Evolution of your composing?

[jbarry]

Hi, first post here. I play finger style acoustic guitar, just at home, no vocals. I lean towards Celtic music and write from that perspective.

So I started writing an instrumental piece the other day, CGDGAD #10. After the 4th revision I went on to writing something else as it just wasn't happening.
Many times I will start with a chord fragment and a transition to another which sets the basis for a theme, more than a melody. I get better results, but it takes longer
if I start with melody and fit the chords/intervals around that.

What is your process and how many revisions does a tune go through on average?

[rob aylestone]

er ...Hi - not sure we can really help, because it's (well, for me) not a formula at all, and I don't think I've ever considered it as a process to follow. Sometimes it could be a chord sequence (not sure what a chord fragment is?) that suggests a melody. Other times it will be a melody, that generates the chords. Sometimes I'll write in small sections that can be copied and pasted to create the format, other times, I'll start and then at some point it ends. For me - the sounds I choose to do this steer the way. Often whole projects start out when I find a new sound, that then generates the music? Sometimes there will be no formal revisions, other times dozens. Is a revision one note, or is a revision a new instrument or sound, or is a revision chopping it up? Who knows?

[gecko zzed]

What Rob says ^^

I have no one method of composing, but instead, inspiration will come from a variety of sources.

[grimtraveller]

I could go through lots of minor revisions or none at all. I'm not really a 'routine' person when it comes to writing. There are a number of ways that songs come. It's so rare that I've ever said to myself "now I'm going to write a song" and sat down to do it that I honestly can't, off the top of my head think of an example. On the other hand, tons of times, pieces of music have been in my head or have come in a dream or have arrived when I have a guitar or bass in my hands and I'm doodling or have developed in a jam.
Relatively early on, I'll have a fair idea of what instruments will be in the song, if there'll be vocals or harmonies etc, but even they're not set in stone. Many a time, I'll set out to do a very sparse song, but then, I'll hear other lines of music that change my original idea. Or I'll set out to try a basic two guitar rocker but as things develop, I can hear other instruments and counter melodies or harmonies. To be honest, until a song is completely mixed, I can't say for certain that it is finished. And even then, there have been times when I've finished a song, then some other bit comes to me and I'll try to ignore it but I know that if I don't make the revision, I'll probably always hear it so........
But by the time you've written loads of songs there are bound to be a whole load that fit into all kinds of categories. I love hearing about how artists songs came to be, what went into them, their genesis, the revisions, additions, arguments, recording sessions, production input etc.
But nowhere near as much as I just like hearing the songs themselves.

[spantini]

... I love hearing about how artists songs came to be, what went into them, their genesis, the revisions, additions, arguments, recording sessions, production input etc... But nowhere near as much as I just like hearing the songs themselves.

Seeing their original lyric sheets with all the revisions (crossed out words and phrases; circles and arrows; food stains; etc.) is just as fascinating to me, if not moreso.

[DM60]

A good way to compose a song, don't think.

[grimtraveller]

A good way to compose a song, don't think.

At first glance that seems like such baloney or one of those daft mystical statements that emanate from a certain songwriter elitism. But it's actually great advice when it comes to songwriting. Sometimes, when one's critical faculties are turned off, it's noteworthy what can come out of one's head ~ and how original it can be.

[DM60]

At first glance that seems like such baloney or one of those daft mystical statements that emanate from a certain songwriter elitism. But it's actually great advice when it comes to songwriting. Sometimes, when one's critical faculties are turned off, it's noteworthy what can come out of one's head ~ and how original it can be.

Yes, I wasn't trying to be flippant. I know for me, when I am in free form, all sorts of ideas come out. I can always go back and "clean it up". But once I get going, as soon as I put structure around my thoughts (or focus), I go cold quick.

[Cosmic]

"Punching through the reluctance" is one term I use; be it hesitation in general, specific hangups about my writing or vocal abilities or simply a lack of faith in the material. To allow myself to sound foolish or incoherent on a scratch track is a great liberation. It takes fear and preconception away by looking it in the eye (or ear).
C.

[endlessrain]

I took a free online songwriting course by a Berklee professor named Pat Pattison a while ago and it helped me a great deal with the lyrics part. He had a great method for coming up with the lyrical content i.e. boxes with summaries, combination of words with different rhyme relationships, etc. For someone like me who really struggled to write even a single line of lyric, this course really helped me get the words flowing again and actually complete the lyrics for my songs!