Write a song.

[Styxx]

What's the most important part of the procedure when starting to write a song? A song, yes with lyrics that are sung. Title? Chord progression? Melody? Harmony? Are there really set steps to take and or standards?
I start with the title. Just wondering how you proceed, thanks.

[SeanHannifin]

What's the most important part of the procedure when starting to write a song?
I'm sure that's subjective like most things in music, and different writers will give different answers, none of them wrong. :)

[Styxx]

I'm sure that's subjective like most things in music, and different writers will give different answers, none of them wrong. :)
Sean, I get the feeling we are the only ones up here most of the time.:o As to your reply ... COME ON YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT!:D

[RobbinsEgg]

Simple. It starts with an idea. That idea may sometimes be a melody, a riff, a beat or a lyric. And then they usually start to intermingle until you eventually have sketched out a song. Then you go back and tweak and tweak and tweak till you are satisfied or scrap the whole thing and try again!!!

[cptexas]

I'm up!
(once again, can't sleep :rolleyes: )

I start with the emotion or story I want to portray in my music. Then I start brainstorming melodies, chords, etc....

I can never get the right title. I'm bad at titles. By then I just ask various people what they think the title sould be. Eventually I get a good one.

I'm curious, how long do y'all spend on writing a song? It usually takes me years to fully complete one idea if I'm writing for orchestra. For piano I can maybe write something in a month.

What about y'all?

-Chris

[FredProgGH]

Well, I'm pretty lousy at writing what would be thought of as a commercial song I guess. I always have an intention of coming up with a melody first but it generally winds up going:

Chords/riff
Melody
Words
And then usually an agonizing time trying to figure out a title to go with the weird stream-of-consciousness lyrics I've written. I am really into writing Jon Anderson (Yes) style lyrics that mean nothing so they aren't distracting. I like surreal word pictures. It's funny because I'm in a band that tends to have "message-y" lyrics and I really actually hate that. i like to give people a break from what I personally think...

So anyway, I'm bass-ackwards from how Styxx does it :D :D

Oh, to answer CP I generally do a the basics of a piece in one session, two tops. There might be more time spent on polishing arrangements and such But I get down ideas really quick.

[SeanHannifin]

Sean, I get the feeling we are the only ones up here most of the time.:o As to your reply ... COME ON YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT!:D
Yeah, I'm up late studying . . . well . . . procrastinating by browsing the internet . . .

Ok, how about this reply?

There is only one right way to go about writing a song, and the title should never be the start. Here are the steps you must take (otherwise your song will be bad) :

1) Pick a subject. It must be a subject that matters to everyone. Love is your best bet.
2) Write a simple chord progression. I-IV-V-I is your best bet.
3) Strum this chord progression on a guitar really loudly.
4) Sing what ever melody comes into your head. It does not even have to be original.
5) The lyrics are not important, but you must make them rhyme!
6) If you can not write a song, simply sing one that has already been written.
7) Now you can title the song. The least sense it makes, the better, just like a band name.

If you'd like to write a rap song, you can skip these steps. Just have a really loud rhythm and say something, the faster the better.

There ya go! :D :D :D

[cptexas]

There is only one right way to go about writing a song, and the title should never be the start. Here are the steps you must take (otherwise your song will be bad) :

1) Pick a subject. It must be a subject that matters to everyone. Love is your best bet.
2) Write a simple chord progression. I-IV-V-I is your best bet.
3) Strum this chord progression on a guitar really loudly.
4) Sing what ever melody comes into your head. It does not even have to be original.
5) The lyrics are not important, but you must make them rhyme!
6) If you can not write a song, simply sing one that has already been written.
7) Now you can title the song. The least sense it makes, the better, just like a band name.

If you'd like to write a rap song, you can skip these steps. Just have a really loud rhythm and say something, the faster the better.

There ya go! :D :D :D
:eek: :rolleyes: :p :D :rolleyes:

[FredProgGH]

Yeah, I'm up late studying . . . well . . . procrastinating by browsing the internet . . .

Ok, how about this reply?

There is only one right way to go about writing a song, and the title should never be the start. Here are the steps you must take (otherwise your song will be bad) :

1) Pick a subject. It must be a subject that matters to everyone. Love is your best bet.
2) Write a simple chord progression. I-IV-V-I is your best bet.
3) Strum this chord progression on a guitar really loudly.
4) Sing what ever melody comes into your head. It does not even have to be original.
5) The lyrics are not important, but you must make them rhyme!
6) If you can not write a song, simply sing one that has already been written.
7) Now you can title the song. The least sense it makes, the better, just like a band name.

If you'd like to write a rap song, you can skip these steps. Just have a really loud rhythm and say something, the faster the better.

There ya go! :D :D :D

Lookout, Sean's goona be rich! You only forgot three parts of the formula:

8) Hire a teenage girl with huge... tracts of land... to cut the song.
9) Make a video
10) Send girl and video plus 4 ounces of coke to MTV headquarters.

VOILA!!! :D :D

[rwayland]

What's the most important part of the procedure when starting to write a song? A song, yes with lyrics that are sung. Title? Chord progression? Melody? Harmony? Are there really set steps to take and or standards?
I start with the title. Just wondering how you proceed, thanks.


Well, I have written very few songs. But those few all came about in the same way, that is, an idea struck me, the whole song, words, melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics, as one burst of light. They were completed about as fast as I could write them down. Later, some very minor tweaking. A few years ago, I wrote and orchestrated 4 marches for band in 5 days because they exploded on me in this way. Sometimes piano and organ music happens that way, but quite often, not. The common denominator is that all of them, songs, or instrumentals, almost always appear in my mind is a sort of shape or structure, general rthymic and harmonic ideas. I think mostly the title is born with the idea. The arrangements I have done also came about in the same way, almost complete in one burst, the main trouble being getting in on paper before it vanishes from my mind forever, as so many things do.

But, sometimes, I write little snippets of ideas and stache them on my computer or in piles of paper around my piano, and eventually, sometimes years later, find a good use for them.

Well, now, wasn't that a ramble!

Richard

[Larry G. Alexander]

Lookout, Sean's goona be rich! You only forgot three parts of the formula:

8) Hire a teenage girl with huge... tracts of land... to cut the song.
9) Make a video
10) Send girl and video plus 4 ounces of coke to MTV headquarters.

VOILA!!! :D :D

I believe that they prefer Pepsi at MTV. http://www.northernsounds.com/forum/images/icons/icon10.gif

LGA