The Creative Process

The creative process really involves a lot of discipline. It's a bit like a formula you stick to create music. First rule is, when the music idea presents itself, record the idea so it is not lost. I have fallen into that trap on numerous occasions. Even now as I write this I have a music idea which really should be recorded in snippet form. On my computer there are numerous snippets of ideas.

The way I work up a song these days is that I record the basic rythm tracks first. I will then listen to the track and get a sense for the melody and quite often a catch word or song hook will present itself. Sometimes the vocal line will change as guitars, bass and drums form the shape of the song. I usually have lots and lots of music ideas. Words to songs sometimes take longer as I formulate what a song is to be about however, even that process can be sped up if necessary. There are so many web sites around to assist creativity if someone is really stuck, song title generators, suggesting lyric generators, word generators in the style of certain artists, rhyme sites,

To tell the truth, even though I have access to all these sites I really don't use them. I generally pick out a song title and write the song story based on the title. I like the David Bowie way to write lyrics. Someone passed me the January 1988 issue of Words and Music and in that particular issue, it has everything about writing songs and how David Bowie creates, taking various lines etc and making a new story. To me a song is not in perfect plain word view unless it is country or something. If you want to speak in that tone, write a speech.

Even with music arrangements themselves there are various creative tricks, doubling the chord bars before changing, reversing the chord sequence for a chorus etc.

I would say let your inner emotional self come out in your music,  sure I have country based songs sitting around still to record but essentially I'm a rock guy. That's my attitude on guitar. If you want hear my country side check out the song Pleasure and Pain. Years ago I wrote another Pleasure and Pain song but I didn't follow the rules, I never recorded it.

Here are CD's I have made this far 

Spunky Munkey CD\'s There is another CD called Commercial but the recording quality is too low so I will probably take a few songs from it and record them again. 

Here is a link to Pleasure and Pain

Pleasure and Pain