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Yeah, I like this.
This is all you need for a song demo.
As they often tell you at Nashville Songwriters (which I belong to) please just give us an acoustic and vocal or piano and vocal.
We can take it from there if it is a good song.
I.e., "We don't want to hear your 80s production." Just the SONG please. Make sure it is a good SONG though. Please do not submit any LONG PENTATONIC NOODLING parts or we will never listen to a thing you write ever again.
I think FAWM is about writing songs. I think. I could be wrong. But I think they want songs.
If that is true, this is a good exercise in focus.
Good one Scott. Looking forward to more.
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FAWM doesn’t WANT anything. Again it’s just a challenge to see what it’s like for YOU to practice being creative. There are all kinds of challenges that are unofficial in the forums that help participants to try out all kinds of lyric writing, chord progressions, “serial” lyric writing where one person starts a line and another takes the next, and another the next, etc. all kinds of styles, people, cultures, gifted-ness, coming together in a groundswell of creativity for a time.
The song I posted was a personal challenge I have put on myself the past 5 or 6 years, to write a refrain type of lyric. I have never done one before where the refrain line was not exactly the same and I saw a prompt to try that and it was fun to see how that works and opens up the refrain lyric form for a bit more flexibility.
That’s now “under my belt” so to speak and another lyric writing tool that I’m aware of and had some personal success with it.
That’s the point of fawm
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... a challenge to see what it’s like for YOU to practice being creative. When I was a kid in school, a standard punishment was to have to write 1000 words on "Life Inside a Ping Pong Ball". The other kids dreaded that one especially, they'd rather be beaten, it was absolute torture to them to have to come up with all those words about essentially nothing. I of course always hoped I'd get that punishment. I was even imagining rough drafts of a plot line. Of course, the teacher could tell I wanted to do it and so would never "punish" me by letting me.
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Songwriting
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Song title:
Life inside a ping pong ball.
Put me in coach.
On it.
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Songwriting
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Song title:
Life inside a ping pong ball.
Put me in coach.
On it.
I knew that you could! Now step up to the table and knock it out of the rec room.
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I had to suss out F.A.W.M. - I had no idea.
I like the idea of sitting down and cranking out - it's what Nick Cave does...though I don't talk about Nick after the Israel thing.
I can see the value of it as it'd create a pool of ideas to plunder BUT having NO VOICE worth listening to without a couple of days recreating it in ReaTune & Melodyne means I couldn't actually provide a vocal a day.
I do write a LOT when I'm on a roll...I have four songs with singers at the moment, another with a lead guitarist and two more done in the last couple of days fully arranged but with no lyrics...messy habits is me.
David,
JUST DO IT.
You've done the invites, you've planned the buffet, don't let the RSVPs get in your way.
Post them in a single thread welcome anyone who participates in any way shape or form.
I'd have a crack at a backing with lyrics for verse n chorus for as long as I can sustain it.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Joined: Dec 2019
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I've done FAWM twice in my pre-BIAB days. Both were good experiences. The caution would be to keep a healthy balance of time with the spouse and kids (if applicable). I've never had enough time to try the 50/90 http://fiftyninety.fawmers.org/For me, a good pace is a song a week.
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Hey James,
I am going to try and do a song a day without thinking.
Not quite sure if I have been able to explain why to folks yet.
For the sake of creativity, I want to try an experiment where I force myself not to think too much but just do it and post it--right off the top of my head.
I tend to overthink things too much at times, I think, and want to see what happens if I just get into the zone and channel it.
For me it is a pure experiment.
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Sounds good, David. One suggestion would be to set a time frame goal (1 week / 1 month / 1 year etc.) That way you have some sense of an end point to evaluate the experiment. Maybe you've seen this already...."I've been writing a song a day for 4000 days." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4L6hEbRXP4
Last edited by jamestoffee; 01/26/22 08:45 PM.
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Hey James, Just for FAWM man!  I will try it for February and then stop. That will be enough I think!
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Scott,
I wanted to PM you but you are over your limit. I want to pick your brain on something.
Is there another way we connect? You can go to my website and send me a message there.
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Cool but you busted the one chord thing there in the second chorus..... Did I catch a little bit of Tom Petty inspiration in there? I believe I did......
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Herb, Well they were 5 chords man, so give me a break. It's still G! Tommy Petty???? You're kidding!
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Be nice to have a farm or foam or faun or whatever that is forum. That way those of us mere mortals who post but a dozen songs a year in the showcase wouldn’t get shoved to page 2 or 3 every few hours. So there … oh, and I’m doubtful as to how serious you are Bud
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
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Huh? Sorry I am a little lost. I know what you mean about song dumps, Bud, but I am not doing it. I AM writing a song a day, but I am keeping my posts HERE to less than 1 per week (usually 1 per month is my average), and the rest is a dedicated FAWM channel people can visit if they like. So yes, I am serious about writing a song a day, but that is what FAWN is about--actually one every two days. But again, I am not posting all of them here. Hope that clears up any confusion. Thanks!
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I was trying to kid...poorly I reckon "David, why don't you post a SONG A DAY to the BIAB forum in the month of February" I just thought the name of the forum was a frog hair ambiguous. FAWM on! Bud
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
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Well, since you mention it, Bud...and since you ARE egging me on..... No, maybe not. BUT, Bud, there ARE some folks who don't seem to mind posting three or four songs A DAY and give 'nairy (is that how you spell it??) a peep to commenting on anyone else or even listening. Yet, they have listeners, who say: "That was great Mojobobo" (or whatever). "I enjoyed your fifth random noodling of the day." And so...maybe I should too?????? If you can't beat them join them? Shove THEM to the bottom of page 5??? And the LOGICAL reason I would not at this point is.......?? I think RayC has been trying to help people understand the value of listening to others, but poor soul, he is only one man,and I don't know how long his mighty strength can hold out, doing it all alone. But of course, you know, I am only joking. Or am I?? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Hard to tell in this world. It shoorely is.
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There are a few at the February Album Writing Month challenge that crank out tunes, but the general behavior there is trading listens and comments.
David has written some moving lyrics I can attest to that. I only have one set of lyrics so far. I’m a little behind but that’s ok too. My brain has switched over to constant writing in my head mode that happens during FAWM for me. It’s kind of addictive to be honest.
Scott
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