Obamanator1793...I had to come up with something new, so what the heck!
Please don't think I'm a fan...I am conservative to the core!!! But I do enjoy a heated conversation with the opposition. I've been on earth now for 56 years...not to old...not to young...dumb heart-attack gave me 3 stents and pills to take every 12 hours! Still kicking though...and I want to make a difference, contribute and be helpful in any way I can.
I play guitar as a hobby...write songs too. I really enjoy it when a bunch of voices harmonize...it gives me shivers and at times, a tear! I taught myself every instrument I play...Bass, Guitar, Drums, Vocals, Lead Guitar and Piano. The one thing I try to impress on beginners is first, enjoy it! Then play songs you are familiar with. I went out and bought a music book with an assorted list of artists. This gave me a wider variety of groups to pick from and I new about 30% of the books songs. One more important point for beginners...don't buy a cheap guitar, if you can! I found that having a good sounding Guitar helps you because it sounds good when you do good...and it sounds bad when your playing bad! Fact is, it's great once you learn the chords and words to a song! I have spent many hours of fun and entertainment and really enjoy it too!
Writing songs is a different animal altogether! There are as many ways to write a song as there are people...but there are some tried and true methods. Rhyming, like in poems, always works! Sometimes the words come first...other times the music. I tend to work on certain chord progressions until it has a good feel. Sometimes I play the same progression first thing when I start practicing. As for writing, I try to find a good topic or just whatever pulls on my heart! One thing I always do...count the syllables in each line. Matching the same number of syllables gives continuity from verse to verse...line to line. I may not be making myself clear, but if you like this, just ask!