B Major, very underused, but beautiful key.

I'm always writing, the problem is always finishing. ;)

Lately the way I write a song is I hear something in my head and I just let it sit there. If it sticks around awhile and is memorable then I sit down and try to play it.
I recommend staying away from formulas (i.e. verse chorus verse) and getting hung up on the "right" way to write a song, but also don't feel bad if you do write a verse chorus verse song.

But if you are just starting out I recommend jumping in feet first and getting all messy. Making mistakes is how we learn.

I've been thinking of a different technique or sequence to writing than my norm. My idea is to take lyrics and sing them to a drum beat or click track without developing any of the other instrument until after I've got a melody, phrasing and structure based just on the lyrics. After that start adding the bass and rhythm guitars. Then lead fills and solo.

I've never done it that way and I don't know if it will work but it's different than my normal routine of trying to make lyrics match the riffs.

I'm just awaiting some lyrical inspiration in order to test this out. I haven't put any lyrics to paper in a while.

Well. My songs aren't great. But, I write a fair amount of poetry.

So when I like a riff/progression, I search through my existing Lyrics for something. If there s no match, then I sit down and write something.

Also, I often write riffs to lyrics (if I like them).

So, I go:

1. Lyrics/riff/ progression (In whichever order)

2. Intro

3. Vocal Melody

4. Solo/Fills (If any)

It's funny how people talk about having trouble finishing. Most guys finish way too quick and leave out the intro and the middle bit.

I am becoming more technical. I have written almost an entire notebooks worth of lyrics. I am starting to write more melodic passages, so I am searching for the right sounds, if you will, for the song. I just recently lay down a hiphop sound with a bluesy driven beat, and I have just about nailed the guitar part. Now that I have a bass guitar, I will be thinking more in harmony as well. I am also using more background vocals. One such song, "Blues to Zion" at one point had a guitar lead at the break with another guitar lead over top of it, but I went back and erased the second guitar lead, and added some mantra, indian type ahhhs, and ooohs, if that makes sense. I will post some of the stuff I have been working on as soon as I get the new laptop some internet connection.

I load up my recording software, and lay down my ideas that sound like they could go together with a click. I cut them into loops and arrange them, sometimes adding a little more here or there to join them up. I get going pretty quick this way. After I have enough parts, I try out a few different arrangements [easy because I just slide the blocks around] and then when it's all done the way I like it, I go back and play through it a few times to learn it. Then I record a second track alongside the first of me playing the song and it gets double-tracked, sounds a little thicker. Then I'll go and play with the amp tones [I use software amp sims when I'm writing] and maybe lay down some bass or program drums, slap on some lyrics and it's a demo. And a great scratch track when I do the real version, if it ever gets that far.