What is it you focus on most when writing a new song?

Sometimes the recording process versus the writing process is very backwards, I've heard alot of bands have the drummer record first to give everyone else a good beat and then they build off of that, or sometimes the drummer will record to the bass, and at other times the drums are the last component.

It seems like most songs are written with the creation of a few riffs and then things are built up from there.

Written by Bitter Dawn on 30.06.2008 at 10:12

It seems like most songs are written with the creation of a few riffs and then things are built up from there.

i also do that too. i get a new idea and write it in Guitar Pro, then make something that goes well with it, some background elements etc. i rarely finish a song though, so it usually stops there.

I start with a concept in my head, as an intro, then i figure it out on guitar. And from there I just go with whatever feels best. I never force myself to write a song, I just wait for inspiration. So I usually end up writing a bunch of riffs, then throwing them away. And it could take up to several months for me to finish a song. And I also can't keep traditional song structure, so very few things get repeated, although all the riffs are related in some way, and I still keep a definate chorus.

an awesome riff is general the start point for me when i write a song, and i build off that

The important part is to consciously consider the flow of the song. Sometimes, when I'm writing something, my mind will lose track of the feeling that I started and often go off on a tangent. Improvising with that 'brainstorm' can help, key is to stay focused and aware of what you're playing.

Written by Sunioj on 04.07.2008 at 15:34

The important part is to consciously consider the flow of the song. Sometimes, when I'm writing something, my mind will lose track of the feeling that I started and often go off on a tangent. Improvising with that 'brainstorm' can help, key is to stay focused and aware of what you're playing.

yeh i do that quite often, and its an easy way to turn 1 song into 3 one minute you'll be writing one then the next you'll have different style riffs for 3 different songs :p