How to Write Songs FASTER

This song turned out pretty cool! I hope this approach helps you finish writing your songs too!
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[@maxinegabrielah]

One thing to have in mind as a beginner is: the most important part isn't the _way_ Ben composed - because treating it like a recipe will limit your creative potentials in the future. The real value of what Ben is teaching us is the _philosophy_ behind the composition process: *_put ideas out in the world as quick as possible._* Your first ideas may not be particularly great, but you can only improve something that already exists!

[@simonsanchezkumrich8489]

Is it? U can just make songs without releasing and improve as u learn and compose more and more. U can show ur family or friends tho, feedback is important if constructive

[@bigtom6443]

@@simonsanchezkumrich8489I think they meant “out in the world” more generally, just get it out of the cerebral space and turn it into something workable

[@maxinegabrielah]

@@bigtom6443 yeah! I meant as "materialize your ideas in any physical media possible - be a piece of paper, a phone recording or a DAW". Maybe I didn't worded it correctly as english is not my native language 🤪

[@eiswanderer]

I lost it at that first vocal take, lmaooo

[@doofs]

jack stauber or jazz emu to non fans

[@MagicTurtle643]

Yeah very unexpected laugh out loud moment in an otherwise stoically delivered video made me burst out laughing. I had to leave my work desk to go laugh in the hall.

[@hendrik2167]

Really? Did you really lose it? What exactly happened? Please enlighten me

[@MagicTurtle643]

@@hendrik2167 comin in hot

[@hendrik2167]

@@MagicTurtle643 you know it! 😄

[@udderhippo]

"Kick me when I'm down" NGL I kept singing the original line out loud

[@Theckreemteam]

me too

[@FellingIsYunny]

personally i like singing both versions at once "kick me win mime downall sack" : D

[@stepans2167]

Look at you, getting demoitis from someone else's work 😄

[@pierre-claudemeriot6562]

Me too! I even found it a rhyme. You stab me in the back And kick me in the ballsack Who, who, who...

[@juliegagnemusique]

At <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="127">2:07</a>, the gibberish reminds me of early Talking Heads mostly because of how you sang in a laid back way. Final result is very groovy, I love it 💃

[@lucaspintooc]

brother you do not have the IDEA how much i needed this, i always focus too much on a single riff and never can write vocal lines

[@WeirdLikeMe123]

i will write one part so hard with every track imaginable and then I'm like... what do i do after 30 seconds of this

[@vsouza5000]

Love the process and the result. Really inspiring stuff! Too bad "throw me on the ground and kick me in my ball sack" didn't make it to the end. Loved your delivery on that, the voice failing like you were in pain. 😂

[@omgzrob]

Anyone else blown away by the first vocal take at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="127">2:07</a> 😂 nice vid, very informative to see this all laid out

[@ianmoore5502]

The fucking slow mo at the end of the take killed me lmao

[@MagicTurtle643]

This video is actually pretty genius. I already employ SIMILAR techniques to this, namely the vocal gibberish (which made me almost die laughing), and just slapping down a beat and going nuts. I've found that rushing through song-writing and making something that just comes out fast results in a finished product that is basically exactly as good as a song I work really hard on to get a certain sound. There's not really any difference in quality, so I might as well write them as fast as possible hahah

[@GizzyDillespee]

I'm glad you kept the owls in the final verson.

[@Ftrdfji]

"We were a phantom limb, feeling like somethings there" holy shit ben that lines amazing

[@TangentMoon]

Another fun way to start is instead of a drum loop is just to use any long, changing sample, and write music and play along to it. Even if you remove the sample later, it forces you to think about the longer structure, and maybe generate new, interesting ideas.

[@robindoermann]

Thank you so much for your videos! Not only do you inspire me musically, but your generosity of spirit gives me hope in humanity.

[@noelhutz]

I love your process, it's so easy and takes away all the overthinking. And I love the song you made!

[@TTarragon]

Thank you, Ben, for all the work you do to inspire people! I like having this kind of tool in my writing motivation toolbox.

[@GranPepo]

I had some intuition about this process but you have figured it out so clearly. This will change the way I make music, like a lot of your other videos I've watched. Thanks!

[@BobMcGowan-NotTheChairCircle]

Thank you for this. I have been writing songs for decades but have only recently started using a DAW (GarageBand). I am not at all technical, so having this idea of working horizontally and building is a great help. Love, light and peace, Bob McGowan (Not the Chair Circle!)

[@alfredtuley481]

This was fantastic, Ben. Thank you for such a wonderful lesson. I LOVED how the final song came out. The simile of a phantom limb was fantastic, and the backup vocals yelling "wake up!" was just excellent prosody *chef's kiss* I'm gonna try this!

[@patrickdelombre5075]

Fantastic tips to make the songwriting process more iterative and holistic from start to finish.

[@Muntedbug]

You might not have the music influence you deserve but your videos are the ones I come back to in order to understand music theory, music production and inspiration. They'd be fine as you speaking it through but your editing adds so much too. If you ever stop don't delete your YT. My kids are falling in love with music and my wife has been gripping at it for years. I reckon 30 mins of your videos and they'll get it, once they've found their own musical voice.

[@MatthewMakingMusic]

I used to write a lot. The pandemic reset followed by a career change away from music has had me depressed. I know writing helps, just gotta start. Again.

[@rangoonlazy2776]

U can do it!

[@kabilanbaskaran6813]

Very valuable information

[@Mrbeat-88]

Such clarity.

[@GarryLarryBarry]

I prefer the gibberish, i think that could be the future of pop music. Especially songs about being kicked in the ball sack.

[@McEnroe911]

it already is

[@lefteyereport6354]

Jon Anderson tried it

[@iguana51]

John Lennon did it a few times

[@theaddictofgaming9174]

That's what a lot of melodic hip-hop has been for the last 15 years

[@SooaringEagle]

Check out the Melvins

[@unmanifest6307]

your videos are so clean and smooth, could just zone out to the soundscapes without paying attention

[@BreakfastIsImportant]

you're a boss, such an intuitive process but you step itut in a way that really mitigates some big creative flow snares. At some point i was reminded of watching the beatles anthology and watching them song write in the studio, especially the idea of getting the vocal melody out with any sort of words or even gibberish, ty homie

[@davidtoledo7895]

Damm, i honestly love this man brain

[@ChristianPaulDelage]

That was mind blowing and one of the most helpful and concise video on songwriting I've seen in a loooooong time! Thank you!

[@lancenunez8252]

Nice. First building horizontally is great advice.

[@samuelgardiner202]

Bass VI love ❤❤❤

[@eliwoodsmusic]

Amazing video! And to those wondering, it totally works, i've written and produced 3 songs in a week doing this technique! Good job Ben

[@tylerrenfrow6572]

For the first time I actually completed something from start to finish because of this video

[@peteflicks765]

The saying "At the right place, in the right time". But the man was everywhere, exposing himself as much as he could. Eventually he got into this "Right Place", "Accidentally".

[@Why_o_Why]

Aww man, I thought "Total - Flavours - and they ARE" was the best part of the vocal take! Surprised to see that you changed the notes, rhythm and words of that part. This is a great exercise btw. I love your educational content and your music. EDIT: I really like the overlap of "How far we've come" with the "who who who who who are you" in the climax of the finished piece. V nice.

[@FellingIsYunny]

congrats on 500 vids : D your is awesome

[@naturligfunktion4232]

I like this. Will try tomorrow on a song I am working on

[@cobraofearth]

I love this work flow, thanks for the great tips

[@CosmicBrain21]

This is really good, and I got a lot of value out of it. Definitely some Passion Pit vibes going on there! Great stuff, thank you.

[@PeranMe]

I really like the guitar sound!! ❤

[@basscatfm5187]

This is a very empowering video. Thank you

[@ortheother]

First vocal take makes this Everything Everything lol

[@thatbeet]

Love this method so much. I’ve always called the gibberish track a “vomit take” (crude, i admit) haha. Also amazing idea to map out a full 2 minutes before getting too deep into the details. Such a great way to avoid getting stranded in loop city.

[@willcarter8735]

I'm definitely gonna give that a try! Also that song is a straight up banger

[@colton3720]

Great video. Quick and packed with tips. Someone get this man an eyebrow sculptor.

[@jar1041]

this is gold to me thank u so much im such an overthinker

[@musicadesilva]

That first take was fire! You were really channeling David Byrne with that one. I would have love to hear a little bit of that in the final version but this process is a really good way to get things done

[@crnkmnky]

Thank you again, o mage of music. ❤

[@CypiXmusic]

I'm a pretty slow writer, polishing every bit, this might be a freeing exercise

[@elijahstoll]

Reaper is the best and im so glad you use it

[@selliantuttimusi6735]

Amazing stuff man.

[@cokomairena]

The music you make between parts is super nice

[@Theckreemteam]

great video man I love it ! i'll try to think less and let the flow flow !

[@GLDNSCTN]

Dope! Thanks Man!

[@adriansympson]

this was very awesome and useful. inspiring as always

[@HamGabriel]

damn bro!! this is such a great teaching youve imparted...THANKS man ots neem decades since ive seen an actual honest music tutorialish video and this whole mind state can apply to regular daily life too...youve pretty much saved humanity from perdition with this NUMBER . RIDE ON BEN.

[@flahobino]

Love your videos man! Definitely one of the top music KZbinrs around, always end up learning something new

[@MauricioJaguan]

Love you

[@staticinteger]

This was so helpful!

Amazing as always. And the final track is a banger!

[@DDB2020]

Love it, so sick

[@connorbonstein4048]

Your videos are so inspiring! Thank you for doing these and that song is really good

[@paulbeattie1182]

Wow. That's a catchy song! Weezer sort of vibe. Love it.

[@themothmen680]

Really helpful and I love the end result. Thank you!

[@justinpowell3385]

Love the bass VI! Also legitimately helpful video, earned a sub bucko

[@damienro0]

Love you approach Ben, If you would ask many pro musicians they would go on an overcomplicate things, I love the simplicity and how anyone even non musicians could do this. You are a great guy!

[@thestaplesbros]

Masterful

[@arthurcordeiro5285]

Thank you so much Ben!!!

[@JakeMooneyham]

I’ve literally been thinking for the last few days, “how can I write songs faster”. Thanks dude

[@LearningMusicSkills]

Amazing video and teaching. Also, the song is something i'd listen to

[@voyamusicaa]

Legend

[@maximilianfrancisfrattura2369]

super catchy! Thanks for the tips!

[@wolfman909]

Like your approach and very entertaining video. I’ll definitely try this method

[@tydra7730]

Wow. This is actually great advice. Very concise and understandable

[@igorzmanowsky]

Cool song! I need to try this approach for non-vocal music!

[@danielo174]

EXcellent song. Thanks for sharing this

[@dirtymondo]

This is pretty much my exact method

[@tobiasschmuecking4958]

Thanks Ben! That was fun and helpful!

[@elihyland4781]

love this

[@bogotta]

Thank you Mr. Levin

[@C.SchitzPopinov]

Nice! I did that once, worked horizontally, and was able to flesh out a melody, which I was able to decorate later. But I usually bring everything to a full stop to flesh out that section so I don't lose the inspiration of the moment sacrificing the length. But man, do I ever have a good sounding section.

[@daybit1014]

this is great video

[@joshcantu5405]

Great video! I love how you used the 2d video of your guitar playing on those 3d models.

[@vitorrangel8804]

amazing song! loved the ideas

[@praticle]

you're such an inspiration ❤

[@flake8382]

Thanks for this. I definitely get stuck in a loop so I try and find new ways that compliment but don't reinforce that loop. All part of learning to DAW I guess.

[@KinkajusRevenge]

Recording voice notes on my phone when i'm on a walk or any time is my default method these days, then I harmonize them later. Or sometimes i'll sing arpeggios if I'm hearing the harmony already.

[@danielleceleste4791]

COOL. love this!

[@VectressWasHere]

This is such a good video

[@RemyLuciani]

It helps, thanks a lot Ben!

[@orthostice]

Man I love your content

[@emmanuelfernandes5610]

Ben, you're an angel

[@aleksandardojcinovic1002]

Awesome content and awesome Song! Thanks!

[@dokerz]

Love the song!

[@julioagueros]

Dope video

[@WizardOfArc]

Damn Ben this tune is a banger!

[@huck_nyc]

would be interested to see a more in depth look at how you transformed the drum loop into the dynamic drum part at the end

[@Abbaddonna]

this is very nice, thank you

[@DarkSkyParkBand]

Very good advice and funny too. Bless you. 😄Also, I use the pizza analogy when teaching chords.....😁

[@mingxuan9521]

Hey, nice song, Ben. Cheered me up today :)

[@hermancharlesserrano1489]

A great method…perfect is the enemy! I’m a firm believer in getting something down even if it’s wrong…when you know something is wrong, you can start working out how to make it better…better…better…better…na na nah nanana nah

[@1chrisanderson]

TOTAL FLAVORS!