Everyone's Writing Process

[Geir]

I've got loads to say on this topic - a very cool topic... but I'm just about to leave work and struggle home... so I won't start.

Hopefully I'll remember to come back to this one

You didn't !

And I really wish you had !!

[rvincent55]

Hi All,
Newbie to this forum...found this from a mention on the Fender forums...been writing songs for a long time now, but I'll begin by confessing that I wasn't aware at first that this has evolved from a Boss users forum, and I'm a long time Tascam guy. 

As to songwriting...well, it varies, but I generally start with a musical idea. I'll hear something playing in my head, and I'll grab a guitar and work out the rough idea. Once in a while I'll have a lyric or at least a subject in mind, but more often than not, the genesis is music.

For those times when I do have a subject in mind, it seems to flow pretty easily, and the subjects are mostly just commonplace, everyday things. For example, I work as a field technician - basically, I drive from one customer location to the next, repairing networked commercial printing equipment. A few years back, I had to cover a driving territory in downtown Boston, which is a driving nightmare...the city seems to be filled with one way streets, all going the wrong way, and getting a parking spot is not unlike winning a lottery.

A few months of this nightmare gave rise to a song titled Midnight Train (http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=138556&songID=2438355), which was all about wanting to get back to the area I was more familiar and comfortable with.

More recently, I'd read Stephen King's newest book, "Under The Dome", and for those who are familiar with the book, the protagonist is falsely accused of crimes he didn't commit, which is an uncomfortable situation that we're all familiar with to some degree. That situation was the inspiration for a song titled Can You See (http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=1012399&songID=8439423).

Anyway, these are just two examples of how the songwriting process works for me! 

[T.C. Elliott]

My process, as stated before, changes. But there are general tendencies.

I pick up the guitar and play something. Desert Rain was that little arpeggio chord sequence played over and over. Then eventually I sang something. I got a melody. Then after I sang a few lines almost stream of consciousness I wrote a line down. From there the first two verses kind of happened pretty quick.
Then it was playing some more to get the chorus chords. I had a melody after a few tries and went back and changed the chorus chords a few times until I basically wrote both at the same time more or less.
Then I figured out the repeat of the last line for the ending.

After it was written I recorded it. It was a good song but needed something. So I made space for a simple solo, then decided to extend it into the chorus. Then repeated that section. I heard bass on it, but nothing on the verses seemed to sound right so I just stuck to the chorus with it. I think that works really well. After that I added the solo guitar and then finally decided to try some back ground vox. Ended up adding two tracks of that to it. Turned out well, but needs some eq etc on the recording. The song itself was written fairly quickly, but it really came alive in the arrangement.

Other times I hear a line in my head and a song will write itself down. Other times it's like pulling teeth. But generally it's music then lyric for me which is different from most of the songwriters I collab with.

[visiblemember]

   I'm going to write down a bit here so I can get my head around my own head regarding process and development of a song. A simple path is a path put forth by someone else.   It's more of a jingle or pop song in that it is a persuasive writing with an agenda and a known audience. So, I have set  boundaries and limits as to where I can go with the song writing. In the end, my goal is only to create something that can be repeatedly heard comfortably without inspiring the listener to want more than what is right there.  That's all for now. I'm afraid I think I know what I'm talking about.

   I wrote the above "Ugly truth" thing because of my experience with the children songs I've written. I knew what was expected of the songs and I had to satisfy three different and specific audiences. The Teachers who have to deliver the lesson plan over a year long project and go to the schools with the plan and the song, the Permanent teachers who are responsible for the kids and the administrators in the school board all have to approve the song. The teachers and students should be able to enjoy listening to and singing the song. Administration just hears it once or twice.

  The most recent song is finished. The first song was and still is a big hit in the entire Vienna, Austria elementary school system. Yes I am a pop star! My audience is between 6 and 11 years old. The new song targets 11-15 year old kids. I'm waiting for the board and teachers to meet and give the go ahead. 

[visiblemember]

I'm going to write down a bit here so I can get my head around my own head regarding process and development of a song. A simple path is a path put forth by someone else.   It's more of a jingle or pop song in that it is a persuasive writing with an agenda and a known audience. So, I have set  boundaries and limits as to where I can go with the song writing. In the end, my goal is only to create something that can be repeatedly heard comfortably without inspiring the listener to want more than what is right there.  That's all for now. I'm afraid I think I know what I'm talking about.

   I wrote the above "Ugly truth" thing because of my experience with the children songs I've written. I knew what was expected of the songs and I had to satisfy three different and specific audiences. The Teachers who have to deliver the lesson plan over a year long project and go to the schools with the plan and the song, the Permanent teachers who are responsible for the kids and the administrators in the school board all have to approve the song. The teachers and students should be able to enjoy listening to and singing the song. Administration just hears it once or twice.

  The most recent song is finished. The first song was and still is a big hit in the entire Vienna, Austria elementary school system. Yes I am a pop star! My audience is between 6 and 11 years old. The new song targets 11-15 year old kids. I'm waiting for the board and teachers to meet and give the go ahead. 

What the...  Hey, dude! lighten up!
I wish I could say I have an evil twin. I have a lame twin, at best.
   In short, phrases or melodies bounce around in my mind. I write down the phrases in a 1/2 size notebook. I record the riffs on the bossmbr. The words and music occupy a lot of time  when I'm not thinking about something else. Next, I need time and quiet to develop anything. It takes me 2 hours alone just to get wound up and focused. And I have to have several hours into the future that won't be interrupted. with all that in order, I can start putting a song together.

[doremiremi]

Interesting topic! Most of the time I play with the guitar and some chord progressions come out that leads to a song. Other times I hum melodies and try to find the chords of those. The usual thing for me is that I have the melody first and then sing along some random words. Eventually a sentence comes up that really fits the song and I try to think of the structure of the song in order to make it fit with the topic of that sentence. Once the structure is down, I write the full lyrics and then adjust the song according to lyrics again. It's sort of a back and forth process.

For me, it's important to get to the overal feeling of the song really fast and I need a melody and a topic first before I can go into the details. Lyrics are the hardest for me though: I know what to say, but most of the time can't find the words to say it. It really looks like my real life!

It's funny though that a lot of people just sing random words too (stream of consciousness like one of the posters said) and go from there. I didn't thought more people did that!

[Oldrottenhead]

i hear really good music i import it to my micro br and 10 minutes later i have a vox/lyric  done. i dont know how it works.

https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?topic=6561.msg83328#msg83328

[Greeny]

I'm at a difficult songwriting phase - a problem all of my own making. I'm up to around 250 (maybe 300) original songs on the MBR, and I've tried every style under the sun, and bled every drum pattern and guitar patch dry. There are only so many chord combinations and lyrical ideas, so it's hard to find new avenues to explore. Tinkering with a piano has added a new dimension recently, but it feels like I've said everything that I want to say in the words of my songs. Lyrical ideas are therefore forming a stumbling block, and I'm having trouble coming up with new ones.

But will I give up? Will I f*ck! Something always turns up when you least expect it. And I learned a long time ago that trying to force it won't get you anywhere.

I just wish I had ORH's ability to take any feeling or concept and make a lyric of it...

[henwrench]

Something always turns up when you least expect it. And I learned a long time ago that trying to force it won't get you anywhere.

Well said. If you look for anything you'll never find it. Wait until it finds you.

                                                  henwrench

[launched]

Something always turns up when you least expect it. And I learned a long time ago that trying to force it won't get you anywhere.

Well said. If you look for anything you'll never find it. Wait until it finds you.

                                                  henwrench

You guys are both right about that.


It seems sometimes music is written with fleeting thoughs without perfect planning. God bless the individual that can say "I think I'll sit down for a couple hours and write some riveting poetry".