Help needed on songwriting

[Farmjazz]

Some songs begin with a set of lyrics, or a drum beat, or a title, or a chord progression, or a melody, or an assignment, or ...

Songwriting is a learned skill like anything else done well. The more you do it, the better it gets and the easier it gets. Just like musicianship, the more its practiced, the more natural it becomes, and those "spontaneous, magical" moments come more often because you're ready for it.

Be open to anything that may inspire a song. I find there's inspiration constantly flowing from all directions around me. The problem with me, and probably most of you, is TIME. Time to be with yourself enough to get those ideas formalized so you can carefully craft upon the idea.

One thing I teach composition students, to jump start a songwriting project, is the Harmonized Major scale. This is seven chords built upon the seven notes of the Major scale. It goes like this (I'll use the key of G as an example):

One chord - G Major
Two chord - A minor
Three chord - B minor
Four chord - C Major
Five chord - D Major
Six chord - E minor
Seven chord - F# diminished

Not that songwriting is a formula, per se, but countless songs have been written using the Harmonized scale because it works, mathematically and sonically.

Try it. Write a few songs using the Harmonized scale and get those juices flowing for ...

[Oldrottenhead]

after reading this thread i wrote a lyric to a tune by damian i have just realised that its another one about songwriting like farmjazz take your inspiration from wherever it comes heres a link https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?topic=6049.msg75931#msg75931

[holdempok]

Ian,

go with your gut! First instincts! Drinking helps.lol. I usually just start by a simple chord progression and take it from there. Lyrics mostly come from personal expericences or others shared experiences. Don't try to do to much on your own. You'll drive yourself mad unless your have serious time. Me having 4 kids in the house, dog, wife, really limits mine. I try to schedule at least 1.5 hrs 1 - time per week. Usually Wednesdays for recording, working on new material, collaborating, etc...

Hope to hear soon what you come up with.

[flyon90]

everybodies process is differen't try both and see which one comes easier, some people like higly structured processes some like loose jam sessions neither is the "right" way to it. Experiment!

[T.C. Elliott]

Usually I get a musical idea. A rhythm or a chord progression or something. Then I try to sing or hum the first thing that comes to my mind. With music/melody I'm on my way. Then I try to find interesting related parts that could be opposite of the first idea. Ie, if the first idea seems to be verse then I try to find a chorus. If the first idea sounds like a chorus then I try to find something that works as a verse. Then once I have most of the music done I go back and write a lyric. Either starting completely over or fleshing out the first ideas.

Sometimes I'll take an existing lyric (usually not my own) and write a song to it. Sometimes I'll play the guitar idly while staring at the lyric. Then I'll just start saying/singing the lyric over whatever I'm playing. Sometimes I'll just sing the lyric and then pick up the guitar and make up something that fits (like mentioned above.)

A challenge was given a year or more ago to start a song with the bass line. I really enjoyed that song. It wasn't my best effort but it sure was a bit different than my normal stuff but still sounded like me. Venturing out of the 'comfort' zone keeps our songwriting refreshing.

I've even started with a drum track. Just do a 4 bar intro 8bar verse, 8 bar chorus with an 8 bar solo/bridge in there. Then play along with it later. Again, I've not gotten a great song out of it, but I sure have been able to write a song when I was uninspired or 'stuck' using alternate methods.

Lately I've not liked my lyrics. But I've gotten more compliments recently than before. That is odd to me. I've had many discussions with other songwriters about lyric or music first. Usually it's both more or less at the same time for me until I get all the music done and then I finish the lyric after that. I've found that I'm in the minority in that. Lots of folks seem to get a lyric then do the music. I was an English major in college (before dropping out) and I guess molding the English language is easier for me than some. A music theory teacher in h.s. once said it was easier to write music to a lyric than the opposite. But I find just the opposite is true for me most of the time. But he had a valid point. The difference comes into play as pop music. With a standard structure (even if that structure is unique.) A lyric must be somewhat consistent in rhythm in order to lend itself to being made into a song with full musical accompaniment.

Some day I'll type up all the hundreds of lyrics that I've successfully made into songs and try to analyze their strengths and weaknesses. Maybe find some patterns or something. I think it'd be educational for myself but probably too time intensive to get to gun-ho about.

[stoman]

I'm best at putting existing lyrics to music. I sometimes write music and try to find a lyricist afterwards, but that does not work so well in most cases.

Regards,
   Steffen

[AndyR]

It's interesting reading this thread since I last posted in here.

I'm still pretty much in the boat I posted from earlier, although I'll take any method that works at a given time...

However, reading the last couple of posts, I've realised that I do actually find it far easier to squeeze lyrics on to an existing melody (whether it's mine or not), than the other way round.

Even when I'm doing the "music and lyrics at the same time" method, most of the lyrics are written after the music. The music might change, but basically I'm singing some drivel over a structure until it all comes together... hopefully in a pleasing way

[badrail]

Hello, I'm finally getting back into this area of creativity. I spent 22 years in the Coast Guard, and I find that there are experiences that have a certain level of inspiration that I can put into words, then find the right music to go with them. Recently I went to an acoustic guitar concert and found the desire to start putting some of these lyrics (past experiences) into a fast-folk style and it is working. Funny that after that concert, I got home and my dog Roger was so glad to see me and seeing that unconditional love that golden retrievers have for their owner, I sat down and wrote a complete song that night in about 2 hours, with guitar music, of course it's entltled "Roger the Dog".
Inspiration can happen anywhere at any time, you just have to have the ability to identify it and then go for it. Some inspiration can come from good times, but other times from the more unfortunate things in life. I just lost my Father a couple of days after Veterans Day this year. He was my Scout Master for years and lots of things I learned from him as a scout I used in the Coast Guard (motor boat skills, knot tying, etc.) It took about a week, but I came up with exactly the correct thoughts and rememberances of what he taught me and put them into lyrics. I just came up with the music for them last night from a melody and chords that I have been messing with for probably 20 years, the two just came together beautifully.
Inspiration can come from anywhere, just look around! Best of Luck!

[Gu Djin]

I don't write songs, I make a noise I like, and sometimes use words to describe a mood, or feeling.  Sometimes the words come first, sometimes the noise, but all are usually preceded by the need to express an idea. 

Having said that, if offered a challenge I have been able to cobble something together, ie. working to a preset theme. 

Anyone who says I write songs must be having a larf!

Leigh

[thetworegs]

Well I start the process by the music if it's a collab an im doing the vocal I like to listen to it once keeping it fresh then on the second play ad-lib what ever the music makes me feel, this normally give me the punch what I want to explain in the track . Then its just a story I'm conveying. The tracks that have worked best are the ones that nearly come straight from the ad-lib without having to rethink any of it the flow is a lot better. And it's always a better buzz when it works it feels like you have made a connection somewhere and the words are kept there just for you to recite or is that just nab by pampby bollocks.......