I've started writing songs in a new way

[Stray Dog]

For a while I've been writing songs starting with the electric guitar. No big riffs or anything, but usually starting with a nice tone and rhythm pattern which sounds good on the electric. The song is built up around that.

I've recently really wanted to get some more songs under my belt which sound good in a solo acoustic context. 'Cause I'm wanting to go to some open mic gigs with just my acoustic. I'm thinking along the lines of Neil Young, and Bob Dylan's first four albums.

But pretty much all the songs I've previously written I can't find a satisfactory way of playing them solo on the acoustic. It just doesn't work.

So I've started a new way of writing songs. It's inspired by Bob Dylan's third album, 'The Times They Are A-Changing'. The arrangements to theses songs are so simple, just a few chords and the guitar is often barely audible. But what makes them effective is the haunting melodies and interesting lyrics. Take a listen to Ballad In Plain D (though actually that song is from Another Side Of Bob Dylan, but it fits with the mood of the previous album).... wow, it sends chills up my spine. I took a look at the chords. It was REALLY nothing special there.

I did a Bob Dylan cover, of One Too Many Mornings. I put it into an electric context, and had great fun reinterpretting it - it sounds very different from the original version, beyond just being plugged into an amp. I also love how Dylan does all like acoustic songs in electric ways, they sound barely recognisable.

So I thought I'd give that a go. First write a song on the acoustic, something which sounds great just by itself. Then when its time, re-interpret it into pretty much a new song in an electric band context.

I also took it further as I didn't want to be distracted by fancy chord sequences, and I've started writing the lyrics before the music. I would never have been doing this a while ago.

So I've now written two songs this way, just by doing all the lyrics without any thought for chords or melody. Then found some very simple chord structures to play under them, and the melody and phrasing has found itself.

Its really great, Im gonna keep on writing like this now. So I will have some great stark, haunting (hopefully!) acoustic numbers which I can later have fun remolding into electric numbers.


Anyway, how do you all write your songs? Lyrics first? Chords? Melody? Find a riff and work off that?

[Spudman]

Thanks for sharing. It's always great to have other avenues of writing methodology to refer to. You never know which way is going to work. So the more you have - the more likely you'll strike gold on something.

[Boristhespider]

I've been suffering from a bit of writer's block lately-I'll give your method a shot!

[genereaux]

But pretty much all the songs I've previously written I can't find a satisfactory way of playing them solo on the acoustic. It just doesn't work.

I've done a lot of open mics, and it's done a lot for me in the way I look at 're-arranging' songs- Covers typically, as WELL as my own.
I think this would be a good oppurtunity to REALLY look at your old stuff from a broader perspective.
In my experience, there are VERY few songs that can't be restructured to accomodate the bare stage of an open mic, and often times even if it's a solo performer.

Claptons 'Layla' is good (not the BEST, but good) example of an artist doing a DRASTIC re-arrangement on an already strong song.

They ARE your songs. The roadblock you need to get around, is; music is a transitive media. People may protest a 'touch-up' or 're-do' of the Mona Lisa, for example. But music doesn't work that way. Re-arranging a song does not eradicate the previous version(s). Perfoming a solo rendition of one of your tunes in an altered or abbreviated manner will NOT undo the way your band plays it, unlike an alteration to the Mona Lisa.


The arrangements to theses songs are so simple, just a few chords and the guitar is often barely audible. But what makes them effective is the haunting melodies and interesting lyrics. Take a listen to Ballad In Plain D (though actually that song is from Another Side Of Bob Dylan, but it fits with the mood of the previous album).... wow, it sends chills up my spine. I took a look at the chords. It was REALLY nothing special there.

THAT, is the sign of a great song-regardless of whether it was written on electric then taken to acoustic, or vice-versa.


So I've now written two songs this way, just by doing all the lyrics without any thought for chords or melody. Then found some very simple chord structures to play under them, and the melody and phrasing has found itself.

Its really great, Im gonna keep on writing like this now. So I will have some great stark, haunting (hopefully!) acoustic numbers which I can later have fun remolding into electric numbers.

Don't misconstrue my previous comments; I'm a firm believer in changing things up for ones self process-wise when it comes to writing. If it works for you, GO WITH IT.
Sometimes turning over a different leaf leads you to a stronger creative/artistic vein to mine from.


Anyway, how do you all write your songs? Lyrics first? Chords? Melody? Find a riff and work off that?
All of the above sometimes. But primarily it goes like this;
SOMETHING grabs me (words OR music), it'll stew around for a bit and develop and then I find the companion to it ( if was a riff, then I get the words, or vice-versa)
So, let's say I found a riff. I mess with it for awhile and eventually I'll get some words. Some more words develop and that leads to more music.
That'll ping-pong back and forth till I get a song.

I've LONG since walked away from writing a complete set of lyrics or piece of music and try to cram the other into it. It's always proven to feel 'limiting' for me creatively and winds up sounding VERY contrived versus developing the words and music concurrently.



sean