After reading the title of this second blog I am sure you are thinking, “Zach, that literally makes no sense at all. You need to write music down in order for it to be sung… PEOPLE CAN’T READ YOUR MIND!” And to that I say, you are absolutely right, it is important to write down your ideas, just not right away.
Too many times I see songs written by individuals that are decent, interesting and unique but are ultimately not the most memorable. In the end, there could be several reasons as to why this is, but in my opinion, the most prevalent reason is a composer’s hastiness in writing. Many composers simply do not allow their music to incubate within their mind and stand the test of time. As a result, their ideas are forgotten and lack a sense of direction, power, meaning and authority. Sure, a composer could sit down at a keyboard and by chance come up with an awesome melody or rhythmic idea, but most of the time, the melody or rhythm created only seems great at the time and is only memorable the next day because it was written down. Just like any good thought an individual has, time is taken to weigh out the pros and cons before acting upon anything. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. did not just come up with the, “I Have a Dream” speech as he was giving it and John Hancock did not just write The Declaration of Independence on the spot. These moments are memorable because time was taken to think about them.
If a composer wishes to have a worthwhile idea they should do the same as Martin Luther King Jr. or John Hancock and not act upon their initial ideas. If an idea is worth anything one should be able to recall it the next day they wake up, or even a few months later. In all honesty, I do not write down any of my ideas without sitting on them for at least a couple of weeks. If I can recall a melody, rhythm or nostalgia two weeks later, then I know my idea is a strong enough one. Basically, you want people to be humming, tapping or singing your music in the car/shower a week after hearing it. A song being stuck in one’s head is the sign of a good song. Even if one does not want that particular song stuck in their head, it’s already a step further than the thousands of other “good” songs that are rarely ever in a person’s head. Have more meaning than simply moving from chord to chord because it “sounds good” goes extremely far.
So how do you write memorable and worthwhile music? It’s easy; just don’t write down your ideas.
