Jordan Reimer

People always ask me which came first, the chord progression, the melody, or the lyrics [Author’s note: I had not looked at Scott Wilson’s article until after I finished writing this. Looks like this is a VERY common question!] I love seeing how though we all get the same question, we can answer it differently.]? My answer to them is always: It just depends. I’ve never really had a set formula for writing my songs, aside from knowing that I want (most) of them to have verses, a chorus, and a bridge to break things up. But I don’t always follow that either.

I used to write songs before I even considered myself a musician. You couldn’t quite call them poems, because I would sing them to myself. My first instrument was the piano, but I was never quite good enough at it to write something. Then I played flute, and lets face it, singing and playing the flute just doesn’t really work. Then guitar came into my life, and even when I knew only a few basic chords, I was sitting on the garage floor (so I didn’t wake anyone up) writing songs.

For me, song writing has always been an extremely personal experience, and more about the lyrics, feelings, expressing myself, and working through my own mental anguish than anything else. I’m a really sensitive person, and needed an outlet as I started growing up. Song writing was perfect for me, because I had always loved writing, and it provides a safe and non-direct way to address something that is bothering me. I never really cared if I had a poppy hook, as much as I cared about my lyrics provoking a feeling, a thought, or a memory in myself, and somebody else.

Most of the time, my progressions, melodies, and lyrics are not born independently or in any order. I do a lot of mixing and matching, due to having so many songs being written at once, and often throw around lyrics from one progression and melody to another. I also have some chord progressions who have been the back drop for the first drafts of many songs I’ve written, but haven’t quite found their proper home yet. So they will stay in my arsenal until they do.
I rely on my instincts as far as deciding what works, and what doesn’t. I know when one of my songs is finally done, when it needs more work, or when I need to put it on a back burner until I find just the right set of lyrics to fit it.

I haven’t done many co-writes. My best friend Morgan Tribbitt is a wonderful writer and sounding board and has helped me sit down and write a few songs (“Portland Forever” is an example), but more recently I’ve started to involve my mom in my writing. Lyrics are so personal to me, and I’m with my mom everyday, so who knows better what I might be feeling than she? She doesn’t usually write a lot, but knows when to tell me to change a word here and there, or maybe where to take the song– usually in an optimists direction, rather than my own fatalist mentality. Sometimes these little tweaks are the things that can make a world of difference in my writing.

Usually I only start with a verse and a chorus, and sing those over and over again until I come up with more lyrics. During this time, I usually load up garage band and record a rough track so I can go back and listen, and if I forget how it goes, relearn it. That’s another method I use to decide If I like something and want to keep it. If I can remember it the next day with no help from recordings; Keep it. That means someone else may be able to also. I’ll then take these (often short) rough recordings and send them off to a shirt list of friends and ask for feedback. Then I’ll keep on writing until I feel I have a finished piece of work!

A few of my favorite things about song writing, and being a singer/songwriter:
-That moment when I come up with a metaphor or set of lyrics that I think are just genius (you know we all have that moment. The “OH MY GOD. I AM THE BEST WRITER EVER.” even if later you decide your not).
-That magical moment when one of my progressions, melodies, and set of lyrics or specific phrases come colliding together and a song is born. It just happens and fits so well.
-The release I feel to have finally said it all in words. For me it means I have fully processed a certain thought, and analyzed it enough for me to write it all down and try to move on to the next one.
-Last but not least, there is something amazing and empowering that happens when you are able to take a well written song, most likely filled with beautiful metaphors, and play it in front of, or for the person for who it was written. And they know it. It can tell them everything you wouldn’t dare in any other medium but the magical one that we musicians call, “Music.”
http://www.jordanreimer.com