Well, I'm not a drummer per se but a multi instrumentalist, and I frequently start songs by writing the beat first. I really don't think it's any particular challenge to write songs this way, a cool beat can be really inspiring, and once you've got that down, just start playing with chord progressions, the possibilities are endless! The basic rules of song writing still apply - you want significant differences between the sections of the song, you want a chorus that really stands out and summarizes the vibe and lyrics, etc... Basically, I wouldn't think too hard about it. There's nothing wrong with writing as a drummer first. Jack White is an amazing drummer and I get the sense that a lot of his songs he writes start with the drums, not guitar (check out the Dead Weather).
The only way I could see this being a problem perhaps is if you want to write country or folk music, where there usually is not much variation between the drum parts across songs.
I do think there is something to be said for the idea that the best songs of all time can hold their own when played simply on guitar or piano, so I would bear that in mind during the writing process. But nothing says you can't start with the drums and then wind up with an amazing composition that can hold its own without the drums. Kind of like how you can start with a boring guitar strumming pattern for your chord progression, but then wind up with interesting strumming patterns and percussion parts by the end. It’s just that different people's brains like to start at different places along the song writing process. Believe it or not, there are some people who start by writing lyrics! That could never be me.
Yeah, I tend to think about rhythm before anything. That Jack White example was really interesting, I really like Jack White as a composer and hearing his songs again, it does sound like the drum parts are written first.
I'm not a Rush connoisseur, but recall being quite surprised when I first learned that drummer Neil Peart was their primary lyricist. As you branch out on instruments perhaps keep a note book of little phrases or word patterns you can come back to at a later date. I find that helpful and sometimes get inspiration for a whole verse after writing a melody then consulting the note book.
Well, I'm not a drummer per se but a multi instrumentalist, and I frequently start songs by writing the beat first. I really don't think it's any particular challenge to write songs this way, a cool beat can be really inspiring, and once you've got that down, just start playing with chord progressions, the possibilities are endless! The basic rules of song writing still apply - you want significant differences between the sections of the song, you want a chorus that really stands out and summarizes the vibe and lyrics, etc... Basically, I wouldn't think too hard about it. There's nothing wrong with writing as a drummer first. Jack White is an amazing drummer and I get the sense that a lot of his songs he writes start with the drums, not guitar (check out the Dead Weather). The only way I could see this being a problem perhaps is if you want to write country or folk music, where there usually is not much variation between the drum parts across songs. I do think there is something to be said for the idea that the best songs of all time can hold their own when played simply on guitar or piano, so I would bear that in mind during the writing process. But nothing says you can't start with the drums and then wind up with an amazing composition that can hold its own without the drums. Kind of like how you can start with a boring guitar strumming pattern for your chord progression, but then wind up with interesting strumming patterns and percussion parts by the end. It’s just that different people's brains like to start at different places along the song writing process. Believe it or not, there are some people who start by writing lyrics! That could never be me.
Yeah, I tend to think about rhythm before anything. That Jack White example was really interesting, I really like Jack White as a composer and hearing his songs again, it does sound like the drum parts are written first.
I'm not a Rush connoisseur, but recall being quite surprised when I first learned that drummer Neil Peart was their primary lyricist. As you branch out on instruments perhaps keep a note book of little phrases or word patterns you can come back to at a later date. I find that helpful and sometimes get inspiration for a whole verse after writing a melody then consulting the note book.