[Jon S.]

One successful way to write a new original song, especially when we're feeling blocked, is to take an existing song or style by a band we love, and use that as our initial inspiration to begin writing.

I just did this with Sugar Magnolia-Sunshine Daydream. I wrote a new original song, Journey, that I'll record this summer and release this fall on my upcoming second album. It was a wonderful experience. My new song will never be mistaken for the Dead yet when folks hear it, to some, I expect it'll "feel" (if not sound) familiar.

I also wrote a new Beatles-esque song, Safe Place, using the same approach. I drew on And Your Bird Can Sing for my inspiration for its opening dual guitar harmony riff.

Wondering if others here use this technique for your original music? If yes, via which band(s) or song(s)? And if not, what are some successful writing techniques you use to pull yourselves out of ruts?

[lbpesq]

Here’s a couple of “inspired by the Dead” tunes I wrote performed by my non-Dead band, “Stonetrout”. First up is a Bob Weir style cowboy song:.



Next, here’s one inspired by He’s Gone and Tennessee Jed:

https://soundcloud.com/lbpesq/jimmy?utm ... al_sharing

Bill, tgo

[MonochroMushroom]

I've done this a few times. My girlfriend, who's also a bass player, and I constantly jam and sometimes something original comes from taking an existing song and just jamming on it.

A lot of our stuff is based in the Appalachian stuff, as I grew up on Mt. Pisgah in North Carolina and she's from Coal Country in Kentucky. I've never wrote anything "special". I just turned 28, so I have a lot to learn about the process. Here are a few examples of songs I've written that I'm proud of and fit your criteria.

"When the Dawn Breaks" which was inspired by my favorite Pink Floyd album "The Division Bell". Just the beautiful acoustic work and smooth guitar tones from songs like Marooned, A Great Day for Freedom, Take It Back, and Poles Apart.

"Fog Rolls In" was inspired by The Band, Dylan, and Hot Tuna. Just a Piedmont blues style piece about the beauty of the Smoky Mountains and life growing up on Mt. Pisgah. We jam that one with some local bluegrass guys sometimes.

"Hey Mr. Manson" is inspired by "Revolution" by The Beatles, "Cosmic Charlie" by The Dead, and general 50's Twangers like Duane Eddy and Carl Perkins. Just a fun party tune that gets people moving, even if it is about a guy that wants to make it in the music business but ends up murdering people.

"Sincerely, Yesterday" draws heavily from Jethro Tull's 'folk trilogy' of albums. Tells a story and is the most "Prog Rock" styled song I have ever written.

Finally, "What About the World?" which was based off of "Beautiful People" and "Laugh As the Sun" by Rusted Root. Very much world music, drum circle, parking lot jam session sounding tune.

There are a lot of other songs that I have used inspiration from, but just in the general way that we take from our favorite bands/musicians. Is there any where I can purchase your first album? I'd really like to hear that.

Keep on Truckin',
MonochroMushroom

[Jon S.]

Here’s a couple of “inspired by the Dead” tunes I wrote performed by my non-Dead band, “Stonetrout”. First up is a Bob Weir style cowboy song:.



Next, here’s one inspired by He’s Gone and Tennessee Jed:

https://soundcloud.com/lbpesq/jimmy?utm ... al_sharing

Bill, tgo

Sweet! Can't miss the TJ influence in the 2nd one.

[wabisabied]

Absolutely. One example is a two chord vamp I call “Endlessness”, of which there are multiple versions on my soundcloud. It was born of the Dark Star A-G vamp, substituted with Dmaj7-Cmaj7, and infused with a bit of vibe from the “Endless Summer” movie theme song. I often quote, or at least hint at, the Dark Star vocal melody, as in this live jam version with a synth player and me on loop station, at about the 8 minute mark.

https://soundcloud.com/wabisabied/endle ... norhythmic

Other influences include Dylan (of course), Neil Young (another of course), Bob Marley (which I suppose applies to any reggae song, really), Beatles, Back Keys, and even Everclear on a song I wrote 20+ years ago.

[wleeds]

I have written many that started out as inspiration from playing around with Dead tunes -
Here is a YT channel filled with them
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChzj-p ... Z6A/videos

[natebernstein]

As a matter of fact, I have!

Bit of a funny story behind it. I'll try to keep it short. In college, early 90s, a bunch of us are at a show. It's one guy's first show and he's super psyched to remember the set list. Keeps asking another guy in our group all the song names. This other dude eventually grows tired of getting bugged all night and starts making up fake titles to mess with our Dead newbie. Later that night, after the show, and for some time thereafter, our hero keeps saying "wow, I can't believe they played Crescent Moon Over Ecuador!" I think that must have been my jokester buddy's fake title for Terrapin or something. Can't remember. But this became a running inside joke for our friend group for many years.

In any case, many, many, many moons later (pun intended) we were reminiscing and ribbing our friend about this. Somebody, who knows I write and record my own stuff, suggested I should write a song called Crescent Moon Over Ecuador. So I did! It was the first time I started with a title, which dictated a certain mood in my mind - kind of dark, like a spaghetti western feel for some reason. And I just went with it.

Technically speaking not inspired directly by a Dead song, but indirectly. I don't think it sounds particularly like the Dead, and I wasn't trying for that, even though I did rely on the envelope filter and octave pedal for the solo at the end. It was a lot of fun to work on, and I've since tried to do that a little more often - maybe not start with a title, but with a premise or topic.

If anyone cares to give a listen, here it is:
https://soundcloud.com/st-justin/cresce ... er-ecuador

[Jon S.]

The title Crescent Moon Over Ecuador made me think first of Standing on the Moon.

[Gr8fulCadi]

If anyone cares to give a listen, here it is:
https://soundcloud.com/st-justin/cresce ... er-ecuador

Really enjoyed that!! Nice job, nice vocals, nice playing.

[natebernstein]

If anyone cares to give a listen, here it is:
https://soundcloud.com/st-justin/cresce ... er-ecuador

Really enjoyed that!! Nice job, nice vocals, nice playing.

Thank you very much!

[natebernstein]

I've done this a few times. My girlfriend, who's also a bass player, and I constantly jam and sometimes something original comes from taking an existing song and just jamming on it.

A lot of our stuff is based in the Appalachian stuff, as I grew up on Mt. Pisgah in North Carolina and she's from Coal Country in Kentucky. I've never wrote anything "special". I just turned 28, so I have a lot to learn about the process. Here are a few examples of songs I've written that I'm proud of and fit your criteria.

"When the Dawn Breaks" which was inspired by my favorite Pink Floyd album "The Division Bell". Just the beautiful acoustic work and smooth guitar tones from songs like Marooned, A Great Day for Freedom, Take It Back, and Poles Apart.

"Fog Rolls In" was inspired by The Band, Dylan, and Hot Tuna. Just a Piedmont blues style piece about the beauty of the Smoky Mountains and life growing up on Mt. Pisgah. We jam that one with some local bluegrass guys sometimes.

"Hey Mr. Manson" is inspired by "Revolution" by The Beatles, "Cosmic Charlie" by The Dead, and general 50's Twangers like Duane Eddy and Carl Perkins. Just a fun party tune that gets people moving, even if it is about a guy that wants to make it in the music business but ends up murdering people.

"Sincerely, Yesterday" draws heavily from Jethro Tull's 'folk trilogy' of albums. Tells a story and is the most "Prog Rock" styled song I have ever written.

Finally, "What About the World?" which was based off of "Beautiful People" and "Laugh As the Sun" by Rusted Root. Very much world music, drum circle, parking lot jam session sounding tune.

There are a lot of other songs that I have used inspiration from, but just in the general way that we take from our favorite bands/musicians. Is there any where I can purchase your first album? I'd really like to hear that.

Keep on Truckin',
MonochroMushroom

where can we listen to all this? I wore out that Rusted Root album when it came out.

[lbpesq]

Re: Crescent Moon Over Ecuador

Nice tune! Very professional sounding!

Bill, tgo

[natebernstein]

Re: Crescent Moon Over Ecuador

Nice tune! Very professional sounding!

Bill, tgo

Thank you!