Everyone's Writing Process

[Greeny]

Yep - writing lyrics and chords down is essential. There are so many 'great' songs that I've created before going to sleep only to find they've disappeared without trace in the morning. I also try to 'hardwire' chord progressions into my brain by playing them over and over until I simply can't forget them.

[SteveB]

First of all, touching on a burning background issue, I would definetely agree that this type of topic should hope to include anyone who has a BR, regardless of numeric designation. The bits-of-paper-everywhere route posted by others etc ,should touch a chord with anyone who has ever wanted to write anything. Anyone ever recall writing that 2-page masterpiece while drunk, only to sober up and find it's the biggest pile of garbage ever?!
Myself I have literally carrier (grocery) bags full of jotting done over the years. God knows I'll have to write a Will, because you can bet that my Family will dump the lot!

Here's 3 snippets from my pad at the side of the computer:

Well I climbed and kept on climbing,
But the peak I never saw.

****


You can't build a home, or contain a cold,
Holding a tissue of lies.


****


Spent my time in Retirement Town
Biting my nails and wearing a frown
Can't get used to just sitting around
Gotta say goodbye to Retirement Town.


****


Sh*t, it's no wonder I feel depressed sometimes with all this lot churning around my Grey Matter!

[Bluesberry]

You can't build a home, or contain a cold,
Holding a tissue of lies.

Now that is a great line SteveB.

As for my method,  I do something like what you do Steve, I constantly have snippits of lines of potential songs running through my mind all the time.  I usually don't write them down.  Once in a while a small phrase will come to me while I am strumming on my acoustic, and if I am organized enough to write it down, I have my next song, it goes from here.  It is a chord progression and a phrase that sparks my next song pretty much everytime.  Once I get one of these song seeds, then I get singleminded and do not drop it until I have a finished song.  It may take a week or a month, but I can't stop until the thing is finished.  The little bit of words that first comes may end up verse or chorus or bridge, I usually don't know at first.  I just find chords to fit in, find a basic structure, record a basic acoustic track against a simple drum track to get started.  Then I fill it all in, layer by layer.  When the music is finished, guitar solos and all, then I finally get back to lyrics and spend a couple of days or even a week writing the lyrics based on that first bit of lyric that I had and the sound/mood of the music.  I find the whole thing to be mysterious, I never know how it will turn out until finished, and I am always surprised.  It is a great and consuming hobby for sure.  The part that always amazed me is all the little choices you make along the way, each choice setting up new choices, each one taking you in different directions.  Then there is the moment when it all sort of comes together, and I can see where it will end up.  But all those little choices along the way really facinate me.

A couple examples of these "song seeds":  My last song "Everyday Hero"  started with the line in my head "I am both a coward and a hero inside" and it went from there to where it ended up, an acoustic folk song about slaying a beast that turns into a Blues rock freak out ending with a folk rock outro.  I had no idea it was going to turn out like this when I first started  .

My second last song "Perfect Day"  started with the line "If we really listen, the only sound we will hear, is our own reflection in the mirror", that was the line that I had in my head.  Also Ferryman introduced me to Joy Division by saying my voice reminded him of Ian Curtis, so I was listening to a lot of Joy Division, and the song ended up being very loosely about Ian Curtis (or a man trying to survive his demons), because I was thinking about him so much at the time.  

The third song ever I wrote (about 8 months ago) "Katherine Lynn", The entire line came to me while playing my acoustic, kinda country/Neil Young style guitar one day: "She stands tall, Taller than the Mountains, She'll never fall, thats just not her way, More youthfull than any fountain, that was found on that day".  Pretty much that whole phrase came into my mind as I stood in my kitchen one morning and played my acoustic.  I grabed my book and pen and wrote that one down, the song went pretty quickly from there.  It ended up a little country folk sounding, about a girl named Katherine Lynn (that sounded like a good country folk kind of name).  

I guess the point for me is to pay attention to the thoughts rattling around in your head and when a line comes to mind that is interesting or pleasing to think about, write it down, grab a guitar and find chords that sound good against that phrase.  That small seed could be the start of a song if you choose to pursue it.  That is my long-winded explaination of my method.  Until I got my microBR a year ago I never tried to write a song in my life, I was just a guitar noodler, this little machine and the encouragement and example from the folks on here got me started, and it is really a lot of fun for sure.  I can't stop now.

[SteveB]

BB - These machines (Of whatever make or configuration), have certainly unleashed hitherto unknown potential in a lot of people. Though it has to be said, that sometimes that in itself is not enough. I got to this Forum by joining a Yahoo Group dedicated the BR1600 - it was the closest I could get to finding anyone else with my particular BR, the 1200. The machines and the potential are only part of the equation, sooner or later most people want to 'put-product-on-shelf', in the sense that they would like some honest feedback on their wares, well; more than a Wife/Husband/Girlfriend/Mother/Friend telling you that, 'Yes, it's wonderful. Now can we go eat?' - it is the adage of Every Artist Needs Reaction - and I think that's ultimately true. Another poster said (It may even have been you BB?), that they get very nervous when presenting a new song to the Forum, because essentially you have a raw-soul that is easily scratched. I think we all share that feeling. I have never yet bought-into anyone (Not just here, but in any Artistic endeavour), who flippantly discurse: I don't care what people think of my work. NUTS! If you don't care then you're in the wrong field of human activity.
And finally, just imagine living in a time when these electronic marvels were yet to be invented, how many unwritten snippets, lines, verses, choruses, etc etc would have never seen light of day. Very sad. Keep writing BB, it's why we're here. 

[Bigsky]

Good question. When I write it has to just flow out of me, if I try too hard I tend to hit roadblock so I usually just sit back and wait and sooner or later it comes.

[BossMicroBRew]

I do not use a format or consider anything I write trial and error. Most things I write follow no format. Sometimes I start with music and fit some lyrics into later. Sometimes I write some lyrics and fit them into some music later. Sometimes I collab with ppl and their music inspires words. It's really a wash for me, but hey I'm no pro. I think the best is finding your own direction and running with it.

BossMicroBRew

[OsCKilO]

We Just play how we feel.......

Music always comes first.....

We add until we cant add any more.......then stop...


If Somethings to bassy, be add something high.... etc etc...

Lyrics last always come last...

Peace all

T(Osckilo)

[knniggits]

As most my songs are metal it always starts with a good riff. From this i have a fair idea how i want the song to sound. Call it inspiration,call it blatantly ripping off my favourite bands
The circle of fifths can help with changes in key when i get stuck. Does anyone else use this?
I find the arrangement of the song the most difficult part. I have used Magix Music Maker in the past. You record riffs individually and are then able to cut and paste to your hearts content in Magix. The sound is terrible but you get to demo your arrangment and figure out the song.
Although sometimes it's better to just press record

[Geir]

I have no rules for songwriting, but most often one of these things happen:

1. I get a line of lyrics in my head with a potential ... often a melody comes along with it. I that case the song often writes itself. Sometimes in 10-20 minutes, sometimes it takes days, but I feel the progress all the way.
The first verse of this one follows that rule: Sleepless Night (the rest of the lyrics took months) and it will be redone ... soon(ish)

2. I fool around with a guitar finding some riff or chord progression that seems nice. When it "settles" I try to grasp the feel of the finished song (sometimes there can be several possibilities) and find a theme or an image too hook the lyrics to. (I often visualize the song before any words come at all) This process can take time. In the process of writing the lyrics the music often have to change a bit to fit the rhythm of the lyrics, but usually not much.

My most popular song on this site "This is a song" was written in that way. And here the lyrics came after just a few minutes.

3. On some occasions  1. and 2. happens almost concurrently, and everything just fits at once. It doesn't happen often, but the result is often of my best work.

The one I'm perhaps most happy  with happened like that: "Waiting"

Here the first melody-line of the verse came from the melodic guitar-"riff" and I just started sing "I am sitting on a chair" as that was what I was doing. And the rest just came naturally

4. Collabs. That's a new thing to me ... well sort of ... I've been in a couple of bands, but usually I've written most of the songs myself, and the arrangements have been a band task.

On collabs here on this site I've both handed over instrumentals to ORH, and got music from different people, that I've added melody/lyrics to.

Where I've provided the music, I've been stuck on lyrics and ORH has a special gift and have made some beautiful music out of my simple arrangements. Like on The Mountain Song

Where others have provided the music, I've tried to get the "feel" of the music, and find a Lyric that fits, melody comes from the combination of the lyrics and the mood and arrangement of the music. Inspired by others here (read ORH ) I've tried the "stream of thought" approach on some ot these collabs, like on this one:
"T.O.o.B.E.o.T.A (Raga)"

The feedback and inspiration I get on this site have helped me produce more music the  last 4 months than I did the last 10 years and inspiration is a major part whatever method I use writing songs !!!

[Oldrottenhead]

I see it more as "receiving" a song rather than "writing" a song.

when i do lyrics/vocals in collaborations with others (jemima's kite, hooper, satchwood, geir, osckilo, ferryman etc) providing the music it feels exactly like i am channeling some unknown well.
i tend to listen to the tune a couple of times to get an idea of the structure of the song, uno verse chorus bridge et al. usually when i am doing this i can tell right away if i can write a lyric for the tune. i then turn on the onboard mic and sing stream of thought sometimes gobbldygook, and see if a title or theme/topic appears once i get the topic/theme/storyline idea in my head. i hit record and see what happens, sometimes it comes out right first time but generally the lyrics need a few tweaks here and there. but they just come from out of the air it seems.
with regards to hooper, he has a clear idea of the structure of the song, so when he sends a tune i pretty know where and when to sing verse refrain etc, he may provide a title and leave the rest up to me.
with greeny, its also very easy, as he structures his tunes with a lyricists ears, so you can see where the verses and choruses are gonna fit pretty quickly.

but like tim said earlier there is no set pattern.
when i am doing my own complete songs, i tend to bang on the guitar till something appears and then come up with lyrics, other times i get a tune in my head with words, but being a crap musician it can be difficult to get the song the way i want.
recently with jemimas kite. i used a drum beat and sang my song over it with no other instruments. mike (flash harry) and tim (greeny) then created the music around my vox and drums. so no set rules other than try not to have set rules or you might get repetitive.