Local Musicain Mike Lucy Asks “So, what makes a songwriter?“
That is an interesting question. Let’s first talk about what a songwriter does. First off, a songwriter has to be observant. This is how they create their content. He or she has to observe their surroundings and be able to put it down in words. The level of detail needs to be very descriptive to allow the reader to visualize what the writer is describing. For instance, let’s take a scene of a simple hillside out in the country. A songwriter might describe it using phrases like: the green hills roll like the waves in the sea, the wild tall grass sways when the wind blows, a brown squirrel bounds up the rough jagged trunk of a chestnut tree.
A songwriter needs to ability to write a lot like a storyteller. The idea is to bring the reader into the story. One main difference is the songwriter has only 3 minutes to get the message across and not the 500 to 1000 pages a typical book has. A song writer also needs to create an interesting storyline for the listener to draw them in. This is called the song plot. Many times this is accomplished by first introducing the characters, then telling the listener about the predicament that the character is in and finally how the character deals with the situation.
Once the song plot is done, the songwriter needs to craft the lyrics of the song. Think of it like creating a list of bullets that outline the song from start to finish. Next, the songwriter rewrites the lyrics and adds rhyming to the lines (usually the last word of each line) to make the song memorable. There are lots of different rhyme schemes to use and some work better than others, based on the words chosen for the lyrics. During this phase, the songwriter is using all their descriptive skills to visually convey the song to the listener. The song is rewritten many times until the writer feels that every word and phrase chosen fits the song perfectly.
Lastly, the songwriter needs to put chords to the song and create melodies for the lyric lines. The lyrics need to flow and be easily singable. The melodies may require some trial and error to find the best combination of notes and rhythms. Now, a songwriter who only writes lyrics would be called a lyricist. They would typically align themselves with someone who is good at choosing chords and creating melodies so the song can be completed.
Do you have to be famous to be a songwriter? Not at all. There are many different levels of songwriting. Some people do it for personal enjoyment, while others may do it professionally for a living. I am somewhere in the middle. I enjoy the challenge of songwriting, but I also enjoy the whole recording and production process as well as the reaction from the audience when I perform my songs. So, are you a songwriter? Have an awesome day!
Based out of the Corning New York area, Mike has performed his brand of acoustic music at a variety of venues including: taverns, wineries, distilleries, cider houses, wine bars, bar & grill restaurants and lakeside bars. Learn more about Mike at https://mikeluceyacoustic.com/home
