How do you make music?

[AKMG]

Not sure if this is the right section, but how do you make music?

-What's your creative process like?Do you write the lyrics first, then record guitars? Or do you tinker around the guitars and find a good riff then build off that? Or do you have a specific emotion you want to get out in your music? Maybe you have a drummer and the bassist throw down a beat and you fill it in as the guitarist?

-Do you work better alone or in a group (i.e. creating things alone in your room vs. creating music with your band members)? Is it you who comes up with all the guitar parts (no outside opinion from your band members) or do you let your band members give you insight on your music? Some people have are gifted with knowing how a song will sound right from the start... are you one of those people or do you create a song and constantly go back and add more/change parts?

I try to come up with riffs in my own time and then bring them to jam sessions and get the opinions of the other guys. It'll usually be a short 45-60 second clip of an idea, consisting of a very rough structure of the song (intro, chorus, ending). I work better with people giving me opinions as I write though because if I do it alone, it usually takes me 2-3 days to come up with something that sounds catchy.


Just some questions to consider; it'd be nice to know how other musicians do what they do.

[DEADTUNES666]

My whole process used to be different, but now...

I like to work by my self, but often collaborate with others! So first I'll come up with chord progressions (Whether barre, open, power), and some sort of starting point for a rhythm/beat/feel. While noodling around, trying to find the perfect conglomeration of chords, I scat sing some melody lines over it, using very cliche phrases...

This will go on for a day or a year depending when I feel I'm ready to go on. Sometimes stuff will sound cheesy the next day, only to resurface weeks/months later in a new groove and sound brilliant...or sometimes even worse.

Before I start lyrics, I need a title. Usually the first few lines are garbage just to get the process started, and then I'll go back and change/tighten them up. Once the lyrics are done and the melody pretty much complete (I'll always embellish and tweak a melody) I make up a lead sheet and either record it or put it in a binder with other unfinished works.

My son has been taking piano lessons so sometimes I'll write things out for him and we'll play together. He's still very new at it so it's all really simplistic versions of things. If there is something he likes a lot I'll go and record it.

I have a tight network of friends/musicians so we'll send stuff to each other to help finish. If I need a bass line, or real good keyboard line (by a bassist or keyboardist rather than just by me), or some help arranging, or a different take on guitar I've got people to call on.

[CalledToArms]

loaded question here so I'll try and be somewhat brief. Being in this band for 5 years songs have been written from just about every angle heh.

The majority of the time the other guitarist or I lead with a guitar riff. Whether it is an entire song already written on guitar or just a riff or two varies. If it is an entire song we start having our drummer, bass player, and keyboard player(also vocalist) improvise/write around what we have. Usually the structure, timing, transitions change as we add other instruments. Some parts are often cut, lengthened or changed significantly. If we just have a few riffs we let the way the full riff sounds with drums, bass, vocals, and keyboard give us a nod into the direction of the next riff.

Sometimes our keyboard player will write a chord progression and a lead riff on his synth that he wants us to translate to guitar (he has some sick ideas he just doesnt play the guitar hehe).

As far as writing a riff goes sometimes we are just noodling around until a few notes in a row sound good. Then we say take those 4 notes and keep playing them over and over trying to noodle on a few more notes until we find a few more we like, etc etc. Eventually you feel like you have a full riff written. Other times we have something in our head and we want to invoke a specific sound and figure out what key we want to go to next etc.

As far as lyrics come, usually it is our vocalist and sometimes me that write the lyrics. Titles always come last. vocal melodies are "written" before lyrics are ever started. Once the general vocal melodies are done our vocalist writes lyrics and then fits them to the melody, adjusting what he needs to here and there for rhythm reasons.

[Drew]

Badly.

I usually write (um, I write instrumental guitar tunes) alone, and while recording. I'll come up with a cool riff or two, or a melody line, and then fire up my computer. Usually I have a riff first, so I'll either turn on Sonar's metronome, or quickly sequence a quick drum track. I'll then double-track a minute or two's worth of rhythm guitar as sort of a "songwriting sketch," where I have all the fundamental parts (verse, chorus, bridge if I have one) represented, but not in a full song arrangement. If I have a melody, I'll then go back and record that - if not, I'll jam along with it for a while until I "find" something, and record it when I do. If I don't come up with something, I'll leave it for a few days or a few weeks until I do (sometime,s I just don't). I'll then record the melody line(s), record a bass track, and then flesh out the drums a little more and do a quick mix.

I'll listen back to it a few days later, maybe play it for someone else for a bit of feedback, and if my little "proof of concept" song sketch still holds together then I'll record a full arrangement. sometimes this will involve a seperate solo section, sometimes it'll just involve taking a solo over the verse changes or something, it varies. If I dig it enough, I'll put the finished demo up on my MySpace or something, and ten move on to write another song.

That's as far as I've gotten for now - when everything's said and done and I have an album's worth of demo material I'm happy with, I'm going to get together with my drummer buddy, and lay down some live drums, then record everything from the ground up over his drum tracks. That I'll eventually master and print up as an indie release.

I never know what to call anything, either.

[CalledToArms]

oh another note. once in awhile Ill throw inverted chords and chord substitutions in while writing but USUALLY general chord progressions are written first and then inversions and substitutions are messed with later to spice it up.

[ardell henderson]

Well, it varies. Some tunes seem to write themselves while others seem to come together over time. One basic element that seems to drive how the tune will develop is whether the tune is a nod to something I've been exposed to (in one form or another), or something altogether new (uncharted territory - it's all relative).

Sometimes the initial spark comes from a melody, other times it's riff or beat driven. When I was younger, I used to get ticked off @ my writing when it sounded like anything that I liked or was listening to. But as I've grown up I've become more comfortable in taking something familiar sounding & messing it up a bit to put my stamp on it.

I've actually had stuff "sitting" on the shelf for a few years before the finishing inspiration takes form too.

The worst part (for me) is the timing of inspiration. For some reason, certain types of tunes will just pop in my head when I'm moving in some way (walking, riding a bike, driving somewhere, etc.). And the worst part is I rarely have a guitar around when I get most of my ideas - very frustrating! I guess it's a love-hate kind of thing but isn't that just the way it goes?

I find if I write in a vacuum of sorts (i.e., just me 'n guitar, no band, or with writing partner) the music will almost always be reflective of my current emotive state. Writing with bandmates is different though as I think I'm a bit more able to wipe the slate clean, so to speak, & really just concentrate at connecting in a supporting mode with whatever's goin' on. Of course, then I'm forced into a corner of sorts & find myself fighting for solo slots, more riffs, etc... I guess writing with bandmates decreases my narcisistic tendencies somewhat as I realize it's not all about me. Did I just say that? {8^]-

[AKMG]

Have you guys ever heard of/done drum tracks before recording anything else? I've never it done it this way, but apparently it's very common, especially in professional studios. I can work better if I have a drum beat to play along to, but I suspect the drummer might have a hard time. Oddly enough, it seems that by doing this, the drummer is the one writing the song.

[Drew]

Originally Posted by AKMG

Have you guys ever heard of/done drum tracks before recording anything else? I've never it done it this way, but apparently it's very common, especially in professional studios. I can work better if I have a drum beat to play along to, but I suspect the drummer might have a hard time. Oddly enough, it seems that by doing this, the drummer is the one writing the song.

Historically, when demoing, I'll sketch out a quick drum loop, stretch out a couple minutes' worth, and record rhythm guitars over that.

When I do finally cut my CD for real, I'll leave it partly up to the drummer I suspect, but I think I'll record scratch rhythm guitars to a click track so he has something to play against, and then when he's done re-record over the bare drum tracks.

[ken_r152]

I've come to learn that it's better to have someone _other_ than the drummer write your music, .....unless you really want ALL of your music to be in 7/4 with the beat carried on the toms and then everyone else tries to fit a melody to that.....

[Shredder87]

Interesting question! Fascinating to see how everyone else writes their music.

I mostly write tunes, e.g. rifs etc. but now-and-then I do write lyrics... just whenever the ideas come up I suppose. I often carry a little notepad with me in my jacket pocket just in case I have any ideas while I'm out.

Unusually I find sitting in the car is a good way to write lyrics! Just sitting watching the world, it gives you a whole stack of ideas for songs. I often sit for ages in the car just noting down lyrics that come into my head. As soon as I get home I'll try a few chords on the guitar and see what I can come up with.

I write a lot of lyrics to do with things that anger me. For example just now we have a major problem in Scotland with Nationalism - a dangerous and small-minded thing; I don't get people's fascination with it. I write a lot of songs about the dangers of Nationalism and the dark side to it that you don't see portrayed in the British media. I also get angry about Environmentalism; being a Climate Change "skeptic" I write a lot of stuff about that and the dark side to the "Green" movement and how the media and politicians have embraced it like some sort of religion. I won't go into a political discussion obviously but that's what I write a lot about. I suppose it's on my mind a lot so that's where all my ideas come from. Also those who will know me will know I love flying - I'm training to be a pilot - and it's a very special thing to my heart, so I write stuff about that too. Again it's just whatever is on my mind.

Don't really write love songs... pretty crap at that to be honest.

In terms of tunes, I can come up with things at any time. Normally I'll just be sitting jamming away and I'll come up with a chord sequence or a guitar riff or even a lead guitar part. Then it all just builds from there. I'll record it on my PC and using a keyboard add some drums, bass and keyboard effects (80's reject thing!) and then I'll see about fitting some of my lyrics that I've written into the tune! It just all sort of builds up one bit at a time.

It's a fascinating process, and it's great to complete a song, lyrics, music, arrangement and all. And that makes you want to do it all over again!

'87

[Dragonforce1080p]

Well this thread is very interesting, Im a beginner at writing rhythm and I have a similar question so i dont want to make a new thread:

I improvised a bunch of riffs and melody in a recording program-4 minutes worth jamming- and I am relatively happy with the stuff. But how does one go about re-writing the song in a more organized fashion. For example put each part in their respective order before recording again? Is it just that some have "talent" and some don't when it comes to writing?

[CalledToArms]

Have you guys ever heard of/done drum tracks before recording anything else? I've never it done it this way, but apparently it's very common, especially in professional studios. I can work better if I have a drum beat to play along to, but I suspect the drummer might have a hard time. Oddly enough, it seems that by doing this, the drummer is the one writing the song.

How does it seem that the drummer is writing the song? when you are recording, those songs are already written and practiced 1000 times over. Just because someone RECORDS first doesnt mean they wrote the song..

that being said, I have never been in a professional studio and NOT tracked drums first. The drummer doesnt have a hard time because we are playing along with him, but his set is the only thing micd into the board. and then we come back in on top of that and record our other parts.

[Shredder87]

Originally Posted by Dragonforce1080p

Well this thread is very interesting, Im a beginner at writing rhythm and I have a similar question so i dont want to make a new thread:

I improvised a bunch of riffs and melody in a recording program-4 minutes worth jamming- and I am relatively happy with the stuff. But how does one go about re-writing the song in a more organized fashion. For example put each part in their respective order before recording again? Is it just that some have "talent" and some don't when it comes to writing?

Hmm... that's really an individual thing. Different people do it different ways. The way I would do it is pick the jam apart, and pick out all the best bits. You'll find that stuff just seems to "fit" together. It's kind of difficult to describe.

It's not a case of having "talent" or not, it's more a case of developing it. I was always absolutely cack at writing songs, and was convinced I'd never ever write anything. I never had any ideas; it was a bit like having permanent Writer's Block. However, for some reason during last Winter I just came up with some ideas for lyrics, tunes etc. and it just clicked. It was literally as sudden as that. I think I wrote two or three songs alone that one day. Now I have enough stuff to do an album! I should really record it all sometime, which is my intention one day.

You'll develop it someday.

'87

[Petie]

Depends, but there are a few methods which seem to pop up most frequently.

1) In my head. About 80% of my stuff comes from hearing it all in my head in completed form, from the guitars down to the drums/keys etc. If it's a vocal song, I usually hear the completed rhythm track and the vocal melody and voice in my head, but instead of lyrics I hear vague vowel sounds. I then have to write lyrics which fit the contour of those sounds.

2) Jammin'. It's not often that I get an idea by just playing - if I have a guitar in my hands I'm usually working on technique, and if I DON'T have a guitar in my hands I'm thinking about composition. But occasionally a cool riff will just fall out, and I have to record it right away or I forget it.

3) Collaborating with my band's bass player. We'll present riffs to each other and feed off each other's ideas, then jam over a click track for a few minutes, letting the riff evolve naturally. Then we listen back for the best variations, loop those in the computer, and build a drum track. Working this way, we typically write about 3 to 4 complete songs in an afternoon. We've had 5 writing sessions for our new line-up and we have 17 new songs.

Sometimes I will record a few notes or phrases, then chop them up and loop them in different ways in the computer, changing rhythm, speed and pitch until a completely different idea is formed, then I'll learn to play it in the 'real world.' This often leads me to some really different chords shapes I wouldn't have otherwise considered, and they work their way into my sweep picking patterns and stuff.

[Petie]

Originally Posted by AKMG

Have you guys ever heard of/done drum tracks before recording anything else? I've never it done it this way, but apparently it's very common, especially in professional studios. I can work better if I have a drum beat to play along to, but I suspect the drummer might have a hard time. Oddly enough, it seems that by doing this, the drummer is the one writing the song.

If it's a song I've composed in my head, I program all the drums first. I might change a fill or something here and there (and I'm often guilty of using the kick and snare drum when I really should use toms, so I tend to have to change stuff like that as the song takes shape).

I think it goes back to my early jamming experiences between the ages of about 12 and 16, when I used to jam with a lot of drummers, but without bass players cos we didn't know many people who played bass.