How Do You Compose?

a simple easy-to-use program like Acid pro 4 is good as it allows live sources - mikes, guitars, electronic drums, keyboards and loops, samples, whatever.  

Edited by mystic fred - January 19 2009 at 08:29

manofmystery wrote: can't compose, would love to but I haven't even the basic knowledge of notation. would like to put music to the lyrics and sounds I have buzzing around my head but I'd need some sort of program that allows you to hear what a note sounds like.  I can gather nothing from simply looking a note on a sheet of music.

You need at least some basic knowledge of music theory. Then I'd suggest you get a cheap MIDI keyboard and computer DAW (digital audio workstation) software. Many of them have the ability to export the recorded music (via MIDI) as notation.

can't compose, would love to but I haven't even the basic knowledge of notation.

Edited by manofmystery - January 17 2009 at 13:26

I use Reason 4.0 for sketching out demo ideas when I am on my laptop. I think that when you are searching for a self-contained and easy to use program for music making, Reason is the best thing out there and I have a couple of songwriting students which are very happy that I introduced them to it. (I used to work with good old fasttracker before I started with Reason so imagine my surprise when reason turned out to me more logical and more versatile with less work involved )

I use Cubase Studio 4.0 when I am having the time to actually work out a song arrangement and record parts for it. I also use this software to create full arrangements with orchestral parts and such and I use this suite to mix and finish my songs. (I do the mastering in Wavelab however, but that is just to be sure that the music translates well to MP3 format these days)

And last but not least, for a little while now I use my cellphone which has a neat little recorder which enables me to whistle/sing my idea's into it so I don't have to loose my inspiration when I am for example somewhere in the middle of nowhere with no CPU around

I compose using Reason / Cubase.

I catch quick ideas on my phone.

el böthy wrote: Certif1ed wrote: That was part of the reasoning behind my NWoBHM "challenge" - the challenge was more to produce something rather than anything specific, and I ended up writing 25  pieces, the first 18 of which were mostly rubbish.   However, the more you try to capture your ideas, the more you have at the right time (ie, when you're trying to capture them!), and I used 5 out of the last 6 for my demos. Interestingly enough, the one that seems to have got the best feedback is the last one I wrote.   This isn't a plug for my music, rather it's a plug for practice.   As a music professor I had once said; "If you are a composer, compose".   Trite, but very, very true.     You are a music professor? I did ot know that... ...how can you bash Opeth then? Akerfeld is the best composer metal has ever seen!!!

"As a music professor I had once said"
He didn't say he was a music professor

Certif1ed wrote: That was part of the reasoning behind my NWoBHM "challenge" - the challenge was more to produce something rather than anything specific, and I ended up writing 25  pieces, the first 18 of which were mostly rubbish.   However, the more you try to capture your ideas, the more you have at the right time (ie, when you're trying to capture them!), and I used 5 out of the last 6 for my demos. Interestingly enough, the one that seems to have got the best feedback is the last one I wrote.   This isn't a plug for my music, rather it's a plug for practice.   As a music professor I had once said; "If you are a composer, compose".   Trite, but very, very true.

You are a music professor? I did ot know that...

...how can you bash Opeth then? Akerfeld is the best composer metal has ever seen!!!

Or get an mp3 player with a mic, most of them have one.

That was part of the reasoning behind my NWoBHM "challenge" - the challenge was more to produce something rather than anything specific, and I ended up writing 25  pieces, the first 18 of which were mostly rubbish.