Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Songwriting
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,945
PG Music Staff
OP Offline
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,945
Does anyone have a specific setting or place they got to where they find their write their best songs? As an example, a bench at a specific park, or just at home in your studio? Where does it all start and what's your personal process? Do you have a specific place that make you inspired to write whenever you visit it?

I'd be curious to hear your stories!


Cheers,
Ember
Songwriting
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 9,301
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 9,301
Nope..... I go to places in my head when I am writing so the physical setting is not very critical to me.

HOWEVER..... I now have a studio out in the woods.... I walk out the door and my house is 50 feet north..... the fireplace/seating area is 50 feet south.... and the woods are all around....

So there's no trains or trucks coming through like I had in Sims.....and no lawn care guys with motors running or dogs barking.


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
Songwriting
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 3,357
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 3,357
Most of my best ideas come while walking - in the woods,trying out the lines on any wildlife in the area. Coming soon - a song about that activity!

Songwriting
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 18,838
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 18,838
Hi Ember,

That's a great question.

I don't do anything special other than think of some concept that inspires at that moment and then I write around 150 words in essay style on that concept making sure to focus on the senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, sound and body movement and body feelings.

The above writing helps sharpen my mind and it also gives me ideas about where I might go in the lyrics.

If you're interested, the pdf below contains some notes I made a few years ago on how I wrote the song "Walk With Me". Using 'Destination Writing' is how I write 90% of my material.

Lyric background to "Walk With Me" (pdf)

...and here is a link to the song on Soundcloud.

"Walk With Me" (audio)

All the best,
Noel


MY SONGS...
Audiophile BIAB 2024
Songwriting
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 3,414
PG Music Staff
Offline
PG Music Staff
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 3,414
Very good question smile My writing process differs between when I'm working on the music and when I'm working on the words. I write all the musical aspects at my house, usually by my lonesome. I'm not a social writer. I need to be alone, in silence, with no distractions.

However, when it comes to lyrics they will come to me seemingly at random, and I'll often jot them into my phone in a notepad app I have. Sometimes I'll be on the bus, sometimes it will be 11PM at night and I'm laying in bed, sometimes it will be when I'm at the grocery store. Often times I'll come up with a line or some key words I want to use. Then, at home when I'm in my own space by my lonesome I'll kind of piece everything together into a cohesive tune.

I don't think my way of doing this is really the norm - that being said, there are definitely things that inspire me. I find much of the content of my songs deals with nostalgia, nature, and certain moods. I draw a lot of inspiration from nostalgia, anger, and sadness. I find entropy, consciousness, and remoteness fascinating. A lot of memories from my past wiggle their way into my songwriting as well.

I'm excited to hear about some other people's writing processes and what inspires them smile

Last edited by Deryk - PG Music; 04/05/18 04:06 AM.

Cheers,
Deryk
Songwriting
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,945
PG Music Staff
OP Offline
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,945
Originally Posted By: Noel96


I don't do anything special other than think of some concept that inspires at that moment and then I write around 150 words in essay style on that concept making sure to focus on the senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, sound and body movement and body feelings.


That's super interesting! It never occurred to me to write it out in an essay format first! That's actually a rather unique way of doing it that I had never considered before. I wonder if anyone else does it in a similar way? Food for thought!


Cheers,
Ember
Songwriting
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,945
PG Music Staff
OP Offline
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,945
Originally Posted By: Guitarhacker

HOWEVER..... I now have a studio out in the woods.... I walk out the door and my house is 50 feet north..... the fireplace/seating area is 50 feet south.... and the woods are all around....

So there's no trains or trucks coming through like I had in Sims.....and no lawn care guys with motors running or dogs barking.



That sounds so serene and like the perfect space to get inspired. I find that getting outdoors and kind of being with nature in a quiet way can be all inspiring all on its own. It lets you get in to your head and let your mind just wander off to creative places.

Thanks for sharing that with us. I'm a little jealous that it's so where quiet where you are.


Cheers,
Ember
Songwriting
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,945
PG Music Staff
OP Offline
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,945
Originally Posted By: Robertkc
Most of my best ideas come while walking - in the woods,trying out the lines on any wildlife in the area. Coming soon - a song about that activity!

It seems that getting back to nature helps a couple people here at the forum! I agree, it's a great way to get the mind working.


Cheers,
Ember
Songwriting
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,945
PG Music Staff
OP Offline
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,945
Originally Posted By: Deryk - PG Music

However, when it comes to lyrics they will come to me seemingly at random, and I'll often jot them into my phone in a notepad app I have. Sometimes I'll be on the bus, sometimes it will be 11PM at night and I'm laying in bed, sometimes it will be when I'm at the grocery store. Often times I'll come up with a line or some key words I want to use. Then, at home when I'm in my own space by my lonesome I'll kind of piece everything together into a cohesive tune.

Sounds like I'm not alone in this! For me I'll randomly have a sentence come to me that I just really need to run with and apply it to lyrics. I thought I was the only one that had this sort of thing happen, but I guess it's not just me!


Cheers,
Ember
Songwriting
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 12
Newbie
Offline
Newbie
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 12


I have often sat down to finish uncompleted songs, and often sat down to revise songs that i was unsatisfied with.
However, i haave never, in my entire life, said to myself, 'Now i am going to write a song'.

Every song i have ever written has just come to me. I do not feel as if i am 'writing' the songs. I feel as if i am 'channeling' the songs from my subconscious. The more i have purified my self, the better will be the quality of the song i channel. When i want to write a song merely to express my own angst, the song does not turn out as well.

However, when my main motivation is to write songs that will uplift other people, and only present a problem in a song if i can also provide a solution; then that sort of mindset will enable me to write the best songs i am capable of writing.

A number of times i have read about scrawny mothers whose babiy had crawled under a car and that scrawny mother had miraculously been able to lift one end of the car, by herself, to enable the baby to crawl out.

When you engage in any activity, songwriting or otherwise, for the primary motivation of wanting to help others, you will find capabilities within yourself that you never knew you possessed.


Matador is beautiful,a symphony of style
Excitement is ecstatic, passion places bets
Gracefully he bows to ovations that he gets
But the hands that are applauding are slippery with sweat
And saliva is falling from their smiles

Phil Ochs- Crucifixion

Songwriting
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 728
Journeyman
Offline
Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 728
For me living in beautiful surroundings, like Colorado, is a motivation to write but not necessarily about the place I live, although I've done that. It sneaks into songs like "Not Every Day Was Sad"or "Don't Call Me When You're Lonely" because it just happens to be incidental to the story. Mostly, I write in solitude, safely ensconced inside the womb of the studio, or in a comfortable chair as the day is just beginning.

With the exception of PG Music contests like Xtra Styles PAK 3 that happened last summer, for which I wrote four songs, I usually have a lyrical idea first. In the case of the competition I let the song styles suggest something to me. But it's not normally how I write.

I usually start with a lyrical hook that moves me in some way and then I make up a story that surrounds it by writing a short paragraph which is a complete synopsis of the story. Often I'm "seeing" the story and visualizing it's progression as I'm writing. The song "One More Thing" came from something a former girlfriend said to me which stuck in my head until I finally wrote it down and fleshed it out. The title or hook, if you will, was something very powerful to me because it was personal. I find it difficult to write good songs by "forcing the muse" as folks in the "album a month" or "song a day" do. I need an emotional connection and substance, not an exercise in lyric writing, to justify all the time and effort that goes into producing a song.

I recently published a romance novel, "The Songsmith" which follows the life of a professional songwriter, his motivations, his love for a special woman, etc. The book is filled with references to my own songs and lyrics intertwined with the story. In one of the first few chapters we watch as he is motivated to write "One More Thing" from influences in his life. This is not actually how I wrote the song, but it was a great exercise in making up a story about how someone else could have created it. I think if you're going to write songs, you need a vivid imagination. You can then fill in the often boring truth with more interesting events. Fun stuff, boy.

Thanks for reading this far...and listening to the music.

Bob Buford

Songwriting
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,945
PG Music Staff
OP Offline
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,945
Originally Posted By: ManInTwoSocks


Every song i have ever written has just come to me. I do not feel as if i am 'writing' the songs. I feel as if i am 'channeling' the songs from my subconscious. The more i have purified my self, the better will be the quality of the song i channel. When i want to write a song merely to express my own angst, the song does not turn out as well.


That's so fascinating. It's like you're the vessel for the music and it just flows through you. That's a really cool way of looking at it, actually.

Thanks for sharing.


Cheers,
Ember
Songwriting
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,945
PG Music Staff
OP Offline
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,945
Originally Posted By: Buford
I usually have a lyrical idea first.

That actually makes me wonder how many people write their lyrics first also! I think I know what my next forum question is going to be. Thanks for inspiring me to ask more about people's songwriting methods!


Cheers,
Ember
Songwriting
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 18,838
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 18,838
Bob,

Congratulations on publishing a novel! That's a magnificent accomplishment! I hope it does really well for you.

All the best,
Noel


MY SONGS...
Audiophile BIAB 2024
Songwriting
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 547
Journeyman
Offline
Journeyman
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 547
I don't have a specific place that I go to write but relative peace and quiet helps. Having two young children that can sometimes be hard to achieve, so much of my writing of lyrics happens at home when they are sleeping or taking a nap. All of my vocal recording happens then too for obvious reasons.

I will come up with ideas when out and about sometimes. When that happens I try to jot down the idea or a couple lines so I can go back later and expand upon it. I also frequent different Facebook groups that have weekly song prompts for inspiration. If I find a prompt that I like I will add it to a list of ideas that I keep on my phone. That way even if I don't have time to write a song that week I can go back later for inspiration.


Samuel Davis Jr
BIAB 2018 + Cubase + Ignite
BMI

www.sammycountry.com
Songwriting
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 728
Journeyman
Offline
Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 728
Originally Posted By: Noel96
Bob,

Congratulations on publishing a novel! That's a magnificent accomplishment! I hope it does really well for you.

All the best,
Noel


Thanks, Noel...

Hallmark channel has it at the moment. We'll see.

Buford

Songwriting
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,520
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,520
I am a believer that the music and melody must come first. Maybe that comes from being a keyboard oriented person. I think of lyric writing as a craft, like woodworking, where the challenge is that the words must be carefully chosen to fit the melody that has already been given. To start, I often choose a style from BIAB that seems interesting. Then I play around with chord sequences that also seem interesting, let the software generate the song, and listen; then modify/expand the chord structure as I wish. I typically only work on the melody after I get the song “roughed out” in this way. Once I’m happy with the music I’ve created, I work on the lyric idea...sometimes it comes quickly, other times years go by before something seems to fit. My lyric ideas come from things that are in my mind generally in life, I less I decide to give myself a “lyric challenge”, like writing with alliterations, or creating a special/weird rhyming scheme. All my work takes place in front of the computer, with my midi keyboard at my side, and my indispensable rhyming reference book “Rhyming Dictionary”, written by Gene Lees.

Songwriting
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,945
PG Music Staff
OP Offline
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,945
Originally Posted By: Tano Music
I am a believer that the music and melody must come first. Maybe that comes from being a keyboard oriented person. I think of lyric writing as a craft, like woodworking, where the challenge is that the words must be carefully chosen to fit the melody that has already been given. To start, I often choose a style from BIAB that seems interesting. Then I play around with chord sequences that also seem interesting, let the software generate the song, and listen; then modify/expand the chord structure as I wish. I typically only work on the melody after I get the song “roughed out” in this way. Once I’m happy with the music I’ve created, I work on the lyric idea...sometimes it comes quickly, other times years go by before something seems to fit. My lyric ideas come from things that are in my mind generally in life, I less I decide to give myself a “lyric challenge”, like writing with alliterations, or creating a special/weird rhyming scheme. All my work takes place in front of the computer, with my midi keyboard at my side, and my indispensable rhyming reference book “Rhyming Dictionary”, written by Gene Lees.

Very cool! Thanks for sharing that. It has been really interesting to see where everyone draws their inspiration from.


Cheers,
Ember
Songwriting
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 1,664
PG Music Staff
Offline
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 1,664
Originally Posted By: Robertkc
Most of my best ideas come while walking - in the woods,trying out the lines on any wildlife in the area. Coming soon - a song about that activity!

Hikes are great for this! The increased amount of oxygen, out in nature. Definitely a great spot for inspiration!


Cheers,
Joe
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.

ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.

PG Music News
Convenient Ways to Listen to Band-in-a-Box® Songs Created by Program Users!

The User Showcase Forum is an excellent place to share your Band-in-a-Box® songs and listen to songs other program users are creating!

There are other places you can listen to these songs too! Visit our User Showcase page to sort by genre, artist (forum name), song title, and date - each listing will direct you to the forum post for that song.

If you'd rather listen to these songs in one place, head to our Band-in-a-Box® Radio, where you'll have the option to select the genre playlist for your listening pleasure. This page has SoundCloud built in, so it won't redirect you. We've also added the link to the Artists SoundCloud page here, and a link to their forum post.

We hope you find some inspiration from this amazing collection of User Showcase Songs!

Congratulations to the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!

We've just announced the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!

There are 45 winners, each receiving a Band-in-a-Box 2024 UltraPAK! Read the official announcement to see if you've won.

Our User Showcase Forum receives more than 50 posts per day, with people sharing their Band-in-a-Box songs and providing feedback for other songs posted.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed!

Video: Volume Automation in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows®

We've created a video to help you learn more about the Volume Automation options in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows.

Band-in-a-Box® 2024: Volume Automation

www.pgmusic.com/manuals/bbw2024full/chapter11.htm#volume-automation

Video: Audio Input Monitoring with Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows®

We've created this short video to explain Audio Input Monitoring within Band-in-a-Box® 2024, and included some tips & troubleshooting details too!

Band-in-a-Box® 2024: Audio Input Monitoring

3:17: Tips
5:10: Troubleshooting

www.pgmusic.com/manuals/bbw2024full/chapter11.htm#audio-input-monitoring

Video: Enhanced Melodists in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows®!

We've enhanced the Melodists feature included in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows!

Access the Melodist feature by pressing F7 in the program to open the new MultiPicker Library and locate the [Melodist] tab.

You can now generate a melody on any track in the program - very handy! Plus, you select how much of the melody you want generated - specify a range, or apply it to the whole track.

See the Melodist in action with our video, Band-in-a-Box® 2024: The Melodist Window.

Learn even more about the enhancements to the Melodist feature in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows at www.pgmusic.com/manuals/bbw2024upgrade/chapter3.htm#enhanced-melodist

Band-in-a-Box® 2024 DAW Plugin Version 6: New Features Specifically for Reaper®

New with the DAW Plugin Version 6.0, released with Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows: the Reaper® Panel!

This new panel offers built-in specific support for the Reaper® DAW API allowing direct transfer of Band-in-a-Box® files to/from Reaper® tracks!

When you run the Plugin from Reaper®, there is a panel to set the following options:
-BB Track(s) to send: This allows you to select the Plugin tracks that will be sent Reaper.
-Destination Reaper Track: This lets you select the destination Reaper track to receive media content from the Plugin.
-At Bar: You can select a bar in Reaper where the Plugin tracks should be placed.
-Start Below Selected Track: This allows you to place the Plugin tracks below the destination Reaper track.
-Overwrite Reaper Track: You can overwrite previous content on the destination Reaper track.
-Move to Project Folder: With this option, you can move the Plugin tracks to the Reaper project folder.
-Send Reaper Instructions Enable this option to send the Reaper Instructions instead of rendering audio tracks, which is faster.
-Render Audio & Instructions: Enable this option to generate audio files and the Reaper instructions.
-Send Tracks After Generating: This allows the Plugin to automatically send tracks to Reaper after generating.
-Send Audio for MIDI Track: Enable this option to send rendered audio for MIDI tracks.
-Send RealCharts with Audio: If this option is enabled, Enable this option to send RealCharts with audio.

Check out this video highlighting the new Reaper®-specific features: Band-in-a-Box® DAW Plugin Version 6: New Features Specifically for Reaper®

Band-in-a-Box® 2024 DAW Plugin Version 6: New Features Video

The new Band-in-a-Box VST DAW Plugin Verion 6 adds over 20 new features!

Watch the new features video to learn more: Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2024 - DAW Plugin Version 6 New Features

We also list these new features at www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.plugin.htm.

Forum Statistics
Forums66
Topics81,393
Posts732,477
Members38,441
Most Online2,537
Jan 19th, 2020
Newest Members
zagrajbarke, Ernest J, Izzy, BenChaz, Csofi
38,440 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 195
Al-David 124
DC Ron 113
dcuny 87
rsdean 83
Today's Birthdays
CeeDee, SethMould
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5