--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is amazing when you try and write…" description: "\"It is amazing when you try and write songs without an instrument. It kind of forces the melody to be honed it. It has to be good. A lot of what I think..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca2/graham-colton-50907_be-good_it-is-amazing-when-you-try-and-write-son_2309369.jpg" --- # It is amazing when you try and write songs without an… ![“It is amazing when you try and write songs without an instrument. It kind of forces the melody to be honed it. It has to be good. A lot of what I think are my best songs were made without an instrument.” quote by Graham Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca2/graham-colton-50907_be-good_it-is-amazing-when-you-try-and-write-son_2309369.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca2/graham-colton-50907_be-good_it-is-amazing-when-you-try-and-write-son_2309369.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca2/graham-colton-50907_be-good_it-is-amazing-when-you-try-and-write-son_2309369.jpg) > “It is amazing when you try and write songs without an instrument. It kind of forces the melody to be honed it. It has to be good. A lot of what I think are my best songs were made without an instrument.” [Graham Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-colton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing songs without an instrument sharp focus on pure melody, leading to stronger, more memorable tunes. **In simple terms:** Melody improves when you write without a instrument. Key Takeaway Write songs aically to sharpen melody. Themes creativity songwriting melodic focus Mood reflective inspired Type advice creative insight When to use this quote - solo songwriting - home recording - ly sessions - music education Key Concepts musical minimalism creative constraint song structure Questions to Reflect On - How does removing instrumentation affect your creative process? - Can you maintain musical interest without harmonic support? A Different Perspective May limit harmonic experimentation and can be challenging for beginners. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Be good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-good/) [Best Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-son/) [Instrument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instrument/) [Instrument Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instrument-kind-2464689/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Melody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/melody/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songs/) [Songs Instrument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songs-instrument-3762930/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Write Songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-songs-241038/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I probably wrote three-quarters of the songs without an instrument in my hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thompson/i-probably-wrote-three-quarters-of-the-songs-without-an-instrument-in/) [Richard Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thompson/) > [I don't remember consciously not being able to play an instrument. It's been kind of like a language for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristian-bush/i-don-t-remember-consciously-not-being-able-to-play-an-instrument-it/) [Kristian Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristian-bush/) > [When we write songs, we don't ever sit down to write an Old Dominion song. We just sit down to write the best song…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-ramsey/when-we-write-songs-we-don-t-ever-sit-down-to-write-an-old-dominion/) [Matthew Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-ramsey/) > [I always try to write the best song I can in the moment, and those songs are often going to end up on Death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-gibbard/i-always-try-to-write-the-best-song-i-can-in-the-moment-and-those/) [Ben Gibbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-gibbard/) > [Sometimes, the best songs are the ones you write without any pen and paper or audio recording device or guitar in your hands. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-foreman/sometimes-the-best-songs-are-the-ones-you-write-without-any-pen-and/) [Jon Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-foreman/) > [Because as much as I love figuring out other people's puzzles, and love putting words together in ways that feel good to sing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-robbins/because-as-much-as-i-love-figuring-out-other-people-s-puzzles-and/) [J. Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-robbins/) > [A well trained body is a beautiful instrument on which to play the melody of the present moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-yee/a-well-trained-body-is-a-beautiful-instrument-on-which-to-play-the/) [Rodney Yee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-yee/) > [The first instrument I had was made in the late '70s. Back then they had basically one tuning. I shifted slightly away from that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-howard/the-first-instrument-i-had-was-made-in-the-late-70s-back-then-they/) [Greg Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-howard/) > [“Some people look like they sound better than they actually sound, because they look confident and have good posture," once musician, a veteran of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/some-people-look-like-they-sound-better-than-they-actually-sound/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [I'm inspired to write songs in many different ways - it can come from a melody, a word or phrase or something I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-de-burgh/i-m-inspired-to-write-songs-in-many-different-ways-it-can-come-from-a/) [Chris de Burgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-de-burgh/) > [I write all my own songs and they are just simple melodies with a lot of lyrics. They usually have to do with current…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/i-write-all-my-own-songs-and-they-are-just-simple-melodies-with-a-lot/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [Sometimes I write songs that just come out in a pop format because I grew up on melody and these amazing artists during the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn/sometimes-i-write-songs-that-just-come-out-in-a-pop-format-because-i/) [Robyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn/) > [Sometimes the song that takes the littlest amount of time are sometimes the best songs you ever do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mcreynolds/sometimes-the-song-that-takes-the-littlest-amount-of-time-are/) [Jonathan McReynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-mcreynolds/) > [I always think that you should never, ever force a producer to do something with a song that they don't think they can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-hart/i-always-think-that-you-should-never-ever-force-a-producer-to-do/) [Beth Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-hart/) > [I think the best riffs and the best songs come when you're jamming and having a good time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-ian/i-think-the-best-riffs-and-the-best-songs-come-when-you-re-jamming/) [Scott Ian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-ian/) ## More by Graham Colton > [Everything that has happened to me in a good way, I never thought in a million years those things would happen. Now that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-colton/everything-that-has-happened-to-me-in-a-good-way-i-never-thought-in-a/) [Graham Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-colton/) > [It's was all the internet. I started writing songs in high school, right about the time of the onset of Napster. I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-colton/it-s-was-all-the-internet-i-started-writing-songs-in-high-school/) [Graham Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-colton/) > [It definitely feels like I'm sort of reaching people through social media in the right kind of way. I feel like I've been late…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-colton/it-definitely-feels-like-i-m-sort-of-reaching-people-through-social/) [Graham Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-colton/) > [The exciting part about sitting down and writing songs, playing shows, or being a musician in general is that you never know where those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-colton/the-exciting-part-about-sitting-down-and-writing-songs-playing-shows/) [Graham Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-colton/) > [When you are on a major record label, you're just forced to think big. You are forced to think about things like "how many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-colton/when-you-are-on-a-major-record-label-you-re-just-forced-to-think-big/) [Graham Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-colton/) > [I think that with albums these days, as long as you are moving forward and not trying to re-create things and looking back, albums…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-colton/i-think-that-with-albums-these-days-as-long-as-you-are-moving-forward/) [Graham Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-colton/) [Explore all 7 Graham Colton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-colton/) ## More Be good quotes > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Peace is the result of love, and if love were easy we'd all be good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colman-mccarthy/peace-is-the-result-of-love-and-if-love-were-easy-we-d-all-be-good-at/) [Colman McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colman-mccarthy/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Most of us want to live in harmony and peace and be good to others. Right now, however, the world is in a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hany-abu-assad/most-of-us-want-to-live-in-harmony-and-peace-and-be-good-to-others/) [Hany Abu-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hany-abu-assad/) > [I've never had any desire to be good. I don't like goodness particularly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-ve-never-had-any-desire-to-be-good-i-don-t-like-goodness/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [To become a classical ballerina, you have to move to New York when you're 12 or 11 and that becomes your life. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-garner/to-become-a-classical-ballerina-you-have-to-move-to-new-york-when-you/) [Jennifer Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-garner/) > [The producers felt that 24 would be good for the audience, to really get to know who these 12 and 12 are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-abdul/the-producers-felt-that-24-would-be-good-for-the-audience-to-really/) [Paula Abdul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-abdul/) > [All will concede that in order to have good neighbors, we must also be good neighbors. That applies in every field of human endeavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/all-will-concede-that-in-order-to-have-good-neighbors-we-must-also-be/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Everybody wants to be good, but not many are prepared to make the sacrifices it takes to be great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-arden/everybody-wants-to-be-good-but-not-many-are-prepared-to-make-the/) [Paul Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-arden/) > [There's such cultural rot taking place, such a disintegration throughout our culture. Values, morality, you name it. Standards have been relaxed, and people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-s-such-cultural-rot-taking-place-such-a-disintegration/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The difference in being good at some thing and being great at something is usually found in the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-anderson/the-difference-in-being-good-at-some-thing-and-being-great-at/) [Randy Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-anderson/) > [It doesn't matter if your lead character is good or bad. He just has to be interesting, and he has to be good at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chase/it-doesn-t-matter-if-your-lead-character-is-good-or-bad-he-just-has/) [David Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chase/) > [What's good for the very rich might not be good for anybody but them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/what-s-good-for-the-very-rich-might-not-be-good-for-anybody-but-them/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [“Living in the middle of beauty like this, we've no call to have puny ideas about God. Why do you suppose His world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/living-in-the-middle-of-beauty-like-this-we-ve-no-call-to-have-puny/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) [Browse all 1,747 Be good quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-good/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is amazing when you try and write songs without an instrument. It kind of forces the melody to be honed it. It has to be good. A lot of what I think are my best songs were made without an instrument.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Graham Colton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-colton/it-is-amazing-when-you-try-and-write-songs-without-an-instrument-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Be good" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-colton/it-is-amazing-when-you-try-and-write-songs-without-an-instrument-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca2/graham-colton-50907_be-good_it-is-amazing-when-you-try-and-write-son_2309369.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca2/graham-colton-50907_be-good_it-is-amazing-when-you-try-and-write-son_2309369.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca2/graham-colton-50907_be-good_it-is-amazing-when-you-try-and-write-son_2309369.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is amazing when you try and write songs without an instrument. It kind of forces the melody to be honed…” — Graham Colton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Graham Colton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-colton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is amazing when you try...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-colton/it-is-amazing-when-you-try-and-write-songs-without-an-instrument-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-colton/it-is-amazing-when-you-try-and-write-songs-without-an-instrument-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```