Known as the Bad Boys from Boston and America’s Greatest Rock and Roll band, Aerosmith made space in the hearts of not just the Americans but the world. With their career span running over 50 years, the band has released 15 studio albums, with songs mainly written by the lead singer Steven Tyler and lead guitarist Joe Perry. This songwriting team carried the band to success and contributed to making the band the best-selling American hard rock band.
Some elements of blues inspire the sound, and when Tyler and Perry create songs, they merge blues with hard rock. Over the years, they incorporated pop-rock, heavy metal, glam metal, and rhythm and blues. The Bad Boys from Boston established their image with their songwriting. The other band members like Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, and Brad Whitford were there to play those songs being written and contribute as much as possible. But Whitford, unlike the other members, does not contribute much to the songwriting, and here is why.
Why Didn’t Brad Whitford Write Many Aerosmith Songs?
Songwriting could be a gift from birth or something learned with technicalities later on. However, it indeed develops more and more with practice and the help of other songwriters or composers. Brad Whitford also thought it was challenging to write songs as well. He describes himself as more of a guitar player.
Concerning his role in the band as a guitar player, Whitford also talked about his songwriting role. He doesn’t consider himself a ‘prolific’ writer; he had stated that he could write songs with the help of people who are already well talented in the area. Also mentioning that songwriting is complex, Brad noted that he is more of a guitar player than a songwriter and comes up with a melody. He is happy with contributing his riffs.
Here is what he said about writing songs:
“I don’t consider myself a terribly prolific writer. I can write music with other people if they’re better songwriters than I am. I really can’t create a song. It’s very difficult to do. That’s why the people that can do it are very few and far between. I’m certainly not that type of a guy. More of a guitar player, more of the kind of [guy] who comes up with enough riffs and ideas to write a song. But to write lyrics and come up with a melody for it, it won’t happen.”
Despite having challenges in writing songs, Whitford was given credits for co-writing 17 Aerosmith songs. Hence his role as a ‘lesser contributor to songwriting’ still includes a lot of his effort. Yet, the guitarist has proven with his guitar skills that success comes when the band members stick to what they think they do best.
