The first attempt can serve as a sketch and contain all possible elements. After that it is best to listen again some days later with the necessary distance to recognize and reduce disruptive elements.
That was unexpected
The standard drumbeat can easily be made interesting with a few offset beats. But remember; less is more!
„The strategist“
A strategic approach as a decision-making aid: what frequencies should my piece have and how do I want to generate these frequencies?
The „chiptune“ era
A good source of inspiration is undoubtedly the music from the video game industry and in particular, the brilliant compositions that were created for games consoles in the 80s. A trip to the classics of this era is always worth your time and the chiptune style can be copied today with simple means.
Re-interpret existing pieces
A good theme often sounds no less interesting in a different style. Sometimes it is even more effective with other elements.
Many styles benefit from their relationship and themes can be easily adapted. After all, it can happen that certain “adjusting screws” are clarified and suddenly a “triplet arrangement” of an element may feel significantly „more correct“.
In the hall of eternity
The workflow usually starts with writing a theme and then finding the right preset for it.
On the other hand, taking the time to actively listen to all the presets and cataloging the useful ones can also lead to new results.
With a bit of luck, a new idea can emerge from a play around with the right sound.
And what will happen if I switch effects to it now …
A running system
Even when searching for something new, there is no shame in taking inspiration from genre-redefining grand masters.
Without a „click“
Simply switch off the click and free yourself from the constraints of the bar line.
Especially in software-supported music production, quantization naturally makes it much easier to carry out any editing. Between the grids, however, there is a whole world that remains hidden to many musicians.
The cards for how long a certain chord is held or a note is emphasized are completely reshuffled. The dynamic interplay between the instruments is changing
BPMs no longer exist; only you conduct. This gives the piece a noticeable, personal characteristic.
The “ emotional” component is much more strongly represented.
This helps ambient tracks to develop “natural textures” and it is a particularly good technic to add realism to symphonic libraries.
On a small scale, this effect can also be created in a controlled manner by giving the entire timeline a wild zigzag of continuous speed jumps.
Depending on the genre and speed, +/- 2 to 3 BPM can feel noticeably more natural.
Musical themes are like colorful bricks for me. It sometimes takes me years to find and assemble several of a certain color, but that’s totally OK, because I build something else nice in between.
Order in chaos
Focus on a simple basic line that runs through complex themes.
The contrast for that special something
Finish your song with a different style of music.
Low-budget instruments
Most instruments don’t need a master to get a sound out of them. Instead, they encourage experimentation and expand the scope for the famous “I want to try something” that was at the beginning of many great ideas.
There are now some really good and affordable brands for very different instruments to add many more possibilities to your arsenal and even if the quality can’t usually keep up with sample libraries, it offers enormous flexibility and individual texture.
„With IMAGINATION I can be anything I want!“
Put yourself in the shoes of instrumentalists whose instruments you can’t even play. The melody arises in your head, your imagination gives you the sound costume and for a few moments you have an exact idea of what it feels like to play this instrument. Sometimes this can also help to “ground” your own expectations.
MIDI as a sketch
Think of MIDI files as a kind of sketch.
Sometimes you have a good melody in your head but just don’t have the right sound …. that slows you down.
In MIDI format, on the other hand, you can treat the growing composition like a sketch.
A neutral piano preset is a good place to start in order to get a good focus on chords, melody, etc. Later you can try out the effect of different sounds, octaves, see what works for the song and finally bring everything together.
This approach can be a game changer in terms of efficiency, especially with orchestral themes.
Re-tuning instruments
Re-tuning string instruments not only opens up new frequency ranges, it can also be an easy way to create interesting chords and tone sequences.
Obviously, guitars are better suited to this than other instrument groups.
Paradiddledooo!
Try shaping your riff into a paradiddle groove.
A classic symphonic loop and a nasty drum beat almost always go together.
Variations for the main theme
- Especially in classical compositions, a main theme can of course be kept alive over a longer period of time or even taken up conceptually in different pieces. To a certain extent, this can also be applied to other styles.
Repetitions of the theme with different groups of instruments, variations in the accompaniment or the second voice, a different key or speed, or an interesting chain of effects, provide more variety without changing the theme.
Day trip into other musical styles
Take a day trip to another musical style to get to know the individual compositional schemes and techniques. A basic understanding gives you more diversity in your own compositions.