abandonist
Banned
Think thing in head.
Play guitar until thing sounds right.
Play guitar until thing sounds right.
What's YOUR creative process?
- Thread starter AngstRiddenDreams
- Start date
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sleightest
Well-Known Member
This is the new method im trying to write my album, it seems to be working great!
Play guitar
Come up with riffs, ideas etc
record and write out tabs for parts in my notebook
re-write tabs/chords on notecards
tack them up on my wall and arrange them into songs/album
re-record guitars
pitchshift guitar and write basslines
program drums
mix
derp
Play guitar
Come up with riffs, ideas etc
record and write out tabs for parts in my notebook
re-write tabs/chords on notecards
tack them up on my wall and arrange them into songs/album
re-record guitars
pitchshift guitar and write basslines
program drums
mix
derp
Narrillnezzurh
Sir Clipsalot
It always starts with a concept, always. I've found my songs turn out 100 times better if I nail down both the concept and the structure before writing a single note.
I'll usually finish the lyrics next. If the concept and structure are solid they don't usually take long.
I'll look through my collection of unused riffs for a starting point. There are usually a few that fit.
The rest comes from jamming, both by myself and with the rest of the band. Every song is different in its construction, but it's important that all progress is totally organic, otherwise the song loses its flow.
I'll usually finish the lyrics next. If the concept and structure are solid they don't usually take long.
I'll look through my collection of unused riffs for a starting point. There are usually a few that fit.
The rest comes from jamming, both by myself and with the rest of the band. Every song is different in its construction, but it's important that all progress is totally organic, otherwise the song loses its flow.
bradthelegend
ESP Fanboy
At work:
1. Hear riff in head.
2. Right down tabs on napkins.
At home:
1. Hear riff in head.
2. Jump out of bed and tab it before I forget it.
1. Hear riff in head.
2. Right down tabs on napkins.
At home:
1. Hear riff in head.
2. Jump out of bed and tab it before I forget it.
8last
Well-Known Member
My favorite thing to do when I get a riff I like is to start going off of tangent from it once its locked in. It's about not saying no to yourself and letting the subconcious come out. Then I take away the parts I don't like and listen to it again. Sometimes the cool parts don't make sense unless I leave in the parts I didn't like so I find a way to make those parts work. Then its down to listening to it as an outsider and not someone who wrote it. Seeing if it flows and making sure it isn't boring
abandonist
Banned
Am I the only one here that has never written down a tab/song in my life?
Narrillnezzurh
Sir Clipsalot
I used to tab my ideas out, but it very quickly became a hassle. Nowadays I'll just record it.
ArkaneDemon
Well-Known Member
I take a ludicrous amount of opiates.
Oh wait, what's my creative writing process? I thought the question was "why don't you do anything productive with your time?"
Oh wait, what's my creative writing process? I thought the question was "why don't you do anything productive with your time?"
benatat
Well-Known Member
1. Drink Grape soda, the official soda of me
2. Have a chocolate chip cookie
3. Take out my guitar
4. Start playing random solo stuff and warming up
5. Stop, then take a shower
6. Hum melodies and stuff while in shower
7. Record myself humming the ideas
8. Translate humming onto guitar
9. Record into reaper
10. ???
11. profit
2. Have a chocolate chip cookie
3. Take out my guitar
4. Start playing random solo stuff and warming up
5. Stop, then take a shower
6. Hum melodies and stuff while in shower
7. Record myself humming the ideas
8. Translate humming onto guitar
9. Record into reaper
10. ???
11. profit
AngstRiddenDreams
Filthy Casual
What do you use to record yourself in the shower and how does it not get wet? 
benatat
Well-Known Member
What do you use to record yourself in the shower and how does it not get wet?
Camera sitting on the counter
AngstRiddenDreams
Filthy Casual
That would make for an interesting conversation if someone happened to stumble upon some of those videos.benatat
Well-Known Member
I'm sure it would
EDIT: probably not the best smilie but w/e
1). Sit around for weeks without writing a single riff
2). Jam by myself. Still no material. Cry.
3). Sit around for more weeks
4). Have a sudden inspiration.
5). Work furiously.
6). Finish in 3 days. Listen to resultant product 600 times.
7). Tweak
8). Tweak more.
9). Tweak the tweaks.
10). Share with the world
11). Go back to step one.
After reviewing this thread, I'm kinda glad this approach doesn't appear to be exclusive to me.
2). Jam by myself. Still no material. Cry.
3). Sit around for more weeks
4). Have a sudden inspiration.
5). Work furiously.
6). Finish in 3 days. Listen to resultant product 600 times.
7). Tweak
8). Tweak more.
9). Tweak the tweaks.
10). Share with the world
11). Go back to step one.
After reviewing this thread, I'm kinda glad this approach doesn't appear to be exclusive to me.
Rev2010
Contributor
Can I ask an honest question here, and not trying to play a "my method is better" attitude at all... but why do so many guitarists just randomly jam out riffs and then take a bunch of them and just tie them together into a song that they had absolutely no relation to their mindset or thoughts while writing those riffs? I see so many guitarists just write out songs with no actual intent or meaning, just "this sounds cool" and then they let their singer create a concept of the songs and write lyrics that speak for all for what is written.
I never understood that. I admit, I did that too a lot for years of music writing and always felt in a sense disconnected until I started finally thinking about each song before I even laid a note down and plotting out the whole musical "story" to it. I have to say it's helped wonders and in my electronic industrial project the new album we are close to releasing is leaps and bounds superior to our first release. The emotions and ambience of each song perfectly match and enhance the lyrical "story" now.
Just food for thought.
Rev.
I never understood that. I admit, I did that too a lot for years of music writing and always felt in a sense disconnected until I started finally thinking about each song before I even laid a note down and plotting out the whole musical "story" to it. I have to say it's helped wonders and in my electronic industrial project the new album we are close to releasing is leaps and bounds superior to our first release. The emotions and ambience of each song perfectly match and enhance the lyrical "story" now.
Just food for thought.
Rev.
abandonist
Banned
I write all the sound. We're highly improv based. Songs have skeletons, but they're malleable in any such way. It's entirely based on feeling and mood.
And there's only 2 of us because, let's face it, no one wants to play the music I do.
And there's only 2 of us because, let's face it, no one wants to play the music I do.
ArkaneDemon
Well-Known Member
Sometimes I start a song, and get stuck after lets say 32 bars. I'll throw it away in a closet so to speak, til I either feel inspired to go back to it, or just accidentally write something that feels as though it would fit in that one particular song. If I feel inspired to go back, I'll play through the first 32 bars, or wherever I got stuck, and then when the new part would come in, I'll improvise something new there, and try to make it work.
I say that if you string together random riffs written at random times, and it fits well, then why not? If it flows together really well and you can't really tell that there's a "disconnect" between one part and another, then who will ever be able to tell that it wasn't just written in one go?
Music, and art in general, to me, is being able to write something from start to finish in one sitting, or writing a song over a period of a year and making it flow smoothly even though every part was written on a different occasion, in a different mindset, and putting it all together really well.
It's all different for everyone.
bondmorkret
Well-Known Member
Hard to say, varies all the time. Inspiration can come at any moment. (How cliched does that sound?!)
isispelican
Well-Known Member
I never 'try' to write, you cant force it. I always play guitar while watching anime or movies, so when a cool riffs emerges i have to stop whatever im watching (which is pretty annoying sometimes) and record it. Then I'll add some stuff around that but not too much. Whenever I feel like it, I will then open the project and work on the song until its complete.
