The songwriting/"This is how I make #1 jams thread"

[mmurphy1000]

I write random parts then over the course of multiple years slowly piece things together. I think I have 3 or 4 really solid songs now.

ha I thought I was the only one! when I write on my own that's exactly what happens. I need other people to bounce off or I don't get very far at all.

there are some great posts in this thread. I'm definitely going to try some of these ideas the next time I am stuck.

[neonblack]

The other day I put some music on and tried to write a part to another band's song that wasn't in the original but still fit. Just like a riff or something.

Then I looped it on my Ditto, muted it, went and smoked and listened to 3 or 4 other songs so I wouldn't have the original song in my head anymore, and then went back to the loop.

Once I wasn't thinking about the song I wrote it to, I had all kinds of ideas. Fun little experiment.

[WayToHip]

^^^Cool.

Well, the band fell apart, but I now have the desire to do my own stuff. Lately I've been trying to get stuff recorded on Ableton, and while I can now create bass and guitar lines that work with each other, I suck at making beats. Now I'm watching drum covers and taking notes on playing and drum usage.

Or does here have cool ways to get sweet drum beats or ideas?

[weed_killer]

^^^Cool.

Well, the band fell apart, but I now have the desire to do my own stuff. Lately I've been trying to get stuff recorded on Ableton, and while I can now create bass and guitar lines that work with each other, I suck at making beats. Now I'm watching drum covers and taking notes on playing and drum usage.

Or does here have cool ways to get sweet drum beats or ideas?

find a suitable beat (funk/soul 45s are time-tested ways to find an isolated line), put it into ableton, loop it and play over it. That's what I've been doing for the last two years, because I can't play drums and don't have the space to buy a bit and teach myself yet.

[Greenfuz]

I get really drunk and hope I wake up to something good

[WayToHip]

^^^Cool.

Well, the band fell apart, but I now have the desire to do my own stuff. Lately I've been trying to get stuff recorded on Ableton, and while I can now create bass and guitar lines that work with each other, I suck at making beats. Now I'm watching drum covers and taking notes on playing and drum usage.

Or does here have cool ways to get sweet drum beats or ideas?

find a suitable beat (funk/soul 45s are time-tested ways to find an isolated line), put it into ableton, loop it and play over it. That's what I've been doing for the last two years, because I can't play drums and don't have the space to buy a bit and teach myself yet.

Oh cool idea, thanks!

[D.o.S.]

Yup. Get a sampler. sample.

[darthbatman]

I just loop like crazy, I also jam with some folks, some of the time there's stuff that's previously written. Most times it's all improv.
Am I the only one that comes up with the best shit when nobody happened to hit RECORD ?
I need to start implementing an Auto-Record function, that way I could have 10x the backlogs of drone jams on my hard drive.
Sampler, i should get one. What's a good cheap one? I think cool thing to do would be sample fav lines from movies as inspirational backdrop

[friendship]

Am I the only one that comes up with the best shit when nobody happened to hit RECORD ?

Always always always