Song writing... your method.

[icantbuyafender]

Lyrics written, then I come up with a melody, find a bass groove and develop a chord progression that compliments.

 

The Lead is usually the note for note melody of the vocals.

 

In order to develop this, I use a crappy tape recorder (soon to be RC-2 looper)

 

anyone else got ideas/methods?

[Shnate McDuanus]

NOTE: Most of this post is a joke. For information on how I really write songs, skip to steps #7-8 and 7a.

 

1. Pick up guitar and strap it on. Usually I try to be as comfortable as possible, which often means sitting on my bed in my favorite pair of slippers and a pair of baggy sweatpants. I also need to be close to the instrument, physically and mentally, which means I usually take my shirt off to write a song.

2. I like to smell the guitar before I start writing anything. I smell the body, I smell the neck, I smell the fretboard. Sometimes I smell the strings. I rarely smell the pickguard or the bridge--they're not as interesting. Also, I often find that just a little taste of the lacquer from the back of the headstock helps me write songs. You know, just try licking the back of the headstock and tasting the lacquer. That'll get the creative sauces flowing.

3. Next, I'll put the guitar down for a few minutes, and go into the bathroom for a leisurely reading of the most recent issue of Playboy. My favorite selections are usually the short fiction--just a few months ago there was a wonderful piece by Chuck Palahniuk, and after that there was a delightfully raunchy excerpt from the final novel by the late Jim Carroll, called The Petting Zoo. I highly recommend the full novel, if you have the time for such things.

4. After such an intense exertion (reading the Playboy articles, that is,) it's important to stay hydrated and well-fed. I recommend grabbing a glass of water and a healthy snack, like an apple or a handful of celery. You're going to want to avoid refined carbs and complex sugars, as those can be unhealthy and develop into unsightly fat. You'll also want to avoid caffeine and alcohol, as those are both diuretics and will cause you to lose vital fluids and electrolytes, and be dehydrated more easily after consumption.

5. After your snack, it's probably beneficial for you to grab your guitar again and turn on your amp, if you're playing electric--which you should be, because if you're writing songs on an acoustic guitar you'll never get the lush reverb and organic tube overdrive that you need for the kinds of songs you should be writing. Acoustic guitars are for folk music--who do you think you are, James Taylor?

6. Once I'm plugged in and turned up pretty damn loud ("pretty damn loud" is right above "4" on most amps, but right above "1" on a good amp,) I'll usually start noodling around for a little bit and then PLAY DEEP PURPLE RIFFS. PLAY ALL THE DEEP PURPLE RIFFS I KNOW, AS LOUD AS I CAN. FLIGHT OF THE RAT SMOKE ON THE WATER SPACE TRUCKIN' BLACK NIGHT SPEED KING BLOODSUCKER FIREBALL HIGHWAY STAR. Once I get all of that out of my system, I'm ready to write my own song instead of playing tasteless covers of seventies hard rock classics.

7. I might start strumming a chord (usually open G, because it's nice and shimmery, or open E minor, because it's nice and shimmery and sad,) and usually try singing a melody out over the chord. When I reach a note that warrants a chord change, I figure out what chord it ought to change to. This is usually done by a trial and error process, where I think about what the note is, and what chords in that key have that same note. I usually decide upon which chord to use based on what sounds best, and on what sort of sound I'm looking for. It's important to me to harmonize chords with melody in a way that is interesting and fits the content of the song--sometimes I'll want to keep it simple, so I may just stick to power chords, and sometimes I want a very lush or very hip arrangement, which is when I tend to break out the 13ths and the minor 6ths. Basically, I'll start with a melody and then harmonize it. Sometimes the melody will come from me humming it, sometimes it will come from me playing it.

8. After I've got the melody and the chords down, I'm usually pretty much done. Of course, if I want words, I'll write up some lyrics which complement the melody in a pleasing way, and of course which make sense. I try very hard to make sure that my lyrics are meaningful, and also that they fit with the rhythmic feel and melody of the song, and that they are interesting to me. It helps to be sincere, if writing about personal subjects, or very well-informed, if writing about esoteric subject. What I mean is, if you're writing about your ex-girlfriend, you'll want to write from the heart; if you're writing about slaying dragons, you'll want to have read some literature about dragon slaying.

7a) Sometimes the lyrics will come first, and then I'll match a melody to them. Sometimes the lyrics and melody will come at the same time. Sometimes I'll have great lyrics for one song and a great melody for another, but the two just don't fit together well enough to become one song. Sometimes I'll use a drum machine for songwriting inspiration. Sometimes I'll just noodle around until something cool happens. I guess what I'm getting at is that songwriting isn't a science--it's an art, and sometimes the methods you need to use to write a song vary.

[icantbuyafender]

OMFG

 

I havent laughed this hard in a while.

 

Good technique.

 

I like to pick a specific key via a capo, and in the interlude or bridge, toss in a m7th chord.

 

use triads for initial simplicity too...

[ShredAstaire]

For me it starts with a riff....i then decide if its an intro riff, a verse, a chorus, a bridge or an outro and try to write around it to get the feel i want. Sometimes it changes....or i play the riff differently to get the effect I want out of it.

 

*shrug* hard to say...it just happens.

[daveinspain]

I usually get and idea and elaborate on it... Sometimes it's a riff or a chord progression. Sometimes it's a hooky phrase. Sometimes I dream a song and when I wake up I put down what I can remember. In all these instances it's the same process though. I'll take my idea and put a rythm to it, once I have that I'll make a chord progression that goes with it. Once I have that I'll look for a vocal melody that works over it and once I have that the words just seem to fall in place...

[Namvet]

I'll start with a chord progression. Then I'll work on melody lines in my head until it fits the chord progression and then hum them to make sure it fits. Next step is to decide which direction I want to take it. I will then come up with chorus lines and finally work verse lines in.

[frenchie1281734003]

I'll start with a chord progression. Then I'll work on melody lines in my head until it fits the chord progression and then hum them to make sure it fits. Next step is to decide which direction I want to take it. I will then come up with chorus lines and finally work verse lines in.

 

+1, that`s what works for me too.

 

Steve.

[fl00dsm0k3]

depends on the mood

[Guest FarnsBarns]

NOTE: Most of this post is a joke. For information on how I really write songs, skip to steps #7-8 and 7a.

 

1. Pick up guitar and strap it on. Usually I try to be as comfortable as possible, which often means sitting on my bed in my favorite pair of slippers and a pair of baggy sweatpants. I also need to be close to the instrument, physically and mentally, which means I usually take my shirt off to write a song.

2. I like to smell the guitar before I start writing anything. I smell the body, I smell the neck, I smell the fretboard. Sometimes I smell the strings. I rarely smell the pickguard or the bridge--they're not as interesting. Also, I often find that just a little taste of the lacquer from the back of the headstock helps me write songs. You know, just try licking the back of the headstock and tasting the lacquer. That'll get the creative sauces flowing.

3. Next, I'll put the guitar down for a few minutes, and go into the bathroom for a leisurely reading of the most recent issue of Playboy. My favorite selections are usually the short fiction--just a few months ago there was a wonderful piece by Chuck Palahniuk, and after that there was a delightfully raunchy excerpt from the final novel by the late Jim Carroll, called The Petting Zoo. I highly recommend the full novel, if you have the time for such things.

4. After such an intense exertion (reading the Playboy articles, that is,) it's important to stay hydrated and well-fed. I recommend grabbing a glass of water and a healthy snack, like an apple or a handful of celery. You're going to want to avoid refined carbs and complex sugars, as those can be unhealthy and develop into unsightly fat. You'll also want to avoid caffeine and alcohol, as those are both diuretics and will cause you to lose vital fluids and electrolytes, and be dehydrated more easily after consumption.

5. After your snack, it's probably beneficial for you to grab your guitar again and turn on your amp, if you're playing electric--which you should be, because if you're writing songs on an acoustic guitar you'll never get the lush reverb and organic tube overdrive that you need for the kinds of songs you should be writing. Acoustic guitars are for folk music--who do you think you are, James Taylor?

6. Once I'm plugged in and turned up pretty damn loud ("pretty damn loud" is right above "4" on most amps, but right above "1" on a good amp,) I'll usually start noodling around for a little bit and then PLAY DEEP PURPLE RIFFS. PLAY ALL THE DEEP PURPLE RIFFS I KNOW, AS LOUD AS I CAN. FLIGHT OF THE RAT SMOKE ON THE WATER SPACE TRUCKIN' BLACK NIGHT SPEED KING BLOODSUCKER FIREBALL HIGHWAY STAR. Once I get all of that out of my system, I'm ready to write my own song instead of playing tasteless covers of seventies hard rock classics.

7. I might start strumming a chord (usually open G, because it's nice and shimmery, or open E minor, because it's nice and shimmery and sad,) and usually try singing a melody out over the chord. When I reach a note that warrants a chord change, I figure out what chord it ought to change to. This is usually done by a trial and error process, where I think about what the note is, and what chords in that key have that same note. I usually decide upon which chord to use based on what sounds best, and on what sort of sound I'm looking for. It's important to me to harmonize chords with melody in a way that is interesting and fits the content of the song--sometimes I'll want to keep it simple, so I may just stick to power chords, and sometimes I want a very lush or very hip arrangement, which is when I tend to break out the 13ths and the minor 6ths. Basically, I'll start with a melody and then harmonize it. Sometimes the melody will come from me humming it, sometimes it will come from me playing it.

8. After I've got the melody and the chords down, I'm usually pretty much done. Of course, if I want words, I'll write up some lyrics which complement the melody in a pleasing way, and of course which make sense. I try very hard to make sure that my lyrics are meaningful, and also that they fit with the rhythmic feel and melody of the song, and that they are interesting to me. It helps to be sincere, if writing about personal subjects, or very well-informed, if writing about esoteric subject. What I mean is, if you're writing about your ex-girlfriend, you'll want to write from the heart; if you're writing about slaying dragons, you'll want to have read some literature about dragon slaying.

7a) Sometimes the lyrics will come first, and then I'll match a melody to them. Sometimes the lyrics and melody will come at the same time. Sometimes I'll have great lyrics for one song and a great melody for another, but the two just don't fit together well enough to become one song. Sometimes I'll use a drum machine for songwriting inspiration. Sometimes I'll just noodle around until something cool happens. I guess what I'm getting at is that songwriting isn't a science--it's an art, and sometimes the methods you need to use to write a song vary.

 

This is the funniest I've read in ages!

[EVOL!]

When I am in the right state of mind a spirit comes through me and writes music. Sometimes he starts a song (verse & chorus) and finishes up later (bridge, middle part, etc). He also puts vocal melody ideas in my head and then I come up with the lyrics last.

[McDuff]

Usually lyrics first then I work out a chord progression for it. It is impossible to only right songs in one particular way though some of my best songs (not that that really says much tbh) are from when I just tried to improvise lyrics to a tune that I stumbled upon then fixing it later.

[FirstMeasure]

Xdemonknoght....That's some funny Shiznit!

 

There is no one way I write a song. Sometimes a melody, lyric, or chord run will come into my head while I'm vacuuming or cleaning windows (day job ). Sometimes it's a grove that comes out of a jam.

 

When I sit down to write a song on purpose I usually start Bass and Drums first (helps to be able to play other instruments a little), then find a fitting guitar part to go over that. Then fill out the leads, fills and bridges. Lyrics are added when they present themselves if they present themselves at all. If I start with the guitar first it comes out Bluesy or Folky.

 

Of course, that's not set in stone. Sometimes songs come literally out of no where. Next thing you know your forgetting a really cool song before you can get any of it written down or recorded.

[tazzboy]

Lyrics first, Melody second (Sometimes those two are switch where I write the melody first the write the lyrics) then the cords and the rest of the music.

[Kimbabig]

I have no defined way of writing a song, probably why mine suck.

[duane v]

All lyrics are pre-composed.... Most of my lyric writing was done from age 14 to 19... I've written over 300 different lyrical arrangements.... Haven't composed a set of lyrics since the age of 23, so I just reference my library now and make adjustments.

 

Most of my lyrics follow a Haiku and Cinquain format, and sometimes Triolet.

 

1. Musically I structure from the verse first

2. I come up with an intro

3. Bridge if the song is asking for it

4. Lead passage

5. Chorus

 

I've only had a few song that have come to me as a whole.

[rocketman]

I usually write the tune on a day that I can't come up with anything new. Yeah, I know that's weird so let me explain. I usually record me just goofing around. Within 30 seconds I pretty much know if it's going to be a creative day. Then I just record everything I do (in my youth I called them "Babble Tapes"). When I have an "off" day then I listen to the recordings and begin to piece things together.

[ChanMan]

When I write a song, it comes out all at once. I hear it in my head... Lead, rhythm, vocals, bass drums... horns where applicable. The trick is to get to a pencil and paper or guitar before it goes away.

 

 

I can write music much the same way, only just picking up the guitar and letting the riffs come out... typically I'll get it all in the first session, but sometimes it takes putting various bits and pieces together.

 

 

I've not been very "lyrical" since I met my wife and kicked depression in the ***, so I have to really really work to come up with the words I want to express.

(Which is pretty damned amazing given how quickly I can write a short story.....)

[duane v]

I've not been very "lyrical" since I met my wife and kicked depression in the ***, so I have to really really work to come up with the words I want to express.

(Which is pretty damned amazing given how quickly I can write a short story.....)

 

The lyrical valve shut closed when something inside told me it was time to give up music (24 years old)..... I just felt I was too old to be playing in a band ..... I wish I had given it a few more years (until 28).... My band mates were pissed at me for just quiting out of the blue....

[Silenced Fred]

No set thing for me. Sometimes its all lyrics, sometimes its a chord progression, sometimes its a melody, sometimes its me being pissed off.

 

Music doesn't have rules, its art.

 

BTW Chan, depression sucked, but it did come up with some cool lyrics. Double edged sword I guess

[Shnate McDuanus]

Mmmmm, taste that lacquer...

 

[milod]

Chan...

 

I know exactly what you mean about gettin' stuff down before it's gone. @#$%@#$%#@$%@#$

 

m

[icantbuyafender]

Chan...

 

I know exactly what you mean about gettin' stuff down before it's gone. @#$%@#$%#@$%@#$

 

m

 

 

I wrote 3 songs on the way to south by southwest 2 weeks ago. by the time i got home, alcohol erased my memory.

 

which is why i am now bringing a handheld tape recorder at all times.

 

i hate losing epic stuff.

 

thanks guys, i feel like im in the right direction!

[ChanMan]

BTW Chan, depression sucked, but it did come up with some cool lyrics. Double edged sword I guess

 

 

I could write a spiral notebook full every night during my peak... or I guess low point, as it were.

 

 

now it's all happy stuff, which doesn't mesh very well with my dark music. I hear P!nK finds inspiration in anger... perhaps I'll give that a try, but i rarely feel like writing when i'm pissed off.

 

 

I'm usually looking for stick.... >:)

[FirstMeasure]

The lyrical valve shut closed when something inside told me it was time to give up music (24 years old)..... I just felt I was too old to be playing in a band ..... I wish I had given it a few more years (until 28).... My band mates were pissed at me for just quiting out of the blue....

Funny thing, I don't remember any age limit specified in the paper work or owners manual that came with any of my guitars. In fact it doesn't make sense, a plumber doesn't quit right when he's getting good at plumbing. I'd sure like to know where this age limit crap comes from.

[duane v]

Funny thing, I don't remember any age limit specified in the paper work or owners manual that came with any of my guitars. In fact it doesn't make sense, a plumber doesn't quit right when he's getting good at plumbing. I'd sure like to know where this age limit crap comes from.

 

I never specified there should be an age limit for others ..... I'm speaking for my situation only.... At that time I felt too old to be in a band..... Today at this moment I do not feel that way

 

I had been playing in a rock band since the 7th grade, and giggin since the 8th grade with pretty much the same people.... After 11 years it just got old.