Help: foundation of writing a good song

[ashot2thehead]

pretty much what the title says.

whats everyones personal preferance to writing a rock/ alternitive song, lyrics + guitars + other istruments.

i ask because im having a little trouble writing songs in my new band...they have no focus so im just gonna do it (guitar and lyrics) and propose it to them and go from there, but i have no idea cause ive never writtin a full song.

n e help would be appreciated.

[camdizzle]

First of all, spell out your words because you look like a god damn moron writing 'n e' help. Sorry to be harsh, but no one will take you seriously if you type like a 12 year old girl on instant messenger. As for personal preference on writing songs, I don't really know what to tell you except to be original. If you just started this band, and they're not very focused, start just doing covers of bands you all like, and then collaborate your influences to write something. No one here can tell you how to write a song, it's got to be your own work.

[Seeders]

get a root idea, nothing too solid, and propose that. They may have something completely different in mind, but thats ok. Just sing a line or two so they get the basic idea, and then collaborate with them to make it grow.

[ashot2thehead]

im not asking any one to tell me how to write a song...mor or less asking how everyone else puts a song together with guitar and lyrics...i know that there are many diferent ways..

and the typing this is just a bad habbit that ive been doing scince i was like...14...kinda hard to break...

what i ment by foundation is like...do you write lyrics to go with guitar riffs or riffs to go with lyrics...i dunno...kinda hard to explain.

but thanks for the replys.

obviously "originality" is my top priority..i dont want to sound like every other band out there...thats just lame. but im hoping for the best to what comes out of what i do write.

do you think getting together with my other guitarest and my vocalist...and just sitting down and just...brainstorming ideas and going through riffs is a good idea...its mostly the drummer who is off in his own world (like most drummers...i swear they all have a.d.d) than showing him after and see what he can come up with is a good idea.

any input is helpful

[TojesDolan]

I write all my instruments lines.

[Seeders]

I am by no means a very experienced songwriter. Sure i've written lots of lyrics, but i only have a few "songs" under my belt, and they aren't very good.

knowing that, all I can say is that i've usually started with a rhythm. Just something i heard in my head or something i found myself humming. Then i take that, and get a feel for how it should sound. Then i brainstorm lyrics in my head as i hum it. Then i try to play it on guitar/bass (may have or may not have come up with lyrics yet). Then I jam on it with my band without practicing singing because i suck at it. Then when we play a show I wing it and sing whatever lyrics i have before the show.

[ashot2thehead]

not a bad solution actually.

i might try it and see how it goes for me. i play rhythem guitar...so ill think of a tune in my head and play it out...and write lyrics as i go.
i hope it goes well...

thanks bro

[Surtr]

I more or less sit at my Guitar or Keyboard for about 10 minutes, and build out a riff. From that riff I expand a bit further, work out some Chords that fit with it. And if I have a band at the time I give it to them and let them add some more to it, or if its me I record it so I won't forget it and write out a very rough copy that only I could probably read.

Then later on I'll come back to it after I've given my mind a few hours or maybe a day or so to re-vamp and come back with a fresh take on it, and then I decide if what I've written really is any good or if I was just caught up in the moment.

[Nightvision]

I tend to write most of my stuff in the 'post new thread' window and go from there - I find it's the easiest way to get what I really want to say out there without having to constrain myself to a pre-written riff or something.

Of course, the cons are that it usually means being sat looking at the screen for a while (a piece usually takes me about two hours from scratch, or an hour if I'm rewriting an old one), and if I get writer's block (like now), I really die on my *** for a long time.

[Seeders]

Another thing, dont every write if you have nothing to say. I never tell myself "ok im going to sit down and think of something". If I hear something in my head, or am inspired, I write that down and expand on it...but i never just try to pull something out of my ***.