http://ahdchild.blogspot.com/2007/05/making-song.html

These are the steps I take when I make a song. Is your process the same or different? How and why is it different?

I go ahead and make the track complete first. EQed and compressed and all that. The only thing I don't do is mess with track drops (explained later). After completing the track I go ahead and write the lyrics and try to get familiar with them, not really memorize. Once I get comfortable with the lyrics then I'll go ahead and record the lyrics. I do two takes, with one that sounds good initially then I'd go back and try to out do that one with more emotion. Then I go ahead and clean up my vocal sounds and and start the mixing process. Here is when I'll come back to the track and re-mix it and then find places where an instrument can be muted to add emphasis to the lyrics. Then once the mixing is done, I don't listen to the song for two days, come back to it, polish it up some more, master it (I feel you on the mastering part, but I feel I have a good ear for it), then feed it to the public.

well... since i dont write anything more than a hook usually... i start with the drums/sample... depending on which one first comes to mind. Id start with the drums usually when someone asks for a specific kinda trak (uptempo to make cats feel like dancin or so, or Just a mid tempo trak people can just zone out n vibe to) or if im makin a trak for a certain kinda artist. Then based on what kinda feel the artist is goin for, id decide weather or not imma use a sample or just play some shit out or both. and Dependin on what pitch or tone the artist sings or raps in, is what i use to choose what kinda sample to use or what family of instruments ima use. If i sample... aww man... u know what... its too much thought put into it to type out lol... i think im gonna have to pass on this one...

Ha ha. I understand - I've skipped interesting threads before because I didn't feel like writing out the answer

I may be Sampling: *choosing a suitable sample and chopping it,
*Programme drums..I normally dont use loops but
if need be, I layer a loop,
*Colour the sample with composed melodies either
from synths, pianos,etc., to give it life,
*work on the bass-line or layer a bass from low-
end theory,
*revisit drums,
*EQ,then
*give my engineer to F@c# around with it letting
me to call it the day...
but when I feel like composing...
I really work on melodies that I have before adding drums...making it easier for me to have additional instrumentation.


I catch a frame of my future an view it in past tense.

Since I play in a live band its a little different.

We record almost every jam session and show we play. I have files on the computer like nuts...there is gen everyday so we got tired of losing them.

well let me start from the very beginning. when I first started the group it was me and the mc. I'll make beats and we'll record his vocals on them and then we later on bring it to the band and make it live. we made a bunch like that..

But now while we practice for shows i'll start off a drum break and the guitar player will playing something sweet (happens the other way sometimes). And I (with the help of the band) will arrange it..we'll go a feel and then we'll tighten it some more. Try it out and shows a buncha times and i'll write down shit i want done on it. we'll go the studio and record it.

The down part of being in a band is we have about 3-4 versions of every song we play. so my band gets booked to play almost anywhere. well except for like metal venues.

its a weird process.

I tend to start with the track, arrange that on the motif...work with it. Then I take a day maybe two thinking about a hook after....move the track from the motif to the board. I usually have the spacing and timing for the lyrics in my head but I record hooks first, go back and sing the lyrics.....most of the time its off the fly, rarely do I sit down and write...anything....I start with something and go with it...I'll even record a bunch of gibberish till the lyrics take shape then go back and write against the stuff that makes sense till Im finished, usually takes a few hours...but I would like to get more discipline and actually conceptualize more songs rather than just making it up and molding it till it works.