Rated Htr's Thread, for Gab's Army Options

[Gabriel Leopardi]

Hello Filipe! Welcome to out thread for Gab's Army. As we discussed via PM, here we will work on developing your composition skills. Composition is related to creation and creativity, there is some magic happening there, but this are also topics that can be trained as a guitar technique, but the cool side is that the possibilities are endless.

I will copy here your message to have it as reference:

"I want to train my songwriting and style approaches. I want to learn more about certain elements of certain bands, how to portrait and analyze them. I already have a good theory background, just need to have the proper method and break free from the chains if you know what i mean"

At first I would like to share with you three methods that really work for me, tell me what you think and share with me which methods you tried to compose music...

Mode 1: Ideas library

In this mode I compose a melody or short idea that works as the release of a song.

- I search for a place that is not where I usually work or practice. A different place, that gets me out from distractions. I took a guitar that helps me to play along with my voice, if possible a guitar that I don't use very often.
- I start creating melodies with my voice over some progressions being played on guitar.
- Every time I heard something that I like, I record it to avoid forgetting the idea. I use my cellphone for it.
- In this way I create my library of ideas.
- Organize this ideas on different folders using different criteria to being able to find them later when you need an specific feeling.

Pros of this method:
- Ideas totally genuine and original, that comes from our own personality. Quality.
- Big amount of ideas. Quantity.
- I start the song from its "soul".
- It's soul is clear at first.

Cons of this one:
- Sometimes it's tricky to develop the idea to get a the song completed.


Mode 2: Sculptor technique

Using a software that allows me to record multitrack audio I start to accumulate ideas in different layers. Each new idea suggests the next one. After many layers I get something similar to the virgin wood that a sculptor has before he starts working on it to get the final shape. In this method, I believe that starting with not very outstanding ideas, I can get stuff that wouldn't have appeared if I wouldn't have done the whole process of recording layers and layers. Another way to define this second mode is as a summation of unclear ideas that give shape to a song.

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Modes 1 and 2 can be inpired by:
- Situation of life: feeling, love, anger.
- Reading, a book, an article, newspaper.
- Song, album, show.
- Video clip, movie.

Tricks to avoid repeating the similar ideas:
- Using an instrument that you don't know how to play the chord, scale, etc. This avoids you to play the same things over and over. You will try different combination of notes.
- Using your voice instead of your instrument.


Mode 3: Direct inspiration (Analysis - Re-creation)

- I analyze many songs, compare them and then write down a list of concepts and criteria that work on a music style and use them / re-create them to compose new music.

Pros:
- This method is very effective when you need to create music on a specific style. This usually happens when you have to compose as a job.
- Fast high quality composition. It's a very fluently and fluid method.
- You can get genuine music if you re-create the concepts learnt.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

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This post has been edited by Gabriel Leopardi: Oct 6 2014, 01:39 PM