How prolific a writer are you?

[mikeh]

I thought this could lead to interesting discussion.

During the last couple of years, I only write 5 or 6 songs (to completion) a year. I suspect I start maybe 20-30 songs (either based on a groove, a chord progression or some snipets of lyrics) - but most simply don't develop.

I've changed my approach over the years from trying to document anything (so I can go back to it) to an approach that follows the general logic, If I can't remember the melody/progression the next day - it was not good enough to spend time on.

I've tried to force myself to recognize songs that don't seem to be going anywhere and limit the energy I commit to those songs. The good news is, the 5-6 soongs I actually complete are songs I think are decent enough to complete - the bad news, I only complete 5-6 songs. Of those 5-6 maybe 1 each year (or maybe each couple of years) becomes something I'm truely proud of.

On the other hand, since the recording process takes a long time - 5-6 songs per year is about the maximum I have time to write & record.

Like many of you, I play and sing all the parts. Then to add to the effort - when I bring in an outside singer (if my publisher likes something) I often have to re-record (either in a different key or to change arrangements)

During the many years I've been writing songs I've completed about 200 and have recorded maybe 60-70 - of that body of work there are maybe 3 songs that I think are something special, maybe 20 that are pretty damn good and the rest are simply "decent enough to complete"

[himynameisbuddy]

Every month, I'll crank out 5-10 songs (depending on how busy school has me). I'll usually keep 2 or 3 of those. I've got lots of songs, but once or twice a year, I go through every song I have and I play them, then decide if it's keepable or not. If not, I decide whether or not it's worth trying to fix. My collection is narrowed down to about 20 real good songs right now, and 20-30 songs I'd like to change a bit. Now if I could just get off my butt and start working on those...

[bilco]

If you can maintain the 5-6 songs per year and they are keepers, you are doing great. Don't throw the others away though; you never know when a line or a melody from one of them will end up being used somewhere else. I've got snippets of ideas written on cocktail napkins from 1973!

I have been writing for 37 years and I was beating myself up because it didn't feel like I wrote as many as I used to. I went back and actually broke them down by year. My minimum output in a year was 0 and that has happened 3 times, max output 18 and the average over 37 years has been 6 per year. Out of 37 years of songwriting, there were only 12 years that I wrote more than 5 in a year. Out of ~ 225 songs, I maybe have 25 that I feel REALLY good about. Some of the rest are pretty good and the others...... well, at least I was writing.....
bilco

[ido1957]

I write about one a month during a good run. My average is about one every two months. I'm in a lull right now, did a cover tune recently to get my chops back up a bit. That reminds me, I really need to get something down soon...

[Nicole_Rose]

i have written 7 full songs this last two year period plus several instrumentals and pieces that are not finished. i'm not very prolific, but i'm getting much more so than before. used to be i'd write a tune in a year. now i write 4 in a year. maybe in the upcoming years i'll write 5 or 6, or maybe even 8. that would be nice

[Whatmysay]

Song output is like sex I think there is a lot more of it when you’re younger. As you get older it is not as often but probably the quality is better. That said at any age you can go through very fertile times.

Over a year I average about two a month, and I’ve written a couple of songs as well

[songright]

I complete on average 8 songs a year. I go through about 5 creative spurts a year. When I don't have a creative spurt as far as songs are concerned, I am gathering assets for new songs by living life, reading books, writing poetry, listening to new music (I don't like to listen to much music during writing times) and just taking it all in. I also enjoy working on guitar playing during the "off season" of writing songs. Overall, I feel that I have been prolific for over 18 years. My well just doesn't seem to dry up. I feel like I am just reaching my peak. Exciting times, and it's an election year. Let's write some songs, people!

[up-fiddler]

Originally Posted by Whatmysay

Song output is like sex I think there is a lot more of it when you’re younger. As you get older it is not as often but probably the quality is better. That said at any age you can go through very fertile times.

Over a year I average about two a month, and I’ve written a couple of songs as well

"You must spread some reps...." Still, all in all, this is well stated.

[mikeh]

"Over a year I average about two a month, and I’ve written a couple of songs as well". I got a good laugh out of this!!!

I agree that the older I get the less prolific I am - but I think it is really a matter of being more selective in what I choose to spend my time on.

I too have tracked how many songs I've written by year - over about a 40 year period. There were a few years where I wrote no songs and a few where I wrote 9-12, but over 40 years it seems to average about 6 (which is about what I've averaged the last few years - and I'm OK with that).

I notice that if I'm gigging a lot or getting a lot of calls to do sessions for other people I write less - but when I don't have a lot of gigs/outside session, I write more (this has been a consistant factor over many years). I've come to the conclusion that when much of my creative energy is spent on other projects, I simply don't have enough creative juices left to commit to writing.

However, since the gigs and sessions generate the income to purchase gear, etc. - I have to commit x-amount of time to those pursuits. Sometimes the decision to be a creative artist, vs. a musical slut is not an easy one!!!