What's your process?

[foal30]

Danger Mouse

writing riffs is important. don't knock your contribution. If you can get three dudes to get riff, lyric, changes your 1/3 of the cut at that point in my mind.

Sgt,

yeah, but it is way harder to write off the instrument. All power to you for getting into it, my efforts have been poor , frankly, to this point but I'm still doing a bit to "learn" this approach. I do not necessarily think written on guitar = guitar music, written on piano = piano music etc....but I would agree that it often is that way. I think if I had more time I would put a lot more effort into working this approach of conceptualizing, writing, then playing. At the moment I'm just not "good" enough of a musician.

Obviously this is not always a bad thing either given the benchmark often called that it aint a song if you can't do it yourself on acoustic guitar. Many roads etc.

[sgt mukuzi]

for sure F, i dont end up playing much that i write, its all part of the process for me anyway. i have written a couple on the guitar and they suffer for it hahah folk rock anyone

[rob_on_guitar]

I was thinking about this last night while recording, I was thinking its funny how most of the tunes i really like have been almost accidental. Kind of just mucking about and thought 'whoa! That sounds really cool! Now how the hell did I just play that!' kinda thing. Other than that Ive always had a certain song that I wanted to hear in my head. So I just try and do it.

[foal30]

been working with a poet.
quite enjoying "doing the music"
and he takes it away and comes back with lyrics and melody.
the 4 of us then (drums/Bass/Gat/Gat,Vox) play the form out and adjust from there.

it's still early days working like this but seems too be under way.
the reverse method might be cooler, here is the vibe and words, away you go foal and write some music.

[foal30]

Happy accidents.
yes good one Rob
it's good to have the time to make accidents
having the recall/writing chops and/or recording device is important
never leave to tomorrow

write it down now!

[rob_on_guitar]

Lyric wise I have certain ways I like a song to be laid out, I dont like or use the standard structure used in most pop songs or what ever, I like telling a story of sorts but I find it vague enough to adopted to anything but clear enough to the people who know what its about.

If I write an instrumental, its all out the door, planning the structure is the disaster, said the master everafter, the laughter, from the rafter, was dafter

[crowbgood1]

Get 1st verse and chorus down. That will give you a theme for your lyrics. The rest will come

[Timi]

I can write songs starting with music, but when I do that I find it really hard to fit vocal ideas over the top.

For me starting with lyrics means I can actually complete a song, but I think I am a terrible lyricist. It sucks.

[dayl]

I'll lay down a few loops & bars etc etc... bring my 2 year old daughter in... if she starts bopping its gold... if she stares blankly back and forth between the screen and me... it gets trashed.

I have her sitting in front of C4 or listening to the radio soaking all that stuff up so she subconiously knows a hit when she hears it.

[DarcyPerry]

I'm in writing mode right now. My advice? Don't over think it. Let it flow.