free jam tracks - brought to you by nick cresswell

Songwriting and Multitrack Recording

Like all things musical, songwriting is a skill that needs to be worked on before you will be able to write good songs. No one gets up in the morning only to discover they can write songs. It is something that takes time to develop and requires study, persistence and practice.

One of the most useful tools for a songwriter to have is a multitrack recorder. A multitrack recorder allows you to record one or more tracks at a time and then layer or overdub new tracks onto the existing tracks you have recorded as you go. Thanks to technology, digital multitrack recorders have made multitrack recording affordable for people who are on a small budget. You can record at home , in your own time and not have the cost of hiring dedicated studio time with a sound engineer. This allows you to start recording as soon as you have a basic idea for a song.

Most digital multitrack recorders come with inbuilt effects and drum tracks. Drums tracks are another great tool that can help you turn an idea into a finished song.

How To Start Writing With A Multitrack

With a multitrack recorder you can approach writing in many different ways. The more ways you experiment with the more likely you will come up with ideas that become songs. There is no set formula when it comes to songwriting. What might work for you on one day might be a total failure the next. You need to keep working on different ways to approach writing.

Rhythm First

One way to start writing is to record a rhythm track. Work out the beats per minute of the song and either program a drum track into the recorder or use a basic guide track. If you are working with a multitrack recorder that doesn't have any inbuilt rhythm functions then you might want to invest in an inexpensive drum machine.

Just recording a basic drum track at a certain speed will give you a foundation of a song as it gives a song the time signature and to a certain degree the basic feel of the song. It could be a straight beat or a shuffle beat.

Basic Chords

After you have a basic rhythm track pick up your instrument, which could be anything, guitar, piano or something else and start playing along with the drum track. Find some chords that sound good and compliments the rhythm. You can start with one chord and play that listening to where you think the chord sounds like it wants to move to. Then play other chords and see what you can come up with.

When you have a good chord progression you can record it over the top of the rhythm track.

Bass Instruments

Once you have recorded a chord progression it's quite easy to record simple bass. Bass does not have to be played on a bass guitar, you could use the low strings on a guitar or piano or even another instrument. As long as you keep the notes in the lower register you will be able to at least record bass parts. If you aren't sure what to play for the bass you can just follow the rhythm of the drums or percussion track and play the root note of each of the chords in the chord progression. If you want to add more than the root note then play both the root and the 5th note of the chords. You can play other tones from the chords on bass and add passing notes. This will depend on your musical ability and your ear. If you aren't sure what you are playing but something sounds good to you then it really doesn't matter what the music theory behind it is. Music is about sound and feel, not theory.

Vocals and Melody

After you have recorded rhythm, a chord progression and bass you can then add melody with a lead instrument or vocals. You will probably have an idea of how you want the melody to sound from when you were recording each of the other tracks. One of the great things about a multitrack recorder is it allows you to experiment until you come up with music that you like.

Finish Your Songs

The most important piece of the great puzzle of songwriting is that you finish songs. Its no good having bits and pieces of songs, unfinished works, riffs and licks. Even though the songs you first sit down to write won't be all that great, you need to complete them and move onto new songs. Once you have completed a song you can close the book on it. Then as you listen back to it you will hear parts that you might not think are all that great you can take those things on board when you sit down to write a new song. Finishing songs like this is what will assist you in writing better songs. If you write regularly your songwriting will improve and one day you will wake up to find that you have become a good songwriter.

Like most activities that require creativity, learning to write songs is fun and can be a rewarding experience. Using a multitrack recorder to record multiple parts with various instruments will give you ideas and help get your creative juices flowing.