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Songwriting - Recipe for a simple blues song

Song writing Lesson.
Recipe for an easy blues song.

3 lines per verse. First and second lines are the same words.

The third line ends in a word that is a rhyme or near rhyme for the last word in the first lines.

The third line resolves or answers or somehow completes what was said in the previous 2 lines.

The first line is often about 12 syllables give or take a few syllables. The third line is about the same.

Classic example from John Lee Hooker

The chord structure shown can be used for many songs/
Here, I is a G, IV is a C and V is a D.

I read your (I) add this morning,
you said you want a real good man.

I read your (IV) add this morning,
you said you want a real good (I) man.

Now I’m (V)here for you honey and (IV) I wanna
know your (I) plan. (V)

Near rhyme – different song – same pattern:
If the river was whiskey and I was a diving duck. (x2)
I would swim to the bottom, drink my way back up.

Duck and up are NEAR RHYMES.

2 to 4 verses is a nice length
Songs often end by repeating a verse at the end.

Practice verses- you write the 3rd line:

I got a 3 string, a 4 string,
a deuce and a diddley bow. (x2)
__________________________________________

3rd line has to end in a rhyme or near rhyme for bow.
So: The grass is gittin long, I gotta go out and mow.
Better: I got 4 cbgs and I want to build some more.

I got tuners from Gitty
and a tail piece made of brass. (x2)

______________________________________________

I want to loop like bemuzic and pick like keni lee (x2)

__________________________________________

I want a Brickdust haircut and a hat like Uncle John (x2)

_________________________________________________________

Hope you get the idea, hope you have some fun.

Tags: song, writing

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Comment by Uncle John on May 12, 2013 at 1:20pm: Thanks, Bug. You write a lot of GOOD songs.

Comment by 407bug on May 12, 2013 at 12:11pm: My friend uncle john helped me to write a song
My friend uncle john helped me to write a song
If I had read it properly I wouldn't keep getting it wrong

I 'd sing it with feeling but I don't know how
I'd sing it with feeling but I don't know how
Maybe I d be better sticking to the buggy time radio show

I kept buying guitars to better ma playing
I kept buying guitars to better ma playing
No money in bank,So a lottery win i'm praying

Comment by 407bug on May 12, 2013 at 11:53am: Uncle John this is still one of the best things I have
Ever read about song writing and I keep coming back for more.
I think if you feel it ,or write about something
that moves you,then you add the blues feeling to it.
As Son House once said "the blues is a feeling"
Play the same notes till you dont have to think about them
Then express your feelings through the way you
Pluck them and bend them,hold them and time them
to the way you feel about the emotion behind the song.
Act your song like you are living every word
Believe what you say and play the part.
Show the emotion and don't hold back for fear of what other may say.
Put on that show to your words and then
you have the blues.

Great blogg Uncle John
This helped me lots

Comment by Jeff Labonte on January 31, 2012 at 9:45am: Thanks UJ, it's lame but thats what ya get for less than 2 minutes thought on an altered mind distrubed by a nearby radiation leak!

Comment by Uncle John on January 31, 2012 at 7:35am: LOL Jeff.

Comment by Jeff Labonte on January 30, 2012 at 10:33pm: Sorry folk's can't help myself!

The feds say it's safe outside

The feds say it's safe outside

But Byron's spewing Nuke Iodide

So share the Potassium Iodine

So share the Potassium Iodine

Cuz I don't wanna shine