What are people's writing habits?

Evan Clutsom · Mar 23, 2018

So I’ve spent like 4-5 hours today trying to write music, and I’ve got so many individual riffs that are cool by themselves, but never like lead to anything. If I try to create another riff for a separate riff to lead into, it just sounds like a bunch of riffs randomly put together.
Long story short, after trying to write music for several hours, I’m still at square 1. I’m a good guitar player, but when it comes to being creative, I just feel like i’ll never be able to write songs like the stage, save me, the shattered fortress (dream theater), spirit of the and more songs that are creative as hell, and I’m not gonna lie, today has bummed me the f^*& out
I’m just wandering what people’s writing habits are? How do you guys write full songs or just come up with good melodies/riffs etc, do you come up with vocal melodies first and then write guitar parts after?

Ed Seith · Mar 23, 2018

Start simpler. The songs you’re referencing are all extremely complex. Start like Paul Gilbert would recommend – write a simple pop ditty. Write a “metal ditty.”
Intro-Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Solo-Chorus-Chorus-End.
Hell, start with writing a verse riff that goes into an open-sounding chorus. Two parts. Then work from there.

Josh Wright · Mar 23, 2018

I agree with ed

Ed Seith · Mar 23, 2018

Try this. Start a beat with something that works with one of your riffs. I don’t care – use a drum machine, an online thing, whatever. Have a beat, even a basic one. Play your favorite original riff. Keep playing it over and over and fucking over again and again, until you’re dying to do SOMETHING different. Then DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT and see what happens. Let it flow like the Force, young Padawan.

Josh Wright · Mar 23, 2018

Find a note that possibly acts as a bridge, or use an embellishment to go into the next riff

idssdi · Mar 24, 2018

Those songs you mention also weren’t the first songs those bands wrote in their career. How I write my songs is I tend to come up with a part by noodling and then try to figure out key changes and transitions and stuff using my ear and some theory stuff.

Richard O&#039;connor · Mar 24, 2018

Writing songs like that will take years and years of practise. It doesn’t happen over night. I subscribe to the way alter bridge tens to write songs. I write separate parts. A riff. A chorus. A verse and keep them all saved. If and when it came for you to write an EP/album you can sit down with all your ideas and with other people’s ideas and see which parts work best with one another. Kind of like fitting pieces of a jig saw together. You have to remember that writing songs is a joint effort, people bouncing off others ideas.
You could always start off with a beat if you have a drumming program. Or try different tuning ideas. That can always spark new and interesting ideas.
Having Ez drummer has helped me because I can now get a better understanding off how my riffs will sound with good sounding drums over the top.

Evan Clutsom · Mar 24, 2018

Thanks guys, I will admit it was late last night here when I posted this question so my mind was tired and all over the place haha. I should clarify, I’m not expecting to be able to write huge songs yet, I was just pretty bummed out because I was working on one song for ages and I just couldn’t get it to work. We’re just going to scrap that song I think and just start again.
I really appreciate all the responses though! Thanks guys

idssdi · Mar 24, 2018

I knkw that feeling I scrapped some songs too because I went a bit too proggy and it just wasn’t that good.

Calvin Phillips · Mar 24, 2018

I think of it as writing a story. It always starts off rather simple usually a melody or riff.. bass line.. etc. Usually slowly will build up into something huge.. build up being verse/pre chorus.. and then chorus.. by the time you hit the bridge you usually have hit the climax of the song and then its a matter of the finale after that.

Calvin Phillips · Mar 24, 2018

do you have the riff? like a tab of it?

Sayonil Mitra · Mar 24, 2018

I would like to add what Ed Sheeran said once. He said that a song writer is like a water tap. You open the tap and the bad dirty water goes out first. Then the clean water comes.You just have to open the tap. So do not wait for the perfect moment or inspiration to come and then start writing a song. If ypu are serious, start with whatever you can. You may not like what comes out first. But write and complete songs. Eventually you will get better.

Calvin Phillips · Mar 24, 2018

Ive rewritten the same songs many times over the last 10 years, and had to again this year thanks to the school lol. But I dont regret where they have ended up. Starting off on myspace on guitar pro 5 tabbing program to my soundcloud today lol. They sound completely different yet, the sound the same lol.

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