Advice for first time songwriters
Hi, my advice for first time songwriters is write about your life, anyone can do this you may be popular and still be able to write about your life, because it's not easy being popular, you can write about that, write about what you want to happen someday, your thoughts about people, and about things going on.
Now when people dont like you, now that's tough, I know how that feels like, and i'm a songwriter. So when you get home from school try and remember your emotions and write about that. Think about what they did to you to hurt you. Try and think about what they are thinking and write about that. The main key to writing songs is be true to yourself, and write about your emotions.
Now when people dont like you, now that's tough, I know how that feels like, and i'm a songwriter. So when you get home from school try and remember your emotions and write about that. Think about what they did to you to hurt you. Try and think about what they are thinking and write about that. The main key to writing songs is be true to yourself, and write about your emotions.
Taylor's advice for first time songwriters
Peter Kramer, AP
Taylor Swift can't guarantee your songwriting will be as spectacular as hers, of course, but she's willing to give you plenty of tips to get you on the right path.
It's likely not surprising that Taylor wrote all the songs on her October release 'Speak Now.' After all, Taylor's songwriting is what made her stand out from the crowd in the über-competitive music business. Consider that she wrote her own debut hit, 'Tim McGraw,' before she was 17. When her self-titled debut album -- which included that song -- went gold just a few months after its October 2006 release, Songwriter Universe and other writers' guides started clamoring to find out how Taylor pens such personal songs. The questions haven't stopped and Taylor answered many of them during an online chat earlier this week.
"My advice to first-time songwriters would be you know the person you are writing the songs about," she says. "First know that. Then write a letter to them, what you would say if you could. That's why I listen to music. It says how I feel better than I could. And it says what I wished I had said when that moment was there. So I would say be as direct as you possibly can. If you need to dial it back later, then, I guess, do that -- but for me, the more details the better."
Taylor also stays ready for her muse to strike. Some of her best ideas for the songs on the upcoming album, she said, came to her in the middle of the night as she traveled on her Fearless tour. No collaborators were around, so she wrote and finalized the songs herself.
Although she refrains from revealing many details of her personal life during interviews, Taylor told those on the chat that she "definitely sings about it" on her songs, and so should you.
"The more it seems like a journal entry the better. The more it seems like an open letter the better," says Taylor. "The more true and honest and real it gets the better. Where you're naming the places you went and the time it happened and all the things about a relationship."
Although Taylor didn't give an example from her own writing, she shared her admiration for Richard Curtis, who wrote and directed the 2003 movie 'Love Actually.' "Richard Curtis is one of my favorite writers. And he's the guy behind 'Love Actually, which is my favorite movie. I think the best thing about Richard Curtis' writing is that when he plays out these relationships in these movies it's not just a boy and a girl fall in love and all that. It's all these inside little mementos of each other. Like the one relationship in 'Love Actually' they had an inside joke of how she loves a Joni Mitchell album and then there's the little storyline where all the little jokes that play out. So if you can, in your songwriting, be as detailed as possible. Because for people to relate to it, they may not have the same details in their relationships that you have in yours but they can relate in that they had these little details of the relationships. The more honesty the better, the more details the better, the more direct the better."
Taylor shares her songs with her mother and others in her inner circle long before she records them. Those people can be trusted to tell her if they don't like a song, which is just as important to Taylor as hearing that someone does like the song.
Even if a song makes the cut, Taylor said she's open about which songs actually make the final records.
"It has to be personal when I'm writing them but it can't be personal when I'm picking them. It can't be like, 'But no, that one is special to me,'" she says, pretending to whine in protest. "To a certain extent it is 'May the best song win.' I don't get my feelings hurt when it comes to picking which song makes the record and which one doesn't."
The first single from Taylor's new album, 'Mine,' will be released in mid-August.
Taylor Swift can't guarantee your songwriting will be as spectacular as hers, of course, but she's willing to give you plenty of tips to get you on the right path.
It's likely not surprising that Taylor wrote all the songs on her October release 'Speak Now.' After all, Taylor's songwriting is what made her stand out from the crowd in the über-competitive music business. Consider that she wrote her own debut hit, 'Tim McGraw,' before she was 17. When her self-titled debut album -- which included that song -- went gold just a few months after its October 2006 release, Songwriter Universe and other writers' guides started clamoring to find out how Taylor pens such personal songs. The questions haven't stopped and Taylor answered many of them during an online chat earlier this week.
"My advice to first-time songwriters would be you know the person you are writing the songs about," she says. "First know that. Then write a letter to them, what you would say if you could. That's why I listen to music. It says how I feel better than I could. And it says what I wished I had said when that moment was there. So I would say be as direct as you possibly can. If you need to dial it back later, then, I guess, do that -- but for me, the more details the better."
Taylor also stays ready for her muse to strike. Some of her best ideas for the songs on the upcoming album, she said, came to her in the middle of the night as she traveled on her Fearless tour. No collaborators were around, so she wrote and finalized the songs herself.
Although she refrains from revealing many details of her personal life during interviews, Taylor told those on the chat that she "definitely sings about it" on her songs, and so should you.
"The more it seems like a journal entry the better. The more it seems like an open letter the better," says Taylor. "The more true and honest and real it gets the better. Where you're naming the places you went and the time it happened and all the things about a relationship."
Although Taylor didn't give an example from her own writing, she shared her admiration for Richard Curtis, who wrote and directed the 2003 movie 'Love Actually.' "Richard Curtis is one of my favorite writers. And he's the guy behind 'Love Actually, which is my favorite movie. I think the best thing about Richard Curtis' writing is that when he plays out these relationships in these movies it's not just a boy and a girl fall in love and all that. It's all these inside little mementos of each other. Like the one relationship in 'Love Actually' they had an inside joke of how she loves a Joni Mitchell album and then there's the little storyline where all the little jokes that play out. So if you can, in your songwriting, be as detailed as possible. Because for people to relate to it, they may not have the same details in their relationships that you have in yours but they can relate in that they had these little details of the relationships. The more honesty the better, the more details the better, the more direct the better."
Taylor shares her songs with her mother and others in her inner circle long before she records them. Those people can be trusted to tell her if they don't like a song, which is just as important to Taylor as hearing that someone does like the song.
Even if a song makes the cut, Taylor said she's open about which songs actually make the final records.
"It has to be personal when I'm writing them but it can't be personal when I'm picking them. It can't be like, 'But no, that one is special to me,'" she says, pretending to whine in protest. "To a certain extent it is 'May the best song win.' I don't get my feelings hurt when it comes to picking which song makes the record and which one doesn't."
The first single from Taylor's new album, 'Mine,' will be released in mid-August.
My advice for first time guitar players
Hey guitar players!
If you want to learn and play guitar, well i'm gonna give you advice for learning, and i'll show you chords.
First, you have to ask yourself, "Is this something you want to throw yourself into, do I want to do this for my freetime?"
If you said "yes", then way to go!
Now, once you learn your fingers are going to HURT! They will hurt so bad but then you get callouses and it will be better, if you can't stand the pain in your fingers, don't give up... tape them, i know it sounds weird but it works. Practice each and every day and you'll be a pro by no time! You'll be happy you learned.
If you want to learn and play guitar, well i'm gonna give you advice for learning, and i'll show you chords.
First, you have to ask yourself, "Is this something you want to throw yourself into, do I want to do this for my freetime?"
If you said "yes", then way to go!
Now, once you learn your fingers are going to HURT! They will hurt so bad but then you get callouses and it will be better, if you can't stand the pain in your fingers, don't give up... tape them, i know it sounds weird but it works. Practice each and every day and you'll be a pro by no time! You'll be happy you learned.
Taylor Swift guitar chords to "Our Song"
* If you don't understand this please go to www.ultimate-guitar.com * in the search bar look up "Taylor Swift guitar chords to ......" Have fun
*This song is one of the easy songs*Tuning: Standard
D Em G A x2 D Em G A I was riding shotgun with my hair undone in the front seat of his car D Em He’s got a one-hand feel on the steering wheel G A The other on my heart D Em I look around, turn the radio down G A He says baby is something wrong? D Em G A I say nothing I was just thinking how we don’t have a song And he says... D Em Our song is the slamming screen door, G A Sneakin’ out late, tapping on your window D Em G When you’re on the phone and you talk real slow A D Cause it’s late and your mama don’t know Em Our song is the way you laugh G A The first date “man, I didn’t kiss her, but I should have” Em A Em And when I got home ... before I said amen D G Asking God if he could play it again D Em G A D Em G A I was walking up the front porch steps after everything the day D Em Had gone all wrong or been trampled on G A And lost and thrown away D Em G A Got to the hallway, well on my way to my lovin’ bed D Em I almost didn’t notice all the roses G A And the note that said... D Em Our song is the slamming screen door, G A Sneakin’ out late, tapping on your window D Em G When you’re on the phone and you talk real slow A D Cause it’s late and your mama don’t know Em Our song is the way you laugh G A The first date “man, I didn’t kiss her, but I should have” Em A Em And when I got home ... before I said amen D G Asking God if he could play it again D Em G A Da da da da D Em G A Em G I’ve heard every album, listened to the radio D A Em Waited for something to come along G That was as good as our song D Em Cause our song is the slamming screen door G A D Sneaking out late, tapping on his window Em G When we’re on the phone and he talks real slow A D Cause it’s late and his mama don’t know Em Our song is the way he laughs G A The first date “man, I didn’t kiss him, and I could have” Em A Em And when I got home ... before I said amen D G D Em G A Asking God if he could play it again... D Em G A D Em G A Play it again... oh yea oh yea D Em I was riding shotgun with my hair undone G A In the front seat of his car D Em I grabbed a pen and an old napkin G And I... wrote down our song
Can't play "Our Song"? Improve your playing via easy step-by-step video lessons!
* If you don't understand this please go to www.ultimate-guitar.com * in the search bar look up "Taylor Swift guitar chords to ......" Have fun
*This song is one of the easy songs*Tuning: Standard
D Em G A x2 D Em G A I was riding shotgun with my hair undone in the front seat of his car D Em He’s got a one-hand feel on the steering wheel G A The other on my heart D Em I look around, turn the radio down G A He says baby is something wrong? D Em G A I say nothing I was just thinking how we don’t have a song And he says... D Em Our song is the slamming screen door, G A Sneakin’ out late, tapping on your window D Em G When you’re on the phone and you talk real slow A D Cause it’s late and your mama don’t know Em Our song is the way you laugh G A The first date “man, I didn’t kiss her, but I should have” Em A Em And when I got home ... before I said amen D G Asking God if he could play it again D Em G A D Em G A I was walking up the front porch steps after everything the day D Em Had gone all wrong or been trampled on G A And lost and thrown away D Em G A Got to the hallway, well on my way to my lovin’ bed D Em I almost didn’t notice all the roses G A And the note that said... D Em Our song is the slamming screen door, G A Sneakin’ out late, tapping on your window D Em G When you’re on the phone and you talk real slow A D Cause it’s late and your mama don’t know Em Our song is the way you laugh G A The first date “man, I didn’t kiss her, but I should have” Em A Em And when I got home ... before I said amen D G Asking God if he could play it again D Em G A Da da da da D Em G A Em G I’ve heard every album, listened to the radio D A Em Waited for something to come along G That was as good as our song D Em Cause our song is the slamming screen door G A D Sneaking out late, tapping on his window Em G When we’re on the phone and he talks real slow A D Cause it’s late and his mama don’t know Em Our song is the way he laughs G A The first date “man, I didn’t kiss him, and I could have” Em A Em And when I got home ... before I said amen D G D Em G A Asking God if he could play it again... D Em G A D Em G A Play it again... oh yea oh yea D Em I was riding shotgun with my hair undone G A In the front seat of his car D Em I grabbed a pen and an old napkin G And I... wrote down our song
Can't play "Our Song"? Improve your playing via easy step-by-step video lessons!