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How do you start composing?

EvalLin	Date: February 27, 2007 @ 12:58 PM For me, working on an old song that I haven't finished works well, or remixing somebody else's. Yet I've noticed it's a lot harder to begin from the start.
GeneHilbert	Date: February 27, 2007 @ 1:09 PM It all starts with an idea, motif, rhythm, lyric. Then develop it from there.
Kalos	Date: February 27, 2007 @ 3:49 PM The main theme most often comes from something I come up with while improvising on my guitar. From there I build a motif around the basic progression inherent in the riff.
evansorchid	Date: February 27, 2007 @ 6:41 PM I usually start with a pile of dead leaves, grass clippings, maybe some kitchen scraps, then... Oh wait.....never mind.
ndstgmoe	Date: February 28, 2007 @ 6:09 PM I fill my bathtub up with LSD and malt liquor and hop on in. ...wait, what's the question?
Opossum	Date: March 1, 2007 @ 12:21 AM Lately, I start with a full chord sequence, then experiment with pentatonic sequences to flow through the changes. Although I also usually start with at least some idea of the bass line and what type of rhythm I feel like using at the time. I usually end up making something too complex and sometimes end up with three songs out of one part or idea. Sometimes I restrict myself to set formulas (for example - bass starts at root on every other measure from first beat, then starts from second beat with third or fifth every other from that) and change something later.
GeneHilbert	Date: March 1, 2007 @ 1:31 AM Just remember; Musicians never die, they just decompose....
Opossum	Date: March 1, 2007 @ 1:46 AM Some people prefer to think of it as a remix.
EvalLin	Date: March 1, 2007 @ 10:40 AM On 27th Feb 2012, Kalos said: The main theme most often comes from something I come up with while improvising on my guitar. From there I build a motif around the basic progression inherent in the riff. When I play, I eventually come up with a melody, then by ear I begin to improvise a Chord structure under the melody.
EvalLin	Date: March 1, 2007 @ 10:42 AM On 27th Feb 2012, GeneHilbert said: It all starts with an idea, motif, rhythm, lyric. Then develop it from there. I forgot something i've done that works well. I start by playing one melody and then begin to shape entire song out of this one melody.
EvalLin	Date: March 1, 2007 @ 10:45 AM weird, didn't know how connected my keyboard and guitar style's were.
LiQuidMetamo...	Date: March 1, 2007 @ 9:56 PM Ableton Live 6 is great for composing, audition a bunch of audio or midi clips in Session view (either solo or as a group), get a feel for a groove, fine tune it and away you go. If you want to play totally live parts on top you can in arrangement mode. Or rewire into another DAW etc. Or host rewire from Reason etc. I love Cubase but Live has improved my creativity and reduced my song writing time a whole bunch. Arranging in Cubase from scratch is a pain in the balls in comparison.
imemine	Date: March 1, 2007 @ 10:45 PM I usually start with a sandwich!
Jazzmary2U	Date: March 1, 2007 @ 10:57 PM OOoommmm.....
HenriRoger	Date: March 2, 2007 @ 6:09 AM I don't usualy decide I'm going to compose a tune . I work on music all the time , chords , scales , improvisation ,many hours a week, with the piano . A few times a year a new chords progression , or a melodic line, comes under my fingers and that's the start of a new tune . I think I compose about 3 good tunes by year .I mean tunes the bands I play with like to play and the audience likes to hear . But my main work is on improvisation , either jazz or experimental .
leflaw	Date: March 2, 2007 @ 8:08 AM Depends on the style. You can start with drum beat with hip hop or rock, but you might want to start wih a guitar for country. No hard and fast rules. You an start with a lyric or hook, too.
Veracohr	Date: March 2, 2007 @ 9:05 PM First, gather four friends, a monkey, an armadillo, and two goldfish (in separate bowls). Hold a seance to contact the spirit of Gengis Khan, and ask him for the current contact frequency for the mothership. Once you're sure you've got that right, throw a handful of dry spaghetti onto a thrice-baked stone tablet that has been blessed by a Hare Krishna. Attempt to divine the password from the pattern of spaghetti. Get to a ham radio and dial in the frequency Gengis Khan told you, and speak the spaghetti password when prompted. Once through, ask the operator how best to proceed with a new song. Be sure to take detailed notes, they've got good ideas on the mothership. Sheesh, leflaw and his "No hard and fast rules" You must always proceed in this order! Leave out no step! Or you will be forever banned from making music!
Opossum	Date: March 2, 2007 @ 9:31 PM No way; that would require taking the foil off my windows.
zedsalt	Date: March 3, 2007 @ 10:36 AM The similarities to the way I work are eerie, though...I mean, considering the fact that I thought I was organically developing a method appropriate to me, personally...
plungerboy	Date: March 19, 2007 @ 10:45 PM File... new... channels... add
evansorchid	Date: March 19, 2007 @ 11:18 PM Most of my inspiration comes from sitting in my car and waiting for a red light and listening to the turn blinker. I start to tap the steering wheel in time to the blinker then ...voila...I have a new song.
celtaidd	Date: March 20, 2007 @ 9:12 PM For Me, it can start with a photo, a state of mind. I suppose, if it comes down to it, it's an emotion thing; thinking about it, it's no wonder I'm not consistant in the the style of music I write
Alwex	Date: March 22, 2007 @ 9:52 AM for me its an emotion that ive gotten from a dream that turns into an image, a poem then a song. But mostly i just soak in sounds around me, start tapping a rhytm, and start humming a melody in my head, but that way only 1 of a 1000 turns into a recorded song
add45	Date: March 23, 2007 @ 8:13 AM I start with an emotion; happiness, sadness, anger. Then I go on and choose some chords and base a scale on these emotions and just mess around. I'm stuck at writing lyrics though, and it's really annoying me
imemine	Date: March 23, 2007 @ 8:54 AM Musicians don’t die----they just decompose.
Fraser	Date: March 24, 2007 @ 9:35 PM Um... I screw around with programs for tireless days, until I "accidentally" come out with a tune that might be cool. Then, I just screw around some more. It's working so far
hantu	Date: March 26, 2007 @ 8:22 AM ^ yeh
kingo	Date: March 26, 2007 @ 12:47 PM I have a lawn mower that actually makes it pretty easy. Vroom. Vroom.
imemine	Date: March 26, 2007 @ 11:40 PM Why is it always TWO vrooms?
kingo	Date: March 27, 2007 @ 8:51 AM The third vroom gets you shot.
zedsalt	Date: March 27, 2007 @ 10:29 AM I read Ime's third post too fast, and for a moment, thought he was talking about "Two Rooms" which coincidently, is actually about how two guys compose (or is it "composed"?) songs.
JanTosh	Date: May 1, 2007 @ 2:14 PM I just play melodies on my keyboard and figure out how to work them all together. Usually something comes from that.

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