Writing Music for a Band

[b4nny]

I'm pretty clueless about the whole band songwriting process. When people say "writing" music in a band, do they really mean writing it out in standard notation?
How do you go about writing music for a band of teenagers who depend on tab?
Do bands actually write the music or do they just play it and remember how it goes?
What should I do when I create a riff at home and want to share it with my band, write it down or just play it for them? Any tips on song creation for a band, your band's process for it, or links about it are appreciated. I really have no idea where to start with this.

[baztard]

i always write down anything i make up just so i dont forget how to play it

[bggeezer]

Originally Posted by b4nny

I'm pretty clueless about the whole band songwriting process. When people say "writing" music in a band, do they really mean writing it out in standard notation?
How do you go about writing music for a band of teenagers who depend on tab?
Do bands actually write the music or do they just play it and remember how it goes?
What should I do when I create a riff at home and want to share it with my band, write it down or just play it for them? Any tips on song creation for a band, your band's process for it, or links about it are appreciated. I really have no idea where to start with this.

I always write down stuff... for any future bands as well as the one your in now.

Go to the band with your idea, and when youve got a song, or chorus , or part of a song, or anything, RECORD IT.

then its up to the individual members to write down if they want. some dont need to.

[BahamaBass]

what normally happens is the band gets together and records a songwriting session. you can just a use a simple tape recorder.

whoever is in the room contibuting to the songwriting generally gets an equal share. Best to only have band members in the room or if you need help you can bring in someone from outside.

You can also agree to percentages or you can agree on paper who wrote what. Like maybe someone just wrote lyrics and the rest of the band wrote the music.

you don't need to be able to write sheet music you only need to record it for it to be copyrighted. Then I would highly recommend registering your song with www.copyright.gov

That way you have a record of registery that will hold up in court. Mailing a CD and lyrics to yourself (poor mans copyright) does not hold up in court.

You will need to produce the song on CD and also type the lyrics and mail them off with payment and copyright form to the copyright office in Washington...www.copyright.gov

hope this helps. good luck and have fun writing.

[paganjack]

i usually just sit around and jam by myself and pick out licks/ changes that i enjoy. Gradually after isolating good sets of notes it becomes a sort of song.

I like to get a base by myself then build on it with another bandmate or two. I find the trifecta to be the best for songwriting. Then once we've got it like 70-80% we'll show the other members and shakadoom its a full song

[tlwaps]

The way it's gone in the bands i've been in, normally the guitarist starts out with a riff, then everybody adds their own creativeness to the riff, then the drummer writes his beat, then I would write my material, and finally the lyrics came. Now with lyrics, sometimes I wrote them, sometimes the singer wrote them, sometimes it was the guitarist, or a combonation of the three.

What I recommend is getting some crappy tape recorder for you to record your ideas on and writing them out in either tab or notation or both if you can. Finally, tell your band that you have an idea for a song and play what you have live for them. That's the way it's worked for me, but that may not work for you.

Good luck.