Jurassic Shark 12,066 Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 When composing music, which medium do you usually use for sketching? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loert 2,511 Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 I primarily use notation software to sketch ideas. But if I'm not near a computer and I get an idea, I will resort to pen and paper. If I'm not near pen and paper...then I'm f***ed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkgyver 1,645 Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 6 minutes ago, Loert said: I primarily use notation software to sketch ideas. But if I'm not near a computer and I get an idea, I will resort to pen and paper. If I'm not near pen and paper...then I'm f***ed. Can't you dictate melodies or chords into your smartphone? Jurassic Shark and Loert 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fabulin 3,511 Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,066 Posted July 21, 2020 Author Share Posted July 21, 2020 13 minutes ago, Fabulin said: Notepad -> Word and Excel -> pen on paper I hope this is a joke! How do you notate music in Word? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faleel 5,346 Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 55 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said: I hope this is a joke! How do you notate music in Word? A C A D A# I pretty much do everything by ear, so I don't really "notate" as much as perform and tweak. Jurassic Shark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,066 Posted July 21, 2020 Author Share Posted July 21, 2020 28 minutes ago, The River (Fal) said: A C A D A# Ok, but how do you notate duration? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 I usually use a mix of pen and paper and sequencing. The only time I use notation software is when I'm creating parts for other musicians. Pen and paper forces me to think about things in a very deliberate sense, whereas on a sequencer I feel very free to experiment and a sense of linear progression since it's "tangible". When I'm not around either, I've developed a shorthand notation that allows me to write on pretty much anything. This is a sketch of a cue I wrote for a score a few years ago while waiting in a pizzeria. (Ripped and crumpled because I didn't care about it after I properly got it down.) I basically treat it like a percussion staff, and write pitches above the noteheads, with arrows reminiscent of arrow shortcuts you use in a notation program to indicate a farther away interval, such as going down a 6th instead of up a 3rd. There's also miscellaneous orchestration information on there as well as a bar of drum groove. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,066 Posted July 21, 2020 Author Share Posted July 21, 2020 Looks interesting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 1 minute ago, Jurassic Shark said: Looks interesting! I edited my post to clarify the logic behind the method since it probably looks pretty unintelligible as an observer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faleel 5,346 Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 14 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said: Ok, but how do you notate duration? A. C. B. A# 1 e & u 2 e & u 3 e & u Jurassic Shark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 8 minutes ago, The River (Fal) said: A. C. B. A# 1 e & u 2 e & u 3 e & u You could always learn MML. ; ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faleel 5,346 Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 21 minutes ago, Nick Parker said: You could always learn MML. ; ) I was just pulling something out of my butt as an example of how it could be done, I don't ever do this myself lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,066 Posted July 21, 2020 Author Share Posted July 21, 2020 6 minutes ago, The River (Fal) said: I was just pulling something out of my butt as an example of how it could be done, I don't ever do this myself lol How do you do it then, and how does it involve your butt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faleel 5,346 Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 1 hour ago, The River (Fal) said: I pretty much do everything by ear, so I don't really "notate" as much as perform and tweak. So basically I just improvise playing everything on my keyboard, and then fixing errors by hand later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 Pencil and staff paper. Just like Ennio😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Manakin Skywalker 4,891 Posted July 21, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted July 21, 2020 I can't really write, so I have to use a sequencer whether I want to or not. Although admittedly I do seem to get my best ideas when I'm in the shower, on the crapper, or on a long road trip (TMI). In those instances I have to rely on continuously humming the melody to myself over and over again for potentially over an hour, or if I have my phone with me I'll just record myself humming like a moron. Chewy, Faleel, Arpy and 2 others 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 For me, sketching is kind of similar to what Nick describes above. When I'm usually working by the piano, I just sketch anything interesting on paper, or do brainstorming over a sequencer. Ultimately I go back to paper to work out larger structure and development. Then I mock it up. Sometimes, if that's not necessary, then I go straight to notation software. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkgyver 1,645 Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 Do you ever have an idea, and write it down how you think is right, but since you don't have a perfect ear, of course it's not right, but it will always lead you back to the idea you had in your head anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 🤷♂️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 39 minutes ago, gkgyver said: Do you ever have an idea, and write it down how you think is right, but since you don't have a perfect ear, of course it's not right, but it will always lead you back to the idea you had in your head anyway? I see that as one of the key purposes of sketching, honestly. It was really inspiring to me as a teen to see sketches from someone like Stravinsky, because so often you could be hard pressed to link up the sketches with what you know of the piece itself (ie Rite of Spring), but obviously it was enough to put him on the track he needed to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpy 4,145 Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 I use Musescore. 3 hours ago, Manakin Skywalker said: I can't really write, so I have to use a sequencer whether I want to or not. Although admittedly I do seem to get my best ideas when I'm in the shower, on the crapper, or on a long road trip (TMI). In those instances I have to rely on continuously humming the melody to myself over and over again for potentially over an hour, or if I have my phone with me I'll just record myself humming like a moron. Yep, I quickly record my awful voice and then transcribe it and wonder why I ever thought it was good. I get my best ideas on the toilet - forcing ideas and other matter out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbellamy 6,281 Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 I like using voice memos on my phone as a filter. I'll go weeks just recording whatever little 15-30 second ideas I get in my head, then when they start taking up too much phone memory, I go through and copy them into a sketchbook. Usually just jot down melodies but sometimes will work out harmony etc if it's something that's been stuck in my head for awhile. Then whatever audio clips are leftover where I have no idea wtf I was thinking or I'm just too bored by them to transcribe, deleted forever. Unfortunately I don't have the work ethic to have expanded many of these things over the years. Notation is tiresome, either by hand or plugging into Finale. I enjoy working stuff out on piano most so sequencing seems more fun, maybe, but intimidating to learn. I do always wish I could focus up and flesh these out the way I hear them, make them real. Drives me crazy but at least enriches my own little world <3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 3 minutes ago, mrbellamy said: sequencing seems more fun, maybe, but intimidating to learn. I do always wish I could focus up and flesh these out the way I hear them, make them real. Drives me crazy but at least enriches my own little world <3 No time like the present! The tools out there have become so numerous, easily available, and after some initial breaking in, rather easy to use, too. 5 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said: How do you do it then, and how does it involve your butt? Jurassic Shark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkgyver 1,645 Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 1 hour ago, Arpy said: I use Musescore. WHY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpy 4,145 Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 5 minutes ago, gkgyver said: WHY Becasuse I have a shit ton of soundfonts and I can export the sheets into mp3/flac tracks. It's just what I'm comfortable using. Jurassic Shark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brundlefly 2,385 Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 For orchestral music: notation software Finale For electronic music: sequencer software Cubase 9 hours ago, Manakin Skywalker said: In those instances I have to rely on continuously humming the melody to myself over and over again for potentially over an hour, or if I have my phone with me I'll just record myself humming like a moron. Relatable. Jurassic Shark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,066 Posted July 22, 2020 Author Share Posted July 22, 2020 I like to use pen and paper to notate ideas at the piano, but I usually quickly transition to Sibelius to flesh out the piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbellamy 6,281 Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 13 hours ago, Manakin Skywalker said: continuously humming the melody to myself over and over again for potentially over an hour, or if I have my phone with me I'll just record myself humming like a moron. If it’s good enough for John Tesh... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted July 23, 2020 Share Posted July 23, 2020 On 7/22/2020 at 3:33 AM, Jurassic Shark said: ..I usually quickly transition to Sibelius to flesh out the piece. And you have the cojones to😡😠😄 criticize Zimmer for handing off music to underlings?! Fabulin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,066 Posted July 24, 2020 Author Share Posted July 24, 2020 8 hours ago, bruce marshall said: And you have the cojones to😡😠😄 criticize Zimmer for handing off music to underlings?! In case you didn't know, Sibelius the composer is long dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 1 minute ago, Jurassic Shark said: In case you didn't know, Sibelius the composer is long dead. Hey man! I'm a professional music journalist!😡 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,066 Posted July 24, 2020 Author Share Posted July 24, 2020 You need to get that eye checked! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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