How do you write new songs down?

[RichardN]

I'm curious as to how most of you who create your own music document it. I'm focused on solo guitar without singing but interested in hearing from anyone willing to share no matter what genre.

I can read notated music and tab. And I'm pretty good at coming up with some new stuff, but it's hard to remember it the next day. Writing out notes seems tedious as does writing out tab.

What do you all do?

[Bob from Brooklyn]

Record it on my phone.

[JonPR]

I notate using software. Looks better than hand notation, and easier to edit. Plus you hear it played back.
Downside is it's slower than doing it by hand - unless you tend to make a lot of mistakes or want to change things, which is when software is quicker. And neater.

Of course, if its just about preserving ideas for future reference, then audio recording (on phone or whatever) is quickest - and easiest - of all.

[The Bard Rocks]

Once the melody (and words) stop changing, I write it down. Literally. Black ink, real paper that I later digitalize.

[JackC1]

I use staff notation to write down; but if I'm away from my desk, I'll sing into my phone. One thing that musicianship class taught me (if nothing else) is that singing is an integral part of learning music.

[Chipotle]

If it's a quick idea, I make a phone recording.

Once I have something I want to flesh out more, I'll create a text document on my computer with chords and lyrics. I do most of my editing there.

When it's finally complete, I'll write it in standard notation (melody, lyrics, chords) using MuseScore.

[TBman]

I use GuitarPro

[rick-slo]

Usually start out keeping things in my head. Work up some beginning and then keep adding to it. Try different variations. Get something I like and think
I might forget as I try other things I often start creating a tab (I use PowerTab). Often the hardest part of tab is getting it to reproduce the timing I want
(e.g. various tuplets). Getting far enough into it it is helpful to listen to a midi playback of the tab done so far. As an aside it can be fun to listen to a midi
of one of my compositions using some other instrument simulation rather than that of a guitar, for example:

http://dcoombsguitar.com/Misc/BreezeMidi.mp3

http://dcoombsguitar.com/Misc/Thumbplay.mp3

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by RichardN

I'm curious as to how most of you who create your own music document it. I'm focused on solo guitar without singing but interested in hearing from anyone willing to share no matter what genre.

I can read notated music and tab. And I'm pretty good at coming up with some new stuff, but it's hard to remember it the next day. Writing out notes seems tedious as does writing out tab.

What do you all do?

I've written many pieces over the years. I have recorded 5 CD's since 1996, and the bulk of the pieces are original fingerstyle pieces.

I don't read or write tab, or standard notation, and for the most part I never make demo recordings of the pieces until they're almost done.

My feeling has always been this: If I don't remember a piece of music I'm 'creating', then it wasn't memorable enough.

Be fussy. Life is too short to strive for quantity.

Regards,
Howard Emerson

[ghostnote]

I have my own shorthand that I use to document my songs with pen and paper. It’s not a secret code, it’s fairly easy to understand, but it’s not music notation so does not take into account things like rests or time changes. Once I have a basic idea of the song’s format - what the chords are, location of any verses, chorus, bridge, etc - I’ll write all that down. That original document will be edited and tweaked as necessary in the future. I will also demo a quick one-track version of it on my recorder so that when I look at it later I’ll know what I was thinking at the time. If I had any vocal melody or guitar ideas in mind, I’ll also do a demo recording of those for future reference. It works for me and it’s easy.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

My feeling has always been this: If I don't remember a piece of music I'm 'creating', then it wasn't memorable enough.

Good principle!

And the way to memorize it, of course, is to play it over and over. If you get bored doing that - before you've committed it to memory - that's another sign the tune is not worth it.

[FrankHudson]

Easy and tough for me, who fancies himself as a composer who performs for practicalities sake.

The easy portion? Things I record on MIDI interfaced instruments are automatically transcribed. What it "hears" as standard notation is not completely accurate, but it's more than adequate for my purposes. Just as how someone might change the score during an ongoing composition process, MIDI allows this easily. I usually edit in "piano roll."

Tougher? I play guitar, bass, etc, some light percussion -- and often compose on guitar. While music notation is not worthless for putting down guitar ideas, it not very good. I tried to learn the basics of notation decades ago, and retain a little of that, but in the heat of composition it would just slow me down.

So, for example, if I was to compose a new solo acoustic guitar piece I may make note of chord voicings and sometimes jot down notes in sorta-tab on riffs or motifs. I tend to do this on paper with pen and later move to typed in computer doc files. But to be frank, I sometimes simply consider the composition process to be immediate. I work it out of the course of day, remembering mostly with muscle memory how I play it as I develop it. With these pieces, if I'd want to play them a year later or something, I'd have to transcribe myself (something I'm only fair at) and then teach myself how to play my own past composition from transcription (not a gimmie, particularly for solo acoustic instrumentals).

Some pieces of mine are, as in the Jazz tradition a "head" with motifs and chord changes, and the body of the playing is improvisation.

Here's a weird one. In the process of transcribing myself to teach myself my own tunes, I've sometimes used modern computer tools that can do a fair job of transcribing polyphonic material. "What is that darn guy playing? How'd he do that?" I ask myself. About myself.

No one's mentioned lyrics, but like Howard upthread with music, for years I composed words in my head, often while working or doing something else. Like Howard I assumed there's a "Bardic Advantage Filter" in composing that way, that what survived and stuck around was the worthwhile stuff. As I've gotten older, I don't trust this as much, but I did this a lot for lyrics well into my 60s.

[RichardN]

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts, Frank Hudson had some really insightful comments that resonate. (Pardon the pun.)

I took a close look at the MusicScore software and think that might a helpful tool.

[fwellers]

Originally Posted by JackC1

I use staff notation to write down; but if I'm away from my desk, I'll sing into my phone. One thing that musicianship class taught me (if nothing else) is that singing is an integral part of learning music.

Could you share a little about that last sentence? I don't see the neccesity of singing for learning music, so am interested about the reasoning behind that.

Thank you.
Floyd

[rmp]

I have a zoom Mp3 recorder, I press record and let the ideas go where they go

even if I write anything down, I'll not be able remember or recreate the phrasing, timing, vibe, and feel

The Mp3 recorder remembers everything.