Let’s Talk About Songwriting!

I used to jam around for a bit and that is still the way the initial idea comes around. But lately I’ve been completely obsessed with where to place the V chord and what comes after the V chord and before the V chord.

I have nothing prepared when I start making a song. I just go through a bunch of vst instruments until i find enough sounds that really like and then i start combining them. The sound of an instrument is what makes me come up with a melody. The sound is guiding me what to do with it, I don’t really have a melody prepared beforehand. So when i have 15-30 seconds of music I start establishing the vibe of the song and i try to make it interesting with a lot of changes but that it still feels like the same song. I don’t really think about music theory when I’m writing because it just blocks me and i get stuck in this box of rules and i start making generic stuff. I just free my mind of all that and go with this logic: you don’t need to know theory to be able to tell what sounds good. So that’s the way i write, I’m very critical of myself because i want to make the whole song interesting and i want it to be something that i would actually listen so that’s why it takes me a long time to finish the song because I’m not satisfied with generic stuff.

Small fun fact Gnarls Barkley is Cee Lo Green

My theory on song writing. I read a couple books. Had 3 or 4. Most of the books were chords I never learned. I cared more about the writing.
Usually I start off with a melody. Vocal.. bass .. maybe a drum beat. anything. If it’s in my head. I try to map it out. What does a thunder storm sound like on a guitar. A blizzard, rain.. wind. You get the idea. Then usually after the melody is a repeat or the chorus Instrumentally. Sometimes I love the melody so much I’ll play it again. Then you get into the verse which is USUALLY a simpler version then the intro. Maybe I just palm mute. Play it clean. Arpeggios? Then you decide if you need to build up to the chorus again.. or just slam into it. How does the flow feel? Hit the chorus… you’re at somewhat of a climax at this point.
Is the intro fun enough to play again.. or do we just go back into another verse. Rare times call for a bridge here. Usually I do a repeat. Sometimes you can change up the verse a little the 2nd Time around. I guess it all depends on how much you liked it the first time. But you’re basically repeating the 1st verse and pre chorus if necessary.
And chorus too.. usually by now you’re so into a flow. It’s been building and building and the bridge is finally here. You have many choices in how to climax here. Usually a solo. Maybe a breakdown.. sometimes its vocally. I guess it all is in how you feel the songs going.
At this point you can decide if the bridge is high enough to end on that you dont wanna continue. If not.. then you can end on the chorus. And have an alternate bridge to end on.. usually a repeat of the 1st but you know.. even bigger. If you cant really beat it the 2nd time tho I’d day dont bother and end on the first.
This is just an example. The order can obviously change. But that’s the basics to me. I’ve written every song I have on this theory or method so to speak. My newer music is more jam based and natural sounding.. but they still have followed this method. Theory has also helped make this easier as well.. now you can just say “just play it one octave higher this verse” lol.
End story.