When you write a song, do you hear the song or the sound ?

[grimtraveller]

When you write songs, do you hear the sound of the song or does the sound evolve over time ?
Is the arrangement part and parcel of the writing or is there space for unforseen directions ?

 

[SweetDan]

I usually am messing around on some instrument (guitar, sometimes piano, bass or harmonica) and stumble across something that sounds cool - a snippet of a melody, a chord progression, whatever. From there I take that phrase / chord progression / rhythm and experiment to see if I can draw a song out of it. So, yes, you could say the sound evolves from there. Any actual arrangement may come after.

Only once, that I recall, did I hear phrases of the song mentally before I had an instrument in my hands. I woke up and could hear the chorus in my head (it even had lyrics!) while I lay in bed. Once I repeated it mentally a time or two so I wouldn't forget it, I dug out my guitar and experimented with what later would become verses. Finally, before I left my room, I recorded the chorus and fragmented verses on my cellphone.

Edit: I re-read your question, and I think I answered something you didn't ask. Let me try again.

Sometimes - maybe 20% of the time - I understand what the "sound" should be for a song I write, in the sense of I know what the instrumentation should be: male/female voice? Acoustic/electric guitar (or bass)? Drums heavy or thin? Other instrumentation? Most of the time, though, I don't, and it evolves over time.

 

[mjbphotos]

The songs evolve as I work on them. Rarely do I 'hear' it all ahead of time (or as I write the lyrics).

 

[DM60]

I always hear it, but once it starts, it evolves. I don't think a song ever finishes the way I started it or thought it. Concept wise, probably does.

Not until I started recording did arrangement mean anything. Now, once I have composed and arranged, I have little room for collaboration. To collaborate for me, the song would have to be in the starting phase. I would have a hard time changing it once I committed something.

 

[Xdrummer]

In most cases, I am playing around with chord progression and or riffs on various instruments (mostly guitar or keys - sometimes on drums or bass or other instruments like mandolin, etc.) - I then start to "scat" sing which eventually reveals a few lines that become part of a verse or chorus - from there I continue to work until I have a song form. Once I have what I beleive is a solid song form, I will then start to work on lyrics. Often, I may "re-write" several times as I strengthen the melody, etc.

Once I have a "song" I start mentally forming an arrangement (what instruments do I think are needed for the song, what type of drum groove, what will the bass line be, etc.). This is often done outside of my studio. So by the time I step into the studio and hit the record button, I already know what instruments I plan to record in what order, etc.

Now, once I start recording I often decide the bass line I had heard in my head is not working well with the drum groove, etc - so I often change parts of the arrangement while recording individual parts.

I think there were only two occasions when an entire song came to me, lyrics - melody - general rhythm, etc. without an instrument in my hand (in both cases I was driving out of town and had to pull over to write down the lyrics, etc. before the muse stole them back). I then figured out the key and developed an arrangement when I returned home.

I now always have a small digital recorder with me (about the size of a cell phone) to allow me to hum a melody or dictate some lyrical ideas while driving, etc.

 

[Pinky]

Usually I start with a single progression and build from there. So in my case, like others, most of the song is not thought out. Rarely I'll write lyrics then music.

 

[Armistice]

I've usually knocked up the building, I paint it later. Sometimes I move a wall...

 

[fat_fleet]

Sometimes I do picture the "sound" ahead of time but it changes during recording... usually it's a spare tasteful arrangement being ditched in favor of a 60-track monstrosity with 8 guitar parts and 12 vocal tracks.

 

[Armistice]

Sometimes I do picture the "sound" ahead of time but it changes during recording... usually it's a spare tasteful arrangement being ditched in favor of a 60-track monstrosity with 8 guitar parts and 12 vocal tracks.

I totally get this...

 

[jigfresh]

I'm reading your question like it's meant for guitar and you mean do I hear the music or the 'sound(s)' on my multi effects processor first.

Most of the songs I've written have been from playing on my guitar till I find something musically I like. Then expanding on that, and as the song forms up a little an appropriate sound comes into my head.

However quite a few times I've started from the sound, just playing around with the boss pedal until I find something I like there, and start messing around playing. These songs are usually 'out' of the way my songs usually go. It's like an exercise in playing as someone else, or in someone else's style.

 

[Tadpui]

I always hear it, but once it starts, it evolves. I don't think a song ever finishes the way I started it or thought it.

Exactly!

Usually the structure of my songs are already set, and I record a scratch track to set the structure once I've thought it out. Then I add tracks on top of that in an attempt to capture whatever I was hearing as I wrote it. But then as I start playing, fiddling, jamming, etc., the song generally morphs into a beast of its own. It's rare that it ends up as the vision I had while writing.

 

[DM60]

Exactly!

Usually the structure of my songs are already set, and I record a scratch track to set the structure once I've thought it out. Then I add tracks on top of that in an attempt to capture whatever I was hearing as I wrote it. But then as I start playing, fiddling, jamming, etc., the song generally morphs into a beast of its own. It's rare that it ends up as the vision I had while writing.

Yep. 90% of my songs are just like that.

Then I have what I call bonus songs, songs that write themselves. I start playing something, it moves into something else, then the notes start giving me the words and how to sing them (not complete sentences, it is just a stupid song) and I will get one or two songs during the process. Weird but I'll take them however I can get them.