they will step on him to get there. Nobody seems to mind.

These are general observations I've made of the political situation/coverage in the US

+ The people are disappointed and now they want something to hope for. They are pinning their hopes on people who are surfing the phenomenon. Nobody is paying any mind to the institutions that will be unchanged. No matter who replaces the current administration, the true power in America will continue to be corporations and lobbies.

Sorry for spelling your name wrong.

I could do this in class! So many different characters in such a small room.

Considering the content of these videos, you think this guy would be able to afford a decent microphone.

Zoozy wrote: Hey Cole, Just out of curiosity, how regularly do you plan on adding the videos? And what's the overall "schedule"?

I plan on adding a video about once a month and sometimes if I have guest instructors or artists come in, it may be a little more frequent.

There is no overall "schedule" or plan, but I will be covering many different aspects of Songwriting and Composition. My next video will not deal with inspiration as much and will focus more on actually creating music with this newly gained knowledge and "awareness."

P.S. Great contributions, especially the political one!

frankv wrote: I could do this in class! So many different characters in such a small room.

Absolutely! Also, another thing you could do while you observe, is to also be aware of what YOU are thinking and writing down. Are you judging people in your observations, do you find yourself writing nicer things about your friends or an attractive person rather than someone you don't get along with?

I'd be very interested in reading some of your notes so definately do contribute! =)

By the way, for those of you who live in the Los Angeles, CA area and would like these video lessons to be more frequent, keep in mind that I do teach private lessons and I'm currently taking on a few more students.

Take care and keep contributing!

Is this for serious???

I really like the ideas you cover in your videos, but I think what's getting to people is that it's a bit verbose.

Anyway, my observations:

*the most beautiful part of a leaf's life is its death

*a heart of stone doesn't break, but it doesn't pump blood

...and those are the best ones I could remember.

Love these videos, keep going

I don't see how you can 'teach' songwriting. If you force a song it is just going to sound like s***. The only advice worth listening to would be to write your thoughts/feelings/etc. down on paper and work it from there. The best part about music is that when you write it you are writing it for yourself, and if you like it chances are other people will too. I wouldn't necessarily take what this dufus says seriously. Who is he anyway? Exactly. If you want to learn how to write a song just study what other bands have done, just don't let your stuff sound like theirs. If you want a couple of good places to start I recommend Chevelle and System of Down.

Ewalker21 wrote: I don't see how you can 'teach' songwriting. If you force a song it is just going to sound like s***. The only advice worth listening to would be to write your thoughts/feelings/etc. down on paper and work it from there. The best part about music is that when you write it you are writing it for yourself, and if you like it chances are other people will too. I wouldn't necessarily take what this dufus says seriously. Who is he anyway? Exactly. If you want to learn how to write a song just study what other bands have done, just don't let your stuff sound like theirs. If you want a couple of good places to start I recommend Chevelle and System of Down.

You sir, are stupid. Songwriting techniques can be taught, you can be taught the best way to put a guitar part together, you can be taught how to draw insperation more easily, you can be taught different ways to write things. As for who he is, his a proffesional musician which I would assume is more than you are or ever will be.

how do we sign up for his newsletter?

Noob_Cakes12 wrote: how do we sign up for his newsletter?

If any of you would like to sign up for my Newsletter (it's very quick), follow the link below and I'll make sure to update you when I post new videos, free lessons, etc.

http://www.kolemusician.com/damailinglist/

Thanks .

It appears that many people know little about songwriting.

The only rule in songwriting is that it has to sound good. How you get there can be any way. You don't need any kind of musical education whatsoever in order to write a song. Being educated and having a good knowledge of theory, however, make the songwriting easier.

Besides, people. Who are you going to listen to: some angsty teen commenting on a video on the internet or a professional musician who has studied the subject thoroughly and has turned it into their career?

well i did these observations soon after i watch this in my room here they are:

The roaring television advertise things we will never need in our lifetime. They make it look so good, we buy it and get addicted to it like a drug. The business wins again.

A cat knocks on my window, crying for entrance. should i let her in for another sleepless night?

The harddrive crunches noises together and blows out hot air. just like a machine waiting to be release. it warms the room..

silence, all i hear is silence and many faces of dead people look down on me. did they know that in many years after their departure, they will still be recognize for their simple words? the faces get closer i could still hear their music through my ears. ringing and echoing endless into the oblivion of thought.

..well that what i got im not sure if its any good but i tried

theotherguy37 wrote: well i did these observations soon after i watch this in my room here they are: The roaring television advertise things we will never need in our lifetime. They make it look so good, we buy it and get addicted to it like a drug. The business wins again. A cat knocks on my window, crying for entrance. should i let her in for another sleepless night? The harddrive crunches noises together and blows out hot air. just like a machine waiting to be release. it warms the room.. silence, all i hear is silence and many faces of dead people look down on me. did they know that in many years after their departure, they will still be recognize for their simple words? the faces get closer i could still hear their music through my ears. ringing and echoing endless into the oblivion of thought. ..well that what i got im not sure if its any good but i tried

Very good observations. I like how aware you were of every tiny detail (harddrive noise and hot air warming the room) as well as imagining a scene that hasn't happened yet (cat bugging you all night so you can't get to sleep).

I absolutely think it's good and we all appreciate your contribution!

More observations:

-bottle-caps from my sodas, lined up neatly. I count them: 41. A sign of my indulgence.

-my cell phone scratched, picture-frames broken, and objects on the floor, I've made mistakes and I have imperfections.

-an award with my name spelled wrong; shows how much it really matters.

-the blinds are closed and my room is dark: what I can't see can't hurt me, as long as it can't see me.

-homework, unfinished. Giving in to impulses and ignoring responsibilities: it has become a way of life.

...this video and all of the comments make you take a closer look at even the simplest of surroundings...

no one ever taught

Jesse_Jones wrote: It appears that many people know little about songwriting. The only rule in songwriting is that it has to sound good. How you get there can be any way. You don't need any kind of musical education whatsoever in order to write a song. Being educated and having a good knowledge of theory, however, make the songwriting easier. Besides, people. Who are you going to listen to: some angsty teen commenting on a video on the internet or a professional musician who has studied the subject thoroughly and has turned it into their career?

while thats a good point, is it valid? What does a professional musician really know about song writing. Some musicians can go their whole lives without playing a single song that was written by themselves. What really gives someone the credentials to tell other people how to write songs. Creativity is not something that can be taught, nor instructed in 7 minute "inspiration" videos.

PS that was the most tasteful comment i have left thus far. I appreciate what you are trying to do Kole. You just want to give everyone the tools they need to play their own musc better. I just think you're looking in all the wrong places.

Heres some more observations this time I'm looking through a window:

-As I look outside the window. I see a bat crying out to the night. blindly looking for his way back home.

-The stars resemble a canvas of a thousand holes. releasing their lights onto our imagination.

-A tree begin dancing with the wind. performing it's rain dance. A storm is coming.

-I see a man running in the dead of night. Is he running for something or is he running from himself? Its his own little world we will never explore.

-I hear a dog barking as loud as he can be. scaring away all the monster in the shadows. we humans can't see.

-An ambulance carves through the streets from a mile you could hear it coming. it makes me wonder.. are they saving the day or have we lost another friend?

well theres some more later on ill make some more

Dude you're too serious.

"I really enjoyed the lessons blabla did"...God...I did not want to proceed further.

Kole, dont listen to the dickheads. These video's do help. ive been in a bit of a road block lately and havent been able to write good songs but this is helpin me out, just reminding me what matters.

Some people think that song writing cant be taught and others think it can and i think that it CAN be taught, but isnt necisary. I think ur doin a good thing tryin to help people out and its helped me so thanks.

cheers

Jesse_Jones wrote: More observations: -bottle-caps from my sodas, lined up neatly. I count them: 41. A sign of my indulgence. -my cell phone scratched, picture-frames broken, and objects on the floor, I've made mistakes and I have imperfections. -an award with my name spelled wrong; shows how much it really matters. -the blinds are closed and my room is dark: what I can't see can't hurt me, as long as it can't see me. -homework, unfinished. Giving in to impulses and ignoring responsibilities: it has become a way of life. ...this video and all of the comments make you take a closer look at even the simplest of surroundings...

Very True Jesse. Your observations are great! I love how you turned it around and started to observe yourself and your behaviours. This line "bottle-caps from my sodas, lined up neatly. I count them: 41. A sign of my indulgence." Is an amazing example. Not only did you observe something ordinary (bottle caps) laying around, but you realized that you neatly organized them (perhaps OCD in a way) and there were 41 (a sign of indulgence). Great job.

theotherguy37 wrote: Heres some more observations this time I'm looking through a window: -As I look outside the window. I see a bat crying out to the night. blindly looking for his way back home. -The stars resemble a canvas of a thousand holes. releasing their lights onto our imagination. -A tree begin dancing with the wind. performing it's rain dance. A storm is coming. -I see a man running in the dead of night. Is he running for something or is he running from himself? Its his own little world we will never explore. -I hear a dog barking as loud as he can be. scaring away all the monster in the shadows. we humans can't see. -An ambulance carves through the streets from a mile you could hear it coming. it makes me wonder.. are they saving the day or have we lost another friend? well theres some more later on ill make some more

Some more great observations. I really like the detail noticed and not only imagining future scenarios, but bringing up important questions. All of the observations are great, but here are my 2 favorites.

"-The stars resemble a canvas of a thousand holes. releasing their lights onto our imagination." - This line is very creative and the imagery is great.

-"An ambulance carves through the streets from a mile you could hear it coming. it makes me wonder.. are they saving the day or have we lost another friend?" - Great question. This brings up the possibility of writing a song from different angles. For example, the person that is waiting for the ambulance could perceive it as "Saving the Day," while their friends and family are worried about the possibility of the injured person dieing before the ambulance arrives (or while he/she is in it). You could go even further and write from the perspective of someone passing by...Are they worried about the persons life, do they care, are the upset because this persons injury is causing a traffic jam? etc.

Well done.

um Heres some more observation:

-Cars, passing on and on. roaring louder and louder. it feels like they're after me.

-i see people walking in a straight line patiently waiting for something i can't tell.

-I start counting the cars, 1, 2, 3. they all have one thing in common. they dont care what they hit as long as they make their destination come true.

-A big truck soars through the street, owning the whole street.scaring all the little cars, will it stop for them or will it just ram right through them like better?

-The street is now empty. the only thing i think is crossing is a bug. so lonely across the heated street. he better hurry the bus is coming real soon.

-I see the sun setting, lower and lower it goes down. from across the street i could see the darkness coming. the street lights start to come on, from left to right. so what does the night have in stored for me?

-the stars begin to spring out of the sky, like tiny eyes watching me. they're coming out uncontrollable. shaping into place where they have been for million of years. it still makes me wonder when i look at the sky....

thats it for now thanks kole for that video you made it help me look at the world more clearer and better.

Some more great contributions, theotherguy37. I would now urge you to take some of these observations and start writing lyrics or forming ideas for music composition.

And your very welcome, I'm glad this video could be of help =).

iml84myd8 wrote: no one ever taught Jesse_Jones wrote: It appears that many people know little about songwriting. The only rule in songwriting is that it has to sound good. How you get there can be any way. You don't need any kind of musical education whatsoever in order to write a song. Being educated and having a good knowledge of theory, however, make the songwriting easier. Besides, people. Who are you going to listen to: some angsty teen commenting on a video on the internet or a professional musician who has studied the subject thoroughly and has turned it into their career? while thats a good point, is it valid? What does a professional musician really know about song writing. Some musicians can go their whole lives without playing a single song that was written by themselves. What really gives someone the credentials to tell other people how to write songs. Creativity is not something that can be taught, nor instructed in 7 minute "inspiration" videos.

Maybe creativity cannot be taught the way that math, science, or english can be taught. But Kole isn't really teaching creativity. He's teaching methods to spark your own creativity and the channel it in an organized manner so that you can write a song.

Maybe creativity cannot be taught the way that math, science, or english can be taught. But Kole isn't really teaching creativity. He's teaching methods to spark your own creativity and the channel it in an organized manner so that you can write a song.[/quote]

Jesse's hit the nail on the head. Thank you for clearing this up for everyone.

From experience I feel that songs can "forced", to an extent. I find if i sit and play for an hour or so, I'll usualy come up with a riff or chord progression I enjoy.

Lyrics can be made in a similar fashion; think "brainstorming", which is essentially what is being done through this thread. Thinking of a person or place can link to memories of an event or feeling. The brain uses different connections for short and long term memory, and usually just thinking or writing, even for a short while can bring up some really interesting stuff.

But songs that come spontaneousely work just as well, if not better. In fact you could probably come up with several ideas on the state of society just reading through this entire thread.

Now being a guitarist at heart, if I could just get some f***ing vocal melodies down we'd be sweet

his hair changes style every episode

Anything that someone does to put themselves on a path to create something, that they might not otherwise have arrived at unless they did "step 1," is valid. Everyone knows that songs can come out of thin air, just by screwing around. But what do you do when that moment doesn't happen--just sit there with your guitar in your hands and feel bad about it, going "d'oh!???" NO!! Experiment with different ways to get some momentum going, to be a PRODUCTIVE songwriter. Then let your ears decide if the thing that results from your experiment is good or not. The more ways to start a song brewing, the better. Kole's vids definitely help.

ROCKING video Kole!!!

Well, I liked the video... Might do that.

More observations:

-my dreams are too big to fit in my schedule
-I have to be somewhere before 70 tomorrow but I'm still up...
-I keep coming up with ways to spend money but never ways to make money in the first place
-I haven't sat on my roof, just to think, in a while...
-Maybe because I'm deathly afraid of being alone with my thoughts too long; I never feel good after that happens
-I almost feel like a wise man among wolves - I can feel and understand what they can't, but they'll still rip me limb from limb

That's all I've got now... and I need to sleep.

That was supposed to be 7 o'clock in that second observation, but the computer thought the : and the 0 was a smiley...

when will this guy put up some actual guitar lessons?

These aren't guitar lessons, axefreak. They're songwriting lessons.

stop talking and get to it dude!

Jesse_Jones wrote: More observations: -my dreams are too big to fit in my schedule -I have to be somewhere before 70 tomorrow but I'm still up... -I keep coming up with ways to spend money but never ways to make money in the first place -I haven't sat on my roof, just to think, in a while... -Maybe because I'm deathly afraid of being alone with my thoughts too long; I never feel good after that happens -I almost feel like a wise man among wolves - I can feel and understand what they can't, but they'll still rip me limb from limb That's all I've got now... and I need to sleep.

Good observations of your self, these would be perfect inspiration for a song.

This guy doesn't tell us anything, he's a dick, he thinks he is some pro philosopher or something, what a dick

Thisth isth a fantasthtic video stheriesth. Thanksth alot for posthting!

hey u are good i like em i have a band of my own and i need help writing songs that really helped.

u ramble on and once again, smoke entirely too much pot!

well i took advice from a couple of your lessons and this is what i've come up with:

run across the cold surface of paranoia
i cast a shadow on your family from the sky
raising the word i smash your life
carrion casualty itching skin,
prepare to die..

well if i come up with anything better i'll post and thanks kole you helped open my eyes again...

Nice contribution, fiendclub_138. I like the dark implications of the lyrics and that first line "Run across..." is full of imagery!

Glad I could help and well done.

Best,

Kole

Nomak1 wrote: Music is not scince, just write down what ever you feel...

thankyou. now make this guy understand that.

Wow..the ignorance of some people amazes me. This guy is doing something good for a lot of people. I wrote quite a few good songs for my band [before we broke up], songs that sounded good and really made people think..but it took me a while, with a lot of thought and inspiration, playing into my emotion and trying to evoke that emotion into the listener at the same time. If you are happy to "just right down what ever you feel", then write your songs that way. But I try to dig deeper than "what ever" I "feel"..as Niel Peart put it: to mould a new reality, closer to the heart. I don't know about you, but I think Kole is doing a good thing for a lot of young songwriters who need that extra push to spark their creativity and craft a song they can be proud of. If this isn't your cup of tea, don't bug the guy for trying to help.

Wow, I think I just wrote a novel.

Well thanks Kole, that lesson was nice, really opened my eyes to the inspiration that's all around me, just waiting to be put to music.

Wow..the ignorance of some people amazes me. This guy is doing something good for a lot of people. I wrote quite a few good songs for my band [before we broke up], songs that sounded good and really made people think..but it took me a while, with a lot of thought and inspiration, playing into my emotion and trying to evoke that emotion into the listener at the same time. If you are happy to "just right down what ever you feel", then write your songs that way. But I try to dig deeper than "what ever" I "feel"..as Niel Peart put it: to mould a new reality, closer to the heart. I don't know about you, but I think Kole is doing a good thing for a lot of young songwriters who need that extra push to spark their creativity and craft a song they can be proud of. If this isn't your cup of tea, don't bug the guy for trying to help.

Wow, I think I just wrote a novel.

Well thanks Kole, that lesson was nice, really opened my eyes to the inspiration that's all around me, just waiting to be put to music.

I have no idea who this guy is. Why should I listen to his advice on songwriting, it sounds like he is just bullshitting. This video lacks information. I can tell you what he take 10 min to tell you in 10 seconds. He wants you to take a pad of paper and observe things.

what does the fact that you don't know who he is have anything to do with anything? that's exactly his point: "most of you who experience "writers block" or those who say he is bullshitting...are just closed minded in general, and especially musically, and therefore you won't go anywhere in your musical career if you don't mature in your musical life soon...and maturation comes with...awareness. A song, or an album, is a translation of the way that band or artist sees the world at that specific season in their life...why do you think that different styles of music appeal or relate to certain groups or types of people? (don't get me wrong...i like pretty much all music but at the same time...i have my favorite: right now, bluegrass) because people will be attracted to the type of music that best fits their translation of the way they see the world...so in order to write good, influential music, you have to be aware of everything around you and the way you see everything around you..
basically you guys who say he is "bullshitting" obviously don't have a clue and will be writing the same lame songs for the rest of your life...so i recommend you listen to what he has to say!
thanks Kole...love the lessons...

and to apocalyptic101: you can't just write down whatever you feel: music may not be a science, but it is an art, and art is not always spontaneous..Billy Corgan, from your ignorance clearly displayed in your comment, i'm not sure you know who he is, but he said that music is a formula and that if you bend it enough, then it is original, meaning that there is structure to music, not just spontaneous...i bought a documentary on Paul McCArtney and John Lennon, i don't know if you like the beatles, or any of their solo stuff, but you have to appreciate their McCartney and Lennon's ability as composers, and learned that their song writing wasn't "spontaneous" and that they would sit for hours and think about what "kind of song they wanted to write" then they would embark on a very long and tedious journey until that song conveyed their message the way they wanted it to...so think about what you said...

anyone who slams on him is retarted he makes a real good point and he knows what he is doing

anyone get a tally on the few thousand times he said the word "aware"

hahahahah

the guy does have a point..but when i first started writing music, i had no idea what i was doing..then i started to listen to 'musical structure' and figured out a formula..not saying you have to strictly adhere to it..but it works as a nice rough frame. ive written some great(in my opinion) songs by writing them my way. and thats what its about, its all what makes you happy.

few observations i got:

- Dad is spooning out the meal onto the plates, giving a hearty portion to everyone but himself, such a selfless act. I wonder if I have the morals to do such things

- Television noises drown out the sound of my mother’s attempts to have a civilised conversation. We are basically robots.

- Sitting down with my guitar, I keep telling myself that eventually I will be able to write something that I won't personally criticize but the thought keeps creaping into my head that I'm just not good enough.. yet


Thanks Kole the vid was a great help

im not an idiot. talk faster

i have not done this yet but i wanted to tell kole that this is a really amazing idea. i encourage everyone to not get discourages...AT ALL!

the words "aware" and "awareness" just lost all meaning.. jeez.. it's a good idea tho but still..

i dont get why some of you are saying bad stuff about this vid. What hes saying is true, i mean many many songs are about very simple thing but exaderated or being creative.

ill post some notes later. im about to go to bed =p

i absolutely loved the videos, they have helped me tons and theotherguy37 and jesse jones also gave me a good idea of how simple but effective these observations can be so thanks you 2 guys and thanks again Kole! ps. i'll post some of my next song once i've gota few more ideas down.

i agree with bradster94 thnx kole i just found the vids today and id like to say i actually wrote out an entire set of lyrics off the newspaper thing, it went from a political article to an emotional and reperesentational song, the cold weather represents the bad and sad feelings and how the events and feelings(weather) can influence your mood, i love all these vids ill have songwriting in the bag by the end of this series

Be nice everyone... Its obvious that this article is intended for kids. Check out the 'positive' replies... guitarfreak93, bradster94... They weren't even around when Cobain died.

kole you really look like roger waters in this video only this one i donno why maybe your hair

this was kind of a waste of time, if you want to get good at songwriting its like any sport or other hobby, JUST PRACTICE IT A LOT!!!!! you eventually get better at it. this awareness stuff is garbage. What if I wanted to write a song about not being aware and how i'm not aware of the things around me? for all you people trying to get down song writing there's only one way to do it, WRITE. it could be about the most irrelevant thing, just write about it, the only good thing Kole talked about was having a pen and paper. Trust me the more you write the better.