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I'm working on the first tune since I joined Taxi a couple weeks ago and I noticed the process for which the ideas come to me is pretty much how most of my best songs come to me--and I was wondering if this happens to you...

I'll have an idea either when I wake up, or in the shower, or in the car on the way to work (all in the AM). I record the idea on my voice mail so I don't forget it. When I get home from work I get the part down on the instrument or vocals and track them into the project. When I finish that, I start to work on the next part of the song and ... and ... nothing as good comes to me. I learned that good enough is not good enough any more, and so I leave the studio a little bummed about the part I tracked when I forced it.

Sure enough, the next morning or two later, I get a new, good idea that is on par with the rest of the song --then rinse and repeat.

What's funny, is that those really good ideas rarely happen in the studio. Does this happen to you?

I read a comment by Mojobone in another post that said that the brain doesn't really multitask, or something to that effect. So yes I can imagine when you get into the studio it's like texting while driving or talking on the phone while driving. Focus phone, focus driving, focus phone, focus driving. "What did you say?" "I had to read the sign, I thought it was my exit". I think the brain also focuses on the priority thing at the time. So if the person on the other end of the line told you your best friend just passed away, you would very likely miss your exit sign. I think they call that 'train of thought', and it's easy to lose if you're distracted.

I also will dictate an idea such as a phrase into a voice recorder (cell phone has one). I find if I don't save the thought, I can't reclaim it later.

Whenever I'm having a conversation with someone, if they say something interesting like a phrase that would make a good song hook or line, I make a note of it... either on paper or with the voice recorder.

Yup... ideas come at the weirdest times... In the shower, in the middle of the night, etc... No, I don't dictate into the cell phone while in the shower...

Casey

Len911 wrote:I read a comment by Mojobone in another post that said that the brain doesn't really multitask, or something to that effect. So yes I can imagine when you get into the studio it's like texting while driving or talking on the phone while driving. Focus phone, focus driving, focus phone, focus driving. "What did you say?" "I had to read the sign, I thought it was my exit". I think the brain also focuses on the priority thing at the time. So if the person on the other end of the line told you your best friend just passed away, you would very likely miss your exit sign. I think they call that 'train of thought', and it's easy to lose if you're distracted.

Man, I think you're right! Maybe I should get a little cot and put it in my studio!

I don't know about the cot,lol! The few times I've actually tried to think about something horizontal, I fall asleep, perhaps out of boredom?

I get ideas in spurts, mainly, but I'd say that your process is YOUR process. We all do whatever works. I don't know if that's necessarily helpful.


Some other folks of my acquaintance never write anything down, believing that if it's hooky enough, they'll remember it, and there may be some wisdom in that, as well.

Either way you go, I wish you great success.

Hi Stephen.

When I get ideas and then go out to the studio it hardly ever comes out the way I heard it in my head. I wish I could do that. What I usually do is get an idea of a mood I'm going for, or an idea for a certain way of constructing a song. Then when I fire up the studio I play the "hotter-colder" game with my muse. She's really good at getting me there.

rl

When I get an idea ,
which is usually driving thru an intersection in traffic
I send it via a telepathic link
to my pc where my music assistance program
works out appropriate chords & lyrics and selects a genre
it then mixes and records them to my hard drive.
When I get home I send it off to Taxi and wait.
After awhile I receive an e-mail saying
"Not right for the listing"

byllsong wrote:When I get an idea ,
which is usually driving thru an intersection in traffic
I send it via a telepathic link
to my pc where my music assistance program
works out appropriate chords & lyrics and selects a genre
it then mixes and records them to my hard drive.
When I get home I send it off to Taxi and wait.
After awhile I receive an e-mail saying
"Not right for the listing"

Better keep your eyes on the road. Or better, yet, take a Taxi!
(Does anyone else hate corny humor as much as me? I couldn't help myself)

Razor7Music wrote:

byllsong wrote:When I get an idea ,
which is usually driving thru an intersection in traffic
I send it via a telepathic link
to my pc where my music assistance program
works out appropriate chords & lyrics and selects a genre
it then mixes and records them to my hard drive.
When I get home I send it off to Taxi and wait.
After awhile I receive an e-mail saying
"Not right for the listing"

Better keep your eyes on the road. Or better, yet, take a Taxi!
(Does anyone else hate corny humor as much as me? I couldn't help myself)

I would have taken it seriously if he would have said sitting on the beach drinking cocktails, I mean how much traffic could there actually be on an island in the Bahamas?