[JonDavies]

Not drug wise - do people here generally favour the old paper and pen for lyric writing? Personally I find it best to use the memo app on my phone but I do have a notebook that I sometimes jot things down on. Writing lyrics on my computer has never been successful for me.

Any thoughts?

[CaliaMoko]

I write lyrics on paper and in Notepad on the computer. I'm less likely to lose the ones on the computer. I give them a name and put them in a folder with their name on it. Then all the work for that song goes in that folder. And I do backups fairly regularly. Well, in fits and starts. I think I'll start one running in a minutes here....

I write melodies on staff paper and/or in NoteWorthy (or sometimes in Encore, but NoteWorthy is faster for entering notes). I used to (usually) write melodies and lyrics kind of at the same time. Now I'm kind of leaning a little toward writing lyrics first and melodies after. Or, a lot of the time, I'll start a lyric and then, part way through, I'll start the music. The two components kind of "feed" each other, in those cases.

Until this past year I had never written a song without notating it in the process. "Everybody Wants You, Baby" is the one that broke the mold/mould. I don't think I ever did notate that one. While I still generally notate before trying to do any recording, sometimes I'll record a melody line quickly so I can catch it before it's gone.

Thanks for asking.

[Mike67]

I use anything I have to hand while I'm sketching the initial idea, but mostly paper and voice recorder; depends where I am when the ideas come. I then finess using my laptop, where I can move stuff around more easily. Some of my better stuff tends to be written very quickly and on paper while I'm commuting to work. If I sit down with the intention of writing something, nothing much happens.

Mike

[adamfarr]

The ideal is something that incoporates text, images and sound files.

I use Evernote - syncs on various devices and accepts all these imputs. I often add text and sound while walking the dog, waiting for aeroplane etc. Though often I also write on staff paper and then take a photo... which isn't ideal as can't later be edited...

Is there a gap in the market here? Something that has sound, text and notation all editable? How much would we pay?!

[Boydie]

I tend to write straight in to my PC

Recording to a basic groove and building from there

I use Microsoft ONE NOTE across all of my devices to note down lyric ideas or even record little melody snippets

[Wicked Deeds]

I 've been writing on my guitar for years but increasingly, I find it very easy to write on Poano in Logic.  I usually write lyrics on my ipad.

Paul

[The S]

Well, I've got 5-6 notepads at my home, 2-3 notepads in my car at work, my computer with 3-4 different places where I jot down lyrical ideas, my iPhone, iPad, and various pieces of paper collected from wherever I seem to be at the moment.

I'm not an organised fella.

So it's a combo of everything I guess. Pen and paper as well as computer.

Music is about the same. I record every idea that pops up on either my computer, iPhone or iPad.

Always write on guitar though.

[kevysc]

I usually start with chord progressions, mostly on (acoustic) guitar, but sometimes on piano/keyboards. I jot down the chord sequences on paper and make a quick recording in my DAW (Samplitude). I can build up 50 or more ideas in that way before taking them any further.

When I am ready to start work on an "album", I then wade through the rough recordings and select about 10 to 12 to develop.

I then start working on the "full" recording of a song: I start by trying to find a drum loop that matches the timing of the song. I usually build up guitar, bass, drums and possibly keyboards to give the basic song structure. I may also record a "vocal" with ad libbed lyrics, just to get the melody.

At this stage (usually the first time I save the song in my DAW), I give the song a name: this can be inspired by the mood of the piece, plus I have notebooks with potential song titles that I peruse. I usually have some (often vague) idea of what the song will be about, but not set in stone.

It's only then that I start on the lyrics. Sometimes I go with my original concept, but often the lyrics take off in their own direction. Most recently, I have been spending a lot of time re-writing until I am really happy that what I have ...

I tend to work on multiple songs in parallel and can sometimes leave a song for several weeks at a time. As soon as I have all 10-12 songs completed (including getting review comments in this forum and using that to improve), I release through Cd Baby!

(Of course, there are many exceptions to the above )

[adamfarr]

From the Reaper website: "The Windows version also works well with WINE"...

[mikek]

Old napkins that my whisky glass sat upon. I stuff the crumpled napkins in my shirt and stumble home. The napkins that make it back home become lyric sheets.

[tboswell]

I do all sketch work on evernote, cos you can mix up text and audio nicely together and share across devices.

Helps me with the fact that I only get a few in-between moments to write lyrics.
Evernote is great for the job and the free tier is fine for it.

[Martinswede]

Hi!

All this technology... Fascinating!
I use notebooks. An A4 sheet is just big enough
for one song. Strange really.

Later I do a nice document of it on my laptop
but that's way later.

I've always found the mobility of a notebook
unchallenged and also very cheap.   

[Gill]

I tend to use the Notepad on my iPod so its safe. If I write it on a piece of paper I have a feeling someone might find it or Ill lose it myself

[joepravda]

i use notebooks....i even take one to work.i often get my better ideas/lyrics when i should be concentrating on other stuff..ie,work!.
write everything down....EVERYTHING.
i always write on acoustic because i think if it flows on that....it will work in almost any form/style.....then i bang it on logic and build from there

[diademgrove]

Pen and paper for me.

Its an age thing. It also means you can cross out your crossing outs.