Good Lickin'

It's been a while...

As I've been saying for the past few days, tomorrow is the day when Tea with Liya will have existed for an entire year! So, I decided to celebrate with one of the songs that I wrote.

I said in the description of my YouTube video that "I thought of the name for this song because when you're licking ice cream cones in the summer, it's good licking instead of good looking." One of my music teachers didn't like the name though - if I remember correctly, it reminded him of a disobedient child being sent to be "licked." I didn't realize that connotation when I chose the name. Be careful how you name your songs.

As you may know already, most of the songs I've written use the chords of another song. For example, Red Ball was based on I've Got Rhythm, and this one is based on "The Preacher" by Horace Silver. Usually, I keep the harmony of another song but use the same melody and rhythm, which is really all you need to make a song. If I keep writing, however, I might start using my own chords instead of those from another song.

I read something on a website called Learn Jazz Standards talking about getting started with composing. It said that improvisation is really composing on the spot. So if you can play a good solo, that will make it easier to write a good song.

However, I feel like songs and solos are different. I feel like songs are supposed to be more complete and prepared than solos. With a solo, you can just go off and do your thing that you make up on stage. You don't have to - and you shouldn't - just be playing things that you decided already beforehand.

It's good to learn from what others play, but you don't want them to always go in your ears and out the instrument. The point is that you "internalize" them so you will play them subconsciously.

But some of you, of course, probably aren't coming here to find out about writing songs and playing solos. Hopefully you also internalize things from the songs you listen to. Which is why I have a song for you to listen to right now!

If you play an instrument, what do you think of what I've said about writing songs? Please leave a comment below with your answer!