Songwriting Explorations

Finding the Vocal Melody - Demonstration is a video guitar lesson presented by Peter Mulvey and is sourced from String Traveler.

This remains the single most mysterious part of the process to me. It's opaque. My voice, your voice... everyone's voice is such a bodily thing. Asking where a vocal melody arose from is like asking "yeah, but how do you convince your hand to reach out and grab the coffee cup?!?! I mean, how does your hand know to do what your mind asks it to do?!?!?" Still, once we admit that that can't be figured out, we can grab the coffee cup, and we can write a vocal melody. Have fun, people.

Song Study 5: Dynamite Bill - Overview is a video guitar lesson presented by Peter Mulvey and is sourced from String Traveler.

Tim Gearan. Buy every record this guy has ever made. He's a fountain. He's a force. He's an everlivin' donut.

Song Study 5: Dynamite Bill - Performance is a video guitar lesson presented by Peter Mulvey and is sourced from String Traveler.

The second solo is better than the first one. Sloppy, but the feel is pretty good, and the phrasing is respectable.

Hybrid Picking Technique - Demonstration is a video guitar lesson presented by Blair Dunlop and is sourced from Songsmith: Rhythm & Rhyme.

In this video I'll break down the Hybrid Picking Technique. For me, this technique acts as a perfect medium between fingerpicking and flatpicking. It will allow you to really dig in with the pick when necessary, and seamlessly move between strumming and fingerpicking when you need to better accentuate individual notes.

Within My Citadel - Overview is a video guitar lesson presented by Blair Dunlop and is sourced from Songsmith: Rhythm & Rhyme.

This is a song that is characterised by the interplay between the melody and bass lines on the guitar. It utilises the hybrid picking technique, which provides dynamic flexibility for exploring the spiritual imagery in the lyric. It's in the tuning of DADGAD.

Lyrics:

I've had water poured upon me
I've been burnished by the sun
Seen the consequence of failing to know when to beat which drum
I've towed the line of knowing and not knowing what's begun
And I'm leaning with the wind where'er she blows

I took time to reacquaint myself with words that resonated
I took wine from every table when I'd left, unsatiated
I wrote lines I wrote lines for to keep me stimulated
For to keep my head above the undertow

When I'm longing for belonging
When you cast another spell
Like some Abrahamic call up to the skies
When my weariness is playing
But the record's warped and scratched
Are they remnants of a boyhood in disguise?

I've had feelings thrust upon me
I've seen the bottom of the well
I've been learning to protect myself from within my citadel
But the walls began to crumble, along with its personnel
I'd have scaled them but I was trapped within the dark

When I'm longing for belonging
When you cast another spell
Like some Abrahamic call up to the skies
When my weariness is playing
But the record's warped and scratched
Are they remnants of a boyhood in disguise?

Will my cup be overflowing
Be it water, be it wine?
As the arbiter of reason
I'd say either would be fine
Will my team win on the weekend?
Will the stars finally align?
Will any of it matter anyway?

When I'm longing for belonging
When you cast another spell
Like some Abrahamic call up to the skies
When my weariness is blowing
And the wind takes me aback
Are they remnants of some citadel of lies
Of lies, 'Are they remnants?' We cried
Are they remnants of a boyhood in disguise?

Songwriters: Blair Wesley Dunlop
© Sgo Music Publishing Ltd., SGO Music Publishing Ltd

Within My Citadel - Performance is a video guitar lesson presented by Blair Dunlop and is sourced from Songsmith: Rhythm & Rhyme.

This is a song that is characterised by the interplay between the melody and bass lines on the guitar. It utilises the hybrid picking technique, which provides dynamic flexibility for exploring the spiritual imagery in the lyric. It's in the tuning of DADGAD.

Lyrics:

I've had water poured upon me
I've been burnished by the sun
Seen the consequence of failing to know when to beat which drum
I've towed the line of knowing and not knowing what's begun
And I'm leaning with the wind where'er she blows

I took time to reacquaint myself with words that resonated
I took wine from every table when I'd left, unsatiated
I wrote lines I wrote lines for to keep me stimulated
For to keep my head above the undertow

When I'm longing for belonging
When you cast another spell
Like some Abrahamic call up to the skies
When my weariness is playing
But the record's warped and scratched
Are they remnants of a boyhood in disguise?

I've had feelings thrust upon me
I've seen the bottom of the well
I've been learning to protect myself from within my citadel
But the walls began to crumble, along with its personnel
I'd have scaled them but I was trapped within the dark

When I'm longing for belonging
When you cast another spell
Like some Abrahamic call up to the skies
When my weariness is playing
But the record's warped and scratched
Are they remnants of a boyhood in disguise?

Will my cup be overflowing
Be it water, be it wine?
As the arbiter of reason
I'd say either would be fine
Will my team win on the weekend?
Will the stars finally align?
Will any of it matter anyway?

When I'm longing for belonging
When you cast another spell
Like some Abrahamic call up to the skies
When my weariness is blowing
And the wind takes me aback
Are they remnants of some citadel of lies
Of lies, 'Are they remnants?' We cried
Are they remnants of a boyhood in disguise?

Songwriters: Blair Wesley Dunlop
© Sgo Music Publishing Ltd., SGO Music Publishing Ltd