Since I've given you my critical judgements over the songs of today and of yesterday, I thought I'd also share you exactly what I don't like when I listen to songs. You know, the tired cliches, artists lost for words (and ideas), etc. Some artists are guilty of these crimes more than others, but, in the end, practically every songwriter- good or bad- has fallen for these pitfalls. This may be a good list to refer to if you're a songwriter yourself, but I can't guarantee avoiding these pitfalls will generate good music, since even then bad songs are possible. Just take these as a word of advice okay?

The Pitfalls

1. Singing "Do-do-do", "La-la-la" etc.- Yeah, the voice is an instrument and this is one way of making beats for yourself, but when there is a musical backdrop, is this really necessary? Every time I hear it, I can't help but think "the artist's lost for words". Most of the time, they're just fillers, a simple throw-in that yes, can be done well, but most of the time the artist is just being lazy. Sorry, but music requires work to do well, and if you're not up to that task, find something else.

2. Recycled music- This is a crime most pop groups are guilty of. Instead of looking for creativity, their songwriters think that copying someone else's idea works best for their act, resulting in fifty different copies of the exact same song. It's not just pop acts who are guilty of this crime- practically every genre has had this form at one point or another. Many hip-hop and rap artists seem to only rap about how many swear words they can roll or what positions they like in bed (Nelly anyone?), using the same recycled lyrics and music over and over again. This isn't to say that those kinds of songs do not work at all- they can, it's just that many of those artists don't put the effort in order to put their distinctive stamp on them. Although other critics like to say that artists that use the same lyrics- like "I want to be with you", "Love me forever", etc.- is a sign of uncreativity, I do not. This is because lyrics like those tend to be the roots of human feelings, and, if done right, can be an exceptional display of the deepness of the human heart. Sung with passion, they can sound amazing. Which brings me to�

3. Emotionless recordings- When a singer is singing a song about love, there better be some real, genuine human emotion or else the words will mean nothing. Love is probably the deepest feeling in the human spirit and is one everyone- young and old- can relate to, but they won't want to if the singer doesn't care. When that happens, the only message we get is "this is my latest song" and not "this is how I feel today". Yeah, I know they're all songs, but the truth is for us to like it- or at least me- we want to relate to it, to think about it, or just to escape from our problems. Believe it or not, even the fun songs need emotion too- hey, how can I have fun if the singer doesn't either? I'll just leave it at that.

4. Trying too hard- This section deals mainly with songwriters who say to themselves, "let's make this exceptionally deep, smashing and moving song" and then go out, write the song and then it comes out way short of what the artist wanted. A great example of this is Chad Kroeger's "Hero" (with Saliva's Josey Scott): the song has the music for a deep song but the lyrics are among the simplest I have ever heard. There are some thoughtful bits- like the second verse- but clearly the thoughts could be much more drawn out, giving us something to really ponder and get a feel for what Kroeger is feeling. The lyrical shortfalls don't let us do that, and that is what drags the song down considerably. Listening to it and it became obvious Kroeger was trying too hard to find the right mix instead of making the song come from his heart, where real human emotions- and the root of deep songs- exist. In short, remember that to create something that is actually deep, the words must come from the heart and only from there, as it is always easier- but much more gratifying- to sing about how you actually feel rather than try for something that isn't there in your heart.

5. Not trying hard enough- This probably goes without saying, and goes very well with "recycling" music. Basically, this involves an artist creating a beat initially, feeling it works, singing a few words, feeling they work too, and leaving at that, not even trying to improve on their sound. Even the quickest of learners- in any field- require at least a little fine tuning to perfect their craft, so all musicians need as much work as they can to make the best quality song they can. "People go in front of a computer for a few hours and think they've got this great song," said Moby to MuchMusic's Bill Welychka back in 1999 about how he feels too many dance artists go about their craft. He continues on and says he takes months- even years if he has to- on his songs, trying as hard as he can to make the best possible sound. This is from a guy who's had critically-acclaimed and multi-platinum albums as his career norm, so don't take his words too lightly. Now, you don't have to spend as much time as Moby if you don't have to: just remember to take as much time as you can to perfect your sound completely. Hey, being a perfectionist may take a while to make things right, but you'll be better off for it in the end.

6. Overestimating your talents- Sometimes, there are musicians who get cocky and suddenly assume they're the greatest ever and then after trying, they realize they're not there yet. Now, I'm not trying to discount confidence or the musicians' actual skills, but there is one important difference I must point out between "cocky" and "confident". "Confident" implies that the person knows where they're skills are at and have the willpower to achieve a goal they know they'll get to, but only because they're willing to put in the work to do so. "Cocky" implies that the person already assumes they're great without actually putting in the work to do so, and, more often than not, they're exposed in dramatic fashion. By all means, try your best and if you are actually great, good, but if you're not, don't be discouraged: just try harder and you'll get there. Also, you don't have to be the absolute best at everything to have the best sound: I've heard several amazing songs where the musicianship probably will never be remembered as even among the best in it's day- take Creed's "My Own Prison", for example. However, the songwriters knew where they were as musicians and made the best of it, making the best possible sound as a whole using the skills they did have, and so should you. Try to get better, yes, but always use your skills to the best of your ability because, hey, more often than not you'll hit a home run.

7. Underestimating your skills- Then there is the musician who feels they'll never be the best and try to pawn off something that truly feels like it isn't the best they could be, only because they're not that confident. Just how the musician cannot forget their weaknesses, it is imperative for a musician not to doubt the strengths they do have. If you can belt out a tune to a very high note, do it. If you can play an impressive array of chords, do it (just remember to make everything work- producing the best sound doesn't always mean to be the best at everything). If you need a contemporary example, there is Avril Lavigne, who, despite being very impressive on her debut "Let Go", she obviously isn't trying as hard as she could. She can hit very high notes and could be among the best vocalists ever but only tries that hard sometimes, and her songs suffer because of it. She's also a gifted writer but tries to be too much like other artists instead of being herself when she's shown she can be just as good- if not better- as herself. In the end, don't forget your skills, and use them to the best you can be: your songs will be better for it.

8. Wasting your skills- Then there's the musician who has the skills but doesn't use them properly. The most obvious example I can think of is Christina Aguilera, who undeniably is among the best vocal talents in the world today but for some reason only wants to sing the dumbest songs possible. In the end, everyone overlooks Aguilera as another Britney Spears rip-off as opposed to a natural talent because of the songs she sings, and that is why she isn't as good as she could be. It doesn't matter if you can belt high notes to play one amazing riff: if the song isn't great in the end, it doesn't matter. Songs are not meant to show off your skills: rather, they're meant as a way to escape your problems and/or to express your personality, and through that, your skills will definitely shine through.

9. Lack of professionalism- The best example I can provide of this is where singers try to sing a serious song but laugh- sometimes hysterically- during the song. Basically put, if you're trying to express your anger or torment and, after a real good line you start to laugh, people don't think you're being serious and will brush off the song. One example is Eminem's "Cleaning Out My Closet", where Eminem is rapping about how angry he is with his mother for ruining his life. During his third rap, he laughs after a line about how his mother won't see his daughter and, when I hear it, I can only think is Eminem telling us "hey I just had a good line!" instead of me feeling bad for Eminem. Now, I understand that sometimes, after a creative rush one might be giddy for coming up with a great line, but you have to remember what kind of message you are trying to bring across. There's nothing wrong with having fun with it- by all means, do so, or else you wouldn't do it in the first place- but remember that succeeding in the music business requires serious work and your work should reflect that, even in a light, fluffy fun song.

10. Going for too long or cutting a song short- This probably almost goes without saying, but songs can almost certainly be killed by its length. A good song, no matter how long, should mask its length, meaning that your listener should not be able to tell "it's only two minutes" or "it's seven minutes long". Just how good movies never allow the viewer to notice how long they've been watching, good songs should never allow the listener to notice how long they've been listening. Probably one of songwriting's biggest skills to learn.

-DG

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