Writing Habits

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Benedict Marsh
Instructor
Writing Habits

I have been writing a song every day for almost two years, and I was wondering what other people's practices looked like. Some people suggest they prefer to write every day, but to really work on a song until it feels finished. Others have said they have to wait until inspiration hits. What is it for you? How do you dig deeper in your songs. How many drafts do they go through?

Jonathan Jackson

I try to write every day. For me it's about putting in my time. I know that If I write for a couple of hours every day or at least 5 days/week :) I'll see results. The quality of the songs that I write, or the first drafts of songs will be much better than if I "wait for inspiration. Inspiration is so important and I've found that inspiration will come most often when I've put in a couple of hours working on a melody or a lyric. If I am going to put the song on a record I will go through multiple drafts, though sometimes the song is much closer to being "finished" so it will require only a draft or 2 to be ready to record. Everyone has thier own way of finding inspiration and everyone has their own "voice" but I've found that with consistent time invested comes results.

Melissa Spuy
Instructor

I also write regardless of whether I feel inspired. I find that not putting any expectations on the process lets the inspiration in quicker.  If you know what you write doesn't necessarily have to be good, you can be freer to play and explore. I agree with Jonathan - it's about putting in the time. 

Flavio Lira
ModeratorInstructor

I completely agree with putting the time in! That "magical flash of inspiration", or the "the whole song just came to me" stories are the exceptions, and the great songs and compositions are mostly written with a lot of hard work! That's great because it shows that in the end, anybody can write a great song.

Leah Kruszewski
ModeratorInstructor

A composition teacher I had at university liked to stress that composition was a craft.  I think by that he meant exactly what you all are saying -- that it depends more on hard work than on inspiration.  Being inspired is fun and magical, and of course we should let it lead when it strikes.  Inspiration demands that we put aside any criticism/judgment temporarily and just let our ideas flow.   But if you're not feeling inspired, it's a good opportunity to think more analytically about your music.  If you've been playing around with a particular progression or melody, you can decide how you want it to work from a harmonic perspective.  You can add other voices, try alternative chords, or figure out how to make that idea fit into the structure of a whole song.   Also, a good composer can do a whole lot with even the simplest idea. 

Benedict originally asked 'how many drafts do you go through?'  That's an interesting question to me, because in flamenco guitar (my specialty), nothing needs to be permanent.  When I compose, it's usually shorter ideas (solos, or accompaniment to a dancer's footwork) rather than a full song.  I'll record ideas to remember them.  And I will modify them until I truly like how they sound.  But in another performance a month later, I might change the harmony or vary the idea in some other way.   

Do the rest of you typically compose while writing your ideas down (in tab or notation)?  Or with your instrument in hand and recording to remember your ideas?  Does one approach yield different results from another?  

Jay Brunswick
Instructor

I'm usually a Monday - Friday writer. The more I treat it like a 9-5 the more it helps me stay in the flow of things. I've noticed that when I get back from a vacation or break it takes me a couple sessions to get back in the groove. The process is different for everyone, but this is what I find works for me!

Tim Ressler
Instructor

*NEW IDEA FOR GENERATING MELODIES!

When I compose melodies I will start by selecting a specific pitch to be played as a background drone on the app iPracticePro. 

The drone establishes the key tonality and then through trial and error I compose a melody. I'm always trying to hear the melody in relation to the tonic (key center) and match the natural rhythm of the lyrics to the rhythm of the melody. 

Once I have lyrics and a melody I'm happy with, the next step is to add the bass line and think of how I'd like to harmonize the melody with chords.  I find that this approach produces a stronger melody than if the composer simply improvises a melody to a given chord progression.  The melody composed against a tonic drone feels more independent to me and is not just following the changes in such a predictable way. 

Surprise is a huge part of songwriting.  The melody should be easy to sing for the average listener but it should interact with the harmony in new and surprising ways.  Melodic tensions and rhythmic syncopations should be common.

Hope this helps generate some great melodic material!

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