There are many, many, many, many, many ways to go about writing a song. So let's talk about what our typical routine might be...
Do you start with lyrics or with music? Do you try for both at the same time? What starts your brain clicking and makes it say, "Hey! I'm going to write a song about that!"
Peace
About 95% of my output of the last three years has been inspired (if that's the right word?) with an SSG idea - "and this week, let's try writing about....."
Sometimes, the subject suggests the musical genre - in which case, I'll have a vague idea of a riff/music and try to come up with a lyric that fits.
Other times, the musical genre's not so obvious - in which case, I'll write lyrics down, probably to a 12-bar melody, then play around with the music.
I have three main weapons in my armoury....
1 - Acoustic Guitar. I tend to start with either G/Em/C and D, or A/D/E - two sub weapons, heavily strummed or fingerpicked.
2 - Electric Guitar. Subdivided into;
A - 12-bar blues (slow, medium, fast or frantic)
B - AC/DC style riffing
C - Stones style riffing
3 - Keyboard. Subdivided into "I can write any melody on this as long as it's in C......"
Overall, I dunno - if I start with a couple of words, or a phrase. or even a title, the music will usually suggest itself. If I find a nice riff on the guitar, the lyrics will usually work themselves round either of three categories - Rock, Blues, or Ballad.
And then, some times, you think to yourself "it's about time I wrote a song about......(insert subject here)...." and your mind goes blank for at least six months......
And then sometimes, you get an idea for a song, and you haven't got a guitar handy.....you have to keep all the relevant data in your head till you get home, or find a pen and paper....
And then, sometimes, you can go MONTHS without writing anything......at all......those are the times I hate!
I guess, what I'm trying to say, I don't HAVE a routine - I don't sit down and think, "hmmm, I'll write a song." Sometimes, I'll think, "hmm, I've got an IDEA for a song....."....then I'll sit down and try to make something of it. But it depends where the idea comes from....music?lyric?....as to where it'll go.....
The great thing about it, though, you can have an idea, write a crap song around it, throw it away - then 5 years later, you'll have the same idea, this time you'll get a decent song....
It's probably the least precise science in the universe - too many variables, and quantum's probably involved in there somewhere - but every now and then, one comes out right, and then....it's worth the wait. What a buzz!
So I'll keep quantuming and hope some quantum riffs drop in my lap.....
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
I start 99.9% with a lyrical idea, and often a complete set of lyrics, before I even start touching the guitar. In fact the only time I started guitar first was with Wood Tick Blues (SSG 6 Week 1). The turnaround has been in my head since June in one form or another, and it inspired the idea of a song called Wood Tick Blues. It took David to force me to finally write lyrics and flesh it out.
Tom Hess' article on songwriting however has given me some interesting perspection on starting a song from the instrumental point of view. We'll see if things change over the next few months.
I start 99.9% with a lyrical idea, and often a complete set of lyrics, before I even start touching the guitar
If I start with a lyrical idea, I have to have some idea of the music - or at least the meter - to go with it as I continue with the lyrics. I have a kind of in-built meter....suppose that comes from reading so much poetry in school in my younger days. It just has to make sense .......but even if the rhyming scheme/meter makes sense to me, it might not be immediately obvious to anyone who takes a casual read.
Look at some of Roy Orbison's songs - he'll mess about with line lengths, and meter, but he'll always find a way to fit in what he wants to say. I try to do that - I've lost count of the times I've posted lyrics in the SSG that have made perfect sense to me, but no-one else could grasp the timing!
It's a lot easier if you can record......and I need a new mic, and probably a new version of audacity, the one I've got now is (insert your own rude word here.......)
It'd be nice if someone could come up with a nice mathematical equation to define the perfect song.
But then, someone would say "well what about this......" and come up with something completely different.....
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
I am somewhat new to the guitar and even newer to composing, so lyrics naturally come more easily to me. Also I have dabbled with poetry on and off so I have a bit of a start there.
What I want to do however, until I have more guitar time under my belt, is to at least come up with melodies by playing around on the guitar. I will be interested to watch whether as time goes on and I understand music better whether my preference for lyrics will continue.
I look forward to the day when I have the music for a song and then have to worry about finding the words.
Ola
“Poetry and Hums aren't things which you get, they're things which get you. And all you can do is go where they can find you.” - Winnie the Pooh
I've been writing a tremendous amount of poetry lately, more than enough to fill a book, (assuming someone would want a book of poetry that sucks). It has lead me to an interesting insight into my songwriting, that even when I start with lyrics I am writing them with a musical idea in mind. Writing poetry doesn't have that musical feel to it. Sure it has meter but it isn't a lyric. For one thing my poetry doesn't repeat themes as obviously as my lyrics. Lyrics are much more concise. I think of poetry as limited only by one's desire to be on point, interesting, good and readable, while lyrics are more like sending a text message, you've only got 160 characters to use, you better make sure every word adds value. Of course good poetry makes every word count, it just seems more so for lyrics IMHO.
I've taken to writing lyrics now with a metronome or drum track playing in the background. It really helps. Even before I did this my best lyrics, for instance One by One, were written with a specific pattern already in my head.
So the answer for me is I have a mix of things going on when I write. A lyrical pattern, a musical concept, a riff or some combo of the above. On rare occasions I have been known to take a three chord progression, go and sit out on David's deck and noodle with it until it becomes something.
At a much more basic writing level I take a Palm Lifedrive with me wherever I go and I speak, sing or play ideas into it. If I was giving one piece of advice to a new songwriter it would be go and get a recorder for exactly that purpose. Unfortunately I had a great idea last night before bed, didn't record it and I've completely forgotten it now.
Like Vic I come across times when I can't write anything. The poetry was my temporary solution to that. "Write anything" was what I was told.
The songs I'm happy with all started as riffs and chord progressions. Melodies came easily: lyrics were hard work. For me, inventing and playing the music is 90% of the enjoyment of a song. I have not been able to start with lyrics and add a tune that flows well or doesn't sound corny e.g. The Trees They Stayed Green Longer (GN assignment).
I have a Sony Minidiscon my desk so when I wake with 'Yesterday' in my head :wink: I can grab the guitar and record ideas. I transfer them to my iPod and play them in the car and get ideas for lyrics.
I've got about 80 riffs and chord progressions recorded for future use and about 50 sets of lyrics in my scrapyard that I wrote when no instrument was to hand. Do you think I can match them? :? The few that I have tried have been dogs. Even with songs I'm happy with I frequently go back to teh original idea and find that the original musical feel has been spoiled by chopping it to fit lyrics. Elton John is a master at finding music for pre-existing lyrics - sadly it's not my forté.
The BIG question is 'should we continue in the way we find easiest or work at the other method until we get something?'
