I'm starting this tread 'cuz I'm wondering how everybody writes their songs.

So how do you write your songs? Do you just noodle around doing random stuff until you find a riff thats pleasing to the ear? Do you plan everything beforehand using theory and plan your way to a song? Do you hear the 'music' in your head before you write? Where do you start writing your song from?

If you use theory, what do you use? Scales? Harmonies? Intervals? Do you begin with theory, or do you aply it to something you already wrote? How do you aply your theory to writing your songs?

Do you write a bunch of riffs and put 'em togheter, or do you write your whole song around a single riff or progression? How do you connect your riffs and parts to make them sound 'flowing' ?

Anything unusual you use to write a song that people should know about?

I myself are having some prob's writing songs. I can come up with some nifty riffs and great stuff in my head, but basicly I can't seem to 'connect' riffs or make a song thats not 80% palm muted powerchords that sounds way to uninspired.

If the replies are usefull, the mods could make a sticky of this thread

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Well... Fuck man! I Don't know! I listsen to a band and think "I love this band I'm gonna write a song like to that! But I'll put my touch to it and t'll be exactly what I want."

As I said in the "Did you take lessons" Thread, I never learnt any theory because I've never used books, DVD's internet or whatever. I think its better because it's more fulfilling. But anyway, it's because I learnt in this way that I dont aply theory. As long as I like it and it has a bit of trem, a bit of mute, whatever, it sounds good to me. So when I write songs I think ahead.

I guess sometimes I start with a riff and work around it. Normally it's a verse or chorus riff. Then I might start with a lead in to the song which may or may not become the Bridge riff. I think up a little lead and Left/Right variation. I think Ive always found it easy to write songs because... well I dont know why! I dont know man, I hope I helped though lol. I guess I wasnt so much, but something is better than nothing!

I take with me a pocket recorder, so, when a Ideia comes out, I Record it, so, when i get home i get my guitar and play the stuff i had record, Thats simple!

SEE YOU!

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i get an idea in my head, and then try to play it. then realise i cant and change it. then come up with shit loads of ideas like that, then find a few that work together, and make a song

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I make up stuff in my head. I have a tendency to make up a ton of riffs in the shower, but then I will forget them. Go figure.

I have two methods, a. fucking around a finding something cool and going from there or b. walking around and something pops into my head. I use to forget the riffs that popped into my head until I got a voice recorder and now I have them.

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1. I pick up my guitar.
2. I mess around on it until I come up with a cool riff
3. I remember that riff and will add it with other riffs to create a song.

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I only just started playing riffs written by myself and have never wrote a whole song, but my riffs are usually just take some cool scale, fuck it up 'till it sounds good, and there you go, a fine riff

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Riff-based. I'm no good at creating a melody first. I sometimes prefer to use a bass emulator to start. I'm eagerly awaiting Marty Friedman's next DVD, out on Dec 1, to improve my improvisation and soloing skills. I'm purchasing a keyboard too, which will help with song writing.

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lol i do the same thing. sometimes i start thinking of songs in my head when im in bed.
when i seriously want to write a song though, i make the song based off of a riff that i might have made up.

I make sure I have a pencil and paper next to my bed, because I tend to think a lot of stuff up in bed too.

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I think the best way to come up with these ideas is to learn basic technique for songs of the style and then use a different note arangement, using these styles of playing. The best way to learn styles is to learn as many songs of these as possible.

I do this, and then I try adding wierd things that sound good that aren't to popular in usage. I mess around until it sounds good.

Usually I get a specific rhythm and vague sound come into my head, after which I flesh it out on the guitar. Or, if I for some reason can't get to my guitar, I do so in my head. Either way, usually only the rhythm is kept intact, the specific notes being formed more deliberately and consciously. And painstakingly. When I'm doing this, I come up with complementary riffs, or don't, and a song is born, or isn't.

It's basically a bit of inspiration, shaped through my knowledge and practice, and either used or, more often, discarded.

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Nowadays, I'll have an idea of what kind of riff I'll want and then I start on a certain note or chord and work more notes on based on certain parts or intervals or I'll work off of a scale. I'll post later on writing songs.

I get ideas mostly when I'm at work, so I take out a scrap piece of paper and tab out whatever I hear in my head, usually guitar and a drum part to go with it. Then on the weekend, I take all my scrap pieces of paper, and I learn to play the riffs I wrote at work. Then I program the drums, and track the riffs. That way I don't have to clutter my brain memorizing riffs. That's just plain stupid.

I tend to start with motives(the smallest musical unit), that create the emotion i'm going for. Then I use the motives to create phrases and the phrases to create verses, choruses ect.

Awesome, thanks

If you haven't posted in this thread, POST!

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just piss about on guitar....... come up with an idea......... try and play......... put different riffs in between and you have a song (and maybe a solo on the scales)

It really depends for me. I have so many different methods. Sometimes, I just pick up my guitar and hammer out how I feel, no concerns to theory whatsoever. Sometime, I write songs "progressively", around stories and such, trying to capture what's goin' on at certain moments in the story. I use theory very much when I write, but mostly to do harmonies. I used to be very specific to staying in key, but now I just kind of remember wether it's a minor or major key and use that to my advantage. I think I like writing "progressively" the best.

P.S. AWESOME THREAD!

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Hmm. I'm definetly going to start doing that.

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t_s_p,

Whoa. How do you tab stuff out before you learn to play it? Are you good enough to just know what notes you're thinking of in your head without the guitar? Sorry if I'm being idiotic here or just misunderstood, but I'm baffled.

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...alright well NoTe sure how Zis thingy works but...howdy! [waves]...um i just write whatever comes to me head sometimes it works sometimes it doesnt...

...all i've got to say is just eat some damn cheese and be happy...

Even if you don't know the exact notes, it's better than losing what came to mind by not writing anything at all...

Pretty much every part I hear in my head sticks to a single key anyways, and harmonic shifts have very distinct sounds. So do switches to harmonic minor from natural minor.

Once you start, it gets very easy. As with everything in life, it's all practice. Drums are fucking easy to tab out from your head though. Just do the kick / snare pattern, and let the drummer work out the hats

Another thing about doing it this way, the exact notes are really the least important thing. You just need to record the rythm and up/down pitch changes. Both things that are pretty easy from head to paper. As far as the exact notes go, just get in the general neighborhood. You'll be able to line the notes up the way you want pretty damn quick once you pick up your guitar(basic scale knowledge really comes in handy here). Getting the rythm recorded is really the most important part.