I've decided to expand on this subject since it is close to my heart.
When I write, it is a very visual and audible undertaking. I will sit down alone with an acoustic and start playing with chords. Finding sounds I haven't made before. When a combination of chords is found that
move me I will close my eyes and decide the mood or feeling they give me.
I will try the chords in many different patterns while singing and experimenting
with my cadence and tempo and pronunciation of words. Words that make no
sence YET. At some point a phrase and chord combination will
fall together and I'm off to the races. From that point I write music and lyrics
simultaneously. My exception to that is bridges. Bridges in my opinion
are the most important part of a song. They create opportunity for
the writer to take you by surprise and hit you when you're not looking.
To inject an unexpected mood or thought into a song and really make
it grab the listeners ear. For me that is the most difficult but rewarding part of
writing a song.
When finished I will have a skeleton of a song that I can then start
thinking about intros and outros guitar sounds, instrumentation and
general arrangement. This time is when I need a real musician to guide me
and collaborate with. I have a couple people I use at this stage and
work very well with. They work with me because I bring them
good product that they admire.
Any writer should always remember that a good song is a
collaberation of talent not a singular effort no matter who
inevitabley gets the credit. Also in your search and efforts in writing you
will run across others at different points that without doubt make
your work sound better. Be it recording engineer, musician, co-writer,
back ground singer or whatever. You need to be able to recognize
them and include them in your work as often as possible. Pay them,
beg them whatever you have to do. In the future listening back at
your music that includes them is priceless.[/b]
When I write, it is a very visual and audible undertaking. I will sit down alone with an acoustic and start playing with chords. Finding sounds I haven't made before. When a combination of chords is found that
move me I will close my eyes and decide the mood or feeling they give me.
I will try the chords in many different patterns while singing and experimenting
with my cadence and tempo and pronunciation of words. Words that make no
sence YET. At some point a phrase and chord combination will
fall together and I'm off to the races. From that point I write music and lyrics
simultaneously. My exception to that is bridges. Bridges in my opinion
are the most important part of a song. They create opportunity for
the writer to take you by surprise and hit you when you're not looking.
To inject an unexpected mood or thought into a song and really make
it grab the listeners ear. For me that is the most difficult but rewarding part of
writing a song.
When finished I will have a skeleton of a song that I can then start
thinking about intros and outros guitar sounds, instrumentation and
general arrangement. This time is when I need a real musician to guide me
and collaborate with. I have a couple people I use at this stage and
work very well with. They work with me because I bring them
good product that they admire.
Any writer should always remember that a good song is a
collaberation of talent not a singular effort no matter who
inevitabley gets the credit. Also in your search and efforts in writing you
will run across others at different points that without doubt make
your work sound better. Be it recording engineer, musician, co-writer,
back ground singer or whatever. You need to be able to recognize
them and include them in your work as often as possible. Pay them,
beg them whatever you have to do. In the future listening back at
your music that includes them is priceless.[/b]
