How do Dream Theater write?

[illusionist]

We all have been, at some point,wondering how DT write their albums.
Do they write and record each song separately, do they write the whole album and then record all the songs?
Do they demo their songs or not, do they write the music and the lyrics simultaneously, etc.

Today i was wondering this.
When they finish the writing of an album, does that mean they have the final cut of each song ready, and all it's left to do is to record it?
Or does it mean that they have a solid structure of every song ready with all the musical themes in place, BUT when it comes down to solos each player will take his time while recording, to improvise and come up with the final form of the solos?
And so let's say Mike, for example, did his tracks in late March, but doesn't know what Petrucci will bring to the table as far as solos until he listens to JPs final recordings?

And something else.
Do you think that each of the guys writes his own parts on his instrument alone, and then they combine their parts to create the album, or do you think they share their ideas about how the other guys should sound?
I mean, let's say JP starts playing a riff, and then it's Jordan that listens and says you should play it this way, or come down an octave, or continues this riff on his keys and then hands it to JP to play it essentially as a JR idea, even though it was Petruccis idea initially.
Would be interesting to know.

[Jamesman42]

With their hands

[Jamesman42]

Or does it mean that they have a solid structure of every song ready with all the musical themes in place, BUT when it comes down to solos each player will take his time while recording, to improvise and come up with the final form of the solos?

For real though, I always assumed most bands did this unless they have a huge reason to have everything in place the way they want it.

[Schurftkut]

from what i remember from all the times they were asked these questions in interviews; They usually just start jamming together. Everything's mic'ed up and they just jam until they find seeds for songs. While working on the music, they give different sections names so to easily identify riffs while communicating and they keep a chart of that on a whiteboard. For more intricate passages john and jordan maybe sit together and work things out, or they all play the part slowly first to get it all together.
When all the music is written they start working on lyrics. Who writes for what song is usually the person most interested in writing for that song. In the case of JM lyrics, he writes more poetically and has to work with John to make it fit better as lyrics.
MP does three takes for a song, and comps the best parts which is what you'll hear on the record. Backingtracks are recorded first, then come vocals and solos.

[Schurftkut]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_nmR6H1juQ
making of six degrees of inner turbulence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zebBFPtGYO0

making of train of thought..

etc, there's plenty on youtube for you to look at that answers the questions you have.

[hefdaddy42]

Yeah, are you a new fan, by chance? 

[illusionist]

Yeah, are you a new fan, by chance?

Since '99, if you ask me

[WilliamMunny]

Interesting post–perhaps it's because of my experience playing and recording, but I've never really wondered 'how' DT writes. They have been incredibly transparent as to their process with the videos and docs over the years.

In fact, I'd say they have a much more streamlined approach than most bands.

Regardless, I'd say that much of what they do and how they do it is revealed by simply watching their 'in the video' clips on youtube–the SC doc immediately comes to mind.

Short of actually sitting in the room, 10 hours a day, I doubt you'll get much closer to the answers you seek.

[hefdaddy42]

Since '99, if you ask me

OK, I did ask you 

Just asking, since a lot of this info has always been out there.

There are obviously always exceptions, but in general, they write the music all together as a group, jamming until they get parts they like, then go into composition mode to flesh them out/complete them.

In general, they compose all of the pieces musically before recording (often, but not always, recording demos of the songs), at which point they generally track one instrument at a time.  Solos recorded last, normally.

They pretty much always write and record ALL of the music before writing lyrics/recording vocals.

Again, there have been variations (multiple times writing/recording almost immediately - doing all the work in the studio; JP bringing in a song he wrote by himself; The Astonishing being composed by JP and JR as a duo rather than the whole band; etc), but that covers most of it.

[illusionist]

As a fan for so many years i have also watched their documentaries from the studio and read countless of their interviews throughout the years.
My questions were very specific though.

One regarding the solos, if they write them while writing the whole album or they could work on their solos during recording,taking as much time needed to shape and reshape them if they feel inspired.
Essentially what i am asking is, is the writing of the album done, or will be when the solos are handed to Jimmy T?
I mean the big chunk of music is written and there is maybe some 5-10% left for the guys to compose or polish during the recording sessions.

And the second one was about whether the guys create their parts on their instruments alone, or can a riff on the keys may be a JM idea,or a guitar melody may be a JR idea which he thought it would sound better on the guitar than on his piano/keys.

[Schurftkut]

yeah those questions are answered in their making of videos

[hefdaddy42]

One regarding the solos, if they write them while writing the whole album or they could work on their solos during recording,taking as much time needed to shape and reshape them if they feel inspired.

They will definitely take as much time as they feel they need, since they own the studio.

But I doubt they "write" the final studio versions of the solos while writing the album.  I would imagine they they just write the spaces for the solos, then compose/record the final solos while they are tracking, although it is my understanding that their general practice is that they track all of the main parts first, and only track the solos afterwards, once all of the other instruments are tracked.

Essentially what i am asking is, is the writing of the album done, or will be when the solos are handed to Jimmy T?
I mean the big chunk of music is written and there is maybe some 5-10% left for the guys to compose or polish during the recording sessions.

Yes, and yes, if I understand you correctly.

And the second one was about whether the guys create their parts on their instruments alone, or can a riff on the keys may be a JM idea,or a guitar melody may be a JR idea which he thought it would sound better on the guitar than on his piano/keys.

I know some things like that have happened in the past, although specific examples escape me at the moment.  I bet Scotty knows.  He knows everything.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

dream theater's songwriting process is a fascinating subject, and quite frankly, one i could spend days posting about. from interviews and documentaries, it's clear they have a highly collaborative approach. they often start with individual ideas brought in by each band member, whether it's a riff, melody, or lyrical concept. once they have a collection of ideas, they come together in the rehearsal room to flesh them out. this involves jamming on the ideas, experimenting with different arrangements, and seeing what sticks. this is the phase i believe we saw many of the "insider" shots from Mike Portnoy recently (with some peeks at the white board). according to guitarist John Petrucci, this phase is all about "exploring the possibilities" and seeing where the music takes them.

once they have a basic structure for a song, they dive into the nitty-gritty details. this includes refining transitions, adding layers of instrumentation, and fine-tuning the dynamics. JR often plays a key role in this stage, adding textures and orchestrations that enhance the overall sound. it's worth noting that dream theater's songs are often lengthy and complex, with intricate arrangements and frequent changes in time signature. this level of detail requires careful planning and coordination among the band members.


i'll stop myself there before i blather on, but by the way, welcome to the forums!