[Ramshackles]

I'm amazed at the number of songs that get posted on the reviews forum, there are especially a lot from a small number of people which makes me wonder how you are so productive!
Do you do nothinig but record and write all day or are you just extremely efficient. Do you do anything special to help you get things done quickly?
I'm still slaving away every minute I get on a song that I began to record about 2 weeks ago in which time Ive seen 3 or 4 each from a number of people pop up on the reviews forum - so many that if I took the time to listen to them all I wouldnt have any time left to record
good work!

[Kafla]

I think for me RS it easier as I just enjoy writing. I no longer harbour any expectation to make anything more than music in my bedroom.

You are at a a different level, a serious musician with a hope of still carving out a space. That brings it's own pressures 

I don't sweat too much now about the finer details (it probably shows!) I enjoy letting the song channel through me rather than trying to work hard on it

One major advantage is that the more you write the more you can steal from yourself later, I am forever taking old verses and bridges and working them into new songs or stealing lyrics.

Making music for me is the end goal, not performing or marketing soothe buzz comes at the end of the song then I need another buzz

For you it will be that, then recording, then playing it live etc

I love the way James write music, jam for 3-4 hours to get a song - 90% drivel to get to the nugget

[The Corsair]

I'm less productive than my posts make me out to be.
I have about 100 or so sets of lyrics written but of those only about 30 are songs I'd take to writing music for. I pick out songs from this 30 to post here and get some opinions on.

My actual level of productivity averages at about a song every week but it of course goes as far wide as potential months without writing and writing a song a day for 2 weeks.

[Orangecrab]

I do not write many songs, but when I have finished one I record it much faster than you say, in 2 days usually.

I start the writing process with a title idea, then write the draft lyrics, then find the melody in my head mostly, I don't often compose when I'm actually at the keyboard.

I would rather keep my output low - quality rather than quantity (I hope!)

[Ramshackles]

Do you mean you find the melody before even touching an instrument, or work out chords and things first and then go for the melody?

[shucky2011]

I have been writing a fair bit recently - Ive started making a point of writing a song pretty much about anything i think of.  I have a song idea book i put concepts down in and come back to them later. this can lead to me writing songs about strange things - ive recently been writing a song about Salacious B Crumb (he's that little rat thing from jabba the hutts sail barge which laughs at everyone).  I thought he was cool, looked into his background on wookiepedia and he has a cool back story. I realised that he is a court jester, and that there are loads of old folk songs about court jesters, jugglers etc (im a folk writer). so ive been listening to these sorts of songs to give me ideas about themes i can use in my own work.

Also relating to the conversations above - im very interested in how people go about coming up with a melody.  I tend to come up with lyrics and very quickly come up with a nice sounding chord sequence for it. But whats the difference between chords and a melody? im not up on music theory etc.

[Mr.Chainsaw]

Melody is the music you make with your voice when you sing. The notes that the lyrics are sung to, and how they're arranged.

Another way of putting it is if you whistle the lyrics to a song, the tune you're making is the melody.

Thought there was a typo in your reply there, but OMG wookiepedia is a real thing

Peter

[domstone86]

Writing a complex song can take over a week for me, but the recording part gets more efficient with time. I can get a song mastered in around a day if I do it nonstop, but that's after 5 years practice knowing what not do in a recording. So it all depends on how much you want in a song really and how much technical experience you have. An album filler can take me around 3 days, but a proper song will take much more.

[Ramshackles]

Not to take this thread out of context or attack you, but why would you ever write something that is going to be album filler?
Surely you would approach every song like you are going to try and write the best thing you've ever written?

[domstone86]

Well I don't do it now, but for instance, imagine you have lots of new songs in mind, sometimes you can unintentially not put as much effort in a song as you should. (Well with me anyway). I should have clarified that I never aim to make something an album filler but sometimes it just happens. Probably just my poor attention span haha.

[Ramshackles]

lol yeah, ok I get what you mean...

[chrislong170273]

i write in the car, 40 minute drive to and from work, my phone is full of lyrics and sung melodies and riffs
I'm a contemporary classical composer too but I work with students on songwriting so it is sort of a job! quite a privaledge really to be able to do it

Some songs are on the backburner for 12 months, but most don't see the light of day as to get them to a level that I will accept takes a long long process of revision. Maybe I'm overly picky

Chris
www.chrislong.me.uk