"No one has learned how to make music...

[GDan]

...but some have learned how to make it happen"

A question Id like to ask to the people here: How do you write songs? What makes you feel like writing music?

Personally I find that I only write music when I'm away from the guitar, I feel I only get around 10 minutes of great creative energy from the moment I pick it up before I lose it and start playng stuff Ive heard or written before.
The more I try and write something the harder it is so its better just to stop trying so hard and practise so I'm ready for the next burst when it happens.

Different people have different ideas though. In an interview I heard Josh holme from queens of the stone age say he writes riffs as he walks which kind of ties in with their style. What does everyone here think?

[Pinshlo]

I guess I fall into the category of people who "makes it happen", but anyway for me it just commes from some deep dark corner in my strange little hairy head.

With such an subjective and abstract thing as being creative there cant be an single satysfying answer.

I hope there will be lot's of answers here writing this blabber made me curios:D

[cin]

Lying in bed, walking down the road, standing around at work, sitting on a bench watching people walk by. Who knows where the melodies or ideas pop up (I think I understand why they pop up, self amusement).

Uhhm, to talk about the point of writing when not playing, I find that helps make a composition work better. I know a lot of people overcompensate when playing an idea on a single instrument to try and fill in as much detail as is in their head...
A friend of mine that I write closely with has a rather bad habit of doing this on the bass or the piano, depending on what he's worked it out on...

Also, I find there is a difference between playing an instrument and writing songs.
And I think when you stop playing the instrument, and start playing the music in your head, the better things become.
It all has to do with learning how to play the instrument.
If you can make whats coming into your head appear subconsciously, then you are making music effectively.

I'm not sure if that makes sense, but I'll try another analogy:

When drawing a picture, you're really doing many things at once.
Now, when the brain can only do one thing at a time, that means to do many things at once effectively, you have to do the majority of them subconsciously. I always found I used to be able to not think about what I'm drawing whilst I was drawing it, and sort of arrive at the end of it and say "oh, there we go."

Sometimes you hear the stuff you write (or other people), and think "how the **** did that happen?" (this could be good or bad!).

I also find sometimes when I'm playing with my band, I forget I'm playing, and just listen to the music.

Anyway, my $0.02AU worth. ;P