In the middle of writing a song, need advice how to go forward.

njones89

njones89

Mar 27, 2015
743
644
4,571
Sioux Falls
#1
I am writing a song that is inspired instrumentally by Stairway to Heaven (chord progression) and 3 Libras (key signature of D major). It started with a bassline in my head, and I just worked out a guitar part. I have a couple different lyrics I wrote recently and I'm trying to formulate a melody and just let it come naturally. I can hear rhythms and drum beats in my head, but I have never gotten this far into the song writing process and have had to solve that problem. How do I tie it all together? How do I fill those gaps? How do I give it my signature sound? Note, I haven't started tracking the parts, yet. I'm pretty close, though.
 
#2
Well one option is to just start playing random notes and maybe something happens from there. Or if your stuck then put it down for the day. This is what I've done in the past.
 
  • Like
Reactions: P-oddz
#3
I've found recording a few bits and putting them together sort of informs the song as you go. I've improvised on top doing different things as well and had things fall into place. The trick is not to over do something, which I was really bad about early on in my fledgling recording processes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: P-oddz and 10cc
#5
The whole is a sum of the parts. If you can the pieces of what you want into some sort of multi-track environment, it might get you un-stuck. nothing fancy, a phone or pad app that you can use to record parts using the built in mic on your device. Will be a very unsophisticated pretty cruddy sounding demo, but am thinking if you can see/hear how what you have fits together, it will help. You can play with muting/soloing various parts and pieces of your composition and it will take off from there. Hope this helps!
 
  • Like
Reactions: njones89
#6
njones89 said:
It started with a bassline in my head
Click to expand...

Okay...so what else is going on in your head?

When you sing that bassline to yourself (silently, just thinking it, allowing the internal iPod in your mind [sic] to play your nascent tune) what else do you hear? Learn to listen to your inner ear...and then transcribe that.
 
#8
tangentmusic said:
When it comes to your lyrics and vocal melody, try to make it as far away from "Stairway" as possible. Just sayin'...
Click to expand...

Lyrics deal with the loss of a child, but I am trying to generalize them so it's not obvious. The chord progression is based loosely on Stairway to heaven - A-G-F. I am starting to hear a melody in my head. Kinda sounds like MJ Keenan style.

Bob_Ross said:
Okay...so what else is going on in your head?

When you sing that bassline to yourself (silently, just thinking it, allowing the internal iPod in your mind [sic] to play your nascent tune) what else do you hear? Learn to listen to your inner ear...and then transcribe that.
Click to expand...

I hear some melodies and beats, but I am very uncoordinated when it comes to playing drums. So it's hard for me to transfer ideas into rhythms, even with my drum machine. Any good reads on that would be awesome.

P-oddz said:
Drum machine?
To me, that has been an important tool for the demos I write. If I get stuck on bass/guitar parts, I look to the rhythm to help move it to the next part. Even if it is a rudimentary beat, at least it can evoke feel and maybe spark a new idea.
Click to expand...

Yes, I do use a drum machine and I am kinda stuck on this part.
 
#9
It's perhaps an unusual way of doing things, but I often work out a progression and when I get stuck, I play it all backwards and I often get new ideas from that.
You're still in the same key, so it's just about finding the odder elements in your structure, which usually sparks new ideas.
 
#10
Everybody works differently. I never try to push the songwriting process. I had one idea floating in my head for more than five years. One day I pulled out my 16 track recorder and had the whole thing finished in under an hour. I took it to the band and now it's one of our best received originals.
 
  • Like
Reactions: njones89 and Bunk McNulty
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back