Anything But Basic + Boring
“Where is the melody?”, the producer asked me. The verses didn’t match, the chorus was consistent, but still had lyrical changes each time. There were some golden nuggets, but there wasn’t anything about the song that was truly solid and reliable.
The producer taught me a great lesson that day. And I had to ask myself - why I was writing like that? What was it that makes the magic in the songs I love?
I first began to painstakingly pluck my melodies and write them out by hand on staff paper. This was not a fun experience-- it took a freakishly long time. But it showed me the patterns that I kept singing visually, and revealed the inconsistencies, helping me lock into the themes and the patterns I wanted to keep. After a while, I didn’t need to write it out on staff paper, I could just hear it + see it. My songs got consistent + stronger.
But I wondered, why am I changing my melodies?!
I love movement!
I thought, as the artist, I had to carry the song - riffing and lots of changes would show off my singing and the songs would be more exciting.
How often do artists worry about being boring?, I hear that one from most!
Because my primarily instrument is my voice, I mixed up the idea that everything belonged in my melody. Sometimes, I would sing a melody that really was meant to be a background vocal part, or a guitar hook. That was a huge realization! As a result, I had so much fun creating background parts, arranging guitar parts, or working with musicians in the studio with my melodic ideas and creating arrangements I loved. This left space for the main melody to be clean, catchy, and simpler.
Repetition works! A strong lyric repeated is impactful + the emotional performance, arrangement and production make dynamic arcs. ie. take those lyrics + edit, edit, edit.
I’m grateful I was willing hear what he said and reflect on it. Artists need good advice and positive criticism to grow.
Almost every artist I’ve worked with has concerns about being boring. Why do you think everyone else is more interesting? Your personal stories, your unique way of doing things, the subtle, little ways that you pronounce a word or lay rhythm down - these are so special. I know you’ve been in the studio and the take you thought was messed up, had a crackle or something “funny” is the one producer said - that’s the best thing about it! Well, that’s your magic.
I love helping artists realize their uniqueness and the beauty in simply being. You don’t have to do so much to be heard or to be interesting. Tell the truth - tell an emotionally honest story, add your favorite musical elements. Play, take risks, get out of your comfort zone and make music that thrills you.
If you want to dive deeper, worry less about being boring, and spend more time exploring, playing. creating, finding YOUR INNER VOICE + making it your ARTISTIC VOICE please check out my course, BLUEPRINT. The foundational course in the Parr Method.
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