# Creating music



## moderan (Dec 14, 2012)

Anyone interested in how a song is put together? I write/perform/record a song a week. I'd be happy to provide inside baseball on the process. I think I can even arrange for forms of audience participation.
You could, for example, help me choose a style to work in. I'm adept at most rock styles and can also do jazz, classical, funk, country...you get the picture.


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## Cran (Dec 15, 2012)

I'm kind of caught up right now, settling into my new role (among other things), but I'd be very interested if the offer is still here in the New Year.


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## moderan (Dec 15, 2012)

Of course. It'll be my pleasure.


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## Potty (Dec 15, 2012)

I was thinking of doing a sort of parody of most music these days and write a song on how songs don't have to make any sense. But I can't even whistle in tune so I kinda bottomed out early on in the idea.


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## moderan (Dec 15, 2012)

Hmm. I'm not sure I understand...but it sounds interesting. I can parody some forms of modern music=but it's the lyrics, typically that seem senseless or at least silly. Music has to make sense on some level or it falls completely apart.


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## Potty (Dec 15, 2012)

moderan said:


> Music has to make sense on some level or it falls completely apart.



Then explain this

[video=youtube_share;gtOV7bp-gys]http://youtu.be/gtOV7bp-gys[/video]


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## moderan (Dec 15, 2012)

The music makes perfect sense. Nice horn charts, string section, motownish pop tune. I like it actually. 
Here's an appropriate response:
[video=youtube;4gU5p4e-mZI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gU5p4e-mZI[/video]


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## Potty (Dec 15, 2012)

But but... the lyrics are jibberish!


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## moderan (Dec 15, 2012)

They aren't actually...she's too sweet for him, hence the metaphor.


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## DuKane (Dec 15, 2012)

Hi Mod,
I would be up for this in New Year as I'm just about to jet off to Oz for christmas.
Looking for something military to enhance promo video.

Thanks.


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## moderan (Dec 15, 2012)

I did something like that for Sam's video. I think it's doable.


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## Gamer_2k4 (Dec 17, 2012)

I'd totally be interested in this sort of thing.  I've recently attempted to compose some classical pieces, and while the results are (in my mind) decent, I would love to know the "right" way to do it.  Do you pick out a motif or three and build the piece around that? Do you figure out a chord progression and fit tunes in to suit it? Do you just wing it? How common is it for instruments to only offer a backing rhythm (like low strings only repeating the root note of the current chord), and how common is it for them to do their own thing?

I'd love to learn all about song creation.  Just let me know when this is happening!


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## moderan (Dec 17, 2012)

Not sure that there is a "right" way to do it. That has differed with each of my teachers, and I do things differently than I was taught. But I can write about the way I do things, and perhaps you can as well, and we can both learn.
I'm a guitar player, so most of my things start from there. I've composed a couple of straight classical pieces, and I use a lot of string arrangements in my work, but what training I have is in jazz and pop/rock.
The chord progression route is the most common for me. Often I devise a riff and then try to think of ways to make it fit into something that would be interesting, or try to turn a more common sort of progression on its ear.


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## moderan (Dec 19, 2012)

I'll have some things to listen to, look at, and do, after the holidays.
An entirely new track...we'll work from generating the original idea to making it happen via performance and producer magic. It'll entirely subjective but hopefully entertaining and educational.
I will consider suggestions as to subgenre...it'll have to be "rock" because I know that best.


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## MisterZhifei (Dec 28, 2012)

I'm not the best of composers, or music players, but I'm currently doing GCSE music, and I would be very interested to see how you compose your music, even if it's just a short summary of tips or your experiences! What software do you compose on, or do you do it by hand? And don't worry if you can't, by the way, I understand you may be busy.


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## moderan (Dec 28, 2012)

I compose on both, actually, by hand and by software. It depends. Thanks for the interest! I'm sure it'll be fun.


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## marsomthing (Feb 21, 2013)

Anybody still looking to do something like this?


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## moderan (Feb 21, 2013)

We're doing it, it's just on another thread. Feel free to start another if you're interested in doing it. I'm sure folks would appreciate another point of view.


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