JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Mentor Questions Forum Lyric writing question??

Expert craftsperson, hmmm, this is very open-ended and debatable as to what constitutes and expert. I know songwriters who've taking lessons for years and are fantastic musicians, read every songwriting book ever written, do the seminar thing, pay for critiques, etc., and yet they still can't write a really good song (Imo). Yet the music world is full of great songwriters can sometimes barely play an instrument and who just go with the heart and don't think too much about this sort of thing. Wasn't it the great Harlan Howard was said country music is "three chords and the truth"? How do you explain child protegees? An eight year old that can play piano like a pro, yet never took a lesson and can hardly read, never mind read music. Of course there are varying degrees of God given talent, but it can't be argued that some people have a gift and produce amazing music with no concept of rules or techniques. I'm convinced everyone does it different. I can't read music, don't know the names of anything but the basic chords. Certainly I've learned techniques through my own experimentation, but I don't know if those techniques are written in a book somewhere or can be teached to others or would even be helpful. I've always looked at music as totally experimental. I sit down at the piano or with my guitar and mess around until I come up with something that peaks my interested. That's the way I do it and if anything I'm much more open to exploring rather then confined by what others think is right or wrong. There is no right or wrong techniques as long as you are getting a sound, a result, a song, that satisfies you. I say, write your own book, don't go by someone else's. I Posted a few of my songs couple years ago and I remember a few people saying how "well crafted" they were and that I must be a professional. I was flattered, but also chuckled to myself thinking, I don't know what constitutes a well crafted song, I just sit down and write and never gave much thought at how I do it. I do think from a lyrical perspective one can grow from life experiences, but from a melody stand point I don't know how you teach someone to write a better melody or hook.