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Songwriting
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Hi all!
This post is about the joy of making a ‘mistake’ while songwriting and finding you have stumbled onto a small miracle in the process. This doesn’t happen very often to me but when it does, it feels like rain after a drought or finding $50 in an old coat pocket. I wonder if this happens to most of us and if you’d be willing to share your gem?

A couple from me … I was recording a bass part and, to save time, recorded a verse phrase and copied and pasted to all other verses in my DAW, forgetting that verse 4 had a slightly varied chord progression to try and mix it up a bit. If I had been aware, I would have varied the bass part accordingly, but because I copied and pasted, I ended up with a really nice combination on verse 4 that added a touch of gold dust to that final verse. Unplanned.

Second … I was writing a melody over a chord progression using BIAB, and usually apply a bit of theory I.e. feature notes of the chord but with passing notes etc. When I went to sing it accompanied by guitar in order to ‘humanise’ what I had done in BIAB, I sang and held a second (interval) over the chord rather than a 3rd or root, thinking I was singing what I had written, only to find when singing against BIAB that I was ‘off’, but the 2nd was so compelling, I had to keep it and vary the song accordingly.

Andrew D

Last edited by Andrew Dee; 04/05/25 02:57 PM.

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Andrew D
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Cool topic, I could fill a page. My favorite is keeping a loud, emphatic, "hoo-AH!" throat clearing at the beginning of a vocal take. The song was more than a little bit off the rails as was the (properly) recorded vocal, so it fit right in. Magic indeed!


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Songwriting rule #47: mistakes are just “creative decisions” in disguise. Sounds like you nailed it twice!

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I can't think of anything specific right now but yes. I totally agree. Wrong notes, timing mistakes, can all be very interesting points that give a song that special juice.

I love it when that happens.


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Don't know if this counts as what you're lookin' for but . . .

I have been working on a song I thought could turn out pretty good but was struggling to find the hook / bridge / chorus to finish it off. Went to work on it a couple nights ago and accidentally opened up the document for another song I had started and abandoned a while back with a similar name. Seems I had a clever idea for a chorus but could never get a song out of it at that time. Long story short - put the two together and wound up with a fairly decent tune . . .


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Originally Posted by DC Ron
My favorite is keeping a loud, emphatic, "hoo-AH!" throat clearing at the beginning of a vocal take. The song was more than a little bit off the rails as was the (properly) recorded vocal, so it fit right in. Magic indeed!
Thanks Ron - could you name the song and is it accessible? I'd like to listen.
Andrew D


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Andrew D
Adelaide, Sth Aust
Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/SQE4btVvNVkLq74e9
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Originally Posted by mike marion
Songwriting rule #47: mistakes are just “creative decisions” in disguise. Sounds like you nailed it twice!
Hi Mike - yes I was chuffed by them. I sometimes wonder if it's my subconscious having its hand in the creative process.
Andrew D


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Andrew D
Adelaide, Sth Aust
Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/SQE4btVvNVkLq74e9
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@andrewoftheantipodes
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Originally Posted by Sawmill Music
I have been working on a song I thought could turn out pretty good but was struggling to find the hook / bridge / chorus to finish it off. Went to work on it a couple nights ago and accidentally opened up the document for another song I had started and abandoned a while back with a similar name. Seems I had a clever idea for a chorus but could never get a song out of it at that time. Long story short - put the two together and wound up with a fairly decent tune . . .
Thanks Russell! Sounds like you reunited two long lost brothers! I haven't had such luck myself, but earlier this year I started a process of listing all my unfinished song parts (e.g. verse but no chorus, chorus but no verse, lyrics with no music and vice versa) to see if I could pair any to make a whole. I haven't gotten far yet, but hoping something pops out of this.

Andrew D


Regards,
Andrew D
Adelaide, Sth Aust
Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/SQE4btVvNVkLq74e9
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@andrewoftheantipodes
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Originally Posted by Guitarhacker
I can't think of anything specific right now but yes. I totally agree. Wrong notes, timing mistakes, can all be very interesting points that give a song that special juice. I love it when that happens.
Thanks Herb! Yes, it can be a real dopamine release when it happens.
Andrew D


Regards,
Andrew D
Adelaide, Sth Aust
Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/SQE4btVvNVkLq74e9
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@andrewoftheantipodes
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