I was just curious to see how people compose their music. I am the pencil and manuscript paper musician myself, but nothing beats just pluggin in and jammin. I also use Finale 2011 and Finale Note Pad 2010 for engraving and composing as well.

I just sit down with a vague idea of a melody and strum chords until I find a chord progression that sounds good to me.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

i usually find a good tune/chord progression while just messing around, and i build on that. if i add lyrics, i write em down on whatever piece of paper i can find.

-Jake

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"I don't care how good you are, how fast you are. You ain't good enough no lessin' you got the soul." -Hubert Sumlin

beer, fatigue and depreesion. it's the only that inspires to write. oh woe is me.

I sit down and just write and re-write for about an hour or two. Usually just lyrics, sometimes I add a melody and even a rhythm pattern. Then the following day I look at my work, come to the conclusion that it's utter crap and throw it away. ^^

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I traded my car in for a microphone.

A guitar, some spice and a drink or two.

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just play a random chord progression, add on to it, then add lyrics whenever i have a lyric spasm

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riley

Welcome to the Forum playalot86! Glad that you are interested in writing songs. Looking forward to hearing your song writing sometime.

I write songs on guitar and use pen and paper for the lyrics so that I won't forget them.

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

The Blues. The B-L-U-E-S blues. That's how I compose.

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Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

When I'm writing songs, usually I work out a chord progression and then a melody, but sometimes the lyrics come first. I keep a long list of song ideas and potential titles. Was using Notion Progression software, but the learning curve gets in the way of creativity.

i pretty much do this... havnt had a good "lyric spasm" in a while though...

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Favorite bands:

Melvins
The Jesus Lizard
Cows
Big Business
R***man
Minutemen
Flight
Minor Threat
Big Black
Shellac
Karp
Scratch Acid
Wipers
Pixies

I don't usually sit down with any intention of writing songs, a riff or melody can come out of nowhere and probably 99% of the time I'm nowhere near my guitar I'll be at work or something and by the time I get home I'll have forgotten it and just end up noodling away into the night on a looper/recorder without any real direction and listen back to see if I like anything

Good thread though & welcome to the forum

+1 ....and sometimes the melody comes first.

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

To be honest I have no idea, I just sit down with my guitar and it just comes to me. Weird!

I've had a few riffs pop into my head while I was sleeping! I woke up, grabbed one of the guitars by my bed and started plugging away til the germ of the idea was down and went back to sleep.

Sometimes its come to me via the EVH method; while I was on the throne

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The mind is like a parachute; it doesn't work unless its open-FZ