Ask Kix…Everything you wanna know about country music! Our listeners submit their questions about country music and Kix will answer…
This week’s question is from Liz who writes…
Hi Kix,
With all the songs in the world, when people are writing how do they know that the words they are putting down on paper or the melodies that they’re composing, aren’t just tunes that they’ve heard in passing that are just stuck in their heads? Any tips on how you prevent that?
Thanks!
Signed,
Liz
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Kix’s Response:
That’s a good question, Liz… and I was talking about that with some songwriter buddies just last week…
I think all of us are naturally influenced by what we love and grew up with and there’s only so many notes and words and ideas. So, first, you have to follow your gut when you’re writing and if it feels fresh and original, continue. It’s one of the great things about co-writing because we catch each other in the process a lot by going “Uh, that kind of sounds like…” But, if you write by yourself, ask your friends if it sounds like anything you’ve ever heard.
Paul McCartney loves to tell the story of the song “Yesterday”… The melody came to him so plain and clear that he just couldn’t believe that he had created it and asked everyone he could think of what song he had copied but none could help him. It turns out Sir Paul was just that good!
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