Henry Mancini Quotes

My focus on everything is songwriting, so I write all of my stuff by myself.

I could tell it was a popular move as a writer to walk down the bass lines while you were writing a song.

If you write songs you have an idea how they're going to sound.

I got this book called 'How to Write the Popular Song.' I read that and went through all the things they suggested, and I learned how to do it.

Songwriting is different from music, although I don't deny now that it would be nice to have a little more background in music theory.

But there's a thin line between songwriting and arranging.

I've composed a fair amount in my life, and some of them have made it on to the screen, some compositions that I've done, a few. And I like doing that. I had never really considered doing a full-length thing. I've worked with other people creating full-length pieces.

That is what intrigues me; songwriting and song structure and expression.

There's two facets to writing a song. There's you sitting in your room writing the sentiments of the song; the lyrics, the melody and the changes, and then there's the part where you go into the studio and you put clothing on it.

I love writing songs. I'm a songwriter.

I love making music. I love being involved in arranging music. It's very natural to know what I want to hear next and come up with ideas that are variations of what might be good.

I'd love to write a song that someone else sings that can actually sing really well.

I've always written songs the same way. You learn different tricks - you learn craft, you learn structure, all that - as you go.

There's two things that are tough when you're trying to be a songwriter: Number one is, how do I write a great song? The second thing is, how do I write a great song that's right for me?

I'm used to making songs; that's how I learned to make music. My structures will always be more like pop songs than dance tracks.

Of course, you can't teach songwriting. You can only encourage people to do it and help them to sort out for themselves what they want to achieve, and get a list of exercises together that improves the craft and gives them more access to the craft of writing good songs.

I'm usually just writing lyrics alone in my room, but I'm happy to be producing and writing chords anywhere.

I always really wanted to do film scoring, largely because I hate writing lyrics. I just won't do it. I need help with the words.

Obviously when you write songs you've got to record them, but just writing the songs is one of my favorite things to do.

I'm always interested in writing. I keep music in journals on an everyday basis. I'm always looking for ideas that can be music.

I'm always writing music.

I usually start with a lyric or a melody and then build a song around that.

Yes, basically, like you said, I'll work out a chord pattern and work out the lyrics over that.

I don't write songs.

I write in all keys. I've always written in all keys. I've probably written a lot of songs in A.