M. Ward Quotes

When I was first learning songs, I'd have a favorite song, and I'd take the chords and twist them around. I'd learn the chords and then play them backward. That was my first experimenting with writing a song.

The first time I learned how to play, my guitar was out of tune. I didn't know it; I just started writing songs.

As a kid, I used to sit there and figure out how to play everybody's song, and through learning all those songs I learned how to put chords together, and it evolved till I could say, 'Hey, I just wrote that.'

I can put some chords together and maybe write a song, but I'm learning every day. And that's the fun part.

I probably would've kept slogging on that same chord change, because there's a tendency to have that happen. You get into the cadence in your mind, and it's hard to make the kind of left turn that you probably need to keep it really interesting.

I write anywhere. I'm always banging around on the dashboard. Whatever I'm doing. I can make music out of anything. Whenever a song hits me, I'll pick some sort of melody or rhythm out on it, and kind of enhance the song.

Oh yeah, we all write. That's what's great about when you have basics in piano.

When I got into music, I wanted to learn guitar just enough to be able to write songs. I wanted to be able to express myself.

I've always been a fan of just writing songs and making music.

I like to start with an idea, but then again, I might be sitting at the keyboard, and just playing a bunch of chords that sound cool together, and something just inspires an idea from that.

With 'Under the Pressure,' I just found two chords I liked, and built it up, did like a ten-minute drum pattern.

Success is good, but I have seen the other side. I don't think much about it. I just work towards making a good melody, with catchy yet meaningful lyrics, and as I'm a music producer and arranger myself, I know the sound I need.

If the chords change a lot over the course of a song, it's better to stay within the same melodic structure.

There's only seven chords, so you got to use the same ones over and over. It's all in what you do with them.

I listen to everything and find parts about a song in the lyrics/melody/chords/production that I like and can be inspired by when I write my next song.

I just play music by listening and responding, so I don't know anything about writing songs or arranging and all of this stuff. You know, it's in my head, but I don't know how to get it out.

I like inventive melodies and chord changes, a little bit of creativity.

I sit around and try to play along to certain songs that I really love. It helps you explore new territory.

All of my acoustic playing came from my songwriting. All of the chords I've learned and all of the voicings I play them in are a direct result of composing.

I started writing music around 20 years old.

I would never say I 'play' guitar. But yeah, I play to write. Same with piano.

I like playing guitar I don't like talking about it. I like writing riffs, I don't like explaining them.

You're always thinking about making new music.

I always find that, when it comes to writing songs, if the melody and the chords are working, we're 90 per cent there.

I could care less about the particular. I like to make music.