[djmarcelca]

So I'd thought I'd share something that I found interesting.

Writing lyrics.

I've always wrote something down, or noted it in my phone when thinking that might sound good, and tried to shoehorn it into a song after coming up with a riff or verse.

Then I remembered an interview I watched with Paul Simon about this.

What he would do is: Listen to the verse on a tape loop on his reel to reel continuously and just ramble off sentences randomly until something stuck.

So I've taken my first forays into home recording and I did exactly that. Except I didn't need to cut my verse into a loop for a reel to reel.
It seemed to work.
I previously noted some terms I wanted to make sure I had in the song and just kept looping over and over and over and in about 6 hours I had acceptable lyrics for 3 verses and 3 chorus.

But my ears were dead, after that and was in no mood to try and record the vocal line for the song.
I'll probably get back to that after Christmas.

Do you people have a process, or just the "live copy and paste " method

 

[KapnKrunch]

The brain. How does it work?

I cannot force the process. It takes time for the seed to sprout and the plant to grow. Sounds like a good trick Paul Simon has for maybe speeding up the process -- a "greenhouse", I guess.

Same for melody and arrangements.

 

[djmarcelca]

Arrangements I like to use a step sequencer software like FL studio.

I can keep track of all the parts and make in tempo adjustments if needed.

I might get a guitar to midi interface to help speed that up so I can just play the various parts into the computer

 

[KapnKrunch]

Interesting. Sounds like a lot of fun.

Pretty sure the loop would just block my normal process. My best ideas come out of nowhere long after repeating the existing ideas in my mind.

Haha. Probably why I have only a couple of dozen keepers in over fifty years.

 

[Kenmac]

Arrangements I like to use a step sequencer software like FL studio.

I can keep track of all the parts and make in tempo adjustments if needed.

I might get a guitar to midi interface to help speed that up so I can just play the various parts into the computer

If you want to play MIDI parts into the computer using your own guitar, this is a great solution: Jam Origin – Audio to MIDI
I've been using this software for a few years now and it keeps getting better with each update. It's fully polyphonic and they have a trial version you can download.

 

[Wardo]

...continuously and just ramble off sentences randomly until something stuck.

That pretty much sums up my view of his writing; it’s just zipidy doo da don’t add up to nuthin.

If you want to read some good lyrics that stand on their own as either songs or poetry check out Townes Van Zandt.

 

[cboutilier]

I come with really good lyrics for verse or two, and then forget them by morning. Or I write cool music and forget it later as well.