What have you done to be more efficient in songwriting?

[slewis]

Originally Posted by ryanspadafora

But again, reading books can become a rabbit hole of excuses to avoid the thing that we fear most - the work.

Excellent point!

[slewis]

Another aspect of this process that I’m sure people have different approaches to is putting pieces together first, or not. As in (and I know there’s no “one right way” to do this) putting lyrics down first, with no regard to music? Or vice-versa? Or try to develop both at once? I’m guessing it’s usually one of the former, and of course The Muse can come in any form, but again, I’m also sure it happens in different ways for different people... I think I’m so impatient with all this that I try to develop both at the same time — and that inhibits success with both. Having completed a good page of lyrics or a great chart of chords and song structure is a great thing to then be able to integrate the other one into.

[Sponserv]

I get paralyzed with fear that I am going to write something that has been done before.

Much like a comedic writer trying to come up with original material I always have this thought in the back of my mind that a certain chord progression, strum pattern or story line has been done before. I mean really....there are only just so many chords, patterns and similar stories that can be told. The recent feature film Yesterday was fantastic. Highly recommended.

[bbatko]

I’d highly recommend this book. It’s an excellent read. Out of print, but can get it used. So many great insights. Written in My Soul: Rock's Great Songwriters Talk About Creating Their Music https://www.amazon.com/dp/0809251531..._blJlEbPWSK81X

[3notes]

Originally Posted by Denny B

I watched a very good documentary on Bob Weir, called "The Other One"...I think it's still showing on Netflix...

He was talking about songwriting, and that he had spent a lot of nights writing when he would have rather been asleep in bed...

He said, "It comes through the window when it WANTS to come through the window..."

I've often wondered if Bobby ever sleeps. An American icon. No doubt.

[jseth]

You know, I have not replied to this thread until now; I have never looked at songwriting as a "Race" or work, not really, not in the decades I've been writing songs.

It's always been more of a way to put to words and music something I've been feeling, or something about my life, or something about the people I observe around me... I think I realized, early on, that I wasn't going to be a "hit songwriter", not on purpose anyway.

I view my songwriting as "art" - not to sound too precious about it! - and have endeavored to have my songs Be Real... to not take "the easy way out" with rhyme schemes or content... to this date, I've never written a novelty song or attempted to replicate a previous song of mine that has been popular with my audiences...

When I was much younger, I would drop everything when the "Muse Bus" came along... I'd get up in the middle of the night to write, to pursue an idea or melody. Not always fruitful, but I knew that the Muse didn't always show up on schedule, so I'd better be prepared to follow it whenever it called.

It is amazing how differently some songs are from others - talking about the writing process - I've written songs that came to me in a flash, that I could hardly write down fast enough and then "Blorp", it was completed... other times, I've hit a point where all I can do is "let the song reveal itself", to not "force it" or settle for some cheesy rhyme, and that's resulted in songs that have taken fully 5 years or more to "finish themselves"!

I usually have between 5 and 20 "pieces" in progress at any given time; I figure if a rhythmic pattern or progression or melody or a line stays with me, then it wants to be a song, sooner or later... so I'll revisit pieces from time to time and massage them along their way.

One thing I will say - it is FAR easier to write a song FOR someone else, with their topic and meaning given, than it is for me to create one of my own...

There are no rules, no easy fixes... forcing myself to sit down and work on something, anything, is not a bad discipline... but I wouldn't expect monumental results from that method, not if what you're writing is to be a reflection of some inner vision or purpose.

It seems there is a point in every song I've written that the "meaning" of the tune makes itself known. Some times, I've begun a song thinking it would be about "this", only to have it morph into "that", somewhere along the way!

I try to be open to ANY and ALL ideas and solutions, and not be tied to a specific methodology or dictum... aside from the fact that all the songs I write are a part of a vision I have for my music.

While I love it when a song of mine "connects" with people and they really like it and appreciate the tune, I do not write songs for others' approval... moreover, I write songs that illuminate an aspect of the human spirit, and this world in which we live... and a song isn't finished until I SAY IT IS...

On the opposite side of the spectrum, a good friend of mine will book studio time to record an album... and march into the studio with three songs completed, 3 or 4 more that are close to being complete... and half-dozen "ideas" that need to be written... he works REALLY well, "under the gun", so to speak...

Of course, all of this is predicated on what YOU want your songs to be... and that's entirely up to you! One "tip" I'd offer would be to NOT THROW ANY SONGS AWAY! You never know what you'll think about them at another time and place... another would be to easy on yourself... I know I am my harshest critic and editor, and there have been times when I've "talked myself out of" completing a very good song...

Good luck!

[ceciltguitar]

Musically, I consistently have the most lucid, creative ideas early in the morning, “evolving” from dreaming to being awake, sort of off-and-on semi-consciously guided dreaming alternating with sort of off-and-on semi-dreaming guided consciousness.

Got that? . . . . Huh?

[jaymarsch]

This thread has some great suggestions. These are some of the things that work for me.

• I belong to a songwriter's group that meets monthly
• I keep a running list of possible song titles, snippets, phrases in a memo app on my phone
• I try to set aside some time everyday to write or noodle on a melody or chord progression
• I don't wait for the muse to show up, I try to just keep writing songs. Most will be trash but I am constantly practicing putting chords, melody and words together.
• I make use of available books, CDs and podcasts from other songwriters talking about how they do what they do.

Mostly, I try and have fun and keep it enjoyable - even when I am working on serious material. If it becomes a drudge or if I am trying to force anything, my creativity suffers.

Thanks for starting the thread. This is another place where we can support one another.

Best,
Jayne

[slewis]

Originally Posted by jseth

You know, I have not replied to this thread until now; I have never looked at songwriting as a "Race" or work, not really, not in the decades I've been writing songs.

It's always been more of a way to put to words and music something I've been feeling, or something about my life, or something about the people I observe around me... I think I realized, early on, that I wasn't going to be a "hit songwriter", not on purpose anyway.

I view my songwriting as "art" - not to sound too precious about it! - and have endeavored to have my songs Be Real... to not take "the easy way out" with rhyme schemes or content... to this date, I've never written a novelty song or attempted to replicate a previous song of mine that has been popular with my audiences...

When I was much younger, I would drop everything when the "Muse Bus" came along... I'd get up in the middle of the night to write, to pursue an idea or melody. Not always fruitful, but I knew that the Muse didn't always show up on schedule, so I'd better be prepared to follow it whenever it called.

It is amazing how differently some songs are from others - talking about the writing process - I've written songs that came to me in a flash, that I could hardly write down fast enough and then "Blorp", it was completed... other times, I've hit a point where all I can do is "let the song reveal itself", to not "force it" or settle for some cheesy rhyme, and that's resulted in songs that have taken fully 5 years or more to "finish themselves"!

I usually have between 5 and 20 "pieces" in progress at any given time; I figure if a rhythmic pattern or progression or melody or a line stays with me, then it wants to be a song, sooner or later... so I'll revisit pieces from time to time and massage them along their way.

One thing I will say - it is FAR easier to write a song FOR someone else, with their topic and meaning given, than it is for me to create one of my own...

There are no rules, no easy fixes... forcing myself to sit down and work on something, anything, is not a bad discipline... but I wouldn't expect monumental results from that method, not if what you're writing is to be a reflection of some inner vision or purpose.

It seems there is a point in every song I've written that the "meaning" of the tune makes itself known. Some times, I've begun a song thinking it would be about "this", only to have it morph into "that", somewhere along the way!

I try to be open to ANY and ALL ideas and solutions, and not be tied to a specific methodology or dictum... aside from the fact that all the songs I write are a part of a vision I have for my music.

While I love it when a song of mine "connects" with people and they really like it and appreciate the tune, I do not write songs for others' approval... moreover, I write songs that illuminate an aspect of the human spirit, and this world in which we live... and a song isn't finished until I SAY IT IS...

On the opposite side of the spectrum, a good friend of mine will book studio time to record an album... and march into the studio with three songs completed, 3 or 4 more that are close to being complete... and half-dozen "ideas" that need to be written... he works REALLY well, "under the gun", so to speak...

Of course, all of this is predicated on what YOU want your songs to be... and that's entirely up to you! One "tip" I'd offer would be to NOT THROW ANY SONGS AWAY! You never know what you'll think about them at another time and place... another would be to easy on yourself... I know I am my harshest critic and editor, and there have been times when I've "talked myself out of" completing a very good song...

Good luck!

I can specifically relate to a ton of these points, J!
Just went through the audio memos on my phone, which by now go back a whopping nine years or so, and heard a number of things that I really think have promise, so I'm bumping them up to the top of the priority list and will be working on them. You can definitely get a whole new vibe, than what you originally may have gotten, from hearing an idea you may have buried back in time somewhere. Lyrics are always my downfall, but I will persist and try to "open the doors wide..."

[pvfederico]

Originally Posted by Straw

I confess I'm neither particularly efficient nor productive, and I'm somewhat wary of both in my own creative process. I would love to have written many more songs, but I just don't work that way.
I stumble on ideas when I am simply playful--not playing songs or practicing but daydreaming, drifting, fooling around on the guitar (or banjo, or simply whistling). On occasion, I'm lightning-bolt inspired, but that's rare. I've kept a folder of happenstance recordings for years; it takes up the majority of my computer's hard drive. I work on the melody first, and, given my poor memory, this method allows me to return and listen and play some more. When I think I've developed an interesting melodic idea and I have a lead on some possible words, there is still the long phase of revision: better lyrics, alternate arrangement possibilities, the question of a bridge, etc.
What I've found is that I almost never finish or like pieces I try to force (as with a deadline); my best work emerges when I have an open-ended attitude of playful insistence.
Robert

I agree with everything that you say, with one exception. When I write the lyrics for the music in my mind, and I know what I want to say, the words flow very quickly and naturally. With a little tweaking, I get to the point where I don't want to change a single word. (That is, I never re-write a song.) However, I don't look for songs, and I only write a few each year. When an idea and a few lines drop in my lap, it jolts me into action, and I can do or think of little else until I get control of the song. By control I mean that: I have the message very clear in my mind; have some powerful phrasing, have a solid chorus, and have a general outline of what each verse will say. Then it's just a matter of filling in the blanks, which is fun and can be done at a later time.

I can't imagine trying to be be "efficient" in song writing. I would rather write one good song a year than write one bad one every month. In fact, I'd rather write no songs than write a bad one. I write each song to only satisfy one very critical person -- myself.

[Mike J. Vitale]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

The creative process isn't expedient and efficient. When you do that it kills the part of the process that is creative. It does favor the prepared though. To do that one must always be writing. Meaning thinking about it all the time. Carry a little note book. Think about music away from your instrument. And wait. I found that the best results came from pressure release from building up with all the thought and writing and trials and errors. At some point either because I though I'd just accomplished something or just relaxing or giving up. Bam! Things happened. But mostly the biggest trick is rewriting, rewriting and rewriting. There isn't a some created that couldn't benefit from a rewrite. When you can say I've written a perfect song and explain how and why it is perfect. Then you are at the starting point of being a writer. Good luck.

Practice and understand the techniques used for song writing so they aren’t in the way when inspiration hits and you can “get there” quicker.