Creative Atmosphere

[john]

Hi guys

Do you have special requirements as a good atmosphere for writing songs?

I have to say music wise I don't. No instrument required either, although I do prefer having one to hand. Lyrics wise though I like a mixture of environments from a coffee shop to a nice peaceful quiet environment, although I don't like music playing while i am writing at all.

Weirdly when it comes to production I like a clean simple, environment. No busy patterns on the wall, no busy surfaces etc. I find it impinges too much on the flow of ideas. Weird! Even weirder, surrounded by all that technology I love to do it by candle light! Go figure.

Cheers

John

[AnneC]

Oooooo, Steve works in the red light district!

I'm also often a midnight oil-burner. My best work seems to be done right in my bedroom when it's fairly quiet, but now that I think about it, the song I've written that I've been proudest of so far was written on my old laptop during lulls at work. Maybe I should rethink my strategy. Oh, and I also seem to work well when I have a deadline, whether self-imposed or because I've been commissioned to write for a specific event.

[Nightwolf]

Songs/Lyrics come to me at the weirdest times/places, usually when I have no means within 50 miles of documenting them and saving them. Usually anger and frustration help my writing mindset, when I am at peace, I write less.

My studio is arranged so that everything is within arms reach, but no special atmosphere other than my own space and quiet...

[Boff]

For lyrics, no, not that I know of. All I need is to be able to really focus on what I'm writing about. That could be on the train, at home, in school, etc. Oh, and I usually listen to music while writing.

[Mazrocon]

I don't think it's really a requirement for me to write songs. But before my older brother took my room, for awhile I was playing in my dad's office. The only thing I could play was my keyboard, anything else didn't seem right, it felt akward cause of the atmosphere and due to my consideration for other people's ears. I notice that i'm most creative late at night, probably cause there isn't much going on. Except for me and my keyboard

However for lyrics I don't need a specific atmosphere at all. Well I don't like it when alot of people are talking, that distracts me. I have to be on the computer usually so I can write it all on word pad and adjust everything just right. But I never really think of starting a lyric, the idea comes to me and a few minutes to an hour later i'll have a lyric written down. Doesn't seem very thought out but alot of times it's like the song and the ideas all write themselves.

~TIMOTHY~

[neoism]

yeah..same as burst alive..

so far i write lyrics only, i dont know about song ideas..but yeah..when i m in loo or bathing {in short in the bathroom} i get most of the ideas..really..!

and best when i m travelling..last time i was travelling, i wrote 2 songs back to back in bus only..

[Alistair]

Definitely travelling, especially for lyrics. Parts of lyrics come to me when I am walking around doing something else. I might hear a word which gives me an idea for a song and then I'll start to weave lyric ideas around that. Trouble is I rarely write these down when I think of them so they remain as fragments for a long time until I do something about writing the whole lyric. Sitting down to write lyrics somewhere rarely works for me.

Melodies either come to me when I'm going about my business or when I am fiddling about on the guitar.

[Rudi]

Ideas for lyrics usually come to me at the most inconvenient of times when I have nothing to write with or store the ideas on.

Yep. Concur with that one.

Al: In motion, yes that can be very productive. Walking is best for me these days.

Most creative in the early morning. Shame I cant get any morning gigs...

[Pipes1975]

With me, I should first note,

I only write lyrics, I don't make music.

When I write lyrics, I'm no longer functioning in the world. I enter a dream like state, where my mind wanders freely without restrictions.

I write nearly all my verses alone and I try to give them deep meaning. I don't write when I'm on a time limit or when I got to go function imediately after, so I tend to do most of my writing late at night, after my daily routines are over, .

My choruses are sometimes much different than my verses. Some of my choruses have come from bouncing stuff off buddies, everday events, a tempo that got stuck in my head, common stuff others can relate to, and/or just random conversations. I find my best lyrics are the ones that have the catchy chorus already in my head, than when I got time to dream, I can go do up the verses.