Experience on song arrangements and compositions.

[khaos11]

hey mates

how do u guys do your own song arrangements and compositions. Whether be it in the studio or home. It sure would be nice to share with the rest of the softies how u manage to write songs with or without ur band. Share ur experience and the problems you faced.

cheers.:mrgreen:

 

[fenderrules]

i usually would be carrying on my normal boring day when some riff or tune comes up in my head...it can also depend on my mood.....music is about feeling after all...

then i would structure those riffs accordingly along with some lyrics and put in different progressive phases.

something like that i guess...i have my guitar on hand all the time when i do songwriting

 

[Hydrofly]

Just fiddle around with scales. Alot of shit will come to you, then distil it, purposefully write more riffs around it, viola, song.

 

[zamir666]

I just try to tab out stuff i come up with in my head. Sucks alot cos sometimes i come with a riff in school and when i reach home and touch my guitar, i forget how the riff goes. To me, it's easier to write songs as a band rather than writing alone

 

[Hydrofly]

Haha I'm the opposite, I don't like writing songs with as a band because people tend to butcher my idea. The whole way I write stuff is that, I will write, then rework and rework until I am happy with it, and the thing is that, unless you know your theory, you cannot make changes to my songs without screwing the whole structure over. Thats how I fell out with one of my ex bandmates, he started telling me exactly what to play within a song that I wrote and I thought his idea sounded damn out of place and just didn't flow, hell, those notes were in a bloody different key.

 

[fenderrules]

sorry la...

 

[naviros]

You can try dling videos, looking for certain unusual chords / scales... Might give you some idea as you listen to the tunes. Don't restrict yourself to your own genre, there are some that can cross... (Like, try shredding a blues scale, maybe skip certain strings, and wala~!)

Lyrics-wise, I have a notebook that I write all the irrelevant (seemingly) stuff in. Also record as messages in my handphone as and when I think of something... Put it all together, and sometimes when you need to come up with something of a certain theme, just pull out the relevants, and there you have it. Its really not all about inspiration, its about having the correct info when you need it.

Eg. ARGHZ!!! I got this PERFECT line!!! (10 mins later) ALRIGHT I GOT THE PERFECT COMPOSITION! DANG! What's that line again?!

 

[khaos11]

Gotta agree with u guys man

hahhaa, i've gotta agree with what u guys a re saying man..

about writing with or without the band.... "sometimes" it works. but at other times it makes total no sense. Gotta agree with u hydro. i too fell out with one of my ex band mates, i just said it sounded too "melayu" and that wasn't even the direction we all agreed to in the first place.. haiz

and naviros... i too gotta agree with u... i just wrote this killer line on the piano... went back to my guitar....(alamak... can't remember what the hell i played just now)... hahaha i think its time i get a gd recorder/ mixer... so i can compile everything together... then once its gd, i can layer the diff riffs together to see whether they work...

anyone out there can recommend me something and can do this.?

i was wondering also... for those whu actually write as a band... where do u guys do it? Home/Garage/ under the block(erm, where to get drums?)/ home studio( for those whu ahve more space in the house). considering that if u were to book a jamming studio... its alot of money wasted just fiddling around with riffs.

 

[Mobius]

Arranging is a pain in the ass but its the most fun and satisfying part of songwriting. Before u arrange, ask yourself what direction/emotions/story u wanna tell ur listener, then start arranging. Arranging brings out the essence of the song, it adds dimension to it. Listen to how other songs are arranged is a good way to learn.

As for forgetting that killer line u jus wrote, a friend once told me this, if you can fgt that killer line, it means it isn't as killer (memorable) as u thought it will be. I use to get frustrated by this also but now I just move on and think of some other stuff

 

[Hydrofly]

=fenderrules

NOT YOU LAH, the other one.

 

[KeDraiv]

For me i usually write my songs on the piano since to me it's easier to work with, but after that i'll transpose the song to the guitar cause i think it's much more easier to portray a particular emotion out thru the guitar than with the piano.

i usually use the piano to vent out any emotion lah, be it happy sad or angry. Just go piano wack. then if i like the tune i hear, then i work on it. if not i'll juz let it pass and see if it comes back to me again lah. HAHA

the only problem i face is i don't write down what i play. It's all in my mind. so every time i play i play differently haha. but well, i'll juz treat that as improvisation lah. HAHA

i find writing with my band more difficult lah since my band just start and they aren't really that ready yet, so i'm doing most of the job of composing.
It's the lyrics that i've prob with, it's hard to come out with something that's pleasing and erm literary and lyrical at the same time. Have to choose the words very wisely imo.


But hack, i think there're people out that that have more experience than me, i only started composing like this year so i'm still quite new to it.
hopefully some people will post in this thread and maybe give some recommendation on what to do with our probs =]=]

just my 2cents =]=

 

[naviros]

Currently, I'm just using my camera's video function, occassionally use my mp3's mike function (zen vision m), like suddenly this tune in your head, pick it up, switch to mike mode, and hum... Go back home then try to interpret... LOL...

 

[ShredCow]

I can't write lyrics for nuts.

So for instrumentals.

I usually start with a beat. I'd program a drum beat then play the idea or improvise something. I might have a concept in mind. I might not. I believe in bringing ideas to the composition table. I believe it could be for the worse to come with a box of ideas to the composition table.

For songs... its usually just the lyrics given to me.

First and foremost - will it blend? What does the lyrics/songwriter/band leader/album concept demand? I'm not going to play anything that does not blend with the purpose. After knowing the concept and vibes I'm supposed to attain, I just grab and acoustic and play stuff out. Song writer/producer hears it - "Ahhh, that's it!" Okay, done, score it.

I must say that its quite ambiguous - I don't have sure fire ways to compose something. I do know a lot of it comes from the heart and letting the fingers fly - most of the time, attached to a guideline of sorts, be it a beat or producer's directions.

While I don't believe in playing without bounds, I believe there has to be some sort of willingness to explore. No bounds usually result in a good deal of time wasting. Lots of bounds usually result in some thing cooked up fast... just that it might not be in the best "artistic interest" of the player/composer. Finding a middle ground is key. That's why we change band members often huh?

 

[rottenramone]

come shred, let's jam again!

 

[ShredCow]

Anytime dude. Just lemme know when you need a guitarist to wank out stuff.

Oh yeah, you're available too right? I might have something coming up - will let you know when there are firm-er details.

 

[rottenramone]

hahah my current band's music doesn't really have any wankery involved. its more looped based music. the beauty of it is to make people dance

if have any geetar parts, i'll drop u a PM yeah

 

[khaos11]

hehe... i kinda like the dance part.... wat kinda music u play?