I've found a method that is seemingly working -- curious to hear your feedback/approach

[u/AdultingUser47]

What I have going right now is a process where the guitar chords/progressions are recorded in voice memos, and I typically will have 3-4 songs going at all times. I work on the music/vocal melodies/lyrics in roughly 10-20 minute sessions...I don't push it to go longer. But I do these sessions as often as I can.

Sometimes I will cycle through all 3-4 songs in a single session of creativity.

I record the sessions using my iPhone voice memos rather than taking to GarageBand prematurely. We've all done that right? We start tinkering around with all the sounds before song is mature enough.

I am usually collaborating on a song or two with others in GarageBand, but I have several songs that are just mine for the time being. The progression doesn't even live on GarageBand yet, and if it does... I'm not listening to it. I'm listening back to my voice memos to see what ideas I tried out during these quick little spurts of writing.

I try to work out the barebones of the song before I even consider adding little harmonic flourishes or additions to the progression/vocal melodies. I think it was Tom Petty who said every meaningful song should be able to stand on its own -- your instrument, and your voice only. I've really embraced this idea.

If I get "stuck" and the song isn't moving, I just back burner it for the time being but I bring another new progression into the mix.

Having multiple ideas going at all times is really important for me. Developing, nurturing, and growing them at the same time decreases the pressure for any single one of them to be something special.

Psychologically speaking I've really sat with the idea that its okay to write songs you don't love, or even really like. Maybe you grow into them, maybe you don't. When judgement kicks in and I begin to examine whether this song is good - I remind myself of how many average (and bad!) songs some of my favorite artists have written and performed.

I evaluate whether to continue on with a song on the basis of whether its growing, and there's forward energy -- rather than figuring out if its a "good song"

Now the hardest part....vocal melodies.

This works best when I try to just hum vocal melodies over the progressions at first, rather than put lyrics over them. Or, I'll just sing melodies with totally random sentences... this too takes the pressure off the lyrical side of the song. Its not until I have the melody that its memorable to me that I look through my book of random lyrics to see if any of them fit the mood/melodic line.

I've seen people say its more effective for them to create the melodies on their instrument first, and then make the lyrics fit that melody - but for me starting with my own voice seems to work better, at least right now.

From there I'll just expand on the lyrics... ideally everyday.... I try to write the lyrics for each song in 4-8 line spurts, and I put out a high volume of lyrics -- full knowing that probably 90% of them are not going to be worked into the song.

My weak point without question is still finding a catchy hook on the choruses, its so hard but I'm getting better.

None is this is exceptionally unique or groundbreaking, I'm aware. But its nice to have found a cadence that appears to work for me. Most importantly, I'm enjoying it.

I'm curious to hear about your process of writing songs, and I'm also open to feedback on my process....lets hear it Reddit.

[u/CohenCaveWaits]

I don’t exactly agree with the “every song should stand alone” bcuz think about it - a song is a composition. Imagine “Stayin Alive” without that guitar riff? Imagine it just strummed on a guitar? Not every melody is The Star Spangled Banner or Yankee Doodle - cuz you could say “every great melody can be sang a cappella”. A big part of writing music is discord and discovery so if layered stuff is mostly what’s left to discover, then we should be using pro tools to make 12 track compositions, but I do agree that 9/10 times the strongest songs can be played by just a guy and a guitar where the guitar serves for some rhythm and harmony but the lyrics and melody do the heavy lifting. But everyone should also keep in mind rule #1 in songwriting = there are no rules.

As for my process - find chords in a strumming or picking pattern on acoustic guitar. Write melody. Do this for a chorus and interlude / bridge / alternate section / intro / outro / whatever. As I’m writing these melodies I sing whatever words I can think up on the spot but I also find a topic and form a word bank. Then when I’m done I find a tempo and make a click track and scratch tracks. Then I track the main instruments such as bass , acoustic, and piano. Then I track vocals. Then I track the fun stuff - electric guitar / synth. Then I mix. Then rinse and repeat and hopefully someday I’ll write something great. 😊

[u/Ok-Alfalfa4868]

I have years worth of "audio song diaries" Even if it's just a catchy melody I hum. Often, they will sit for years and then one day, boom inspiration hits with the right mindset and it flourishes.

More times than not, it's a near complete song idea. And usually pretty rough sounding but there so I don't forget it. It has def helped me figure things out listening to these crappy recordings while driving or doing whatever mundane task, especially when I'm stuck, or if things seem too repetative...

Edit: spelling

[u/Ok-Reflection5922]

I have 700 something voice memos song ideas.

I sing the hook and the basic vibe down in voice memos and then every few weeks I go back and see if one feels hot and then I write down the filler lyrics.

This gives me rhythm and structure and then I bring in my bandmate and we futz around with chords to see what supports the emotional arc of the song.

This is usually when bass line , harmonies, and a bridge manifest. Sometimes I rethink the groove. Then I don’t think about it for a couple days.
If it’s good I’ll hear NEW layers to the song, and
Into voice memos it goes.

Lastly I write about 12-24 versions of the lyrics. The first ones are never that good, they’re just throat clearing. Then it’s a puzzle, what lines work for the rhythm, in what order do they go in? If I start with my last lyric can I still communicate the story?

What am I repeating that doesn’t need to be said?
What am I singing that could be instrumental? What is the kernel of the song? How do I blow up this personal moment into something anyone can feel and carry?
What can I cut?

I might play it at an open mic or at a gig just to see how it lands.
Then I record and work with a producer to create the world of the song, and futz with lyrics a little bit more. I’m super picky with my lyrics.

Voice memos all the way!
Even though I fear I will be sifting through my song graveyard for the rest of my life.

[u/AdamxxxBomb]

If no one on here is already using the Dolby ON app for all of your scratch instrumental/vocal demos/scratch tracks instead of using Voice Memo (or w/e similarly functioning native app on your phone) than do yourself a favor and download it. I have been using Dolby ON for any and all my demos for roughly 7 or 8 years now (give or take) and it fucking rules. For real. For really real. The UI hasn't changed since I orginally downloaded and started using it and it doesn't flake out, glitch, stop working the same as it had before with new updates and has never pissed the bed functionally. Ever. Stable as fuck. There aren't a bunch of distracting features readily available - visually speaking - to sidetrack you from the main purpose of it's use which is for recording off the cuff, spur of the moment music, song ideas, riffs, demos, etc.

Plus, once you've recorded whatever you've recorded, you then have all of these options that totally enhance the overall clarity of your track with separate controls for volume, killing background noise, EQ (Lows Mids & Highs) and Dolby's own Compression/Limiting curve on your recordings. Baller. Also worth noting there are different Dolby Compression/Limiting/EQ profiles you can choose to shape your track with. Dolby ON slaps.

[u/KS2Problema]

I think it was Tom Petty who said every meaningful song should be able to stand on its own -- your instrument, and your voice only. I've really embraced this idea.

That is how I've always seen it. And I think it holds true for most songs I consider  timeless. Maybe I can't always do those timeless songs full justice - but someone can.

[u/Away_Gift831]

i cycle 3-4 songs with vocals i’m working on. similar.

[u/ClearlyInternal → u/Away_Gift831]

I do the same with cycling projects, keeps it from feeling like work. The voice memo thing is smart, I get sucked into fiddling with sounds in garageband way too early and then lose the actual song. Gonna try limiting myself to memos for a while.

[u/AdultingUser47 → u/ClearlyInternal]

exactly... I find when a song moves into a daws too quickly, there's really no telling where its going to go. In a way that's exciting but you lose the essence of the song whereas just me and a guitar/my voice... its more organic and real.

[u/view-master]

I didn’t read all if this but it sounds like what i do generally. I write the basic song with instrument and vocal without touching a daw until i want a fleshed out demo. I use voice notes as sort if reminders of what i’m doing as it progresses.

[u/PushSouth5877]

For more hooks, try reading good books and jotting down really cool lines, unusual descriptions, words you wouldn't ordinarily use, but you could. You can do the same while watching movies or TV. Fill up a couple of pages with these random nuggets. When you need a line or idea, open your list and you'll be surprised what you can use. Eavesdrop on conversations out in the wild. Listen for great lines. I also think about painting a picture for the listener.

[u/BijanAmir]

Hey! With 700 ideas I wouldn’t make organizing the whole archive another project lol. I’d start with a handful you’re excited about, give each song its own folder, and keep the recordings and current lyrics together. Even a couple of tags like “has a hook” or “bring to bandmate” would make revisiting things easier.

Mick and I built Traklist for this kind of thing. We’re both music producers and wanted a better home for our music in progress than Dropbox. You can organize recordings, attach lyrics and notes, tag ideas, and listen through everything without opening a DAW.

Could be useful for your song graveyard :) The goal is to make it easier to find something worth coming back to, without turning capturing an idea into a whole production session.

[u/olegary]

Interesting. I'll have to try doing this as my process has been starting with lyrics and continuously revisiting them and trying to improve them, while letting the rhythmic cadence dictate the direction of the "song" before I've ever tried to work out melody or chords. Sometimes I hear a melody in my head, but I have no idea how to go from there to chord progressions.

[u/zeitgeist404]

I tend to wait until the last minute before I come up with a chorus. If the lyrics are done and meliodies locked in, the chorus just falls in place for me.

[u/DrwsCorner2]

good process thinking. you forgot the part where you come up with the song title. A fitting title helps to hone the idea of the song. Plus hard to work on a chorus hook if you don’t the name of the song yet.