Musicians! How do y'all like to start off a song and structure it? Do y'all start with the bass and drums, or melody, maybe leads? I personally start with melody and bass.
Vestik
I start with whatever I might have, be it lead, melody, chords or a drum line. Hell, I've started projects from a sound effect. It's easier to come up with accompanying elements to an idea instead of coming up with one from scratch, and as a momentum driven musician, I just try to write out whatever I might already have before I forget it
At 6/14/23 11:26 AM, Jernemies wrote: I start with whatever I might have, be it lead, melody, chords or a drum line. Hell, I've started projects from a sound effect. It's easier to come up with accompanying elements to an idea instead of coming up with one from scratch, and as a momentum driven musician, I just try to write out whatever I might already have before I forget it
That's a great idea! I'll definitely try that out, and yeah I like to be momentum driven too.
Vestik
I always create the drop first, then I make the second verse with drums and melodies and all the stuff. Then I make the beginning, typically using one of the melodies in verse 2 and maybe one from the drop. Put it all together and I’ve got a good start. I don’t really have a set song structure, though.
you guys like my tunes?
This is an interesting question. I normally start with some sort of melody that I slowly phase out by the time of the drop and then bring back later to layer it on top, but there are many instances where I stray from this format. Usually my second drops sound like a more intense version of my first drops with enough extra to avoid sounding repetitive.
At 6/26/23 01:26 AM, 50Steaks wrote: This is an interesting question. I normally start with some sort of melody that I slowly phase out by the time of the drop and then bring back later to layer it on top, but there are many instances where I stray from this format. Usually my second drops sound like a more intense version of my first drops with enough extra to avoid sounding repetitive.
Great stuff! I don't experiment a lot with drops, I should do that more often.
Vestik
At 6/26/23 03:47 PM, vestik wrote:At 6/26/23 01:26 AM, 50Steaks wrote: This is an interesting question. I normally start with some sort of melody that I slowly phase out by the time of the drop and then bring back later to layer it on top, but there are many instances where I stray from this format. Usually my second drops sound like a more intense version of my first drops with enough extra to avoid sounding repetitive.Great stuff! I don't experiment a lot with drops, I should do that more often.
Yeah it’s an effective way to tell a story with your music. They don’t even have to be drops in the traditional sense, just heightened moments of tension followed by moments of release.
At 6/14/23 11:26 AM, Jernemies wrote: I start with whatever I might have, be it lead, melody, chords or a drum line. Hell, I've started projects from a sound effect. It's easier to come up with accompanying elements to an idea instead of coming up with one from scratch, and as a momentum driven musician, I just try to write out whatever I might already have before I forget it
I am the same.
I can even start with words alone, and because of the prosody of the words I write — that is to say, the strong and weak points — I can end up with tunes in my head (with a few permutations).
At 6/26/23 08:24 PM, 50Steaks wrote:At 6/26/23 03:47 PM, vestik wrote:Yeah it’s an effective way to tell a story with your music. They don’t even have to be drops in the traditional sense, just heightened moments of tension followed by moments of release.At 6/26/23 01:26 AM, 50Steaks wrote: This is an interesting question. I normally start with some sort of melody that I slowly phase out by the time of the drop and then bring back later to layer it on top, but there are many instances where I stray from this format. Usually my second drops sound like a more intense version of my first drops with enough extra to avoid sounding repetitive.Great stuff! I don't experiment a lot with drops, I should do that more often.
Amen!
Vestik
I'm able to start off or continue tracks and track-sections in any way I wish, with my preferred method always beginning with lead lines. Either being Synth-Leads, Synth-Pads, Orch String/Brass/Winds Legato, or Choir Sustains. This is always done for me via live-recording notation from Midi Keyboard straight into DAW.
Atmospheres and fine-detailing are the most important thing that I seek to establish no matter what genre I'm dipping into, so I'll rotate between any mixture of the above at any time as highest priority to establish the most important focus of the section, then build up supporting details around it. My approach(es) does mean that Bass and Percussion tends to be my lowest priority, but with any project I'm taking even semi-seriously, I'm ensuring thats also dealt with as much thought as all other present elements.
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At 6/28/23 12:21 PM, LD-W wrote: I'm able to start off or continue tracks and track-sections in any way I wish, with my preferred method always beginning with lead lines. Either being Synth-Leads, Synth-Pads, Orch String/Brass/Winds Legato, or Choir Sustains. This is always done for me via live-recording notation from Midi Keyboard straight into DAW.
Atmospheres and fine-detailing are the most important thing that I seek to establish no matter what genre I'm dipping into, so I'll rotate between any mixture of the above at any time as highest priority to establish the most important focus of the section, then build up supporting details around it. My approach(es) does mean that Bass and Percussion tends to be my lowest priority, but with any project I'm taking even semi-seriously, I'm ensuring thats also dealt with as much thought as all other present elements.
Agreed, the atmospheres are important for the song. My highest priorities are atmospheres, bass, and percussion! Percussion gets you that groove.
Vestik
I'm finding more and more that my favorite songs that I make rarely start with a musical idea, but instead some sort of sound. I usually start by chopping up samples, whether it's of existing music or stuff I make/record/sound design myself, then I write the music around that. It could be drums, textures, or something melodic, but I always like having some sort of foundation to then put guitars or keyboards on top of, instead of starting completely from scratch.
Inspiration can come from many places. Sometimes I got a harmonic progression in mind and start off there, other times I have a concept or idea and try to represent it musically. Other times I just browse in my synths' presets and end up finding an interesting sound, play around a bit and come up with a melody. There are a lot of ways to do it, you just gotta experiment a bit :D
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At 7/10/23 03:41 PM, BarbierDoesMusic wrote: Inspiration can come from many places. Sometimes I got a harmonic progression in mind and start off there, other times I have a concept or idea and try to represent it musically. Other times I just browse in my synths' presets and end up finding an interesting sound, play around a bit and come up with a melody. There are a lot of ways to do it, you just gotta experiment a bit :D
Indeed!
Vestik
