Song Writing in General

[mlpratt@xxxxxxx]

>Rainbow Jimmy wrote: You have to write a good melody, come up with catchy 
>lyrics, keep the groove, have the chops to play, know all the basic 
>structures, know how to build and release tension, and then all the stuff 
>involved in recording, engineering, and then suppose you want a horn 
>section? A good rhythm section and a good singer will take you more than 
>half the way there, but coordinating everything gets to be a nightmare.

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This could be an interesting thread.  In keeping with the subject of harmonica, 
how does one approach song writing for the harp?  

I have a half dozen songs or so, that were not necessarily written for the 
harp, but most end up with a major harp part/solo.  For me, it could be that a 
lyric strikes me as "catchy" or describes a feeling I am experiencing.  Lyrics 
typically come to me melodies.  Other times its a melody or a rhythm that I 
can't get out of my head.  From there I try to create more lyrics (that 
occasionally actually rhyme.) or a bridge or some kind of change to the 
melody. ;-)  

Once I have a couple of verses to melodies, I start thinking about a bridge.  
Bridges are a good way to "build and release the tension"

What's really hard is to come up with a melody (and lyrics) that hasn't already 
been done.  You don't want to be sued 10 years later for stealing someone's 
song, you never actually thought of in the first place.  

Of course, for a lot of blues songs, there are a number of fundamental melodies 
that I think of as being in the pulic domain. (maybe not legally or technially, 
but in reality)  How many blues songs sound like Muddy's Hoochie Coochie Man? 
Ba Bada, Ba Bump.  

How do others approach song writing?  Is it even "an approach" at all? or is it 
all inspiration?

Best Regards to All,

Larry Boy Pratt