how do you guys write songs?

[indifference]

hey I was wondering how do you guys wrtie music? Methods theories etc?

[Duff-Man]

Duff-Man says...I don't have any "standard" way for creating music...but my most common method is to start with a simple rhythm pattern from a drum machine or Garageband/Reason loop....I may manipulate/mutate that rhythm with some effects like delay or whatever until I get something interesting...then I will start to play on top of that created rhythm, on keyboard or guitar and see what develops....oh yeah!

[scem0]

I read inspirational material to get lyrical ideas. I've been reading a book about the philosophies of Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of my favorite philosophers, and it gets the wheels turning.

scem0

[polyesterlester]

Everytime I think of something really clever or funny, I write it down, figuring it might make a good lyric some time in the future. I have a notebook full of ridiculous things I've heard people say, odd quotes, strange pop culture references, crazy analogies, etc.

I'll usually start out with a really badass guitar riff, try and turn that into a whole song, then memorize that. Then I'll barf out some belchy funky bluesy scat on top of that and record it. Usually it'll simply be a simple job of going through the scat and replacing it with lyrics. It's always fun to keep some of that scat in though, too.

[diddy]

Me, I find a chord progression I like on my guitar, and just start singing a melody with nonesense words. Eventually I hear something and say 'holy hell where did that come from.' Write it down. Repeat. Maybe its superstition, but I seem to write best first thing in the morning. You can almost feel what shoud come next.

My advice: try everything (the previous posts are excellent ideas), and practice writing everyday. Even if you think what you have written stinks. Ive been writing pop songs for like 8 years, and I still need to practice. (you can listen on myspace.com. check my sig.)

[anonymous161]

To be perfectly honest, many of my personal best have come from other songs. I don't rip off progressions or beats or lyrics, I just use the feel or mood of a particular song and work in that mindset. They usually end up quite different with different themes, but they still have the feel of the particular inspiration.
Either that or I pound some out of time phrases into the drum machine and then screw with the tempo and the measure until I find something I like.

[paulsabo]

When it comes to song writting, first I actually get a tune in my head, the music and the vocal melody. Sort of like hearing a song on the radio for the first time. I hear parts of the drums, guitars, etc. Don't know the words yet. The melody and structure first, then I start hearing the lyrics, and start filling in the blanks. Sometimes they come fairly easy. But at times the can become a bit forced. That's when I back off and change the station so to speak, then come back later to finish it. I often go to Garageband to "jot down" a few of the music ideas (guitar chord progression, etc) so I can sort of tune in to that idea again. I find that if I merly do either a quick recording snippit or write down a few lyrics, I won't forget the idea. If I don't it often gets lost for some time. When I finally have the lyrics written out, I have my overall song structure. I start recording with a guitar track, then drums, bass, more guitars, etc. Finishing the music first then going in with a lead vocal or two, then the backups. Mix it, export, and burn! A lot of time, but a lot of fun as well.

Paul

Some stuff on iTunes. Also, I have some streaming audio tracks at http://www.soundclick.com/paulsabo

[Charon]

I listen to Missy Elliott, and then hit Garageband and trying to make something just as creative. Usually I spend an hour or two and come up with nothing interesting.

Do the same with any of your favorite artists. It may not produce much, but it's quite motivational. Sometimes it ends up a session of imitation, but
I've noticed that if I take a break from Garageband, iTunes, and the radio, I start thinking out of the box more.