General Music Chat

I, generally, don't "jam" with other people to write songs. If it is just me and a drummer I can improv pretty well with him. Another guitarist just trips me up.

I prefer to be by myself with a notebook, a tape recorder, and a glass of Diet Cherry Pepsi.

I want to get back into using the computer in my writing, mixing unusual sounds, making loops, etc.

What methods work best for y'all? A lot of bands seem to do the improvised jam thing until they've got a song.

Rasta and I have been writing songs together for over ten years. The usual method is he writes a poem that I then turn into lyrics and music. But recently we've been experimenting with the formula; Rasta has started writing melodies on bass and I have written a few lyrics. This gives our sound greater variety.

Songs that start out as just words are easier to write and usually turn out better than songs that start out as a riff or melody, don't know why.

I just write what comes to my head. Sometimes it's just some lyrical content with melody. sometimes it's the full meal deal. If I don't write or record it immediately it's lost forever.

The band does best by just letting it happen when it does.
Spontaneous combustion makes the best fire.

I will isolate my self with my Taylor and find combinations
of chord patterns and strum patterns and settle on something.
That sound will create a mood that encourages the lyrics
off the top of my head. After maybe 20mins. or sometimes 2-3 days
I will reach a final. Then comes the development of the song
and that is really the hard part for me because I havn't been in a band for a while. It's good at that point to use sound ideas from band mates.
That can be a little hinky though because some people can't handle the back and forth and idea rejection that comes with development. They
take it real personal when you don't accept their ideas. As a writer it
is so important to be able to open yourself up to everything and still have a filter.

jmho

I have many, many methods. Sometimes a clever lyric will come out of someones mouth. They don't think of it as such. I'll fool around with it until a melody presents itself. Then chord progressions or bass lines follow.

Sometimes I start with a bass line. Like this one...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYtjbTH5K2c

This one started with a guitar chord progression.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_7tgz2J8PU

This one started from a piano part.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcePtqiZaX0

Sometimes they start with a vocal melody.

This one started with Jimmy Danger posting a completed instrumental track. melodies then lyrics followed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x63Nc0c7 ... re=related

Your writing ability blows me away Paul.

Dang man. Thanks. Well your VOX are crazy good. I actually wrote a song with my preacher recently. He sent the lyrics. The music and melodies "wrote themselves". I returned a guitar/vox demo in less than an hour. It is straight country. I pride myself on phrasing and pronunciation. Well this one has me against the ropes!! There is one part that I cringe when I listen to on the demo. I thought of you. I bet you could own this track. Interested?

Love to but don't have a way to record it other than a 4 track analog.
I can record on that and over to a cassette then to CD. ?

for me its just sit down alone with my guitar, a cigarette, and my notebook, and start playing.

Pencil.
Cursive.

Songs that start out as just words are easier to write and usually turn out better than songs that start out as a riff or melody, don't know why.

It works the other way for me Jimmy.
I usually have the music first and the music brings me to the story. It will make me feel something that relates to a certain state and I start trying to express that in words.
I have a hard time putting music to words sometimes.
Sometimes the music and words both come at the same time, and it's a race to get it all down before it fades... the only time or reason I'd want to read/write music.

I used to jam and develop ideas. Then I spent a lot of time working alone, and developed a more lyric focused style, kind of like what Paul was describing. Writing is easier that way for me, but musically, it's a little stifling. The band I was supposed to start playing with was doing the jam approach, which would have given me the chance to write without the resraints of arranging music. I was looking forward to that-it's been a long time since I worked that way, and it would have been refreshing. Doesn't look like it's gonna work out, though.

Cisco locks himself in the studio and plays around until he brings me home a CD then I take it and the real magic starts.

Chaeya

Ive done it all kids of ways.

I sit down with a guitar and just get a nice group of chords coming out of me, ussually I just get a lyrical idea and go with it. I have a formula for that and can crank out songs in an hour or so. Doesnt mean they are good just that I have that ability.

When I practice electric at some point I come up with an interesting riff and build from that sections until I have the foundation of a song. The I or someone else can put lyrics to it.

I have collaborated with others in whatever context i need, lyrics, vocals, guitar, bass. I got involved in a couple of rap projects where our bassist set up some sort of loop and then just let me come in with my pedal board and go nuts with noises.

Cell phones are cool, cause mine has this little recorder that will record around 3 minutes of music, thats long enough to throw down a guitar riff or idea and not lose it. I have been alone in my car and got a melody vocal hook that I just threw on there to remember it.

I guess as a songwriter the best thing to do is be prepared to save whatever you come up with, that may be a notebook, I have 8 notebooks in a closet full of ideas all the way up to complete songs. I have a digital recorder at home and when I get an idea and record it I try to write in the notebook with the song what guitar, how many guitars, what effects and all that jazz so if I eer decided to revive a song and re-record it I can emulate what I did. The best ones for me are the ones I just throw down while the emotion is still there. One of those that I like a lot, yet its really not htat great a song is Ive Been Shown on my player here. Its a simple song that was written when my seperation from my wife happened, it has pain in my voice, I put a pretty hot guitar solo on there. I used my half stack cranked to the moon. It was fun, not that anyone else woudl get it. Another one that lots of people have made comments on is Cyber Outlaw, that began with a chord progression a frind of mine showed me. I forgot the riff but adapted the feel of it, and went from there. The lyrics are about someone one the internet stealing info from someone. The guitar solo on that one isnt me, it was the guy with the original guitar riff, an old friend named Craig Yates, he was sorta my guitar mentor growing up, sadly whenever he and I tryed to play in bands together alot of drama always got introduced. After trying with him for years I jsut decided I didnt need another guitarist to play with.

Anyway enough from me, if you are a songwriter or guitarist or musician, these days its easier than ever to record what you have on your mind and save it. In fact one of the songs on my player and sad to say I cant remeber but the basic rythym guitar was recorded on my cell phone and then transferred over to pro tools and the whole song developed from there. Dont be afraid to use your cell phone if nothing else to record ideas, you cna then email them to your computor and save them.

Good Luck

O Mike to answer your question I havent ever really found the best way for me to write a song. I just go with the flow of the moment and try to capture it for later.