WEEK 1 : SONGWRITING EXERCISE

WEEK 1:  SONGWRITING EXERCISE 

There are three parts to this song writing exercise; a walk, a visit to a café or public space and a 20 minute writing exercise. Have fun!

PART 1: LYRIC WALK

You’ll need:

A pen

A notebook or some paper.

Your five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell

What to do:

1. Take a pen and piece of paper and go for a walk.

2. At five or ten minute intervals, stop walking and take out your paper.

3. Jot down a few short sentences using one sense to describe your environment. For example, you may write about what you see around you on your first stop.

4. Do this five times, each time using a different sense to record your environment.

5. Walk home.

6. Keep your writing, you’re going to use these ideas for a lyric exercise.

You may like to try the following exercise directly before or after your lyric walk

PART 2: CAFÉ CHARACTER SKETCH

You‘ll need:

A pen

Some paper or notebook

Money for a coffee or a tram ticket and cake.

What to do:

1. Go to a café or some other place, such as a tram, train, footy match, backyard, anywhere where there are people.

2. Grab yourself a coffee and cake if you need it and take a seat.

3. Have a look around at the other people in the space.

4. Write a few quick responses to the one or two people that you find yourself looking at:

i. Who catches your eye?

ii. What is it about them that made you look at them in particular?

iii. Where are they?

vi. Why do you think they are there?

V. How are they behaving?

5. Finish your coffee

6. Head on home – you may like to try a lyric walk on the way home.

PART 3: PUT IT TOGETHER AND WHAT HAVE YOU GOT?

1. Take out your notes from your lyric walk and café character sketches.

2. Have a read through.

3. Now using the “crap” song exercise, take no more than 20 minutes to write one verse and one chorus. If it’s going well, and you have time try writing another verse or two.

4. Post your draft in facebook documents.