New Article - The Process Of Writing A Song

[Songstuff]

New Article - The Process Of Writing A Song

A song writing process is used to enhance the quality of your work and the speed that each work is created. This article provides tips on creating and using a song writing process, plus observations and suggestions about writing key aspects of a song. It also gives you a draft process to get you started.

This article is ideal for songwriters who either don't use a formal song writing process, or the song writing process that they are using is not quite working for them.

 

Read the full article by clicking on the following link:

The Process Of Writing A Song


Comments

Please leave some comments and feedback on this article, and / or suggestions for new articles by leaving a reply below.

 

[john]

No comments?

[john]

Do you disagree? It could have been better worded I guess. It doesn't really make it very clear that it is talking about those writers who more or less dismiss a songwriting process without investigating or trying, often misunderstanding it to be something cold and clinical.

Reading it again the article is also too absolute in defining the reasons some writers feel that way, and has missed out a couple of important cases in the list, with no real explanation. Also the last list should perhaps use or instead of and.

Over the years I've met and spoken to many writers who not only don't think they use a process, haven't tried a process, but have pretty well slammed process or frameworks as unartistic or something distasteful, commercial or something you do when you sell out. True, using process can be useful when writing commercially, but it doesn't have to be. Writers often use some elements without necessarily thinking they have a process. Process can be both flexible and personal. It isn't something to fear.

Usually, in conversation I've found that often the writers that felt that way misunderstood what process was and what process could do to help them, or they simply weren't aware of tools they could use or that they generally already approached writing songs with a fairly informal process but didn't realise they did.

I've seen numerous young writers on these forums, and others, trying to get as many songs written as possible while avoiding any editing citing some of the reasons mentioned in the article, including mentioning both their own ignorance of what they could do and admitting editing and focusing just seemed too much like work and they couldn't be bothered... they would far prefer to move on to the next song. Fair enough. It is a complacency that does them no favours which is why the article discusses all that.

As it is currently expressed however it does sound more arrogant and condescending than helpful! Even expressing it in this reply I've been clumsy. Time for an edit. lol

[john]

well said

[john]

Thanks David,

 

I've updated the article and expanded that section a little.

 

 

Any other comments or suggestions?

[chased]

John, I think the article is excellent, and HoboSage's addition is thought-provoking and insightful.

 

But I do tend to fence-sit on the creativity/process issue as well, and its easy to get caught up in the syntax. I also think it scares away some tyro songwriters as they want it to come easy, and an article even of this length can seem overwhelming. I have read much, much longer articles (books even) that treat this topic as well and for me sometimes that still isn't enough! But what to do? Abbreviate a meaty, ideas-rich article down to Gen Z-sized chunks? Then it risks becoming shallow, and they will learn nothing.

 

I do reckon, however, that its still worth trying to boil down a continual, possibly lifelong process or set of processes and hope that the reader can glean something valuable in it, even if they don't adopt this or that process. There are many elements, hints and approaches in your article that will speak to many people and hopefully unlock their creativity. Your looking-down-the-barrel frankness will appeal to many readers, I think.

 

I know that it was when I came upon the idea of setting some limit or set of limits on a particular song or song cycle that my writing leapt up to a new, higher level. It is both a creative and process-based approach, and it works for me. I never would have discovered that if I didn't spend heaps of time thinking about music, experimenting, and reading articles such as this. Arrogant? No. Condescending? No. Helpful? Yes.

[RAKIDO]

Great article ! I definitely agree in that having a creative process is very beneficial and efficient. We're built for routine and I think creativity is more consistent with routines. Especially on those days when you don't feel like doing anything, having a process will definitely help you power to it.