describe your writing styles/process

[hubb_99]

use this thread to describe your writing process, do you write music fist then put lyrics to it? Do you write the lyrics and then search for the music? Give details as well. Do you have a certain book you write in? A certain place? Chorus First? Verse first? title first? Do you think about rythym when writing? What insruments? Styles?
tell all that you can

[Henri Devill]

Hey Hubb..I really doesnt matter to me ..sometimes music first sometimes lyrics first, however I get there I guess..Doing the music is pretty easy, since that was how I had started writeing from the begining..I worked with lyrisist for most of my writing ...For the last few years I've been doing the lyrics and music myself..I find that lyrics are the hardest thing to do for me !
I scribble on any paper I get my hands on .LOL..For lyrics I see the words like little movies..kinda like the dialog..For music its like the soundtrack..Strange but it works for me.LOL..I guess they dont come in any particular order {chorus/verse} I can be scattered sometimes..Rythym.. hummmm lets see as far as I can tell ..I guess I would more so if it was a heavly groove dependant thing..Each one is so different hard to say..maybe I hide my habits from myself..LOL..Intrs. guitar 1st. keys a distant second and sometimes bass, altough I think in all my time, I've only written one or two songs on bass.Hubb why dont you take a stab at the thread "Takes One to Know One" it only a couple of threads down from this one...



Don

[dr.colossus]

nice thread, i start with the drums.... i take out the porta studio and play four minutes of drums.... when i get off the drum kit i listen backto the recording, and half way through it i usually find that i've picked up the bass or i'm sitting at the organ... so as soon as the play back is done i hit record and play whatever is in my hands, then i listen to that play back and find myself humming a melody over the top.... i flick through my note book to see if any of my notes ( i wont say lyrics because that has a sense of poetry to it) fit the melody if so...rewind, record...if not ad lib! so there i have the songs frame work.... after listening back a few times i see where colour is needed and add it... this is pretty unorthodox i know but alot of the time the first shot is the best shot! i have a thousand tapes that are'nt worth @#%$ing on but there are a couple of real beauties in amongst it all.... well thats my story...

by the way cooool thread!

[erikfar]

when i start to write a song i:
smoke alot of weed, to me making music is so much more than makeing notes, and melodies, and harmonies, there is a whole aestetic, atmospheric, and mindset to writeing. I write for a metal/hardcore/emo group, usually i start writing the basic rythym for the song, simple enough, after i have that, i add metal/solo/arpeggios that go well with the rythym notes. check it out at http://listen.to/summersofar

(i just write lyrics, to the song (that i have written before i have started with the music), and he puts it to the songs. its mostly screamed but sometimes i do some clean sounidng singing just do whatever ya need to, rokk the funk out

[Krystof01]

Do a search on this, the songwriters forum as this has been covered many times.

[skaltpunk]

songwriting is such a freedom. there are so many ways of creating a song. but a 'good' song merely means that one put his or her emotion into it (with talent preferably). but we cannot judge talent. i would argue that the promise ring is genius. others would say they use pop melodies and random lyrics.

[George Parler]

Feel it, write it, finesse it, learn it, rewrite it, learn it, record it, listen to it, rewrite it, record it.

<><
George

[Emeric]

I think I've replied to this type of question before. But being somewhat mentally challenged, I'll do it again.

I usually start with the instruments. A guitar progression, or a riff.

From there, proceed to add a 'melody' either on guitar, or a vocal template.

Write the first verse, then leave the song to simmer for 6 months.

Come back, try and write the second verse, give up in frustration and write another song.

Repeat.

Skip the Coda

The odd time I break out of the loop and finish the song. Easiest way to do this is just do it. It's easy to get hung up on this and that.

I never work on 1 song to completion, usually 10 -20 songs active in various states. This is not a good method. It puts you in the endless loop (for me anyway). Bounce back and forth between them.

I write things down on one of those paper spiral things. More than one, and I can never find the one I'm looking for when needed.

Anyway. That's my method.

[Emeric]

Man this forum is a dead zone, I posted this 24 hours ago and it's the newest post.

No one interested in writing songs?

[hubb_99]

Man this forum is a dead zone, I posted this 24 hours ago and it's the newest post.

No one interested in writing songs?



I know, I figured people would jump at the chance to share and find out a little bit about other people's writing styles/ habits. I like seeing what other people do to get their "creative juices flowing", it's very interesting.

[Emeric]

It's an elusive topic.

Others are hiding their secret methods...

right?

[joro]

If I am writing lyrics first, I establish the mood by conjuring up the spirits of late and great songwriters.
Once I have established contact with them, (Croce, Chapin, Morrison et al.) I draw blood from my left arm in order to have the appropriate shade of red while scribing (I am right handed.)
This helps to cut-down on errors (I don't want to waste any....ya know?) Once "inspired" to write, I chose the appropriate substrate. For instance, a love song would be written on the inside of a label of a can of Hormel chili (makes absolute sense n'est pas?)


For music, I start by bashing my head against a hard, rough textured surface to the desired beat I am looking for. This establishes what I call the "Throb "TM method. Once established, I have a constant beat to follow (I could buy a metronome....but, why bother.)

Others on theses boards have made reference to using illicit substances to augment the creative process.
Can you believe it? Why? When there are simpler, more natural ways of establishing the mood.

Oh well, to each his own. I suppose everyone is different.

[Emeric]

Excellent and very unique approach Joro!

[getuhgrip]

I don't seem to have a fixed approach to writting.
Sometimes a few words hit me and I start writting around them.
Other times a piece of a melody strikes and I'll try to find a few words that fit.
Sometimes I get lucky, a fully developed theme just smacks me in the head!

Too often I'll think I have an origional piece of music only to realize that my mind was playing with sombody elses song.

[Henri Devill]

Joro..I need ten songs next week...Pick em up same place as always...Lowell General ..ER or private room this time...LOL

Don

[joro]

Hey Don,
My insurance company has limited me to 2 songs a month now.
They have also established a reserved room for me at Saints Memorial in Lowell.
No windows so, the view stinks but, the walls are nice and soft.
Good for recording I think.

[Sydney]

Sometimes a song just comes to me out of nowhere, like what getuhgrip said.

Sometimes, I come up with a song by just fooling around on the keyboard..... usually when my mind is somewhere else. When I'm paying to much attention to the fact that I'm trying to create a new song, I get nothing, or at least nothing good.

* The most important point that I wanted to add is that once you've come up with an original song, it's good to work on it in your head...like when you're on a walk or just doing regular daily activites. Even some really lame songs that I've created have developed into some very unique stuff from just thinking about them. ** And never force it... they usually just pop into my head randomly...like all of a sudden, some lame 8 measure tune that I wrote 5 years ago starts playing in my head, and starts developing.

[Seanmorse79]

I have to start with lyrics first. The music comes naturally, and I have a much easier time creating music for lyrics than vice versa. Plus, that way I can more easily match the mood of the idea behind the song. I struggle with lyrics, because I always think somethings going to end up too cheesy, so, most of my stuff ends up being way too philosophical instead. Can't win sometimes...

[dragonworks]

I talk to my wife for about 45 minutes then go write a blues tune.

[Irony]

I either start with a chord progression I really love, then i try to add layers and complications to it. (melody, ryhtm, harmony etc.) or I start with a melody I absolutely love and creat a chord progression for it.

[smellyfuzz]

I wait until my dog or cat speaks to me in tongues,
then I translate it to chords & words.

Right know I'm headlining at Wangs takeout restaurant.

I get paid pretty good. $2.50 per hour plus tips.

[thehorseshoe]

Creative juices. Alot of times watching a movie, as sappy as it may sound, prompts me to write. If people could see inside my head I think they would lock me up for plagurizing (is that how you spell it?) But reall, I do a lot of listening to other folks. Whether they are happy or sad (basic emotions) I try to get them to elaborate on what's eating them, the issues of today, the issues with them, the issues of their families, and tell myself that I am going through that same emotion (whatever it may be) and then I begin writing. I do a lot of writing ideas first, it magically seems to come together. I am so thankful. I have found that listening to the radio or your favorite CD is probably the WORST thing you could do if you are working on tying up that last verse to a song, ot even if you are in the mood to write a song from scratch. I hope this helps. Maybe this is too basic?

[Aaron Cheney]

I wrote an article that pretty much spells out my writing/ recording process called "The Audio Sketchpad". Check it out on my website. Just go to the Articles page.

Aaron
http://www.aaroncheney.com

[muzeman]

I either get in the mood and the lyrics come,usually inspired by an event and then I polish them up and try to put some music to them.

Or I get on a roll on guitar,write a litte riff or groove I like then add other tracks to fatten it up and try to add some melody and lyrics.

I bought a portable minidisc player to use in the car so I can listen to new stuff and decide if it's good or not.
Drivings a good distraction so your not to focused on the recording.

Pete

[badgas]

First thing I do is not plan to write. I don't work well creatively under pressure. This is not to say that what I do create is that great, but it's mine.
Second thing I do is press the record button. I record every practice session.
Third thing I do is forget I'm recording.

Basically I begin my usual practice session with excersises, scales, modes ect.
Then I being playing songs I know. Usually my own material.

Somewhere along in my practice, I begin drifting from my stuff to a new chord arrangement, a riff, etc. Possibly just a change of beat.
(Back in July I bought a drum machine and it has inspired me, same chords, different beat does wonders)

I begin with the chords. I've always been in the habit of talking to myself during practices, so when I hit a progression I like, I verbally name the chords. (saves time later)

At this point, either a melody comes, followed by words, or nothing. If nothing more comes, I'm left with a chord progression I 'might' work on later. Sometimes I have as many as five progressions during a practice. Nothing else.

But, once in a while, when all the planets and moons are aligned, so to speak', the melody comes and right behind it comes the lyrics. That's the main reason for recording my practice sessions.

About 50% of the time I leave the words, melody, chords and beat alone. I add a lead later, or fiddle with one during this time. Depends on what flows.

The other 50% can be cut down further.
80% of that 50% is never touched again.
Some of what I do, lingers in my mind for a while and I'll make a chord adjustment, change some words, etc. But when I do this, it has to be within hours or a few days of the original practice session. Beyond that time I loose interest in it or it's lost in the shuffle and a newer progression or song as arrived.

I have a very difficult time stopping and restarting work on a song.
I find it impossible to take lyrics or a poem and add music to it.

I usually do a song a month, on the average. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

Since that old thread about this same subject was posted back in July or August, I've been experimenting with other peoples techniques and habits. I find it hard.
I always fall back to my old habits, the 'comfort zone' I guess.

I'm still trying other song writers ways though. I want to keep an open mind.