A Thousand Mile Journey Taken Leads to a Lifetime of Songs
My approach to songwriting towards the end of the odyssey
Most people know the following variation of an ancient Chinese proverb:
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
It's a popular way to express that even difficult tasks require a starting point, one step in the right direction.
The saying is part inspiration and part perseverance. Sounds like a great song in the making.
My take is a bit different. Being over 60, I've walked those thousand miles and then some. I look back more than look towards the future. It's a perspective with a twist to the journey. Here are two variations that better sum up my personal situation:
A journey of a thousand songs begins with a single chord
A thousand mile journey taken leads to a lifetime of songs
Scobiphonic is where I document and distribute the songs. I aim to reach into my past and reflect upon the future through the medium of music. It's been a long time coming, and current technology allows me to be an independent content provider beholden to my own methods.
Scobiphonic is also about the musical journey. Songs stick with you for a lifetime. They help form your opinions. They move your emotions. They mark time for memories. They offer therapy. So when the world is nothing but variables, songs remain a constant.
Culture is defined by music. The sounds of your youth are ingrained in your psyche. I've lived in East Africa and Southeast Asia. I love the high tempo rhythms of Swahili music. I adore the ethereal tones of desert music. Gamelan music puts your mind in a calming trance; while Hindi music captures your aural attention. World travel adds to your musical repertoire, but homeland tempos remain embedded and are impossible to replace. They always bring it back home. Your ear is programmed; it has a bias towards your own culture.
World music is also an amalgamation as global influences merge. As a Tuareg refugee in Saharan Africa, a young boy was gifted an electric guitar by his relative. He turned to YouTube to learn how to play, where Jimi Hendrix and Mark Knopfler laid out the licks. His musical style is extraordinary. This is Bombino.
All of these influences and styles sink into your mental substrate. They provide the fundamentals from which to mine the songs hidden in your spirit. Songwriting allows you to dig hard and reach the rich veins of the motherlode. Music theory is a treasure map that directs the search. It's still a gamble, but it rewards hardworking and honest efforts.
As a non-professional guitar player, I can only pass on the knowledge that helps me get the songs written. I know my limits, but I do not doubt my passion and melodic upbringing. I self-studied the art of writing, so I use this discipline to compose songs. Understanding music theory came late, at the age of 62. It's a new adventure that opened the floodgates to the fretboard and creativity.
Scobiphonic is about simplicity. I can't explain musical modes or produce multi-instrumental jams on a digital audio workstation (DAW). I'm keen to learn and apply when needed, but the songs are my priority. I love electric guitar music, but I only play acoustic. I don’t shred. It’s all about the tone of chord progressions and lyrics.
It's a basic formula of guitar noodling, feeling the mood, exercising chord techniques, rewriting lyrics, attempting to sing and recording at home. You get to follow the process and hear the output. Hopefully, you'll gain some insights into your own process and blast away the barriers that bury talent.
An original song will be uploaded each month, starting in February 2022. Every week or two, I'll write a post on songwriting techniques, influences and other aspects that aid in the overall process. It's a way to observe someone else's song mechanics and find your own takeaways.
Join the journey.