Simple As Tempo
“Where’s the milk?”
“It’s in the fridge door.”
“Where? I don’t see it.”
“There - on the bottom shelf.”
“Good grief! It was right in front of me!”
Some songwriting tools elude us by sitting right in front of our eyes. Tempo is one of those tools. One of the first decisions we make when we sit down to write a song is tempo. Tempo leads directly to the harmonic rhythm, frequency of chord changes, pacing of the lyric and melody, and overall believability of the song. Who knew such a pedestrian concept could have so much riding on it.
I remember my professor at music college suggesting I write with a drum track. So I asked a friend with a drum machine to lay down a few tracks for me. (This was 1996). Having a real drummer suggest rhythms pulled me right out of my comfort zone. In fact, I was so far out of my comfort zone that I abandoned the idea of writing to a drum track for several years. You see, I just wasn’t getting my head around the character of the songs I could write over the various rhythms. The reason was, they were very different than the characters I was writing over my finger-style guitar patterns. Without really realizing it, I was being challenged with writing outside my genre, and the song pieces that resulted were complete strangers to me.
Years later, as my vocabulary on guitar grew, I noticed I was adjusting tempo to better serve the grooves of the songs I was writing. I was no longer stuck in the same tempos that lead to the same stories and characters. Had I played in a band or perhaps studied drums or programmed drum tracks for a few years, I likely would’ve come to the same place. As a classical piano player, my exposure wasn’t setting me up to write songs from the element of rhythm. Mozart and Chopin gave me melody and chords, but rhythm was something I had to work for on my own.
We’ve all got our strengths when it comes to songwriting, formed by the musical influences and exposure to instruments and teachers along the way. But there are some actions that we can take in each area to bulk up our ability to approach songwriting from different angles. As for rhythm, there are some activities I do now to think in terms of tempo, and take on the different characters I could take on were I to have a band or a great drummer with me.
Write as you normally do, starting with a few lines of lyric. Then, pick up your instrument and play a harmonic rhythm or strumming pattern at a significantly faster or slower tempo than you had imagined. Sometimes I find the lyric takes on new storylines and characteristics, and the new tempo makes the lyric concept feel more exciting or authentic than the one I had assumed.
Play along with records (remember those compilations of songs artists used to release all at one time?) until you find a harmonic rhythm or strumming pattern to add to your vocabulary. Practice it regularly for a week, and record a few bars to keep in a “groove bank” for later use writing a new song.
Put music on in the background as you write your own songs, and let their harmonic rhythms inspire the landscapes for your songs. Don’t hesitate to finish a song that feels remarkably similar to one you’ve been listening to. Remember that you’re not necessarily lifting chords and melody, but paying special attention to feeling, the spirit and soul, of the song across the rhythm section. That’s what you’ll take into your own demo, building out the production in your own way.
Identify one or two instrumentalists who bring harmonic rhythm and groove where your sensitivity ends. Utilize their skills to inspire songs you never would have written, either by collaborating together on the song, or hiring them to record a variety of different grooves for you to work from.
Load up your DAW and draw from the infinite banks of rhythm section feels. But don’t get buried under too many options. Commit to writing the first verses and choruses of just two harmonic rhythms you find appealing. Before moving on to more, share your new pieces of songs with someone who enjoys your music. This will help establish the life of the song, and begin marking your journey down a new path towards new feels and tempos.
Approaching a skill with new technique is always challenging at first. Give yourself some structured time for a steep learning curve, and encouragement along the way. And don’t forget to share your journey with other songwriters who understand the process of growing as writers.
Stay creative,
Andrea Stolpe
