Songwriting with Clavet + Crescender

Capture ideas in Clavet

Clavet is designed for the messy, iterative process of songwriting. Start simple and build complexity as ideas develop.

Setting up your workspace

One workspace per project:

• Keep separate workspaces for different bands or projects
• Each workspace can contain multiple songs
• Organise by album, EP, or collection

Starting a new song:

• Create a new song document
• Give it a working title (you can change it later)
• Add a concept or initial idea in the notes section

1. Create sections Add verse, chorus, bridge sections as you go. Don't worry about order initially, you can rearrange later.

2. Capture lyrics Type lyrics directly into sections. Use line breaks for phrasing and rhythm.

3. Add voice memos Record quick melodies or ideas. Don't worry about perfect quality, capture the moment.

4. Tag by mood Tag songs by energy level, mood, or style. This helps when building setlists later.

Voice memo transcription workflow

Voice memos are powerful for capturing melodies and ideas, and Clavet's AI transcription makes them searchable.

Recording voice memos

Quick capture:

• Use Clavet's built-in recorder
• Or upload audio files from your phone
• Record anywhere inspiration strikes

Best practices:

• Speak or sing clearly
• Include context ("this is the chorus melody")
• Don't worry about background noise, AI handles it

AI transcription

Automatic transcription:

• Clavet transcribes your voice memos to text
• Lyrics and spoken notes become searchable
• Edit transcriptions if needed

Using transcriptions:

• Copy transcribed lyrics into song sections
• Reference melodies by searching transcriptions
• Build songs from multiple voice memo ideas

AI assistant best practices

Clavet's AI assistant helps organise and refine ideas without taking over your creative process.

What the AI does

Organisation:

• Suggests section labels (verse, chorus, bridge)
• Identifies repeated phrases or hooks
• Organises scattered ideas

Cleanup:

• Fixes typos in transcriptions
• Suggests line breaks for better flow
• Formats lyrics consistently

Inspiration:

• Suggests alternative phrasings (when you ask)
• Identifies rhyming opportunities
• Highlights strong lines

What the AI doesn't do

It doesn't write for you:

• AI suggestions are optional
• You control what gets added
• Your voice stays yours

It doesn't share your work:

• All AI processing is private
• Your songs are never used to train models
• Complete creative ownership

Using AI effectively

Ask specific questions:

• "Suggest a rhyme for 'night'"
• "How can I make this line stronger?"
• "Organise these ideas into verses"

Review suggestions carefully:

• Accept what resonates
• Reject what doesn't fit your style
• Modify suggestions to match your voice

Iterate without losing versions

Version control is crucial for songwriting. Clavet makes it easy to experiment without fear of losing good ideas.

Creating versions

Before major edits:

• Duplicate your song
• Name it clearly: "Song Title v2 - hook swap"
• Make changes in the new version
• Compare versions side-by-side

Version naming:

• Use descriptive names: "v2 - bridge rewrite"
• Include what changed: "v3 - faster tempo"
• Date versions if helpful: "v4 - Dec 13"

Scratch sections

Keep loose ideas:

• Create a "scratch" section in each song
• Drop in lines that don't fit yet
• Don't delete, ideas might work later
• Move from scratch to sections as songs develop

Organising scratch:

• Group by theme or mood
• Tag scratch ideas for easy finding
• Review periodically, some become hooks

Co-writing notes

For collaborators:

• Pin a "notes for next pass" section at the top
• Leave questions or suggestions
• Tag collaborators to notify them
• Keep communication in context

Collaboration with co-writers

Clavet makes co-writing seamless, with clear ownership tracking and communication tools.

Inviting collaborators

1. Open your song
2. Click "Invite Collaborator"
3. Enter email or Crescender username
4. Set permission level (view, edit, or co-owner)
5. Collaborator receives invitation

Ownership splits

Setting splits:

• Define percentage ownership per collaborator
• Common splits: 50/50, 33/33/33, or custom
• Splits are recorded for publishing/royalty purposes

Changing splits:

• Adjust as contributions evolve
• Document changes in song notes
• All collaborators must agree

Communication

In-song chat:

• Comment on specific lines or sections
• Tag collaborators to notify them
• Keep discussion contextual

Change tracking:

• See who made what changes
• Review edit history
• Restore previous versions if needed

Resolving conflicts:

• If two people edit simultaneously, changes merge
• Review conflicts and choose best version
• Communicate before major rewrites

Publishing and export options

When your song is ready, Clavet offers multiple ways to share and export.

Export formats

Plain text:

• Simple lyric export
• No formatting, just words
• Good for sharing drafts

Formatted PDF:

• Professional lyric sheets
• Preserves section structure
• Ready for band members or publishers

Chord charts:

• Add chord symbols above lyrics
• Export as PDF or text
• Standard notation format

Moving to Crescender

When lyrics stabilise:

• Export draft to Crescender as a song
• Lyrics transfer automatically
• Add performance notes in Crescender

Performance notes to add:

• Key signature
• Tempo (BPM)
• Count-in style
• Who starts (vocalist, instrument)
• Patch changes or effects
• Arrangement notes

Multiple arrangements:

• Save variations as sibling songs
• Tag: "acoustic", "electric", "stripped"
• Link to same Clavet draft
• Use appropriate version per setlist

Rehearsal and set integration

The handoff from Clavet to Crescender is where songs become performance-ready.

Adding to setlists

First time:

• Attach new song to setlist as "draft"
• Run it once per rehearsal
• Get band feedback
• Update Clavet if lyrics change

Capturing feedback:

• Add notes in Crescender: mix, tempo, arrangement
• Link back to Clavet draft
• Update Clavet with lyric changes
• Keep performance notes in Crescender

When stable:

• Remove "draft" tag
• Set confidence level
• Mark as "performance ready"
• Use in live sets

Version management

Performance vs writing:

• Clavet: writing and lyric versions
• Crescender: performance arrangements
• Keep both in sync
• Update Clavet if performance changes lyrics

Keep a feedback loop

The cycle from writing to performance and back improves your songs.

After performances

Log what worked:

• Crowd energy and response
• Which sections lifted
• Transitions that flowed
• Moments that dragged

Identify improvements:

• If chorus didn't lift, note why
• Push version tweaks back to Clavet
• Experiment with different arrangements
• Test changes in next performance

Archive but keep

Old versions:

• Archive old versions but don't delete
• Sometimes v1 lines resurface
• Compare versions over time
• Learn what works and why

Version history:

• Clavet keeps full history
• See evolution of your song
• Restore any previous version
• Learn from your process

Getting started checklist

• [ ] Create your first Clavet workspace
• [ ] Start a new song with initial idea
• [ ] Record a voice memo and test transcription
• [ ] Create song sections (verse, chorus)
• [ ] Experiment with AI suggestions
• [ ] Create a version before major edits
• [ ] Set up scratch section for loose ideas
• [ ] Export a song to Crescender
• [ ] Add performance notes in Crescender
• [ ] Link Clavet draft to Crescender song

Songwriting is iterative and messy, and that's okay. Clavet helps you capture, organise, and refine ideas without losing the creative spark. When lyrics stabilise, Crescender takes over for performance and setlist integration.