PROCESS – Part I
This blog will be about the actual writing process, with all its peaks and valleys, frustration and elation. I’ll cover inspiration, beginning a song and crafting a song .
I originally had elements such as melody and lyric as part of the ‘craft’ section of this blog, but in getting to it discovered there was so much I wanted to cover that I realised they were asking for their own blog (I plan to post that one within a day of this, so you won’t have to wait another six weeks!).
The creative process differs hugely from person to person, and even varies from work to work, piece to piece. I am not theorising about everyone else’s process, I’m simply trying to unpack my own for the amusement of any who may be interested. Happy reading (hope you’re in a comfy chair!)…
1. INSPIRATION– “Spark / Seeing”
Bloody inspiration. I think it’s every lazy journalist’s default fallback question. “Where does your inspiration come from?”. Stepping back a bit though, I think the question used to irritate me so much because I really didn’t understand what they were asking, let alone how to answer it. For most of my songwriting life, I’d always just “feel” when a song was churning around in my belly and I’d go to an instrument and it would come. Or I’d be at an instrument mucking around, then a song would turtlehead and I would get to work chipping and carving and coercing and bribing it out. But which aspect of that was “inspiration” and how it had come to me – I find that impossible to pin down and I certainly don’t think it’s necessarily anything I did in that moment to have it come. If we speak of inspiration as the spark that lights the fire, I suppose much of what we do as songwriters or artists is like banging stones together – preparing, being aware of our internal ‘climate’ (see previous blog), reading, writing, scribbling, sitting at an instrument and playing and fiddling and noodling – and hoping furiously that if we bang our stones together for long enough, a spark will eventually come.
I’ve always identified with the Michelangelo quote: “I saw the angel in the marble and I carved until I set him free.”
As it relates to songwriting, the “seeing” is the inspiration (the churning in the belly, the spark, the thing that fires you up so much that you cannot keep it in) and the “carving” is the craft, the tools with which we set our “song” free.
2. BEGINNING
Finishing a song can sometimes feel like an insurmountable task, but beginning can often be just as daunting, sitting around waiting for a spark. Here are some ideas that might help you get off the blocks:
Beginning with Harmony (Chords)
The most common way for a song to begin for me is actually by finding some kind of harmonic bed (chord progression) which feels good to me… I will play around with capo positions if I’m on the guitar (for some reason I have a penchant for frets 3 and 5), different voicings, emphases and sometimes tuning (but I’m no guitar maestro so much of the time I don’t really know what I’m doing, which can often be helpful believe it or not). Often a melody will come to me when I find a chord grouping that resonates with me. “The Thief”, “Hymn”, “C.S. Lewis Song” are examples of this. I find the chords often can indicate to you where the melody should/could go, too… but I’ll expand on this in the next blog specifically dealing with elements of song.
Beginning with Melody
Sometimes a melody will come to you and lead off an idea. Some little line pops into your head in the car or in the grocery store or the shower, and with a little encouragement and context (chords) you can find a flow and follow it. Deciphering Me and Love is Waiting were like this. Lots of writers I know have that little mic attachment for iPod that they record ideas with. I’m not so advanced – my recording tools are my phone and Garageband (comes pre-installed on Macs). When a melody line pops into your head – RECORD it a.s.a.p.! I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve had great melodies come to me at an inconvenient time and I’ve thought to myself “I’ll remember that later”. And I don’t. Also with garageband, make sure you press ‘save’, not ‘don’t save’ when you exit the programme. Last week I got a chorus melody to a song I’ve been working on for ages, just as I was running out the door to a meeting. I quickly put it down in Garageband, quit Garageband, shut down my laptop and ran out the door. I came back to the file later and the chorus WASN’T THERE. Devastation.
Beginning with Lyric
Carry a notebook with you. Sometimes I’ll use the ‘memo’ function on my phone to jot down a lyric idea, but I find that a bit soul-less. I’m a pen to paper, lo-fi, kinda gal. I would be mortified if anyone ever saw the contents of the various notebooks I’ve carried with me over the years. They are filled with all kinds of notions, thoughts, phrases, quotes and crazy stream-of-consciousness weird stuff… but some of that stuff will spark a song later on, so I write it all anyway.
Beginning with Rhythm
One of the reasons I started playing the guitar at 15 (late starter) was because I was sick of writing slow piano songs (piano is my first instrument). It’s a rare night you’ll see me play without a guitar in front of me… part of it is a muscle memory thing, part of it is just that I love rhythm – it’s how I feel part of a song. Because melody lines/sung parts often flow over staccato rhythms (and I’d get quite bored with just participating in a song like that I think) I love being able to smash my guitar and be right there in the action of the song. Rhythm has been the founding factor of songs like “Hosea’s Wife”, “Lifeline” (off WTDWD) and “Albertine”. Have a play around with different rhythms and strum patterns and see if it helps a new idea emerge. Listen to music with rhythms that are different to those you might normally start with when you’re in autopilot.
Beginning with Story
I can’t say I do this a lot, but I have friends who write the majority of their songs by using a story (true or imagined) as a frame and then musically/lyrically filling it in, using narrative or first-person. My friend Ben says that he does this because then he doesn’t have to come up with a lot of clever one liners, he can just lyrically illustrate a character (really he is a genius and he’s just being modest). A lot of artists I admire use this method and it’s not something I am naturally very good at so I will probably experiment with it some more in the future. It’s good to work on your weaknesses. If you just work from your strengths all the time, you might start to think you’re awesome, which none of us are, and your songs will sound ‘samey’ and eventually you may hit a dead end. Plus you’ll be arrogant, which is never attractive. I think part of being a good anything, whether it be a writer, a musician or a good mum, is to develop and sow into the areas we struggle with.
(NB: People who are good at this: Joni Mitchell (my hero), Bob Dylan, Brighteyes, about a million other people who aren’t me)
3. CRAFT – “Carving”
Once you’ve begun… what do you do? Here’s where the chasing, sitting and distinctly unglamorous hard work kick in.
For me personally, once I’ve begun, I set about the task of getting to know the song. It probably sounds quite odd, but nowadays I see my songs as people. Once I meet them via ‘beginning’, I must set about asking questions – trying to “see” the song in order to “carve” it out (that Michelangelo quote again).
Does the song feel like a lullaby, a dirge, an anthem, a waltz, a power-punch, a ballad? It may be sweet at the beginning, but does it have a dark twist at the end? Or does it want to stay sweet all the way? I try not to impose my preferences on the song – I don’t want to make it someone it isn’t. This part is pretty much all instinct. Listen to your gut.
Part of the reason I am averse to co-writing is because often you find yourselves in situations where you are pressured to “finish an idea” or “find the killer hook” in a day or even a few hours. This may be good for commerce but I think it does art a disservice. Songwriting for me is only satisfying when it is personal, intimate and costly. There is the mystery and then there is the labour. They go hand in hand. We’ve dealt a little with the mystery/inspiration, now here’s some thoughts on the labour aspect of things:
3.1 Getting Stuck
Frustration is virtually inevitable, but so is elation once you’ve found the path around your obstacle.
Here are a few things I do when I get stuck:
Move to another instrument
I find a change of how I see the chords, i.e. moving from guitar to piano or vice versa can help me get past an impasse. If you only play one instrument, or don’t play at all, take your idea to someone who does play another instrument and see if that helps. However, I recommend to anyone who wants to write to take the time to learn some basic chords on a piano or guitar and use them! I have a friend who can’t play to save herself, but went and learned some basic chords and plays around with different voicings and variations of them. She has gone on to become an incredible writer, and I’m so grateful that she took the time to equip herself, because I as a listener am benefitting from the fruits!
Do something else for a while
Whilst writing with my friend William Fitzsimmons recently, I twittered this: “Warning: If you ever ‘co-write’ with me, it will involve long bouts of doing nothing, lots of cups of tea and pauses to enjoy youtube. It may seem at first like we are doing nothing… but we are simply tricking the song into thinking we are not paying attention so that it will quit its shyness and come the heck out.” Maybe that’s a little bit of insight into how I work, but I find getting stressed and throttling a song by the neck has never helped me. As with passing a bowel movement (refer to first blog ‘Climate’), you just have to relax, read a magazine, pick at your cuticles, ‘ped-egg’ the dry skin on your feet, whatevs. Go fishing or something, then come back and have another crack.
Work on a different idea
I am always working on a bunch of ideas at once. If I get stuck on one, I’ll move to the next, and the next, then come back to it, then onto the next, etc.
3.2 Perseverance
Oh how underrated is this virtue in our generation! iPods, iPhones, myspace etc… it’s all about me and what I want right this minute. But nothing of value comes for free. What’s true in life is true in art… PERSEVERE.
I started writing songs at 12 years of age. I can say with confidence that all the songs I wrote between then and ‘Better’ when I was 17 were utter crap. And there were hundreds of them. If you want to feel better about yourself, go look up some of my early B-sides. Absolute shockers. BUT those absolute shockers were the stepping stones to the better, acceptable-for-public-listening songs I would go on to write. Even now I’m still utterly embarrassed by a bunch of songs from my first record, but you know what? I’m grateful for them. Every song you write helps you become a better writer and find your own voice as an artist. The evidence of my journey so far is now immortalised on CD and hard drive, and as much as my pride would like to destroy the embarrassing stuff, hopefully it’s a testimony to perseverance and time.
3.3 Hard Work
I wrote “Albertine” in a morning after my return from my first trip to Rwanda in 2005 (it’s arguable that I’d already done the groundwork for the song with my eight straight hours of journalling on the flights home). Yet “Love, Where Is Your Fire?” was written in various hotel rooms in Tokyo, L.A., London & Australasia and took me more than two years to complete. “Love is Waiting” took about the same and was completed about 30 seconds before I had to go in and sing the final vocal on the record (and we left it until last). I am still not totally happy with the lyrics even today and wish I could have given it more time. It’s not my best.
Leonard Cohen’s famous 1984 song “Hallelujah” has been covered by over 200 artists – the Jeff Buckley version being perhaps the most widely known (Rufus Wainwright’s is impeccable too). It is still being covered in studios, bars and cafes the world over today. It sounds effortless, but the story goes that Cohen penned a massive EIGHTY (yes, 80) verses before he came to the verses that became the song.
Charles Wesley, the famous hymnist, wrote 6000 hymns. Six freakin’ thousand.
No shortcuts. Give your songs the chance to be excellent. Shove that in your cultural ADD and smoke it. (No offence to people with actual ADD intended.)
CONCLUSION:
Write and write and write and write! Spend the time, listen to lots of music, read about how other people create, talk to other people about how create, work hard, have fun, enjoy the journey!
(c) Copyright Brooke Fraser 2009
NOT TO BE REPUBLISHED OR REPRINTED WITHOUT PERMISSION
****Next installment: PROCESS – Part II: Elements of Song****
I just want you to know, Love is Waiting is great. Even if you don’t think it is the best, it has touched me, at least!
Good advice, by the way.
Great blog. I also want to say that Love is Waiting is great and really encouraging.
Also, WTDWD is such a great, touching album and I couldn’t imagine being embarrassed about any of those songs! Haha. They are amazing & so moving. Scarlet in particular, I think.
Anyway, looking forward to your next blog.
Perseverance was something I never quite had while songwriting. (Hence the many unfinished songs I have) I always thought songwriters will have it easy, but “Hallelujah” – 80 years..reallyy??
I now see the logic behind perseverance and hard work .
A very helpful entry indeed! =)
It’s funny, I introduced my roommate to your music and “Love is Waiting” is one of our favorites! Even though it’s not your best as you say, we love it.
Thanks for writing this. I was reading through it, and I was so surprised at the different ways of beginning. Usually I begin with melody or lyric. But lately (before I read this) I’ve been starting with chord progressions. It’s fascinating how a song is teased out from a thread of inspiration, and how much work goes into it.
You’re right, songwriting is a growing process. I still want to be WTDWD though.
Haha where is Australasia, I’d like to visit!!! Hehe anyway, this was great, really confirmed the answers to some questions I’ve been asking myself, regarding the nature of the creative process. Just last night I had to rouse myself out of near slumber to memo a “story” that had inconveniently popped into my head. Anywho love, this is great encouragement! Thanks again!
P.S I’m 19 and I’ve held off writing since adolesnce in fear that my poo would be just that- poo. But hearing about your hundreds of song dropings before your good stuff came made my day! And by the way, it’s reeeeeeeeaaaaaallllll good stuff :p
This is amazing and completely worth the wait since Part 1. Thank you for the insights!!
Dude, my sister and I have come up with so many grammy winning chorus’ and hooks that are lost somewhere in our memories…I really hate when that happens. Now I record into my phone or my Mp3 when I get an idea or I run to my computer as fast as I can and record it there. Also I think you’re really obsessed with poop. Thats not neccessarily a bad thing I’m just sayin.
Oh yeah, I don’t know when you wrote “Day is Dimming” but that is like the best song ever. I love to fall asleep to that song and I mean that in a good way.lol
wow! if “love where is your fire” isnt your best one, i cant wait to listen to the best =))!
Actually I think that as an artist one cant ever get completely satisfied with his own work. Thats what chalenges you to be better and better..
I’m reading a book called “Emotional Intelligence” (Daniel Goleman) and he says that in fact some people has this great ability (intelligence) of giving names to their emotions and expressing themselves better than other ones. It has something to do with how the brain works, and i think thats awesome because explains how some people are genius in this specific way and others cant even write a small poem. Its all about how God decided us and our brain to be. =S
(In fact we all are gifted in a special way and we all can show the world art and thoughts through many ways.. being a songwriter, a mom, or whatever profession).
Sometimes most of us, normal people who werent gifted with good ears and such a special brain, think that you guys just seat and come up with ready ideas, out of nowhere. But you made it very clear that being a songwriter demands lots of work and its not as easy as it seems. (and I confess it makes me feel better! he he he)
Thanks for sharing your awesome thoughts again.
xo
kess
thanks for sharing this blog to us… your songs inspires me very much… me and my best friend loves shadowfeet… its a very nice song…
till next blog…
i love all your songs, mrs. Lig.. Really.. and I agree with what you said about writing, you will get better and better in time… i’m not a song writer but i love writing poems and essays and blogs too.. i never knew that i’m getting good at it.. the only one who appreciate my writings was me.. but now, some people get to read it and tell me that i have a talent in writing.. you are so deep yet understandable at the same time… God bless… =)
I absolutely agree with Annie & DayIsDimming that your song Love is waiting is really great…= perfect song,Brooke !
looking forward to your CD! it will be amazing! PS: God bless! 
I literally have been reading this blog over a span of 6 hours to ensure maximum content absorption. Thank you so much for spending the time to share such profound truths of the song writing process! Stay blessed!
Thank you for sharing Brooke. I really enjoyed it and have a lot to think on as well
thaaaank you brooke fraser! I feel like all the questions I had about this frustrating process you have confirmed and answered…I’m looking forward to perfecting my music
Thanks for that post! It’s so encouraging and refreshing. I was recently at a songwriting workshop by Keith and Kristyn Getty who said the same thing–”It’s 90% hard work.” Love is Waiting is one my favorites. I can’t believe you’re not satisfied with it!
Although I don’t think I’d ever write a song, I was simply amazed by this. In fact, I’m intimidated by songwriting itself. But it’s alright. Frankly I’d rather see someone who LOVES to write music spew out wonderful songs, than someone (like me) who would be hesitant till the last moment, write anything.
Again, this blog is absolutely amazing in its detail and although I know that this may be only a fraction of what there is, it was still a great read.
I really can’t wait for the next one!
Ps. I love this phrase: “Songwriting for me is only satisfying when it is personal, intimate and costly..”
Substitute the word SONGWRITING for any service we can do and we have ourselves a path in life not always taken.
it’s not hard to see that you’re putting your heart in the blog… thank you! it’s awsome!
(can’t believe Love, where’s and Love is Waiting took you two years! i have to join the girls to say they are great songs..now i see why..)
“Listen to your gut”
Thank you, thank you, thank you! This 2nd part of the series was definitely worth the wait! I’ve been wanting to put my mind to work on songwriting for quite a while now, and this, (refering to your post) will for certain be incredibly helpful! Can’t wait for the next post! Once again, THANK YOU!!
And Just a thought.. What songs DO you like on wtdwd?
I don’t write songs, but for the other things that I write, I think this is very helpful advice. So, procrastination is part of the process! I’m so glad, cause I find myself doing it often. Thank you, and I’m looking forward to the next installment.
Wow. I loved this. I’m not a songwriter, nor am I a musician (per se, learned piano a bit, as well as the violin)…but I am a writer. And this really, really helps
Thanks for sharing, Brooke. You inspire me 
Though I have no musical talents whatsoever, let alone a songwriter, thanks so much for your sharing! Your blogs just crack me up (in a good way). I love your songs – ‘C. S. Lewis Song’ and ‘Hosea’s Wife’ really spoke to me. You literally pour your your heart onto these songs, and that’s amazing. Can’t wait for your new cd…err MP3 album…to come out!
I love the fact that you pointed out that we should work on our weakness.
I really don’t know how you manage to find the time to write these blogs! (I’m assuming you are a very busy gal). Being productive with the time I’m given is one of many weaknesses, and I know the main reason for not finishing songs. God put you where you are now because your heart is in the right place. My point is, thank you!
- Claudia Beat Vera
80 verses?!!
oopss..! it was verses, not years.. blur me =P
I, as a songwriter, really related to many of the things you talked about. That was very interesting, and I’m looking forward to reading the continuation of it!Thank you so much!
“But nothing of value comes for free. What’s true in life is true in art… PERSEVERE.” i love this phrase. it makes me think if you really have heart in what you do , you’ll not want to give up… because is truly important to you… (i really need to be perseverant in this area)
tanks for sharing you thoughts with us
love
elsa
Brooke, thank you so much for your encouragement!! I love that you are sharing this process with us, and how very honest and real you are. (Bringing in the bowel movements, I love it!)
Please keep it up, your efforts have not gone unnoticed. Can’t wait for album #3!
love your music, you are an inspiration! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on songwriting
What a great blog….thanx for your advise……….looking forward to part 3.
Love is Waiting is my favorite song that you’ve written!
When I first heard it I played like 1000 times because you literally wrote a huge circumstance that I’m in to music!!! Your AWESOME!!!
AWESOME BLOG!!! I GOT 2 TELL U, I HAVN’T HEARD A SONG THAT U HAVE WRITTEN THAT HASN’T BEEN A BLESSING 4 MY LIFE. JK
By the way JK is NOT just kidding…hahaha. Is my husbands and my initials. GOD BLESS…
i think i read somewhere that you still don’t know what scarlet is about, but i find it absolutely beautiful.
i’m curious why you’re embarassed about songs on your first album…and why? which ones in particular?
Hey, Brooke!
Just found your blog, and it’s indeed very helpful and inspiring.. I myself tried to write songs in the past but not being an ‘expert’ musician held me back to write some more.. Your latest entry made me realize that knowing even just the basics can actually help you go a long way.. I’m also glad that I get help from my fiancè who is a genius in his craft.. hehe..
I want you to know that I love your music coz I know your intentions are honest and pure.. Can’t wait for your next entry!
Yay, we have an update! Thanks first of all for providing us with your insights into the world of songwriting and for being so honest about it all.
Although I’m not a songwriter, I am somewhat of a poet (have been on and off since 12 years old – its something I keep to myself, family & friends don’t know about it purely cos my work is VERY personal) and can relate to the “Perserverance” section. I think anybody who writes can relate to being frustrated with their craft, whether it be songwriting, writing a novel, poetry etc. It IS hard work, but once you’ve given birth to it, it can be a wonderful thing.
I too was utterly embarrassed by my early poetry (so much so I threw out all traces of it several years back, saving the better stuff for reworking), mostly due to the simplicity of the rhymes and the naffness of it all! I haven’t written in years due to a lack of inspiration and my tendency to procrastinate all the time (which has resulted in several unfinished poems – I can’t seem to write a good enough ending), but I have a little notebook handy with me at all times in case the hand of inspiration strikes (or if I want to write a grocery list or something….). I’ve also got up from my sleep a few times to jot down a line or two – as you said, its best to do it straight away otherwise you lose it, which has happened to me.
P.S. WTDWD is the one and only album that I’ve ever fallen in love with from the first listen, you shouldn’t be ashamed, not when its touched so many people, including myself!
My mother…the musician, just introduced me to your music.
CS Lewis Song, my favorite writer.
I am not a musician. But I am always on a quest for inspiring beautiful music.
I love your comments about “Doing something else for a while”. I needed that.
Thank you for sharing your gift with us,
Amy
brooke,
i want to write with you.
i love tea.
WOW. That is all I can really say. I love the song “Hallelujah.” 80 times?! I’m so shocked with all these facts. You are much too modest yourself. I completely heart all of your songs! I love your tweets too. Thanks for all the advice!
I am not a musician or a songwriter…but this blog makes me want to be! By the way, I think you are down right hilarious just from reading your blogs…I also absolutely love Day is Dimming…best song! Is there anywhere I can download that song?? Keep up the amazing work Brooke…you clearly inspire a lot of people! God Bless!
Hi Brooke Fraser(=
That was real good advice and so organized. Its funny cause I just got back from Africa and on the long plane ride back, I started writing and writing. And before I would get stuck and never finish my songs..but yeah after reading this, it helped me a lot actually. Funny how its exactly what I needed to hear and at the perfect timing. Anywayy, thank you mucho!
You’re truly a blessing<3
-Nancy
Actually, with this you’re helping me with my writing (which I’ve never considered as writing until now) because I thought your songs were easy for you to write. They sound so personal that I asumed they were “extracted from your guts” and played into a record. And I also thought that this was the way I was supossed to write songs.
This blog is VERY relieving for me now ’cause i thought I had to be easier for me to write. I’ve written 2 songs so far, but never dedicated much time because I’d always get stuck. Now that I realize, they don’t sound like something I’d write because they are not me.
You’ve been very helpful, and about inspiration, you’re songs inspire me.
Thank you.
Chris from Bahía Blanca, Argentina
Things I have learnt about Brooke:
1. she talks about some strange things on stage (placenta…abdominal exercises… to name a few)
2. her words are always worth a read, if only for a good giggle (and often for a bit of unexpectedly awesome insight)
3. she is incredibly giving of her time, eg. this blog.
Thanks
PS: that bit about Garageband not saving your chorus made me physically cringe inside…
I’d always have a melody or a somewhat catchy line pop in my head, but never recorded it. I totally convinced myself if it stuck for week, that it was worth keeping. WRONG.
Thanks so much for taking time blog about your various songwrting experiences, it’s inspiring and very helpful.
Can’t wait for the next installment!
This blog is the coolest!!!!!! Keep rockin’!!!
as a fellow songwriter..i have got to say that this blog has helped me a BUNCH..i can relate to so many things..haha nice! cant wait for the next blog
Brooke,
You are so wise. I loved every second of this blog. You are such a talented and witty lady. I loved WTDWD. It touched me and I dare say millions around the world. I understand the feeling of being embarrassed of previous works. Keep on keepin’ on. People love you!-Linzie