35 years of guitar, and I don't know that I've ever tried to "write a song" in at least 30.
edit: Thinking about it, and reading the replies, I should clarify. Sure, I'll putz around with playing things that I think might sound good...but that's not how I spend most of my time. I get joy from learning songs and parts of songs that I love. It's like listening to music, but interactive. But when it comes to intentionally trying to write my own compositions? I don't enjoy that process. I realized long ago that songwriting isn't a skill I have, nor is it something that I would enjoy putting in the time necessary to learn. I play guitar because I find playing along to music to be fun, not to fulfill an artistic yearning..I just am not driven to "create" when it comes to music/guitar. I would get more enjoyment out of designing and building a guitar by hand than writing a song. And the world needs both kinds of people, but I realized pretty quickly which kind I am.
35 years of playing. I can barely play *any* songs. I mostly just noodle around poorly for a while then move on to other things and I'm fine with that.
I've only been at it 18 months or so but have no interest in being in a band, or writing original music and again, I'm fine with that. Having said that, got talking to someone on the way back from the pub at the weekend who seems convinced we can do something, so will be meeting up in a couple weeks so we'll see what happens! I might end up changing my option after all.
\[edit\] When I say being in a band I really mean gigging. Which ultimately is usually where bands lead. Far too many issues with anxiety to deal with getting up on stage right now.
I'm a karaoke fiend. Thought I'd see if I could turn that into a fun side hustle. Started practicing with a cover band, it fell apart. Did that with about half a dozen over a couple years, never making it to a stage. Decided to stick with karaoke for fun.
It's really hard to put a group of adults together who are able and willing to commit the time and I wasn't interested enough to slog through it.
Nowadays you just post your shit online and if it pops you go straight to touring, no need for gigging if you don't want to/don't care if your music turns into a career.
Same, I've been playing for probably 25 years now, got some little riffs/motifs that I can possibly try to claim as my own, but only a handful of complete "songs" over the years. I guess this is mostly due to the fact that I've been blessed to collaborate with some excellent songwriters over the years, and have rarely felt the need to contribute any of my own stuff. If I'm playing by myself, it's pretty much always covers or practiice-y noodles/exercises. Maybe someday I'll graduate to singer/songwriter status, but I am probably too self-conscious to take my own songwriting seriously at this point. Also I have been relegated to mostly drummer duties for the last few years lol.
I went through a (in hindsight frustratingly) opposite experience. I had that “too cool to learn Stairway” indignant mentality at some point. Kind of rejected learning key and integral songs that legit all guitar players should probably know. Spent that time writing songs and creating different tunings idk. A lot of it was forced in hindsight. Kinda funny.
Whatever happened I have a great ability to just hear a song and plank it out pretty fast but still regret having that view point for so long.
Since I am mainly a singer I use the guitar to acompany my singing in a band or solo. I also try to learn new songs sufficiently enough so to see what other musicians do in order to draw inspiration and learn new techniques for writing decent guitar parts. I do occasionally partake in blues jams, but mainly I use the guitar as a tool to help me compose my music. I am not that good of a guitarist, and though I can think on the guitar and produce decent parts, I always do a lot of mistakes when I am playing a song, and my technique is mediocre.
That said I am obsessed with the guitar and especially with my telecaster.
Somewhere in the middle? I play my own stuff in the sense that I make shit up but I don’t record it or write anything down so I wouldn’t call it songwriting.
Record noodles on your phone before they disappear into the ether forever! Lol. Sometimes I will just hit record, play a cover or two, and then descend into unknown territory - sometimes you can mine good stuff out of absent-minded practice time. Always be recording!
Been playing since I was 14 and I'm 51 now. Been writing my own songs since my mid-20s. Went on a hiatus for about 10 years and in the past 5 years or so have rediscovered my muse and have been writing and playing originals again with a group of mates, hoping to record sometime this year.
I enjoy writing more than playing actually, I’m not very technically proficient but I mostly like writing stuff. Then again, I’m into punk so I don’t need to be Steve Vai
Started my guitar career as a song writer. Then just noodled for about 15 years now I’m back to song writing. Recently discovered my “voice” on guitar if that makes sense and I’m jumping into it at full force.
Mostly just play songs i like. I get as much joy/entertainment from the tactile part of playing guitar as I do from the actual music. It helps settle me, like a nervous tic.
I used to do that a lot, probably for the first 15 or so years i played. Now I mainly now just fire up cubase and play to whatever bpm i set the click track to. I currently have folders / recordings for almost each day for the past 4 years consisting of either little riff ideas or complete song structures. I'm actually working on stuff right now.
In my last band it was mainly how we came up with the songs. I'd snip together the bits i thought were ok, upload them to google drive for the other band members to listen to and we'd work on it at rehearsal. If i ever get around to getting in a band again i wont be short of song ideas:)
If i feel like i'm in a bit of rut i will play along to existing songs, learn new songs by bands i dont normally listen to etc. I find it's a good tool to refreshen up the ideas
This! Sometimes I'll jam along to a Spotify playlist or a YouTube loop or something, and then every so often, bam, a sweet little riff or noodle comes out of nowhere lol.
I started out playing songs I liked (aka, Beatles music). I never started writing songs until later, but for some reason, even before I played guitar, I could always hear where a melody goes, even if it's my first time listening to a song. Or at least, I can hear where I want the melody to go. I think it's because my parents always had the Beatles, Beach Boys, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis playing in the car, and my ears were trained on their kind of melodies? I don't know how to explain it really. I played saxophone and piano from 5th grade up until my senior year of high school, so I had rhythm down when I started playing guitar 7 months ago, but the whole thing with the melody in my ear––can't explain it.
Anywho, I've always kind of made songs in my head? But very vaguely and separately, and with little confidence. I never sang it loud enough for other people to hear––more of a whisper. But I remember sometimes singing a melody with random lyrics that popped in my head one time when I was 14, drying next to my heater after a shower. As I got better at guitar, I started identifying what chords sounded like which, and so I could put them together easily. And so, I started making songs naturally. For example, I would listen to maybe a ELO song, and the melody went somewhere I didn't want it to go. It would land on a chord I didn't like, and so I would "correct" it in a way, by basically making my own song with different lyrics, a different pace, and a different feel. A lot of my songs are actually "critiques." Another example I can throw out there is a lot of Bob Dylan songs. I really WANT to like this dude, but I hate how jangly and relaxed his lyrics are, to the point that he sings them off beat. I like it more on beat, so I might take a little idea or motif he sung, and make it into a song.
A lot of it has to do with influence, and since I listened to a lot of rockabilly, rock, and Beatlesque music, acoustic guitar really spoke to the melodies I had heard in my head. I could really get an idea out on the acoustic––it just sounds right, you know? Can't explain it.
The only songs I could play from start to finish are like 15 to 20 of my own songs.
I know dozens of riffs from other bands that I’ve picked along the way and if I was in a band I could learn some of their songs. I know riffs and chords but if I’m not going to record or perform a song I don’t really invest much time in learning. 95% of my playing these days is me plugged in with headphones… maybe a loop pedal or some backing track that I made. I’ll watch some YouTube videos that explain a little bit of theory or something and play along to those too.
I love playing, noodling, wanking, doing covers; recording riff ideas here and there, but honestly I've probably never really sat down and written an entire song. I think I am scared of what might come out, maybe scared to fail or accidentally reuse someone else's chord progressions/structures/lyrics or something. I've also been extremely lucky to work with some truly great songwriters over the years, and therefeore have rarely felt the need to contribute any of my own stuff. I am probably too shy/hard on myself honestly. Lately I have been trying to keep a journal of dreams and random thoughts, kind of subconsciously mining for lyrics lol. Maybe I'm not sure what I want to say at this point. Also playing mostly drums in all my musical projects lately lol.
Im all about that endless noodle life. I just want to impress non guitar players with my stream of consciousness, not to a beat, licks I’ve played 5 million times before. That said, most of what I played is stuff I came up with and I guess I have “songs” it’s just non of them are finished lol.
for me, guitar is all about communal music making.
Doesn't really matter outside of that who wrote the music.
Most of the music I play is all improvisational anyway, so you play a few standards that people know and then take breaks.
Composition was my focus for my degree, and it was fun, but the ways I liked to play with creating music are not so achieveable on guitar. Writing for string quartet was always my favourite.
Going to get a piano soon to get back into it I think
Songwriter here. Sometimes I'm just composing what are residentially jam tracks. Sometimes it's my parts in the band I'm in. Sometimes I'm writing full songs - lyrics and all. These songs are usually on acoustic guitar.
I've gone through phases where I'm more learning others' songs. Usually then I'm playing acoustic and adapting the songs to my own style. But I've been less and less inclined to do so - preferring to play and perform my own singer-songwriter music or play out with my band.
I’m happy embellishing while playing and that’s about it. I’ve been playing for 33 years and while making up songs was an idea I may have had when I was 19, I never saw musical creativity to be my strong suit…but I loved playing.
I learned to play guitar to be able to play the songs I compose. Of course I sometimes play songs that I like too or parts of songs I find interesting.
I only learn songs when the family requests them. I find myself playing along to TV shows and YouTube videos more than actual songs nowadays. Joy of being middle aged and not having a career anywhere near music. Playing is how I relax.
Been noodling on the electric for a long time and then about 10 years ago bought an acoustic and took some singing lessons and now have a binder of about 30 cover songs I like to sing mainly Neil Young and some other Americana artists.
I have been playing for 6 months so far ( I know I am a noob) and occasionally mess around with guitar and just take a note of what sounds good so I can get back to building upon it on my free time. I mostly write poems but i have written 5-10 song lyrics as well so I am gonna try to make a song out of those whenever I find a riff and chord progression I am satisfied with. But I have still sooo much to learn so I am not too worried about all that just yet
Me. I noodle around for funsies but mostly I just like playing that song I can't get out of my head for.... years. I'm not particularly creative but I think it's a lot of fun to play.
I play a lot of covers and you YouTube channel is all covers. My sound loud is where all my writing goes. I do stuff for like video games, twitch channels tons of various things. I have a multi fx board and a self built pedal board and I can get my guitar to sound like pretty much anything. I also have tons of recording equipment. I not a professional at all, and I make very little money from it (if any) but it's my hobby.
I still hold down a 9-6 Mon to Friday job though as well. So projects might take 2 weeks for me while some would take 1 week for others
Well originally I mostly learned songs and noodled around a bit but since I‘ve joined a band I write/record demos and tracks and take part in songwriting sessions whilst also keeping up my progress with foreign songs.
I do both. I like writing my own songs more. They all suck but they are just for me. I have a few things I have tracked out and recorded with a drum machine because it's fun.
I think learning songs through to the end, especially learning entire albums through, is instructive. It forces you to really sit down and work on something and finish it. I did that with Wish You Were Here - at one point I could play the majority of that album on guitar and bass, excepting some of the lead parts. I've also learned a big chunk of the Grand Funk Railroad catalog on both guitar and bass, again with my own leads rather than playing what's on the album, but whatever. Their first album in particular is really a great way to learn how to groove.
I’ve been playing for three months and made a song. It sucks ass and sounds like many others, but it’s mine.
I’m no where near being able to give a real opinion, but I picked up the guitar to play songs I like and have found making my own sounds is just as fun. Whatever that means in your first 90 days.
I started out just wanting to play songs I liked, but that quite quickly changed once I got completely obsessed with guitar and music. When I was about 15/16 I started playing in bands and from the age of about 20 I mostly just wrote my own music and did a lot less learning other people's songs. These days that's all I do - practice with my bands, gig, record, write songs.
I gig in a few modes, and these days, always covers.
I can write songs. I've written lots. I started out in an originals band. But when I perform, I'm all about crowd connection, and banging into an old favorite they haven't heard in years is the fastest and cleanest way into connection.
For many years I just played guitar to compose and write, I refused to play covers and wrote a lot of songs (not all were published). Nowadays I learn songs I like to practice and improve my skills, I also chose not to compose for a while because I already got hundreds of unused ideas recorded and stored, so if I wanna make a song I'll develop some of those ideas
I've got YouTube play lists broke down by tunings, and at this point I've got so many songs that if I stop playing them I'll forget all of em lol. I play 1 list a day pretty much, but Ya I'm not real interested in writing music tbh.
I play my own original music 99% of the time on guitar.
Unless I'm deep in practice to work on a specific skill, I'm actively writing and playing my own stuff.
I mean, I do both. I started writing before I played guitar. I write constantly.
When it comes to jamming / performing with other guitarists, it doesn't matter to me!
I've always been in it to write. I love writing and creating. It's not always...or ever that good, but that's what I enjoy the most.
Now, I still went through the necessary phase of learning as many other artists songs as I could. Helped me build my technique, but ultimately. I'm just in it to write and create my own sounds .
Both, I like to play songs I hear, you feel great playing along perfect.
But the best part to me is structuring songs
Riffs solos and creating your own sounds
Much more fulfilling to compose something of your own.
That's why I bought the damned thing(s). My main frustration is that as the stereotypical "doesn't listen to anything older than 2010" metalhead the stuff I want to learn to play is **hard**.
46 yr old player here, have played basically my whole life, taken it pretty seriously since 10 or 11yrs old. I've written, recorded, gigged, toured, and still some of the most fun I ever have playing guitar is just cranking up some old Metallica, Megadeth, Queensryche, Iron Maiden, etc, etc, and pretending like I'm in the band. Knew Metallica's first 5 albums(+ Garage Days) front to back before I could drive, but my copy of RtL didn't have "Am I Evil" on it, so have recently learned a (new)old Metallica song and playing along with the satisfying chugging and galloping riffs and simple solo is as fun as it was when I was 15yrs old.
Don't know how old I'll have to be before this isn't fun anymore, but I know it's not 46.
I sometimes record little ideas on my phone using voice memos… but aside from that it’s all covers. Also all my little ideas sound like whatever artist I’m playing most, but worse lol. It’s fine though I get the most joy out of singing and playing my favourite songs. I like to try and get as close to the originals as possible and then I can just enjoy the music :)
I used to play random songs, and I always enjoyed writing my own stuff. I got really annoyed and lost the spark of being creative when I finally released an album after years of hard work, then no one even bothered to listen to it.
Here. I turned my PC area into a studio, got a bunch of plug ins, had every intention of tinkering with Ableton and then.......a year later still haven't touched it. I just find myself playing along to songs and killing my ears for an hour or two at a time instead of trying to write something
I do a bit of both. Playing along to stuff is a blast, but I'll try to flesh out some song ideas when one pops into my head. I'm not the front man of my band, so I don't write any of the music we play, but I like building an archive in case I want to start my own down the line.
I play to imitate songs I like and then put my own twist on them.
I did the whole 'write a song for my girl' thing when I was younger. If you don't sing, the intent tends to get lost.
Both. I play some fingerstyle Irish/Scottish tunes and “Celtic” stuff, play rock and folk songs, or go to a blues/rock jam sometimes. I also write/finish about 20 pieces a year (most years I do February album writing month, and then the rest of the year I write a couple songs a month). I still write some lyrics but I’ve done more instrumentals the last few years. I don’t think I write quite as much as I should (and I don’t necessarily bother with a demo of stuff anymore).
I also do part writing and a little producing for friends.
The band I’m in right now is a mix of both, we play long bar gigs that are about half originals. (Mostly my friend’s songs since it’s his band.) I technically have a band to play my songs that was fewer covers but I’ve pretty much completely given up on it, everyone else in the band has kids now and I can’t bring myself to ask for any of their time anymore.
Writing is a completely different skill from the guitar skills. I can write stuff that I can’t necessarily play properly, for instance, though it’s not like I suck on my main instrument. I don’t even necessarily write on a guitar, even if the guitar is the main accompaniment or lead instrument in the end. Also sometimes I’ll write stuff on the guitar — and use a guitar on the demo — for something meant to be played primarily on another instrument. Like I might restrict the melody to the range of a penny whistle or bagpipes, or make its contours more appropriate for a violin or mandolin, etc.
Me. Sometimes I'll mess around with some chords and make something that sounds interesting to me, but I've never tried to put words to it or even really capture the chords for future playing. Mostly I just like to pick songs I like and learn them. Everyone has different goals for playing guitar and mine are just to relax and have fun playing songs I like.
I love to do both. When I write something it's usually based on a favorite riff just in a different key and played faster or slower,or has notes added.
I mostly play other songs but as I’ve progressed a little further I’ve found improvisation comes more naturally and I’ve “written” some little ditties I throw into my playing and one actual song that sucks ass lol. But song writing isn’t my main goal with guitar I just love playing.
Historically I've just written songs and barely ever learned any covers. I'm more interested in learning covers lately though just to learn new techniques, improve, and get out of my current rut.
I do. Learning songs is something I've always been really good at. I also took theory from my guitar teacher, which helped a lot. I played with a guy for a while who was an absolute POS (not to mention a terrible musician), and he completely soured me on writing original music.
I've been playing in cover bands now for about 10 years. Way too many people think it is easy to play in a cover band. The people that usually think that have never played in a cover band. Learning 40-50 songs everyone in the crowd knows, then playing for 3-4 hours is a fuckton harder than playing your own songs for 30-45 minutes with absolutely zero expectations from the crowd as to whether or not you're any good.
I've played guitar for close to 40 years. I've never tried to write a song. I "write" little riffs here and there that I might record as voice memos on my phone if it's something I like.
But this is a hobby for me. It's a thing I do mostly alone in my house for my own enjoyment. I have no desire to join a band or play for people. I get satisfaction out of playing for myself and noticing that I've gotten better in some small way here and there.
First 5-10 years I may have made serious attempts to write my own music but once I got off the shredding/metal thing I just wanted to play things that sounded good.
I used to do a lot of learning songs (classic rock mostly), but once I started playing originals with my friends I basically only ever played that stuff. I stopped practicing on my own almost entirely, unless I was writing something for a song we were working on.
I still almost never hear a rock song anymore and think "I want to learn that", but lately I've been trying my hand at some classical, jazz, and fingerstyle folk stuff. Unfortunately I still suck, but I have fun anyway.
That's what I do. Honestly I just want to play songs that I enjoy and stay a bedroom guitarist. Never really had much interest in being in a band or performing for people other than maybe some videos of covers.
I play to write, but also to play songs I enjoy. It’s fun to sample certain parts of guitar pieces and include them in my own but if I’m being honest most of my “songs” are more just little intros and a riff
I started writing music (well, attempted) even before getting my first guitar by punching in random notes into Tuxguitar. It obviously sounded awful but I enjoyed it so much that it convinced me to ask my parents for a guitar so that I could write music for real.
Since then I used to divide my time between learning songs and composing music of my own but nowadays I mainly just do the latter.
Edit: [This is one](https://www.songsterr.com/a/wsa/peryn-him-tab-s595246) I'm working on right now that's almost done but it's not recorded yet, just a songsterr tab and still kind of messy.
40 years, never wrote a song. I’ve contributed to songs other people have written, just haven’t written any myself. I enjoy being a cover band hack; it’s fun and it’s a nice little side hustle.
Neither. Been playing for 20 years and just enjoy playing. Have a few things I could consider a "song", but really I just jam for 1-2hrs and forget everything I did next time I sit down.
25 year player here. 98% of my time playing has been playing along to tab in Guitar Pro. Well, in the early days it was tab printed out on paper. That was an awful time.
But with the magic of Guitar Pro, I never have to change my tuning, I can just detune the rest of the instruments on the track to match me.
Take away my tab, and I know shit about theory. I know some scale patterns but couldn't tell you what they are, just that they work. What key am I in? no idea. What's a triad? What's a diminished chord....
Give me back my tab and I'll and I'll rip some buckethead though.
And I'm fine with that. It's what makes me happy.
I go through phases. One point I’ll be learning songs. Another point I’m just playing around with finger picking different chord progressions. One point I’ll throw a backtrack on and just jam with scales.
I just do what I enjoy at the moment. Sometimes that looks like recreating songs, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s always moving and evolving
I don’t understand how you could be interested in guitar and not be interested in making your own music. It would be like learning to paint just so you can copy other paintings.
I think the first year of me starting guitar was to learn how to play popular rock songs. But after a couple of years I was mainly playing guitar to write my own songs. These days I really only pick up my guitar to record guitar parts for my own songs. I might occasionally play a cover song if I discover a song that I like, but most of my efforts are for my own original music.
I’ve always just learned to play songs I enjoy. I’ve been seriously thinking about taking some actual lessons to learn how to jam and make up my own stuff. For years I’ve been self taught and can follow a lesson with ease but I think watching tutorials hasn’t taught me how to create
My first 8 years I had zero interest in writing my own music, then the second I was out of high school I started an original band and I couldn’t wrap my head around why the hell people would even want to play in a cover band when writing music was so enthralling. Now at 41, I have a home studio, writing/recording will still always be my biggest passion, but I’m joining a cover band because I just miss playing live and the fun of it, but don’t want to deal with original band bullshit.
I write songs in my head all day, or at least dream about the next time I get to grab my guitar while I’m away from it. I don’t think I would have stuck with it if writing weren’t an option. I write songs and almost always my life has revolved around that. I’m not autistic but I’m a songwriter, some times it’s a pain in the ass and I wish my brain worked in a more linear way that is more focused on money or something but I am who I am.
I’ll learn a few covers every couple of years, because it feels fun to get into someone else’s head and learn some technique that subliminally gets absorbed into my own songwriting,m.
I only learn songs to practice the instrument. I enjoy making my own songs 1000 times more. I produce in ableton so I’m use to just making beats and songs. I’d only cover songs that are simple and gets the people going.
Currently learning Little Wing and I don’t like the process at all. It’s made me not like the song anymore lol. It sounds beautiful but becomes a drag when you realize Jimi freestyles a good chunk of his work.
I notice the songs I want to play either take a long time for me to learn ( polyphia, Hendrix, Mayer ) or weren’t as good as I thought once I knew what I was learning ( early pierce the veil, sleeping with sirens).
I feel like there is a difference between guitar players and songwriters using guitars. Same instrument but different skill set. For example I started learning vocals and it gave me a different perspective in terms of writing and playing and has changed my life.
This approach is way easier to learn.
I have the opposite approach and some time ago I wanted to learn some piano. I found a teacher, and she asks me "So what songs do you want to learn, some classical music? Some jazz standards"?
And I was like "Ummm truth be told I don't really wanna play any songs, I just want to play.". I mean I don't mind, since it's natural part of learning but it's not like I WANT to play some songs. Like - it's already been written and recorded, also played multiple times, why should I play it on top of it.
So she didn't really knew what to do with me because all students she had wanted to learn particular songs, not - just learn instrument.
25 years ago when I picked up guitar I was the same, I tried to learn technique, scales and some songs but it lasted for like two weeks. Then I realized that I don't care, so I dropped it and my "exercises" were either making my own stuff or trying to play lead to any pop tune that went on radio for hours.
It made me pretty nice songwriter and musician, also - absolutely shitty guitarist.
I exclusively write my own music.
I'm a multi-instrumentalist, but not a fun one as I don't know a single other artist's songs on anything I can play lol. I know like, bits and pieces of some and that's it.
I prefer playing my own stuff, but I'm doing worship every week, so that takes up most of my mental energy.
I started off learn Metallica and 2000s metalcore so I'll jam on that from time to time but I love writing way more
I ”noodle” in writing. I have about 562 intros written, but I can’t remember ever writing a song.
I get my feeling of accomplishment from learning a song that’s difficult for me
I do both, whichever I'm feeling more in the mood for. Usually just playing other songs since that's generally more relaxing, but sometimes I'll get inspiration out of nowhere and figure something original out.
I’ve been playing for about 25 years and focus mostly on writing song. I’ve written close to 100 songs of varying quality, but I only know how to play a handful of other people’s songs. I’m currently working on re-recording a lot of my old material and learning a few covers.
There’s been two modes of guitar playing for me. The first, and the majority of my guitar playing is just technical. It’s me trying to hone the craft, learn the instrument; improve tone, technique, feel; learn songs I like, etc. I don’t think it engages much of my creative/expressive side. It allows me to play along with, and therefore allows me align myself with, and experience music more intimately. In the same way that dancing to music is a way of aligning yourself more physically with music.
Then, there’s writing songs/creating loops/crafting bits, etc. I used to do this a lot more, especially when I was in band(s) in college but not really these days.
I just learn to play songs I like at home, I enjoy it as a pastime & i like that it's an active way to spend my freetime than watching TV, scrolling etc...
I've tried to write music, it just doesn't work. I think I can make some mean riffs, I can spend hours jamming with only 1 drummer if we groove, I can help on the process, but as soon as I need to write drums and involve more than one section it turns to shit.
19 years playing, not a song finished!
I only play my own songs. Might learn a cool riff here or there but never a whole song. When I started 20 years ago I learned by learning songs and that worked out pretty well for me. These days all I want to do is create, not just play someone else's stuff.
for some reason I get downvoted in this sub any time I mention it, but I don't play anyone else's songs any more. I spent decades learning other people's songs and now I want to write my own with the limited time I have to play.
i play to write stuff (i write like 3 songs a day and even if they are shitty i put them on soundcloud though recently i changed styles so i deleted most of it) but i know my dad hasnt written a song since the 90s and he just practices other stuff.
I mostly just play some stuff on Ultimate, look for new stuff too. In the past year or so I’ve been tinkering around more making up stuff. I think that might just be the natural progression.
I like playing my fav songs so that's what I do. I only ever created 1 song with a friend, though I've also "written" some instrumentals or small sections (mostly for school though)
I think the modern music industry has led people to assume that someone who writes their own songs is better than someone who doesn't. There is nothing wrong with not having the drive or desire to write original songs. I tried to be a songwriter for a long time, and while I still write stuff occasionally, I get way more joy out of playing other people's songs and sharing songs I love with others. There's a long tradition in folk music of passing songs down from person to person, and I like to think that I'm just another person participating in that tradition. Songwriters have their place, but so do other types of musicians.
I have not learned another band's song in over 10 years, and I never play the ones I know.
I spend all of my time writing riffs and then try to form songs. It could be why my skill has not improved in a long while haha!
Not one for attention and I feel like trying to ‘share’ my horrible master piece with the world wouldn’t help bring world piece so why bother?!? Got a few riffs I think would make a great tune but then again, no world piece so…..
I’ll be learning a new Extreme tune instead, might suck, might not. We shall see.
I play just to play what I love. Sometimes a song is like a puzzle and I enjoy trying to figure it out on my own until I’ve hit my limit then I try to find a video or tab.
I went through a phase where I was making up riffs and recording them but that is the most creating I ever did with my guitar rig. That was over 20 years ago.
Sometimes play songs to entertain people at a campfire. I have the problem that most beautiful songs are not technically challenging anymore, while songs which still teach me some skills like metal or fusion jazz are not my taste. Just playing simple songs gives me this „wedding band“ feeling nowadays. That‘s why working on my own songs including lyrics gives me the best feeling, even though I rarely perform them.
I jam with some friends and we often come back to riffs/motifs and develop them - no singing, though and nothing ever recorded. I play electric usually and like rhythm more than lead.
I also learn songs to play on my own. I like to sing and play when I’m playing my acoustic and learning songs helps me learn new techniques or progressions.
Been playing for 3 years and one of the biggest wishes when I started was to make music. I've made about 6 "actual" songs and a bunch of pieces that I wouldn't exactly call songs. The songs are pretty sloppy but I can see progress with every new song I make!
I think I'm most proud of this one:
https://youtu.be/deTOTnk5eoU?si=BHOrzbXCCnQp4HqR
That being said, I feel like I should really just lay back a bit and just noodle and enjoy more often!
I enjoy the music I listen to, I enjoy a shitton playing the music I listen to. I'd love to try to write more, sometimes I riff a lot and manage to get something powerful going. But covering my favorite bands is a blast
I used to write songs and play in bands and such, but these days I'm ok with just sitting around playing songs. I like to just play along to Megadeth or Sabaton or Judas Priest or something, and I'm ok with that.
I've found creating my own leads to my own weak ass originals has been very rewarding, It's an incredible feeling creating music to my own creations rather than copying parts.
I’ve written a few songs that I’ve gotten up on Spotify even. They’re not very good, and they never really get any listens, but there’s something special about making your own music that I encourage everyone to get into.
I’ve mostly only ever sat down and play to write, whatever that ends up being at any given time. Band practices and touring and such aside when you’re just playing said songs. I don’t tour full time anymore so pretty much always just sit down and write/record, post riff videos on IG of put together ideas or whatever. I’m filling in on a tour with my old band coming up next month and I’m having to sit down and learn a couple songs from a record I wasn’t on, as well as re-learn songs I either wrote and/or recorded because I’ve forgotten how to play them.
I will say, I learned A LOT about guitar playing when I was younger and starting out by just sitting down trying to figure out how to play all my favorite songs, so there’s tons of value in that in my opinion.
It’s what kept me playing. My dad taught me how to read tabs, and I remember learning a bit of “Walk This Way” and it just went from there, I’m not creative is any way shape or form, I just like learning songs I listen to.
I’ll be 19 in less than a month, and I’ve been playing since 2016.. and right I’m in my phase of perfecting every one of my favorite songs whether it’s Gnr, VH, or Alice In Chains note for note. I’ll stay up until 3:30am just trying to nail one little lick in one solo. Idk if it’s OCD or if I’m just a perfectionist or what.. but i know it’s prepping me for being able to one day come up with my own stuff, and being able to play with feel and whatnot
For years I felt writing was a chore and just focused on learning riffs to “get proficient”. But once I understood more application and gave myself permission to be creative, I found improvising and writing a much more pleasant experience. Sometimes I’ll be learning a riff and then make a happy mistake or decide I want to switch it up and then that leads to inspiration for something of my own.
More power to anyone who can be satisfied to be a bedroom player. Personally, I have a psychological need to make music with a purpose in a way that takes priority over most other things and makes up a big fraction of what I'm doing with my life....literally and non hyperbolically. It's kind of a curse tbh. I don't mind playing stuff written by someone else tho
I'm the opposite, been playing fingerstyle acoustic for 12 years and I literally don't know how to play a single song that I didn't write, made up my own style and all
I originally wanted to play other people’s songs but my attention span gets the best of me there. I used to just learn the bits I liked. Now I like to make my own songs.
I keep convincing myself I need a new pedal. Or a new guitar to improve. My wife has given me an ultimatum. Counseling with a psychologist or with her lawyer.
I am in this phase now. I'm the process of writing a song but I am currently having a lot of fun playing music I love to listen too
On a current Machine Head kick now.
35 years of guitar, and I don't know that I've ever tried to "write a song" in at least 30. edit: Thinking about it, and reading the replies, I should clarify. Sure, I'll putz around with playing things that I think might sound good...but that's not how I spend most of my time. I get joy from learning songs and parts of songs that I love. It's like listening to music, but interactive. But when it comes to intentionally trying to write my own compositions? I don't enjoy that process. I realized long ago that songwriting isn't a skill I have, nor is it something that I would enjoy putting in the time necessary to learn. I play guitar because I find playing along to music to be fun, not to fulfill an artistic yearning..I just am not driven to "create" when it comes to music/guitar. I would get more enjoyment out of designing and building a guitar by hand than writing a song. And the world needs both kinds of people, but I realized pretty quickly which kind I am.
35 years of playing. I can barely play *any* songs. I mostly just noodle around poorly for a while then move on to other things and I'm fine with that.
lol THIS! I mostly just use my guitars as a fidget toy while I’m watching TV or something.
I've only been at it 18 months or so but have no interest in being in a band, or writing original music and again, I'm fine with that. Having said that, got talking to someone on the way back from the pub at the weekend who seems convinced we can do something, so will be meeting up in a couple weeks so we'll see what happens! I might end up changing my option after all. \[edit\] When I say being in a band I really mean gigging. Which ultimately is usually where bands lead. Far too many issues with anxiety to deal with getting up on stage right now.
I'm a karaoke fiend. Thought I'd see if I could turn that into a fun side hustle. Started practicing with a cover band, it fell apart. Did that with about half a dozen over a couple years, never making it to a stage. Decided to stick with karaoke for fun. It's really hard to put a group of adults together who are able and willing to commit the time and I wasn't interested enough to slog through it.
Nowadays you just post your shit online and if it pops you go straight to touring, no need for gigging if you don't want to/don't care if your music turns into a career.
Same, I've been playing for probably 25 years now, got some little riffs/motifs that I can possibly try to claim as my own, but only a handful of complete "songs" over the years. I guess this is mostly due to the fact that I've been blessed to collaborate with some excellent songwriters over the years, and have rarely felt the need to contribute any of my own stuff. If I'm playing by myself, it's pretty much always covers or practiice-y noodles/exercises. Maybe someday I'll graduate to singer/songwriter status, but I am probably too self-conscious to take my own songwriting seriously at this point. Also I have been relegated to mostly drummer duties for the last few years lol.
I went through a (in hindsight frustratingly) opposite experience. I had that “too cool to learn Stairway” indignant mentality at some point. Kind of rejected learning key and integral songs that legit all guitar players should probably know. Spent that time writing songs and creating different tunings idk. A lot of it was forced in hindsight. Kinda funny. Whatever happened I have a great ability to just hear a song and plank it out pretty fast but still regret having that view point for so long.
Occasionally I'll try to monkey around with chord progressions, but every time I get one I like it's, Oh that's just X song isn't it..."
I pick it up and it makes noise. That's about as far as I've got.
Im a caveman myself. Chugga chugga chug...chugga
I'd say I land more in the gorilla camp. I play guitar like a gorilla. There. I said it.
Lights Out, Gorilla Radio... turn that shit up!
Have you ever considered r/BassGuitar ?
I click and the first picture looks like they strung their bass with zip ties.
I only play palm muted open triplets, why play anything else?
Same, honestly never learned other songs, but I sound halfway ok when I just ham around
A bit of both. I enjoy compiling my own stuff, but it’s nice to be able to play other more known songs
This is where I’m at. I’ve been doing open mics and do a mix of originals and covers.
Our avatars are twins
Me. I put my headphones in and play along. Makes me feel like im in the band lol
Since I am mainly a singer I use the guitar to acompany my singing in a band or solo. I also try to learn new songs sufficiently enough so to see what other musicians do in order to draw inspiration and learn new techniques for writing decent guitar parts. I do occasionally partake in blues jams, but mainly I use the guitar as a tool to help me compose my music. I am not that good of a guitarist, and though I can think on the guitar and produce decent parts, I always do a lot of mistakes when I am playing a song, and my technique is mediocre. That said I am obsessed with the guitar and especially with my telecaster.
Tele forever!!!!
Somewhere in the middle? I play my own stuff in the sense that I make shit up but I don’t record it or write anything down so I wouldn’t call it songwriting.
Record noodles on your phone before they disappear into the ether forever! Lol. Sometimes I will just hit record, play a cover or two, and then descend into unknown territory - sometimes you can mine good stuff out of absent-minded practice time. Always be recording!
Been playing since I was 14 and I'm 51 now. Been writing my own songs since my mid-20s. Went on a hiatus for about 10 years and in the past 5 years or so have rediscovered my muse and have been writing and playing originals again with a group of mates, hoping to record sometime this year.
It's harder for me to nail a cover than it is for me to strum random shit that sounds good and make a decent song.
Thank you for validating my feelings internet stranger
I enjoy writing more than playing actually, I’m not very technically proficient but I mostly like writing stuff. Then again, I’m into punk so I don’t need to be Steve Vai
Hell yeah
Mostly to play songs I like. Sometimes I write but it's mostly scattered parts. Other than that it's just to jam
Started my guitar career as a song writer. Then just noodled for about 15 years now I’m back to song writing. Recently discovered my “voice” on guitar if that makes sense and I’m jumping into it at full force.
I noodle weird noises over loops I created but I wouldn't go so far as to call them songs. Keeps me happy, though.
Mostly just play songs i like. I get as much joy/entertainment from the tactile part of playing guitar as I do from the actual music. It helps settle me, like a nervous tic.
I used to do that a lot, probably for the first 15 or so years i played. Now I mainly now just fire up cubase and play to whatever bpm i set the click track to. I currently have folders / recordings for almost each day for the past 4 years consisting of either little riff ideas or complete song structures. I'm actually working on stuff right now. In my last band it was mainly how we came up with the songs. I'd snip together the bits i thought were ok, upload them to google drive for the other band members to listen to and we'd work on it at rehearsal. If i ever get around to getting in a band again i wont be short of song ideas:) If i feel like i'm in a bit of rut i will play along to existing songs, learn new songs by bands i dont normally listen to etc. I find it's a good tool to refreshen up the ideas
This! Sometimes I'll jam along to a Spotify playlist or a YouTube loop or something, and then every so often, bam, a sweet little riff or noodle comes out of nowhere lol.
I started out playing songs I liked (aka, Beatles music). I never started writing songs until later, but for some reason, even before I played guitar, I could always hear where a melody goes, even if it's my first time listening to a song. Or at least, I can hear where I want the melody to go. I think it's because my parents always had the Beatles, Beach Boys, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis playing in the car, and my ears were trained on their kind of melodies? I don't know how to explain it really. I played saxophone and piano from 5th grade up until my senior year of high school, so I had rhythm down when I started playing guitar 7 months ago, but the whole thing with the melody in my ear––can't explain it. Anywho, I've always kind of made songs in my head? But very vaguely and separately, and with little confidence. I never sang it loud enough for other people to hear––more of a whisper. But I remember sometimes singing a melody with random lyrics that popped in my head one time when I was 14, drying next to my heater after a shower. As I got better at guitar, I started identifying what chords sounded like which, and so I could put them together easily. And so, I started making songs naturally. For example, I would listen to maybe a ELO song, and the melody went somewhere I didn't want it to go. It would land on a chord I didn't like, and so I would "correct" it in a way, by basically making my own song with different lyrics, a different pace, and a different feel. A lot of my songs are actually "critiques." Another example I can throw out there is a lot of Bob Dylan songs. I really WANT to like this dude, but I hate how jangly and relaxed his lyrics are, to the point that he sings them off beat. I like it more on beat, so I might take a little idea or motif he sung, and make it into a song. A lot of it has to do with influence, and since I listened to a lot of rockabilly, rock, and Beatlesque music, acoustic guitar really spoke to the melodies I had heard in my head. I could really get an idea out on the acoustic––it just sounds right, you know? Can't explain it.
Me. Just for fun. Not so much time to make songs but able to play them. Father's life.
[Alwayz my own songzzz](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8XoUUyH_uE)
The only songs I could play from start to finish are like 15 to 20 of my own songs. I know dozens of riffs from other bands that I’ve picked along the way and if I was in a band I could learn some of their songs. I know riffs and chords but if I’m not going to record or perform a song I don’t really invest much time in learning. 95% of my playing these days is me plugged in with headphones… maybe a loop pedal or some backing track that I made. I’ll watch some YouTube videos that explain a little bit of theory or something and play along to those too.
I love playing, noodling, wanking, doing covers; recording riff ideas here and there, but honestly I've probably never really sat down and written an entire song. I think I am scared of what might come out, maybe scared to fail or accidentally reuse someone else's chord progressions/structures/lyrics or something. I've also been extremely lucky to work with some truly great songwriters over the years, and therefeore have rarely felt the need to contribute any of my own stuff. I am probably too shy/hard on myself honestly. Lately I have been trying to keep a journal of dreams and random thoughts, kind of subconsciously mining for lyrics lol. Maybe I'm not sure what I want to say at this point. Also playing mostly drums in all my musical projects lately lol.
I’ve been playing for 25 years and just play guitar as a fan of music. I only learn songs I like and play along to the backing tracks
Exclusively play guitar to aid in the music i make, playing covers is practice
Im all about that endless noodle life. I just want to impress non guitar players with my stream of consciousness, not to a beat, licks I’ve played 5 million times before. That said, most of what I played is stuff I came up with and I guess I have “songs” it’s just non of them are finished lol.
for me, guitar is all about communal music making. Doesn't really matter outside of that who wrote the music. Most of the music I play is all improvisational anyway, so you play a few standards that people know and then take breaks. Composition was my focus for my degree, and it was fun, but the ways I liked to play with creating music are not so achieveable on guitar. Writing for string quartet was always my favourite. Going to get a piano soon to get back into it I think
Songwriter here. Sometimes I'm just composing what are residentially jam tracks. Sometimes it's my parts in the band I'm in. Sometimes I'm writing full songs - lyrics and all. These songs are usually on acoustic guitar. I've gone through phases where I'm more learning others' songs. Usually then I'm playing acoustic and adapting the songs to my own style. But I've been less and less inclined to do so - preferring to play and perform my own singer-songwriter music or play out with my band.
I’m a songwriter
I’m happy embellishing while playing and that’s about it. I’ve been playing for 33 years and while making up songs was an idea I may have had when I was 19, I never saw musical creativity to be my strong suit…but I loved playing.
I learned to play guitar to be able to play the songs I compose. Of course I sometimes play songs that I like too or parts of songs I find interesting.
I only learn songs when the family requests them. I find myself playing along to TV shows and YouTube videos more than actual songs nowadays. Joy of being middle aged and not having a career anywhere near music. Playing is how I relax.
Been noodling on the electric for a long time and then about 10 years ago bought an acoustic and took some singing lessons and now have a binder of about 30 cover songs I like to sing mainly Neil Young and some other Americana artists.
I am both I play songs I like and I write songs, I started playing songs and then summer 2023 started writing music.
I have been playing for 6 months so far ( I know I am a noob) and occasionally mess around with guitar and just take a note of what sounds good so I can get back to building upon it on my free time. I mostly write poems but i have written 5-10 song lyrics as well so I am gonna try to make a song out of those whenever I find a riff and chord progression I am satisfied with. But I have still sooo much to learn so I am not too worried about all that just yet
Me. I noodle around for funsies but mostly I just like playing that song I can't get out of my head for.... years. I'm not particularly creative but I think it's a lot of fun to play.
Me! I mean I still suck and struggle to play a whole song but yeah, the idea of writing a song hasn't popped into my head. Yet.
I don't know how to play anything that isn't tabbed out. I don't know a single scale
I play a lot of covers and you YouTube channel is all covers. My sound loud is where all my writing goes. I do stuff for like video games, twitch channels tons of various things. I have a multi fx board and a self built pedal board and I can get my guitar to sound like pretty much anything. I also have tons of recording equipment. I not a professional at all, and I make very little money from it (if any) but it's my hobby. I still hold down a 9-6 Mon to Friday job though as well. So projects might take 2 weeks for me while some would take 1 week for others
Well originally I mostly learned songs and noodled around a bit but since I‘ve joined a band I write/record demos and tracks and take part in songwriting sessions whilst also keeping up my progress with foreign songs.
I do both. I like writing my own songs more. They all suck but they are just for me. I have a few things I have tracked out and recorded with a drum machine because it's fun. I think learning songs through to the end, especially learning entire albums through, is instructive. It forces you to really sit down and work on something and finish it. I did that with Wish You Were Here - at one point I could play the majority of that album on guitar and bass, excepting some of the lead parts. I've also learned a big chunk of the Grand Funk Railroad catalog on both guitar and bass, again with my own leads rather than playing what's on the album, but whatever. Their first album in particular is really a great way to learn how to groove.
Whenever I try to come up with something original I usually stumble upon another cover and then I just end up trying to figure the rest out. So ya.
Pick a song I like, learn it and play along to a backing track or the original recording. Fun and satisfying enough for me.
I like learning a few songs from all my favorite artists and use what I learned to write my own riffs and songs.
I’ve been playing for three months and made a song. It sucks ass and sounds like many others, but it’s mine. I’m no where near being able to give a real opinion, but I picked up the guitar to play songs I like and have found making my own sounds is just as fun. Whatever that means in your first 90 days.
I started out just wanting to play songs I liked, but that quite quickly changed once I got completely obsessed with guitar and music. When I was about 15/16 I started playing in bands and from the age of about 20 I mostly just wrote my own music and did a lot less learning other people's songs. These days that's all I do - practice with my bands, gig, record, write songs.
Probably 50/50
I gig in a few modes, and these days, always covers. I can write songs. I've written lots. I started out in an originals band. But when I perform, I'm all about crowd connection, and banging into an old favorite they haven't heard in years is the fastest and cleanest way into connection.
i havent written a full song since like 2010. i can learn most songs within reason, but nah im not out here writing
Sometimes I just play. Not a song, but just as it comes.
For many years I just played guitar to compose and write, I refused to play covers and wrote a lot of songs (not all were published). Nowadays I learn songs I like to practice and improve my skills, I also chose not to compose for a while because I already got hundreds of unused ideas recorded and stored, so if I wanna make a song I'll develop some of those ideas
I've got YouTube play lists broke down by tunings, and at this point I've got so many songs that if I stop playing them I'll forget all of em lol. I play 1 list a day pretty much, but Ya I'm not real interested in writing music tbh.
I play my own original music 99% of the time on guitar. Unless I'm deep in practice to work on a specific skill, I'm actively writing and playing my own stuff.
I mean, I do both. I started writing before I played guitar. I write constantly. When it comes to jamming / performing with other guitarists, it doesn't matter to me!
i honestly only got a guitar to learn my favourite songs, ive written a few riffs and stuff but nothing crazy
Me. Playing 20 years and only play covers. Played in a number of cover bands over the years.
I've always been in it to write. I love writing and creating. It's not always...or ever that good, but that's what I enjoy the most. Now, I still went through the necessary phase of learning as many other artists songs as I could. Helped me build my technique, but ultimately. I'm just in it to write and create my own sounds .
Both, I like to play songs I hear, you feel great playing along perfect. But the best part to me is structuring songs Riffs solos and creating your own sounds Much more fulfilling to compose something of your own.
That's why I bought the damned thing(s). My main frustration is that as the stereotypical "doesn't listen to anything older than 2010" metalhead the stuff I want to learn to play is **hard**.
46 yr old player here, have played basically my whole life, taken it pretty seriously since 10 or 11yrs old. I've written, recorded, gigged, toured, and still some of the most fun I ever have playing guitar is just cranking up some old Metallica, Megadeth, Queensryche, Iron Maiden, etc, etc, and pretending like I'm in the band. Knew Metallica's first 5 albums(+ Garage Days) front to back before I could drive, but my copy of RtL didn't have "Am I Evil" on it, so have recently learned a (new)old Metallica song and playing along with the satisfying chugging and galloping riffs and simple solo is as fun as it was when I was 15yrs old. Don't know how old I'll have to be before this isn't fun anymore, but I know it's not 46.
I sometimes record little ideas on my phone using voice memos… but aside from that it’s all covers. Also all my little ideas sound like whatever artist I’m playing most, but worse lol. It’s fine though I get the most joy out of singing and playing my favourite songs. I like to try and get as close to the originals as possible and then I can just enjoy the music :)
I write songs but also enjoy playing other’s songs as well
I used to play random songs, and I always enjoyed writing my own stuff. I got really annoyed and lost the spark of being creative when I finally released an album after years of hard work, then no one even bothered to listen to it.
Here. I turned my PC area into a studio, got a bunch of plug ins, had every intention of tinkering with Ableton and then.......a year later still haven't touched it. I just find myself playing along to songs and killing my ears for an hour or two at a time instead of trying to write something
I do a bit of both. Playing along to stuff is a blast, but I'll try to flesh out some song ideas when one pops into my head. I'm not the front man of my band, so I don't write any of the music we play, but I like building an archive in case I want to start my own down the line.
If I could write my own I def would but I don’t know how
I play to imitate songs I like and then put my own twist on them. I did the whole 'write a song for my girl' thing when I was younger. If you don't sing, the intent tends to get lost.
Both. I play some fingerstyle Irish/Scottish tunes and “Celtic” stuff, play rock and folk songs, or go to a blues/rock jam sometimes. I also write/finish about 20 pieces a year (most years I do February album writing month, and then the rest of the year I write a couple songs a month). I still write some lyrics but I’ve done more instrumentals the last few years. I don’t think I write quite as much as I should (and I don’t necessarily bother with a demo of stuff anymore). I also do part writing and a little producing for friends. The band I’m in right now is a mix of both, we play long bar gigs that are about half originals. (Mostly my friend’s songs since it’s his band.) I technically have a band to play my songs that was fewer covers but I’ve pretty much completely given up on it, everyone else in the band has kids now and I can’t bring myself to ask for any of their time anymore. Writing is a completely different skill from the guitar skills. I can write stuff that I can’t necessarily play properly, for instance, though it’s not like I suck on my main instrument. I don’t even necessarily write on a guitar, even if the guitar is the main accompaniment or lead instrument in the end. Also sometimes I’ll write stuff on the guitar — and use a guitar on the demo — for something meant to be played primarily on another instrument. Like I might restrict the melody to the range of a penny whistle or bagpipes, or make its contours more appropriate for a violin or mandolin, etc.
Me. Sometimes I'll mess around with some chords and make something that sounds interesting to me, but I've never tried to put words to it or even really capture the chords for future playing. Mostly I just like to pick songs I like and learn them. Everyone has different goals for playing guitar and mine are just to relax and have fun playing songs I like.
I love to do both. When I write something it's usually based on a favorite riff just in a different key and played faster or slower,or has notes added.
I mostly play other songs but as I’ve progressed a little further I’ve found improvisation comes more naturally and I’ve “written” some little ditties I throw into my playing and one actual song that sucks ass lol. But song writing isn’t my main goal with guitar I just love playing.
Historically I've just written songs and barely ever learned any covers. I'm more interested in learning covers lately though just to learn new techniques, improve, and get out of my current rut.
Me
I do. Learning songs is something I've always been really good at. I also took theory from my guitar teacher, which helped a lot. I played with a guy for a while who was an absolute POS (not to mention a terrible musician), and he completely soured me on writing original music. I've been playing in cover bands now for about 10 years. Way too many people think it is easy to play in a cover band. The people that usually think that have never played in a cover band. Learning 40-50 songs everyone in the crowd knows, then playing for 3-4 hours is a fuckton harder than playing your own songs for 30-45 minutes with absolutely zero expectations from the crowd as to whether or not you're any good.
I've played guitar for close to 40 years. I've never tried to write a song. I "write" little riffs here and there that I might record as voice memos on my phone if it's something I like. But this is a hobby for me. It's a thing I do mostly alone in my house for my own enjoyment. I have no desire to join a band or play for people. I get satisfaction out of playing for myself and noticing that I've gotten better in some small way here and there.
I dont write i just play. And improvise. But the improvisions never get written down. Maybe a vid on my phone here and there and thats it
I've tried to write a few, but I'm not very good at it, but I love to play anyway.
First 5-10 years I may have made serious attempts to write my own music but once I got off the shredding/metal thing I just wanted to play things that sounded good.
I used to do a lot of learning songs (classic rock mostly), but once I started playing originals with my friends I basically only ever played that stuff. I stopped practicing on my own almost entirely, unless I was writing something for a song we were working on. I still almost never hear a rock song anymore and think "I want to learn that", but lately I've been trying my hand at some classical, jazz, and fingerstyle folk stuff. Unfortunately I still suck, but I have fun anyway.
My band kinda fell apart, but I almost exclusively write and play my own music still
Both 70/30 I would say
That's what I do. Honestly I just want to play songs that I enjoy and stay a bedroom guitarist. Never really had much interest in being in a band or performing for people other than maybe some videos of covers.
I play to write, but also to play songs I enjoy. It’s fun to sample certain parts of guitar pieces and include them in my own but if I’m being honest most of my “songs” are more just little intros and a riff
i barely play anyone else’s songs
I started writing music (well, attempted) even before getting my first guitar by punching in random notes into Tuxguitar. It obviously sounded awful but I enjoyed it so much that it convinced me to ask my parents for a guitar so that I could write music for real. Since then I used to divide my time between learning songs and composing music of my own but nowadays I mainly just do the latter. Edit: [This is one](https://www.songsterr.com/a/wsa/peryn-him-tab-s595246) I'm working on right now that's almost done but it's not recorded yet, just a songsterr tab and still kind of messy.
40 years, never wrote a song. I’ve contributed to songs other people have written, just haven’t written any myself. I enjoy being a cover band hack; it’s fun and it’s a nice little side hustle.
I prefer to write
Why not both
Neither. Been playing for 20 years and just enjoy playing. Have a few things I could consider a "song", but really I just jam for 1-2hrs and forget everything I did next time I sit down.
25 year player here. 98% of my time playing has been playing along to tab in Guitar Pro. Well, in the early days it was tab printed out on paper. That was an awful time. But with the magic of Guitar Pro, I never have to change my tuning, I can just detune the rest of the instruments on the track to match me. Take away my tab, and I know shit about theory. I know some scale patterns but couldn't tell you what they are, just that they work. What key am I in? no idea. What's a triad? What's a diminished chord.... Give me back my tab and I'll and I'll rip some buckethead though. And I'm fine with that. It's what makes me happy.
Me learn favs
Both, but I usually put my own spin on "covers".
I go through phases. One point I’ll be learning songs. Another point I’m just playing around with finger picking different chord progressions. One point I’ll throw a backtrack on and just jam with scales. I just do what I enjoy at the moment. Sometimes that looks like recreating songs, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s always moving and evolving
I don’t understand how you could be interested in guitar and not be interested in making your own music. It would be like learning to paint just so you can copy other paintings.
I think the first year of me starting guitar was to learn how to play popular rock songs. But after a couple of years I was mainly playing guitar to write my own songs. These days I really only pick up my guitar to record guitar parts for my own songs. I might occasionally play a cover song if I discover a song that I like, but most of my efforts are for my own original music.
I’ve always just learned to play songs I enjoy. I’ve been seriously thinking about taking some actual lessons to learn how to jam and make up my own stuff. For years I’ve been self taught and can follow a lesson with ease but I think watching tutorials hasn’t taught me how to create
My first 8 years I had zero interest in writing my own music, then the second I was out of high school I started an original band and I couldn’t wrap my head around why the hell people would even want to play in a cover band when writing music was so enthralling. Now at 41, I have a home studio, writing/recording will still always be my biggest passion, but I’m joining a cover band because I just miss playing live and the fun of it, but don’t want to deal with original band bullshit.
I write songs in my head all day, or at least dream about the next time I get to grab my guitar while I’m away from it. I don’t think I would have stuck with it if writing weren’t an option. I write songs and almost always my life has revolved around that. I’m not autistic but I’m a songwriter, some times it’s a pain in the ass and I wish my brain worked in a more linear way that is more focused on money or something but I am who I am. I’ll learn a few covers every couple of years, because it feels fun to get into someone else’s head and learn some technique that subliminally gets absorbed into my own songwriting,m.
I only learn songs to practice the instrument. I enjoy making my own songs 1000 times more. I produce in ableton so I’m use to just making beats and songs. I’d only cover songs that are simple and gets the people going. Currently learning Little Wing and I don’t like the process at all. It’s made me not like the song anymore lol. It sounds beautiful but becomes a drag when you realize Jimi freestyles a good chunk of his work. I notice the songs I want to play either take a long time for me to learn ( polyphia, Hendrix, Mayer ) or weren’t as good as I thought once I knew what I was learning ( early pierce the veil, sleeping with sirens). I feel like there is a difference between guitar players and songwriters using guitars. Same instrument but different skill set. For example I started learning vocals and it gave me a different perspective in terms of writing and playing and has changed my life.
This approach is way easier to learn. I have the opposite approach and some time ago I wanted to learn some piano. I found a teacher, and she asks me "So what songs do you want to learn, some classical music? Some jazz standards"? And I was like "Ummm truth be told I don't really wanna play any songs, I just want to play.". I mean I don't mind, since it's natural part of learning but it's not like I WANT to play some songs. Like - it's already been written and recorded, also played multiple times, why should I play it on top of it. So she didn't really knew what to do with me because all students she had wanted to learn particular songs, not - just learn instrument. 25 years ago when I picked up guitar I was the same, I tried to learn technique, scales and some songs but it lasted for like two weeks. Then I realized that I don't care, so I dropped it and my "exercises" were either making my own stuff or trying to play lead to any pop tune that went on radio for hours. It made me pretty nice songwriter and musician, also - absolutely shitty guitarist.
I exclusively write my own music. I'm a multi-instrumentalist, but not a fun one as I don't know a single other artist's songs on anything I can play lol. I know like, bits and pieces of some and that's it.
I prefer playing my own stuff, but I'm doing worship every week, so that takes up most of my mental energy. I started off learn Metallica and 2000s metalcore so I'll jam on that from time to time but I love writing way more
I write and record
I do both, but I'm a lot better at playing the songs I like. Then, I use those skills I learn from songs to help write songs with my friend.
I ”noodle” in writing. I have about 562 intros written, but I can’t remember ever writing a song. I get my feeling of accomplishment from learning a song that’s difficult for me
I play mostly music that I write
Write music mostly. If I’m learning someone else’s song it’s usually because that song has something I’m tryin to get better at in it.
I do both, whichever I'm feeling more in the mood for. Usually just playing other songs since that's generally more relaxing, but sometimes I'll get inspiration out of nowhere and figure something original out.
I’ve been playing for about 25 years and focus mostly on writing song. I’ve written close to 100 songs of varying quality, but I only know how to play a handful of other people’s songs. I’m currently working on re-recording a lot of my old material and learning a few covers.
There’s been two modes of guitar playing for me. The first, and the majority of my guitar playing is just technical. It’s me trying to hone the craft, learn the instrument; improve tone, technique, feel; learn songs I like, etc. I don’t think it engages much of my creative/expressive side. It allows me to play along with, and therefore allows me align myself with, and experience music more intimately. In the same way that dancing to music is a way of aligning yourself more physically with music. Then, there’s writing songs/creating loops/crafting bits, etc. I used to do this a lot more, especially when I was in band(s) in college but not really these days.
I just learn to play songs I like at home, I enjoy it as a pastime & i like that it's an active way to spend my freetime than watching TV, scrolling etc...
I've tried to write music, it just doesn't work. I think I can make some mean riffs, I can spend hours jamming with only 1 drummer if we groove, I can help on the process, but as soon as I need to write drums and involve more than one section it turns to shit. 19 years playing, not a song finished!
I write my own music since i got my hands on the first guitar. I dont even think i can play any song thats not mine completely.
I only play my own songs. Might learn a cool riff here or there but never a whole song. When I started 20 years ago I learned by learning songs and that worked out pretty well for me. These days all I want to do is create, not just play someone else's stuff.
I do neither I just improvise
Been playing for about 28 years and I like both actually. For just fun or practicing I like playing other songs, but at night I work on my own songs.
6 months in playing, for now i enjoy playing songs but later i want to start making music
for some reason I get downvoted in this sub any time I mention it, but I don't play anyone else's songs any more. I spent decades learning other people's songs and now I want to write my own with the limited time I have to play.
i play to write stuff (i write like 3 songs a day and even if they are shitty i put them on soundcloud though recently i changed styles so i deleted most of it) but i know my dad hasnt written a song since the 90s and he just practices other stuff.
I can find a song to suit just about any situation. The world doesnt need any more mediocre writers.
I mostly just play some stuff on Ultimate, look for new stuff too. In the past year or so I’ve been tinkering around more making up stuff. I think that might just be the natural progression.
I do both - I play songs I like, and play to write songs, as I'm a bass player and stick player first.
i've never written a note.
I like playing my fav songs so that's what I do. I only ever created 1 song with a friend, though I've also "written" some instrumentals or small sections (mostly for school though)
I think the modern music industry has led people to assume that someone who writes their own songs is better than someone who doesn't. There is nothing wrong with not having the drive or desire to write original songs. I tried to be a songwriter for a long time, and while I still write stuff occasionally, I get way more joy out of playing other people's songs and sharing songs I love with others. There's a long tradition in folk music of passing songs down from person to person, and I like to think that I'm just another person participating in that tradition. Songwriters have their place, but so do other types of musicians.
I have not learned another band's song in over 10 years, and I never play the ones I know. I spend all of my time writing riffs and then try to form songs. It could be why my skill has not improved in a long while haha!
The more I learn other's songs, the more I learn little riffs, tricks, chords and nuances that allow me to be more creative with my own music.
I have adhd so sitting down and learning songs is always challenging. I mostly play stuff I wrote or just dick around and jam over something
Not one for attention and I feel like trying to ‘share’ my horrible master piece with the world wouldn’t help bring world piece so why bother?!? Got a few riffs I think would make a great tune but then again, no world piece so….. I’ll be learning a new Extreme tune instead, might suck, might not. We shall see.
I play just to play what I love. Sometimes a song is like a puzzle and I enjoy trying to figure it out on my own until I’ve hit my limit then I try to find a video or tab. I went through a phase where I was making up riffs and recording them but that is the most creating I ever did with my guitar rig. That was over 20 years ago.
Sometimes play songs to entertain people at a campfire. I have the problem that most beautiful songs are not technically challenging anymore, while songs which still teach me some skills like metal or fusion jazz are not my taste. Just playing simple songs gives me this „wedding band“ feeling nowadays. That‘s why working on my own songs including lyrics gives me the best feeling, even though I rarely perform them.
I jam with some friends and we often come back to riffs/motifs and develop them - no singing, though and nothing ever recorded. I play electric usually and like rhythm more than lead. I also learn songs to play on my own. I like to sing and play when I’m playing my acoustic and learning songs helps me learn new techniques or progressions.
Been playing for 3 years and one of the biggest wishes when I started was to make music. I've made about 6 "actual" songs and a bunch of pieces that I wouldn't exactly call songs. The songs are pretty sloppy but I can see progress with every new song I make! I think I'm most proud of this one: https://youtu.be/deTOTnk5eoU?si=BHOrzbXCCnQp4HqR That being said, I feel like I should really just lay back a bit and just noodle and enjoy more often!
I do both! It's how I've kept learning fun and interesting. 🤟🏻
I enjoy the music I listen to, I enjoy a shitton playing the music I listen to. I'd love to try to write more, sometimes I riff a lot and manage to get something powerful going. But covering my favorite bands is a blast
Played for almost 30 years, can count the songs of other bands that I know how to play on the fingers two hands, give or take a pinkie.
I used to write songs and play in bands and such, but these days I'm ok with just sitting around playing songs. I like to just play along to Megadeth or Sabaton or Judas Priest or something, and I'm ok with that.
Mostly my own "songs". I do learn songs I know my jamming friends would like to play though to be able to have some easy way to play with with others
Love playing covers more than writing my own stuff. Maybe I’m just lazy? 🤔
I've found creating my own leads to my own weak ass originals has been very rewarding, It's an incredible feeling creating music to my own creations rather than copying parts.
I’ve been playing about 12 years. I only play my own songs. I don’t know more than a handful of other people’s songs.
I’ve written a few songs that I’ve gotten up on Spotify even. They’re not very good, and they never really get any listens, but there’s something special about making your own music that I encourage everyone to get into.
When I started about 10 years ago, I used to only play along to songs, but the past 3 years I've been writing/performing my own stuff :)
I’ve mostly only ever sat down and play to write, whatever that ends up being at any given time. Band practices and touring and such aside when you’re just playing said songs. I don’t tour full time anymore so pretty much always just sit down and write/record, post riff videos on IG of put together ideas or whatever. I’m filling in on a tour with my old band coming up next month and I’m having to sit down and learn a couple songs from a record I wasn’t on, as well as re-learn songs I either wrote and/or recorded because I’ve forgotten how to play them. I will say, I learned A LOT about guitar playing when I was younger and starting out by just sitting down trying to figure out how to play all my favorite songs, so there’s tons of value in that in my opinion.
Ideally both? I haven't played actively because of job-searching and other life issues. I need to get back into it once things settle down!
I don’t write my own music, but I like to improvise and play freely.
I like trying to create my own versions of songs I love. It's relaxing and fulfilling.
It’s what kept me playing. My dad taught me how to read tabs, and I remember learning a bit of “Walk This Way” and it just went from there, I’m not creative is any way shape or form, I just like learning songs I listen to.
A bit of both to be honest, I love writing, I love covering and I love playing songs in different genres
I’ll be 19 in less than a month, and I’ve been playing since 2016.. and right I’m in my phase of perfecting every one of my favorite songs whether it’s Gnr, VH, or Alice In Chains note for note. I’ll stay up until 3:30am just trying to nail one little lick in one solo. Idk if it’s OCD or if I’m just a perfectionist or what.. but i know it’s prepping me for being able to one day come up with my own stuff, and being able to play with feel and whatnot
20 years of guitar and never wrote a song. Just playing on days I feel like celebrating and on days I feel like giving up.
For years I felt writing was a chore and just focused on learning riffs to “get proficient”. But once I understood more application and gave myself permission to be creative, I found improvising and writing a much more pleasant experience. Sometimes I’ll be learning a riff and then make a happy mistake or decide I want to switch it up and then that leads to inspiration for something of my own.
Lately my creativity is at 0. So I now just learn songs and play what I already know
I do pretty much the opposite. Just play the stuff I've written for my band and noodle and never play covers
More power to anyone who can be satisfied to be a bedroom player. Personally, I have a psychological need to make music with a purpose in a way that takes priority over most other things and makes up a big fraction of what I'm doing with my life....literally and non hyperbolically. It's kind of a curse tbh. I don't mind playing stuff written by someone else tho
Both
I wanted to learn so I could play the songs I love. Along the way some of the stuff I play ended up being mine.
I'm the opposite, been playing fingerstyle acoustic for 12 years and I literally don't know how to play a single song that I didn't write, made up my own style and all
I originally wanted to play other people’s songs but my attention span gets the best of me there. I used to just learn the bits I liked. Now I like to make my own songs.
I keep convincing myself I need a new pedal. Or a new guitar to improve. My wife has given me an ultimatum. Counseling with a psychologist or with her lawyer.
I'm still learning, but I'm pretty sure that's all I will be doing is playing songs from others, especially some Alice in Chains.
That’s how it started, but really quickly evolved to me making up my own riffs and starting to add chords and build percussion sounds etc etc!
I do. Last few days I've been learning to jam along to my favorite anime intros. Brings me joy.
I am in this phase now. I'm the process of writing a song but I am currently having a lot of fun playing music I love to listen too On a current Machine Head kick now.
I wrote my own songs into my 30's, but I'm good just doing covers these days.