Where do you get your best ideas?

Bell Green · Post by **Bell Green** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 2:18 am

This is probably trying to resurrect an old thread, so moderators feel free to can this one if that is the case. I remember there were lots of people who said in the shower and in bed when they half asleep/awake. So I am after a few lists rather than discussions, but feel free to discuss your fave sources of inspiration. My best ideas usually come in these instances, but not always.

1)when I'm riding my bike
2)when I'm about to go out and just happen to pick up the guitar
3)when I'm really tired and start strumming for fun
4)in dreams
5)the night after I have been to a gig or club
6)after I have been listening a lot to a new CD
7)messing around with new gadgets or software
8)learning new bits of theory

There are more, but these are my faves. What are yours? I don't seem to get ideas in the bath or the shower.

HeuristicsInc · Post by **HeuristicsInc** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 8:31 am

In the bathroom... moments of little to no distraction.
Like last night, I got an idea for "dark all day."
Yes, I bet you wanted to know that.
-bill

Dan-O from Five-O · Post by **Dan-O from Five-O** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 2:37 pm

It seems like I get my best ideas when I'm the furthest away from an instument and recording equipment and can't get to it for a while, like at work. It's very frustrating because by the time I do get to my guitar, the idea has changed 10 times already and invariably for the worse. If this happens to anyone else and they have suggestions on what I could do, I'm open to suggestions.

Post by jb » Wed Nov 10, 2004 2:40 pm

the shower or the car

Bjam · Post by **Bjam** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 2:53 pm

Lying in bed, strumming a guitar, or sitting in math. Linear equations make my SF-muse light up with joy.

erik · Post by **erik** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 2:56 pm

I don't get lots of ideas there, but I get alot of writing done at this one IHOP way up north. It's almost always totally empty whenever I go there, which is good, because the waitresses pretty much leave me alone and I can get alot of stuff done.

Leaf · Post by **Leaf** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 3:02 pm

Anywhere. It's not where I am physically, but mentally. At a moment's notice, inspiration can strike. It's where do the really good ideas come from that I wish I had a better grip on...

Often , I 'm just in my studio, noodling away, and I just start to like something. Or, someone said or wrote something, and it gets me going.

Oh yeah, right after band practice...that always seems to give me ideas!!

Dan-O from Five-O · Post by **Dan-O from Five-O** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 4:57 pm

jb wrote:the shower or the car

OK, so my question is how do you retain that idea until you have instrument in hand?

erik · Post by **erik** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 5:11 pm

Dan-O from Five-O wrote:
jb wrote:the shower or the car
OK, so my question is how do you retain that idea until you have instrument in hand?

Exactly how do your ideas manifest itself? A melody? A chord sequence?

If I get struck with a melodyline, I sing it over and over again until I can get to a phone, and then I sing it into my answering machine.

Dan-O from Five-O · Post by **Dan-O from Five-O** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 5:19 pm

Funny thing, I just started a new thread for this.

Post by jb » Wed Nov 10, 2004 5:19 pm

the good ones stick. i figure if i don't remember it later, it wasn't good enough. this is just for ideas that pop into my head though. often i'll sit down to write and say "I'm going to come up with a melody now" and then I do. Doesn't always work, but when it doesn't I go do something else for a while then come back.

Bell Green · Post by **Bell Green** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 5:26 pm

Dan-O from Five-O wrote:
jb wrote:the shower or the car
OK, so my question is how do you retain that idea until you have instrument in hand?

Like I said, I get really good ones when I'm riding my bike, so I keep singing it till it starts to lodge, then I stop on the side of the road, take out my phone and use the dictophone function to record 4 bars or whatever. I then keep humming the melody or lyrics or both until I reach my destination, by which time I'm onto another one or it has evolved, like yours. But when I get home, I select My Sounds and there it is. Pick up the guitar and in five minutes I have the key centre, the chord prog etc. If I have time, then I just start writing and in an hour or so, a new baby song.

Mostess · Post by **Mostess** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:04 am

jb wrote:the good ones stick. i figure if i don't remember it later, it wasn't good enough.

That's always been my theory, too. But I have no evidence. I would probably write ten times as many songs if I ever took the time to record little hooks that come to me before I forget them. Who knows if those would be any worse than the ones I write from the really sticky hooks? And if I had ten times as many songs, *shudder* there goes my life!

Better I let the weak ones go.

Mostess · Post by **Mostess** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:10 am

Bell Green wrote:Like I said, I get really good ones when I'm riding my bike

I get mine walking. That's why they're all about the same tempo.

Was it Emerson who said: "Never trust an idea you have sitting down."

j$ · Post by j$ » Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:19 am

When I'm smoking.

Actually I get mine all over the place. I agree that riffs / cool phrases aren't that cool if you can't remember them a day later or when you're next near a pen or paper, but I lose a lot of little nuance stuff for lyrics because I think I will remember them. Not gonna carry around a pen and paper though. How nerdy is that?

j$

Leaf · Post by **Leaf** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:21 am

Mostess wrote:
Bell Green wrote:Like I said, I get really good ones when I'm riding my bike
I get mine walking. That's why they're all about the same tempo.

Was it Emerson who said: "Never trust an idea you have sitting down."

I think that was Lake actually.

JonPorobil · Post by **JonPorobil** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 3:39 pm

Whoever said it, I like it.

deshead · Post by **deshead** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 6:31 am

Here is every known idea-generation method. Some are relevant to songwriting.

Caravan Ray · Post by **Caravan Ray** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 6:46 am

Mostess wrote:
Was it Emerson who said: "Never trust an idea you have sitting down."

edit
===================================
I didn't think anyone read Leaf's posts. I know I dont.

How about:

"My dog has no nose"
"How does it smell?"
"Why do you ask, Two Dogs?"
"Emerson, Lake and Palmer!"

j$ · Post by j$ » Fri Oct 28, 2005 6:51 am

It took you a year to come up with a joke, and it's already been made three posts up?

You clearly want to read this thread more closely, mate.

j$

HeuristicsInc · Post by **HeuristicsInc** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 8:26 am

24826 people have used the SongFight Lyric Idea Generator...
see link in .sig

-bill

rone rivendale · Post by **rone rivendale** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 9:08 am

I find that my best ideas usually come in the 'make it up as you go along' area.

I do sometimes get good ideas for a song though, and usually I just sing it in my head or hear the music in my head over and over until I get the chance to do something about it.