How do you name your songs?

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challism
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03 Sep 2020

I think many of us struggle with naming our songs. Let's talk about it.

If a title doesn't come to me while I'm initially working on a new song, I used to just use the first word/phrase that came into my head. For some reason, I always seem to go through words that begin with the blended sound "Sp". Consequently, I've got way too many stupid song titles on my HDD like spatula, splunk, splat, spackle, sparkle, speck, spunk, spat.

Being unsatisfied with my creativity, I've been using a new method: I just open up https://www.merriam-webster.com/ and use the "word of the day" as the title. This is a pretty cool way to name songs. Not only do I learn a new word, but my song titles and lyrics have an aura of pretension that is unmatched.
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Loque
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03 Sep 2020

Sometimes i already have the theme and title in my mind, what i want to express.

Sometimes while creating the song of it is finished, i suddenly have something in my mind, and thats the title.

If i absolutely have no clue, i ask other ppl what they have first in their mind or what the song reminds them.
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TritoneAddiction
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03 Sep 2020

Yeah I hate naming songs.
Many times I have a clear image or story in my head, but converting that into a 1-5 word title that sounds good isn't always easy. Some words can describe what I feel or envision but they simply suck as a title. The best titles for me seem to be either suggestive or add something new to what's already there. I don't know, sometimes you just find the right words, other times you don't.
I imagine it would be easier if I wrote music with lyrics. The few times I've had vocals, it's been easier at least.

I often go to a word association page just to get some ideas/words around a theme.

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Rising Night Wave
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03 Sep 2020

by feeling
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deeplink
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03 Sep 2020

Qpwiroqlsjciwneod
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challism
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03 Sep 2020

deeplink wrote:
03 Sep 2020
Qpwiroqlsjciwneod
Catchy! I think you may have a real knack for naming things. What are your kids'/pets' names?
Rising Night Wave wrote:
03 Sep 2020
by feeling
And if there's no feeling? "Document1"
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PhillipOrdonez
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03 Sep 2020

Date, key, BPM and genre. Once I come up with a title I change this generic thing, but it helps not needing to think of names, because names often changes the direction of a song if you haven't finished it. Sometimes you want that, other times you don't. I rather name them once they are finished.

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motuscott
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03 Sep 2020

They're all named Karen
Who’s using the royal plural now baby? 🧂

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Rising Night Wave
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03 Sep 2020

challism wrote:
03 Sep 2020
deeplink wrote:
03 Sep 2020
Qpwiroqlsjciwneod
Catchy! I think you may have a real knack for naming things. What are your kids'/pets' names?
Rising Night Wave wrote:
03 Sep 2020
by feeling
And if there's no feeling? "Document1"
then i wait till i got an idea
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guitfnky
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03 Sep 2020

motuscott wrote:
03 Sep 2020
They're all named Karen
I’d like to speak to the manager. 💁🏼‍♀️
I write good music for good people

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guitfnky
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03 Sep 2020

I always just go with some random BS that comes out of my brainskull, when I first start a new project. it usually stays that way until the song is completely finished. as I’m writing music and/or lyrics along the way, a concept or title starts to form, and by the time I’m done, I’ve settled on one solid name, and can rename the file.

last step after renaming it is to reopen it under the new name so I don’t get errors opening when it’s still looking for the old name.
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BRIGGS
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03 Sep 2020

motuscott wrote:
03 Sep 2020
They're all named Karen
lol :lol:
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BRIGGS
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03 Sep 2020

Unless a name comes to mind, I just use the date and a version/revision number.
r11s

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challism
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03 Sep 2020

guitfnky wrote:
03 Sep 2020
motuscott wrote:
03 Sep 2020
They're all named Karen
I’d like to speak to the manager. 💁🏼‍♀️
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BRIGGS
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03 Sep 2020

challism wrote:
03 Sep 2020
guitfnky wrote:
03 Sep 2020


I’d like to speak to the manager. 💁🏼‍♀️
https://media.giphy.com/media/wWue0rCDOphOE/giphy.gif
Image
r11s

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challism
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03 Sep 2020

You're too fast for me, Briggs. I couldn't get that image to load right, so I had to change it.
Both images work, though.
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BRIGGS
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03 Sep 2020

challism wrote:
03 Sep 2020
You're too fast for me, Briggs. I couldn't get that image to load right, so I had to change it.
Both images work, though.
lol :lol:
r11s

thedjjudah
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04 Sep 2020

I have a lot of fun when it comes to naming songs. Sometimes I come up with the name, and then make a song based on how that title makes me feel. Sometimes I just write the song in my head first, and then come up with the name afterward based on the attitude of the song. A lot of times, however, I'll base the name of the song off of the lyrics (hardcore stuff, not freeform stuff).

The songs I had the most fun naming are:

A.G. for the A.D.
C.O.P.S. (Calling Out Potential Stalkers)
The Fire and The Fear
Funkform
Modulate,Devastate

thedjjudah
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07 Sep 2020

Oh, and I almost forgot

Hit You Like a Canon.

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mcatalao
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08 Sep 2020

I consider different things a song name or the project name. My projects most times are a description of what is used on the song, a time stamp or some gibberish so that I don't lose work ever. Most times it's Genre_main_instrument_date.reason or NewAge_ArpSynth_flute_10122019.reason.

Song naming is a totally different thing and to be as poetic as possible, the soul of the song will tell me its name when it is ready... ;) Then I'll rename the song file.

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Dabbler
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08 Sep 2020

As said if there are lyrics then the name should come pretty easily.

Of the instrumentals I've written one was a guitar based extravaganza in Am, so I named it : A minor work.

Another one has a keyboard part that was reminiscent of the old tune 96 tears so I named it : 95 tears.

Then I did a bunch or orchestral tunes for a book my sister wrote about turtles that survived a tsunami. Those are collectively known as the tsunami tales.

Now, the old guys like Mozart, they just numbered their stuff. So there is always that.

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Aosta
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08 Sep 2020

Sometimes I will go with my initial impression of the sounds like 'plinkynoisethingy' or something and sometimes I will just have a phrase pop into my head from something I heard that day that caught my attention.
When it comes down to completed tracks I feel my way around it until something just clicks and a cryptic title or something alluding to something I want to express or believe might arise, there are no set methods.
Tend the flame

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