Everyone's Writing Process

[na_th_an]

That was great

I have to write in deep about this technique I developed with a couple of pals in the late 90s. We were young and had lots of spare time, so we penned a technique we called "songs that write themselves". We were just reinventing the wheel, of course, but let me share what we did back then.

We usually started writing the lyrics. We sat and everybody would say whatever would cross their minds. If it sounded cool, we wrote it down. Note that this process wasn't entirely random: we knew each other since childhood so we instinctively knew what were the other guys about and expanded on that. It was cool as we created some kind of collective mind.

When the lyrics were done, we usually rounded them up. We moved a couple of sentences, removed some tails, added transitions... but didn't fiddle much. We liked it raw.

Then (maybe days later) we did run-ups of written lyrics and began working on the music. Each one would chose an instrument, one was nominated as the singer, we hit "REC" on our tape deck, and had a go at it. Of course, there was always somebody who would take over the "director" duties and decided a style or a chord sequence, or maybe a riff. But we basicly improvised everything.

After a couple of takes it sounded completely rubbish - but it was there, recorded for eternity. We'd pass to the next song and do the same. Then another song, then another one... Until the tape was full.

Next day we would do the same. Some songs got polished, some changed completely as we didn't quite remember the original. Sometimes, the first take was so inspired that we played the tape stopping every couple of notes and wrote down complete scores of the improvisation, and learned them and played them exactly like the fist time.

Some songs, after days of fiddling, ended in great quality tunes with awesome lyrics and elaborate arrangements... But the songs wrote themselves!

The downside of this is that if you live with your parents - well, maybe they go crazy at you shouting nonsense once and again to a tape deck with your geeky friends  I just found a C60 tape with the same song played like 40 times XD

When I find the time I will record raw versions of some of my fave songs of that era and show them to you. There are some raw jewels that just... wrote themselves!

[Greeny]

^^^^ that was really interesting, Nathan - thanks!

I really like the collaborative approach now. For so many years I did it all myself, but it's been fun to write songs with ORH and Geir in the same room, and even over the internet with other Songcrafters. And I like the way that Jemima's Kite songs have lots of different creative input now, with everyone bringing different ideas and instruments to the table. We all know what our main jobs are, but there's so much scope in what you do with that particular song 'layer'. Throw it all together, and you have 5x the inspiration of working alone. I think there's a lot of trust involved. When you get to know each other well (as you point out here), you build up a 'collective' inspiration that has it's own feel and sound, and you can rely on everyone to instinctively stick to that collective blueprint.

[Hilary]

Here's a link to the finished version of Take my Hand https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?topic=21101.msg259573#msg259573

[taffsdad]

Interesting reading...I used to write lyrics down but it would have to be while playing guitar....It gets a bit in the way for me so I now just sing and record, its stream of consciousness so can get weird and sound crap.....also use basic recording gear every thing from Smart Price Mics to ...the Ipad which is about the best I think Ill get...had two Sony Mini Disc recorders which were great but for some reason I seem to stop them working....Its strange also that I find it hard to actually write a song because I don't find it hard to write.....Have tried uploading something...now have had some advice of Greeny Ill be putting something on later.....not sure to go the safe route or let everyone hear the rough side first........although they art probably all rough..
 

[Johnny Robbo]

Until recently I used to be a presenter on a local community radio station (unfortunately, the station folded - long story, but it was fun while it lasted). I co-hosted the Friday Drive Show, and had my own late night jazz show too. My boss at the station was also a musician & we sometimes did a bit of a "live lounge" spot which led to us doing some writing together. At the station Christmas party (after a few pints, it should be noted), I suggested we do a show where we write a song live on air.

Anyway, here's a link to the podcast of the resulting show. It's a 2 hour special, so buckle up and settle in for a couple of hours of seeing how we arrived at "The X Factor Song"  

http://www.mixcloud.com/PalaceFm/palace-fm-the-baron-old-down-special-070214/

[launched]

Wow that's punky sounding, very cool! And a development that was live on the radio - awesome. Wish I had recorded some of the stuff I'd done with my buddies messing around, but it would have been painful to sift through though

Mark

[leighelse]

From previous discussion off-list I think my songwriting process is a little unusual, but I'll share it in case there's someone else suffering the same "problem", or it's useful to another writer.

I write in my head.

Sometimes songs come fully formed. I've had a couple arrive this way; lyrics, melody, chords ready to roll. I do then need to write these down or create a quick recorded aide-memoire before they become fuzzy and drift apart, but I don't do anything to encourage them or sit with an instrument or a pencil working them out. A recent-ish example of this is Lightning Street.

Most times, though, I initially get a concept with some of the elements: partial lyrics and a melody being the most common starting points. I don't touch an instrument, just repeatedly "play" in my head what I have so far. This can go on for days, weeks. All the new songs I've posted to Songcrafters this year have come about via this process.

I have several tunes that are decades old and have never completed themselves, but mostly a few days is enough to flesh out the song to the point where I write down the lyrics I have, perhaps pick up an instrument and confirm the chords; maybe even record a quick demo on my phone (although I don't think I've ever gone back and listened to any of these - making the recording of itself seems to "fix" the song inescapably). At this point there'll still be lyrics missing and perhaps some structural uncertainties - how will it start and end, what will the bridge be if there is one? I work on the lyrics until they're adequate (then usually rewrite half of them during the recording process), and I keep thinking about openings and ending and bridges until I have enough of an idea to start recording.

In short, I don't touch an instrument until the song is fairly complete. The reason is that I've discovered from experience that picking up an instrument changes the song; what I have in my head adapts to what I'm capable of singing and playing. A side effect of this approach is that I will often write things I'm not initially capable of singing or playing; some of these songs I've never attempted, but others have forced me to improve my playing skills.

Yep, weird I know.

[Mike_S]

Been thinking about this myself lately... how do good songs come about. I think the great thing about music is that a lot of the time there is no real logic to how really good songs come about... it's often just a flash of inspiration from the writer and quite often he or she finds it hard to explain where it came from. If creativity were as simple as just figuring out the formula then everyone would do it and keep churning out great songs all the time.

If we try too hard to analyse or try to hard to come up with a good song then it can sound forced or not really from the heart as such, so at the moment I think just try and let it flow and if a decent idea comes, get it down and see where it goes...

But for what it's worth these days normally a phrase that I like of just a few words or so will come into my mind... a lot of the time this is when I am walking my dog Then if I can come up with 2 or 3 more lines to add to it I will write them down before I forget. Then it's a case of trying to find some chords to fit on the guitar and build it up from there.

[Hilary]

If we try too hard to analyse or try to hard to come up with a good song then it can sound forced or not really from the heart as such, so at the moment I think just try and let it flow and if a decent idea comes, get it down and see where it goes...

Absolutely - I really like playing and singing in the dark at the moment (and recording it in the dark). I feel able to connect with it better and write/deliver something a bit more honest, even if it's not about me if that makes any sense.

I just sit in the dark for a while and see what turns up - Broken was done like this.

[TPB]

Sometimes everything comes together at once, But most of the time I will have a thought  a saying or a hook verse  I write it down and save it in my drafts.  then in the distant future when I am playing around may hear a rhythm I like, then I have a bunch of drafts to see what fits the best.  Other times I listen to the voices in my head and you know what they are always better at the performance than me lol
Tim