This blog is an attempt to document the process of songwriting, so that I and you, if you are a composer, will be able to write things better and quicker.
Lets see where this will go as we explore creativity....
Comments: 120 Ways, Take 5
Comments
Yeah, for most people, experiences like that are few and far between. I've found that a useful way to gain consistency as far as writing quality material is the combine technical application of theory elements with the creative process. But use the technical application as tools only... Don't allow it to dictate your arrangement completely.
Possibly consider "reverse composing" that song, extracting the time signature, mode (very important), and the selected notes within your vocal arrangement and then analyze it. Take note as to how the interaction of each note of your vocal melody lays on top of you instrument arrangement and what mode they lie in.
You may find that the reason the song worked so well is that you were utilizing certain tones within a mode and you made them interact properly with other tones from another instrument within that same mode. Knowing how and why the song works so well at a technical level will allow you to use tools such as modal theory and such before and during the song writing process, consequently giving you more consistent and quality results.
Excellent comments Jay. I tend sometimes to not think about theory when I am writing, just go with what sounds good, but why them did I spend years learning theory????
If you read the next entry you can see where it went from here and you are precient: I do now have to take into account the vibe of the vocal part, since it has now come along and dominated the song.It has made me fairly certain that I will have to modifiy the timbre if not the notes of the music to fit more correctly with the vocal.
As far as a link........hmm, thats a bit scary since its not what you call complete....but that is an intriguing possibility for more general feedback........its not like its techincally difficult, I may just be too chickenshit to have other people hear the stuff in progress.
I will ponder this....thanks much for the posting!
I have the same thing of hearing new lines that aren't there yet when listening to my song - it's happening with my current project.
It's amazing about the whole thing of being sick. Sometimes I have had some really good inspirations during an illness.
And then, the subject of concepts that you just hear, not trying to or anything? If you'd like to hear my beliefs, read on. If you think you'd think less of me if you read what I believe, please save it for later. :)
My belief is that our intellect is limited, and there are some things we just can't do. There are also a lot of things that seem unexplainable, that defy what we seem to have figured out. In our lives, strange things happen. Stuff that theoretically shouldn't happen to anyone, given the odds.
I don't believe in coincedences. And I the creative process is no exception in my belief.
Want to hear something crazy? Probably would start a religion flame war on the average forum, wouldn't you think?
One night, my brother was sleeping in my room, and it was kind of quiet. Disclaimer: My brother does NOT make things up. Anyway, I was laying on the lower bunk, and he on the upper bunk. 5 minutes into the quietness, he said kind of quietly, "I hear an orchestra of angels!" For the next 10 minutes he periodically told me what he heard. If he was right, by what he was telling me with abated breath he heard something really, really awesome (in the full sense of that overused word)
You can tell me about how little boys can make stuff up just for fun, but I know people, and I know my brother! He heard an orchestra of angels, and also hasn't told anybody but myself and our mom.
I hear stuff that is not my own sometimes. Just today, I was working and listening to my current project, "moonwalk". While I was listening, much, or at least the concept, of an accompanying 3d animation passed before my minds eye, and at the end of the song, an electric-like wave hair standing on end went from my head to my chest. It was really weird. And now I am busily scribbling down concept art from what I saw. It's kind of faded, like a dream, but what I have is enough for me to know what to do.
OH MY GOSH!! It happened to me again this morning! I sat down with pencil and paper in front of me, listened to moonwalk, and the same thing happened, only with different scenes!
This is going to be a GOOD DEMOREEL. ;)
I cant' wait to see it! Plus your thoughts are this are most welcome - ain't no flame wars here. Its my contention: if musicans ran the world, maybe not much would get done - but there wouldn't be a bunch of wars either.
This all goes to the basic nature of conciousness, and where exactly we get what we call 'ideas'. This may be one of those things we just can't figure out, but even thinking about the process may turn out to be valuable - I would submit this humble blog is valuable to at least me! If indeed our ideas are triggered by 'outside' information - well, that just opens up all sorts of possibilites, doesn't it? For instance - where does this info sit when we cant access it? How do the gates of creativity open, is it a chemical reaction (I have been reading some science books of late, lots of thought in there on how the brain actually functions).
Even more mysterious, if you have like me played in bands, is when you are improvising, how you pass the thoughts back and forth between the musicians. Its not magic, I don't believe in magic, but its damned cool when it happens.
So - lets just continue the good thoughts and vibes, and I will try and toss some more articles here and on the main site as I get a chance.
Thx again to all for contributing!
Yeah, for most people, experiences like that are few and far between. I've found that a useful way to gain consistency as far as writing quality material is the combine technical application of theory elements with the creative process. But use the technical application as tools only... Don't allow it to dictate your arrangement completely.
Possibly consider "reverse composing" that song, extracting the time signature, mode (very important), and the selected notes within your vocal arrangement and then analyze it. Take note as to how the interaction of each note of your vocal melody lays on top of you instrument arrangement and what mode they lie in.
You may find that the reason the song worked so well is that you were utilizing certain tones within a mode and you made them interact properly with other tones from another instrument within that same mode. Knowing how and why the song works so well at a technical level will allow you to use tools such as modal theory and such before and during the song writing process, consequently giving you more consistent and quality results.
Keep up the great work Dana!!!!
-Jay
Posted by: Jay | June 12, 2004 09:59 AM
Oh yeah... got a link to the song? :D
Jay
Posted by: Jay | June 12, 2004 10:01 AM
Excellent comments Jay. I tend sometimes to not think about theory when I am writing, just go with what sounds good, but why them did I spend years learning theory????
If you read the next entry you can see where it went from here and you are precient: I do now have to take into account the vibe of the vocal part, since it has now come along and dominated the song.It has made me fairly certain that I will have to modifiy the timbre if not the notes of the music to fit more correctly with the vocal.
As far as a link........hmm, thats a bit scary since its not what you call complete....but that is an intriguing possibility for more general feedback........its not like its techincally difficult, I may just be too chickenshit to have other people hear the stuff in progress.
I will ponder this....thanks much for the posting!
Posted by: dana | June 12, 2004 12:21 PM
I have the same thing of hearing new lines that aren't there yet when listening to my song - it's happening with my current project.
It's amazing about the whole thing of being sick. Sometimes I have had some really good inspirations during an illness.
And then, the subject of concepts that you just hear, not trying to or anything? If you'd like to hear my beliefs, read on. If you think you'd think less of me if you read what I believe, please save it for later. :)
My belief is that our intellect is limited, and there are some things we just can't do. There are also a lot of things that seem unexplainable, that defy what we seem to have figured out. In our lives, strange things happen. Stuff that theoretically shouldn't happen to anyone, given the odds.
I don't believe in coincedences. And I the creative process is no exception in my belief.
Want to hear something crazy? Probably would start a religion flame war on the average forum, wouldn't you think?
One night, my brother was sleeping in my room, and it was kind of quiet. Disclaimer: My brother does NOT make things up. Anyway, I was laying on the lower bunk, and he on the upper bunk. 5 minutes into the quietness, he said kind of quietly, "I hear an orchestra of angels!" For the next 10 minutes he periodically told me what he heard. If he was right, by what he was telling me with abated breath he heard something really, really awesome (in the full sense of that overused word)
You can tell me about how little boys can make stuff up just for fun, but I know people, and I know my brother! He heard an orchestra of angels, and also hasn't told anybody but myself and our mom.
I hear stuff that is not my own sometimes. Just today, I was working and listening to my current project, "moonwalk". While I was listening, much, or at least the concept, of an accompanying 3d animation passed before my minds eye, and at the end of the song, an electric-like wave hair standing on end went from my head to my chest. It was really weird. And now I am busily scribbling down concept art from what I saw. It's kind of faded, like a dream, but what I have is enough for me to know what to do.
Posted by: Will | June 15, 2004 09:24 PM
OH MY GOSH!! It happened to me again this morning! I sat down with pencil and paper in front of me, listened to moonwalk, and the same thing happened, only with different scenes!
This is going to be a GOOD DEMOREEL. ;)
Posted by: Will | June 16, 2004 05:54 AM
I cant' wait to see it! Plus your thoughts are this are most welcome - ain't no flame wars here. Its my contention: if musicans ran the world, maybe not much would get done - but there wouldn't be a bunch of wars either.
This all goes to the basic nature of conciousness, and where exactly we get what we call 'ideas'. This may be one of those things we just can't figure out, but even thinking about the process may turn out to be valuable - I would submit this humble blog is valuable to at least me! If indeed our ideas are triggered by 'outside' information - well, that just opens up all sorts of possibilites, doesn't it? For instance - where does this info sit when we cant access it? How do the gates of creativity open, is it a chemical reaction (I have been reading some science books of late, lots of thought in there on how the brain actually functions).
Even more mysterious, if you have like me played in bands, is when you are improvising, how you pass the thoughts back and forth between the musicians. Its not magic, I don't believe in magic, but its damned cool when it happens.
So - lets just continue the good thoughts and vibes, and I will try and toss some more articles here and on the main site as I get a chance.
Thx again to all for contributing!
Posted by: Dana Woodaman | June 16, 2004 02:19 PM