Songwriting: When do you 'ease off' on writing and presenting new songs?

[New Trail]

Since I have gone into songwriting mode (for some unexplainable reason) for this new band, which I have never really done, especially to this extent, I have had a new song pretty much ready to present to the band at each recent practice. We practice weekly! At practice the other night I sensed maybe I've done too much, or gone too far! Do I need to ease off on presenting new songs, or am I being too sensitive? How do I know when to back off a little?

[Lee Knight]

Well... you can never have too much material. But, that's really so you can drop the stuff that isn't as good as the best. So maybe you start running the ideas by the guys away from practice and make sure the songs everyone's most excited about, get worked up. Don't stop writing, but maybe be more selective with what you carry through onto practice and ultimately the stage...

[bee3]

Have you asked them?

[rhino55]

It depends on the guys you're playing with and how often yall gig.

 

The guys I play with used to get stressed when I'd introduce 2 new originals and a couple covers with one practice until a gig, but they're a bunch of bad asses and always pull it off. The longer we play together the less we have to work on older tunes. Needless to say, it has gotten easier to introduce stuff over time.

 

I'd ask them what they think.

 

FWIW, Charts can help out tremendously. It allows them to focus on parts as opposed to structure

[New Trail]

 

....FWIW, Charts can help out tremendously. It allows them to focus on parts as opposed to structure

 

 

I've thought about charts of some kind to make things go quicker, but I don't 'write' music. What kind of charts do you use? If something other that actual written out charts, could you post an example?

[rhino55]

 

No, I was just a vibe. I'm closer friends with one of the guys. I may ask him privately if I need to slow down a little. Thanks! I've thought about charts of some kind to make things go quicker, but I don't 'write' music. What kind of charts do you use? If something other that actual written out charts, could you post an example?

 

 

Part of the art of running a team is knowing when to ask this sort of question and also how to ask it.

 

For example.

 

Something along the lines of "Do you think we are learning too much new material?" or "Do you think we are adding songs too quickly?" is setting yourself or them up for disappointment if you aren't willing to cut back to what they deem appropriate. Those would be examples of the wrong way to ask.

 

A good way to ask if you want to keep moving forward with new material would first be to tell them you are super excited to add new material, let them know they are one of the reasons you've been in the middle of this writing kick, find out how each member feels about this pace, and find out if there is anything you can do to make the process easier on them.

 

The charts I use with my current band can range anywhere from horn parts on sheet music to a few chords scribbled on a chalk board.

 

A lyric sheet with chord notation usually makes for a pretty good road map until they learn their way.

[New Trail]

 

...A lyric sheet with chord notation usually makes for a pretty good road map until they learn their way.

 

 

I've found that our songs work out best, or maybe I should say come together more quickly, when I actually 'write' parts for some of the other members of the band, in particular the bass player and the other guitarist, at least as starting points from which changes can be and usually are made. The guitar player has told me several times that he prefers it when I have a particular part for him, and that works for me, too, because I usually can come up with things for him to play.