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Gary Jones on Songwriting

Gary Jones started playing the guitar as a young child at the age of 8. He grew up in Huffman, AL, where he attended Huffman High School. Although he never made it big as a songwriter, he enjoys writing and recording in his spare time. I sat down to talk to him about songwriting and the process, and what usually works the best.

Q: So, how did you get started writing music?

A: Well, I actually didn't write music for a long time. I had started playing at the age of 8, and I probably didn't even start writing until after I got out of college; probably at about 25 or 26 years old or so. I started writing because a few of my buddies and I thought it would be a fun idea to start a band, and we got tired of covering the same songs over and over.

Q: What did you decide to name your band?

A: The Gary Jones Band, original, huh (laughs)?

Q: And what kind of music influenced your songwriting?

A: I'd say the music I write has a lot of rock influences, with maybe a little bit of acoustic and country thrown in there at the same time. Stuff like Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Eagles, Doobie Brothers, and Eric Clapton

Q: All of them are excellent songwriters. Which do you think comes first, melody/music, or lyrics?

A: For me, it's definitely the music. I mean, I've never met a writer who can just spit the lyrics out or just start writing without some musical ideas. Sometimes I'll just pick up a guitar and start strumming, and I'll find some chords that go together that I really like. That's about the time I believe most writers start thinking about words; when all the hard work is done finding the music that fits

Q: I'd imagine that you're a firm believer in "the math," then, am I correct?

A: Oh, certainly. Music theory was definitely composed the way it was for a reason; to make up a formula that makes it easier for musicians to write. Chord progressions are the backbone to almost all songs, even the most popular songs. In some cases, you won't have to think about (music) theory, it'll just happen as you're playing.

Q: Do you ever get writer's block?

A: Yeah, and that's just a part of the whole process in my opinion. There are going to be times when you just don't want to write. You can't sit down and try during those times. You just gotta put down the guitar and take a break for a while; clear your mind of everything that's keeping you from coming up with ideas, and then come back to drawing board.

Q: How often do you sit down to write?

A: Well, between being a working man and a father, it's limited. But usually in my free time on the weekends when I have nothing else going on and I have some clear ideas as to what I want to talk about. But, about an hour of sitting and writing, and i'm done for the day. Most of it will just come to me when I'm not trying to write though, it's funny how that works.

Q: How do you record your ideas?

A: If it's lyrics, I'll try to jot it down on a notepad. But if it's an instrumental idea, I have this awesome recorder that I plug my guitar into so I can remember what I was thinking about later on.

Q: What's the most frustrating part about songwriting?

A: Not being able to finish a song, I'd have to say. There's nothing more frustrating than starting a song that you think will have potential, and you take a long time to finish. It's almost like the anticipation for Christmas as a kid; you're so ready for it to finally happen.

Q: How many unfinished songs do you have lying around?

A: So many. About a dozen; it's pretty dissapointing to see all of those potential songs sitting around waiting to be written. But, I know they'll be completely finished some day

An Analysis of a Book Source

In David Baskerville's analysis of the music business, Music Business and Career Guide, insightful tips are offered on how to handle the music you've written and predictors of success. In his exegesis of the business, Baskerville says there are four main indications of a hit song: 1. The song has to be memorable. One of those songs that you get in your head for days and just can't seem to get it out. This is usually accomplished by including a "hook," or a catchy phrase that occurs several times throughout the song. 2. The song must have immediate appeal. You can't expect your listeners to wait for a potential memorable part of a song. You must hit them with it immediately and follow through with the rest of it. 3. The lyrics must have a recognizable theme, be well organized, and contain extreme imagery to grab the listener's attention. Your lines should be well thought out and use a variety of vocabulary. 4. The song must be thoroughly put together. It is vital to have a memorable beginning, middle, and end. This rule applies to number two in the sense that, in order to have an immediate appeal, your beggining must be easy to listen to. The beggining must carry into the rest of the song, that can grab and maintain the attention the writer believes the song deserves. He says that these four rules can be a writer's best friend, and that listeners can be highly unpredictable in likings and trends in the music business (Baskerville 27). Even if all elements listed are included in the song, it still only contains the potential to become popular amongst the masses. Baskerville says that a song's potential to become a hit often does not even rest in the hands of the writer, but factors beyond the writer's control. These factors may include whether or not the song is picked up and performed by a well known artist, which record company picks it up and its airplay, how well it suits the market's current demand for a particular style, and how well it is distributed. You could have the world's best song, but if it is not well managed under these conditions, it may never be recognized to its full potential (Baskerville 28). The author also offers advice to aspiring songwriters such as"Songwriters, particularly those just starting out, will also do well to open themselves up t advice and feedback on their early writing efforts, which likely won’t be
world-class right off the bat (they may, for instance, include lyrical clichés such as
“right off the bat.”). Here again, listen and learn. Don’t become discouraged and
don’t take any one opinion as gospel—everyone in the music business has a story o an eventual megahit that was initially scoffed at (Baskerville 31)". He continues to tell the reader to look for recurring issues critics may have with their writing; it may leave room for adjustment.

I believe this book is an excellent source in many ways. I liked how the author included insightful examples on how to, and how not to write. The tips on professional approaches of songwriting were also very helpful. Baskerville obviously knows what he's talking about when he can provide up to four points for the reader to understand. It was interesting to find out that some songs that have a lot of potential sometimes don't even make it into the recording process. The author included charts, graphs, and easy to understand explanations of a concept (often through simple phrases that even a person who does not write music can easily comprehend). In an overview, I think any serious songwriter looking to publish their music should pick up a copy of this book and read it.

There are of course, a few minor complaints I had about this book. At some point during reading, I would have liked to see Baskerville go into a little bit more detail about some of the writing techniques rather than a recording/producing standpoint. Some of the items about the industry that the author went off explaining could get a little confusing and unorganized. I think I saw a bit more of potential to write about actual songwriting rather than the explanations putting it onto the radio. But overall, I found this book to be interesting and well worth my time.

Baskerville, David. Music Business Handbook and Career Guide. 8th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2006. Print

Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20

Rob Thomas was a member of popular American band Matchbox 20 before he started a solo career. He discusses why he became a songwriter, how he started, and the methods to his madness. Thomas says that his songwriting days began as a 14 year old kid, talking about how awful it was and how he's progressed. However, the process he believes, is rewarding. He says, "I like the way it makes me feel to write. I enjoy the process of coming up with something out of nowhere. I like the idea of having a trip from walking down the street having a song stuck in my head, to hearing it on the record, hearing all the parts done, and having it on the radio where other people get to hear it." Thomas says it's a good way to unjumble complications of life and make some sense of things; almost like a sense of sanity. The songwriter talks about a sort of hidden method used by others as well as himself. He starts to get into the song, and vowels will just start to come out. One could say its like "getting into it," or ,"feeling it." The and's, if's, and or's (little details), Rob Thomas says, is his specialty when it comes to critiqueing his own work. Placing yourself, so to speak, when writing he says, is always important. "Always put yourself there when writing a song; sometimes it just pours out of you like you've already written it, and others you just have to sit there and think."

I thought this video was a different, yet interesting way to look at songwriting. It gave a more raw sense to it, seeing the actual passion of the songwriter himself. Rob Thomas seems like the kind who is more into "feeling" the song rather than sitting down and doing the math like some of the more technical artists of the business. It's much easier to interpret an artist's feel for the song when seeing their face, rather than just words on paper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V2XOrrlASg

Jason Mraz

Jason Mraz is an American Songwriter who made his debut with the album Waiting For My Rocket to Come in 2002. In 2005 he was nominated for a Grammy, and since then, he's put out popular hits such as "I'm Yours," and "The Remedy." There are many methods Mraz uses to write his songs, as he discusses. One of the ways he gets his ideas are his experiences traveling the world, but sometimes being a musician skews his down to earth vision. "For me I have always used songwriting as a way to help me organize reality. And sometimes touring can warp reality quite a bit because you are never in one place long enough to get a feel for it. You don’t interact with humans long enough to know what real life is. Especially in touring because a lot of people you run into, want to take a picture or want an autograph and so they put you in a place that they normally don’t put other human beings in. So it gets weird. And that’s why you get a lot of people writing songs about longing and missing people, songs of loneliness when they’re out on the road. I do my best to keep my mind open and I read a lot when I’m out on the road. So I hope I still get good things to write about," he discusses. Jason Mraz always seems to have a positive vibe in his music, rather than discussing heartbreak and anger. This may explain the success that he's received. He believes that the music he writes is an escape from the trend of writing songs about failed love. In other words, he would like to see people look at the brighter side of life more often.

Ultimate-Guitar.com's interview with Jason Mraz is an insightful one. It really expresses Mraz's songwriting secrets as well as his personality. I think most of the questions are excellent, and show the reader a different side of the artist not often expressed in his music. It also asks Mraz about his musical equipment, which may be important to guitar players who want the same sound as him.

"Jason Mraz: 'I'm In The Songwriting Process Constantly'." Ultimate-Guitar. N.p., 07 May 2009. Web. 21 Apr 2010. .

Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day

Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day is an outspoken rebel who wants his voice to be heard through music. Green Day began in 1987, before they hit it big with the release of the album Dookie. This interview follows up the release of the band’s newest album, 21st Century Breakdown. Green Day is a pop punk band out of Oakland, California, that for most of their careers had followed the same songwriting structure; three verses, a chorus and a bridge. However since their album American Idiot, released in 2004, Billie Joe Armstrong has tried to break his typical songwriting habits. The band’s two recent albums told a story all the way through, chronicling the lives of characters such as Jesus of Suburbia, St. Jimmy, Christian, Gloria, and Whatsername. When asked about this, he replied, “I love the two and a half minute single, and we’ve written plenty of songs in the past that have been in that ‘verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, verse, chorus’ format. But right now, for me, It’s more about trying to mess with arrangements and make them unpredictable.” Armstrong started to break this habit in American Idiot, when “Jesus of Suburbia,” a story of a troubled teen in a post George Bush era, was released on the album. He created this 9 minute masterpiece of a song by writing many small songs (five to be exact) and fusing them into one. The energetic and sometimes immature 38 year old tells the interviewer that what he writes can sometimes bring him closer to the truth of a topic throughout the process of actually writing the song. He says that you might not understand the true meaning of a song when starting to write it, but by the end of the process the idea will come on like a light bulb in the writer’s head. Guitar World asked Billie what he thought was the magic behind his songs. He replied, “Well, I don’t sit around and do the math like [Weezer frontman] Rivers Cuomo or someone like that. It’s just one of those things where it raises the hair on your arms.” He also answers the big question; melody or lyrics first? As many musicians say, Armstrong states, “I just love melody-that kind of melody, those guitar sounds and those song structures.” He says that he’ll think of a melody in his head, but that it may take a long time for lyrics to hit him; and that he may leave songs behind that aren’t ready and come back to them later. Melodies to the frontman, “just hit you over the head.” As a band, Billie will write all of the songs, and then take them to Mike Dirnt (Bassist) and Tre Cool (Drummer). From then, Mike and Tre will put a little bit of their own spin on the songs.

I thought this was an excellent source to fully understand the mind of a successful songwriter such as Billie Joe Armstrong. Guitar World has been around for some time now, and provides excellent interviews with some of the top musicians in the world. I really drew some good information from some of the deep and detailed questions the interviewer asked Armstrong. It gave a more down to earth feeling than the music I had heard while listening to the music.

Di Perna, Alan. "Rebel Yell." Guitar World Magazine 01 Aug 2009: 53-66. Print.

Keith Urban is an Australian singer/songwriter who moved to the United States in 1992. His style of writing is modern country blended with rock, but he is considered country. He currently has four records. One of them, Be Here, has gone triple platinum and catapulted him into the country music spotlight. But, this success did not come overnight, Urban confesses. When asked about the first song he ever wrote, he replied, "I was nine or ten. I made a song up with my brother called 'Good Ole Country Music' [laughs]. It was pretty bad." The artist says that he has never felt like he had a gift for songwriting. He says rather, that it comes in "waves", and it's very sporadic. He may take months off for writing; but when it's time to write, he always creates material. Urban answers the question that many songwriters hear, about the order of lyrics and melodies, "It does change. Every now and then I'll scribble a bunch of lyrics out with really no melody to accompany them...just a meter. But mostly it's melody. Guitar riffs and melodies. Those are the things that usually come first." It seems that with many musicians, the melody is the most important part of the song. It's what captures the listener's attention before the lyrics. Urban believes that the most important topic to himself, is freedom in his music

"Song: The World's Best Songwriters on Creating the Music that Moves Us" is an excellent source to draw professional opinion from. Even though it does not discuss the specifics of actually writing a song, it offers advice and motivation from the successfull musicians of today and yesterday. I recommend and think this is a credible source for anybody looking to write or get into music.

Waterman, J. Douglas. Song: the world's best songwriters on creating the music that moves us. 1st ed. Georgetown,Ontario: FW Publications, 2007. 349-352. Print.