Writing music in your sleep

[64Guitars]

This is interesting (if true).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-14706864

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/north_east/7017059.stm

Lee Hadwin claims he creates artwork in his sleep. I'm a bit skeptical since I don't understand how he can see what he's doing if he's asleep. It's possible to sleep with the eyes open (nocturnal lagophthalmos), but it takes more than open eyes to see. The information from the eyes must be processed and interpreted by the brain, and I don't see how that can happen if you're asleep. Maybe Doctor Alfredo can tell us if this is possible.

     


Anyway, in the interview he mentions that some musicians write music in their sleep. Has anyone here done that?

[Flash Harry]

I have the best ideas just as I'm waking up, but then lose it as soon as I'm awake.

Most frustrating

[lg]

I had a dream a year ago about being up on stage playing guitar,
and the place was packed...shoulder-to-shoulder, and everyone was
dancing to my music!When I mentioned it to someone, they said,
well, why don't you record it....what you were playing.
So, I did, and I've got it posted here somewhere....
So, I guess that that makes me living proof that it is possible to
write music in your sleep.
Or, what about Paul McCartney, he said that he wrote yesterday
in his sleep....

LG
 

[Farrell Jackson]

I not sure about the drawing bit but yes....as unbelievable, odd, or strange as it sounds.....people do write songs in their sleep. Like LG, it's happened to me once. I had a dream about playing the acoustic rhythm to this song. I then heard the melody and saw the title...Trippin' Down A Different Road. When I woke up, I picked up my guitar straight away and played it. The lyric followed based on the title.

I have to admit though the song sounded much better in my dream  This is the only time that has ever happened to me but I sure would welcome it again.

Here's a link to the song if you want to hear what I dreamed up.

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=11000102&q=hi&newref=1

Farrell

[Migs]

I am not a good sleeper.  I drift in and out and am generally a light sleeper.  The apnoea dodoesn't help much either... but...

When I was doing a thesis on something years ago I was pretty sure I was having the most excellent scintific insights between my fits and starts of sleep.  I decided to get a dictaphone and record my undoubtedly Einstine-esque thoughts.  The world would surely be saved.

Wrong.  Absolute gibberish.

I do much better on a few bottles of red than when drifting in and out of sleep.

[T.C. Elliott]

In a book I read nearly 20 years ago it was said that Stevie Ray Vaughan learned a riff in a dream and woke up and wrote a song around it. (I forget which one... it HAS been nearly 20 years.)

I had a strange strange dream last night that would actually be a darn fine play or movie or novel. I even wrote a song today that kind of summarizes the result of the plot twist near the end. So I didn't write the song in the dream, but if it weren't for the dream I'd have not written the song.

[Oldrottenhead]

i wrte novels in my dreams or do hilarious stand up routines and write fabulous songs too, but when i wake up...........................................pppfft!

[Gritter]

I hear full arrangements with orchestration, horn sections, background singers just as I'm falling asleep and it's almost impossible to get up from it to record or write. I never remember in the morning but I do believe it remains in the subconscious and will eventially seep it's way into the conscious mind disguised as new material.

[T.C. Elliott]

I think that Johnny Cash said he dreamed of the mariachi horns being added to 'ring of fire' but it's been years (YEARS I TELL YA) since I read that autobiography

[IanR]

I can fly in my dreams and I also have very satisfying sexual encounters.  If the impossible is true whilst dreaming then writing a song would be piece of piss.   

Ian