How is your creative / writing process?

[eak]

Hi guys! Please post here how usually is your compositive work.
Mine is something like that: Jamming riff > write riff or guitar/keys parts on guitar pro > then add bass, drums, melody lines > and them work in the DAW recording guitars and vocals using midis for bass and drums.
Feel free to post all your amazing stuff!

 

[majoris23]

Unlike many (I think), I started out playing bass and then learned guitar. Guitar Pro gives me incredible freedom writing guitar riffs that I'm not yet able to naturally write or play. It's also an asset when writing with complex or alternating time signatures. In terms of structure, two or three basic riffs (fitting together of course) and then adding drums behind it usually starts me off.

 

[eak]

(Y) Yeah, Guitar pro is very helpfull whit alternating time signatures!

 

[Mago]

Usually like

Pick up guitar->fuck shit up


Sometimes I'll start with a riff I have in mind, sometimes I'll programm drums with a standard beat to jam along...
But I almost always write better songs with the guitar in hands and not with guitar pro alone (if I understood that correctly)

 

[right_to_rage]

If I'm writing a rock or metal rhythm guitar I usually just pick a tempo I'm happy with -> record a riff to a metronome -> program a drum part-> Double rhythm track -> improve original take and repeat until i've got a enough to start a song with. After that my unconscious takes over lol so I can't explain that... Vape some weed, drink coffee, exercise and meditate maybe? haha
If I want to do something different I'll either change the metronome, turn off the metronome or start on a new instrument.

 

[ze kink]

Play guitar, come up with something, record into DAW, realize it sucks, start again from scratch, get inspired and record more riffs after it, realize they don't gel together, (record keyboard parts on top for way too long, but have a lot of fun too), get bored and save & quit. Come back to it later and see if some of the riffs are usable. The original riff almost never makes it through, go figure.

I like to write together with the other guitarist in our band too. We usually just bounce ideas and shuffle parts around until we get something like a song together. Then play it at band practice, where the drummer usually wants to change some things and the singer usually hates it at first. We usually end up shortening the song a lot and making some of the parts a lot simpler.

For some reason, using something like Guitar Pro instantly kills my creativity. I like Ableton Live the most for recording and jamming on new ideas, it's like it was made for that.

 

[~BURNY~]

Find a riff.
Record it.
Tweak the sound endlessly.
Hate the riff.
Forget about it.
Repeat.

 

[prabblerabble]

Hum/thing of riff in shower -> record rhythm guitars in DAW to metronome -> program basic drum parts -> re-record rhythm guitars to get better precision -> record bass -> add ambient/lead parts -> go back and add more fills and variation in drums

Probably not a very efficient way. I program and mix my drums in FL Studio and export them to Reaper as a wav. file because I prefer recording guitars in Reaper, which is why I leave more complicated drum ideas for last.

 

[Terminus]

Warm up for an hour or so, make a basic beat I like and jam along until I have something worth recording, do the next one and so on until I have half a song then wait another three years to get back to it.

 

[Sloan]

totally nonexistent lately. lol.

 

[EOC]

Mostly improvising on guitar or piano till i find a idea i like with the DAW ready to record. Start building the composition in the daw and recording and sketching different parts.
Also, while traveling, just writing music down in paper ( if you know a good tablet app to write music scores pleaaaase tell me)
A lot of times, something just pops into my head at work (not music related) and build up the whole composition in my mind. Some of my favourite songs where done that way. Of course that when i record them they are subject to changes and improvements.
My last method is: Grab someone elses song i like, steal it, but work the song in a way that when you finish the song there is NO chance that someone can tell is stolen. This is a practice that actually comes from clasical music, although they didnt mind if it sounded similar at the time. To learn how to compose they actually took the model from most experienced composers and "stole" harmony, structure, even rythm sometimes. Bach, mozart, beethoven didt a lot in their early years. Tchaikowsky on the other hand used to say "The problem is not to steal music, but WHO are you stealing from"

 

[AD Chaos]

Somewhat related.. quite basic/obvious, but may be of help:

 

[Nimvi]

^ Really like that guy's stuff. His videos have often pulled me back to the basics when I'm losing control and making things way harder than they should be. Sometimes it just helps to have someone remind you of what you already know.

My creative process:
Go to bed > just before sleep, hear most godlike music ever > forget about it right away > pick up guitar and open up guitar pro the next day to write something far worse.
Life is cruel.

 

[HOFX]

If I'm in a lull, I'll just do a cover song. That keeps the momentum going, helps with practicing singing, creatively re-working someone else's riff can be quite satisfying I find, and it improves mixing as it encourages A/B listening checks to the original.

The more time you spend on a guitar, the more often an inspired riff will fall out.

 

[amarshism]

Picture the noise, make the noise.

 

[JeffTD]

Stunted.

 

[xTomx]

Don't go anywhere near a computer, just play a guitar through my amp in my room.

I find if I start bringing in a DAW you fuck around with the sound, lose focus and get nowhere.

Ditto with Guitar Pro, you start writing unrealistic shit - it should sound good of it's own merit solo.

I usually use a loop pedal to try two guitar parts and record it with my the iPhone voice memo to hear it later.

 

[Flow Of Time]

Find a riff.
Record it.
Tweak the sound endlessly.
Hate the riff.
Forget about it.
Repeat.

this

 

[xFkx]

I just roll the dice and write down rhythmic patterns.


Oh, and I'm starting to despise guitar pro written songs, Either i'm going mental or I can really hear if a song was written with guitar pro (without ever touching the instrument) or not. There's something inherently unmusical about it.

 

[eak]

Somewhat related.. quite basic/obvious, but may be of help:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCOd0CkzKos

This guy is awesome, her tips and tutorials are helpfull!

Dudes all your creative metods are very inspiring :Spin: