One way I build a song
This is not the only way I write songs.
It’s just one of the ways that works for me.
Most songs don’t start finished.
They start as fragments.
Noodle first. No pressure.
I sit with the guitar and mess around.
No goal. No plan.
When something feels interesting, I record it on video.
Not for content.
So I remember what I did.
If I don’t record it, it’s gone.
Record everything into Ableton
All those little ideas go into Ableton.
Riffs. Variations. Accidents.
Nothing fancy.
Just raw parts.
Chop it into clips and move it around
I chop the recordings into smaller clips.
Then I start rearranging.
Repeat parts.
Mute parts.
Stack parts.
Try combinations I wouldn’t think of if I planned it.
This is trial and error.
I’m just trying to get a rough draft that feels like a song.
Make a rough draft and live with it
Once it has a shape, I stop tweaking and listen.
Over and over.
I want to know if it holds up when I’m not staring at it.
If it gets annoying, I fix it.
If it keeps working, I leave it alone.
Learn it and rehearse it live
Now I rehearse it like it’s a real song.
I play it repeatedly until it feels natural.
This is where weak parts show themselves.
If a transition feels weird, I adjust it.
If a section feels too long, I trim it.
If something feels clunky, it goes.
I keep playing until I don’t have to think about it.
Close my eyes and listen for melodies
While I’m playing, I close my eyes and let melodies come through.
Sometimes they show up fast.
Sometimes nothing happens at all.
When nothing happens, I don’t force it.
I take a break.
Regroup.
Come back later.
Record a clean pass into Ableton
Once the structure feels solid and memorized, I record it straight into Ableton.
A clean version of the song as it exists right now.
Not perfect.
Just real.
Listen over time and build the chorus
After that, I live with the recording for a while.
I listen back across days.
That’s when chorus ideas usually show up.
When they do, I pull up the track like it’s a backing band and just jam.
Guitar.
Or a MIDI instrument.
Whatever fits.
Record everything so I don’t lose it
As soon as I start jamming for melodies, I record video again.
Because I will forget exactly what my hands were doing.
That video is my cheat sheet.
It saves the fingerings.
It saves the moments.
Re-record the final parts
Once the melody is real and repeatable, I record it properly.
Then I tighten everything up.
Mix. Master. Enjoy
Then I mix it.
Then I master it.
Then I stop touching it.
Because if I keep tweaking forever, nothing gets finished.
That’s one workflow.
Not the only one.
Just one that keeps me moving.