I Feel Bad

[tapper mike]

You've got a pc3x and you dare ask these questions.

Yeah Play first. Pick a style and get your chops down.

[jtiis]

errr, I know this is gonna come off sounding kinda cold but um, why would anyone spend the money to do all this if a) you don't have any idea how to put together a song, b) you didn't have a ton of ideas you couldn't record by any other means?

No offense taken. I believe I do have ideas about putting together songs - but I mostly can only do this with piano alone. Not having ever played in a band and not playing any other instrument I just don't know where to start in terms of arranging, combining various instruments I've never played. As for other means, knowing what "other means" are best is itself a difficult decision. I think none of the money I've spent is wasted - just not yet put to use. I'm just wanting to put these "means" that I've bought to good use - finally.

jeebus, just press record and play and see what happens. i can't really see how we can offer any help with your workflow when you haven't established one to begin with. certainly you must have at least one idea you can try so just do it, there's no right way but along the way you'll get more efficient. but you won;t get anywhere if you don;t try.

Well yes, just "hitting record" or "trying" will get you something - and no doubt by those means you would learn "something" - but - no harm in asking for advice on effective means of doing that... me thinks.

things like mixes can be ironed out by getting the opinions of others, and once again, TRYing different effects and settings, etc. if it sucks, that's what second takes/edits are for (and 3rd and 4th etc)

sorry but if you know how to play a keyboard and can hit record before playing the keys then there's no reason for having tried

[jtiis]

You've got a pc3x and you dare ask these questions.

Sorry, don't see the logic.
Just because you can afford a Ferrari doesn't mean you know how to drive it... at least not well.
Ownership or pre-ownership, questions are, I think always good/appropirate.

Yeah Play first. Pick a style and get your chops down.

I do play - but - I'm wanting to do more than just play - I want to learn how to pull together instruments and wondering what order of learning might be most effective.

[debra1rlo]

edit-nvm

[Frantz]

I'll PM you who've responded to this thread for feedback and additional suggestions.

I think PM-ing everyone in this thread would be a mistake. Instead post further updates in this thread and put your music in the Music Cafe for feedback.

[Frantz]

No offense taken. I believe I do have ideas about putting together songs - but I mostly can only do this with piano alone. Not having ever played in a band and not playing any other instrument I just don't know where to start in terms of arranging, combining various instruments I've never played.

You can listen to songs you like to get ideas for arrangements. If you don't want to record solo piano, then try a simple arrangement with four instruments to get started:

1. drums
2. synth bass
3. lead - piano
4. chords - keyboard pad

[debra1rlo]

Thanks all.
I appreciate all your feedback.

For now - to get started I'm going to take the "KISS" advice with one mod - instead of putting together something simple from within the confines of C 6.5, I will do this with just couple of my favorite items. I'm thinking:

Ivory American D
a touch of strings from a Spitefire Solo instrument or ensemble
... maybe that's all... or if feeling optimistic, adding something else simple as "jewlery" (touches here and there)... maybe a flute or such.

To keep myself accountable (I can enjoy this I think and do that to)... when done (my first piece no less) - I'll PM you who've responded to this thread for feedback and additional suggestions.

Hope that sounds good and that you who've responded come 'back' to learn of my "game plan".

Again,- thanks. I think "chunking" the process will allow me to feel less overwhelmed, expectant or flustered.

B well.

sorry I hadn't seen this post before mine earlier... YES. THIS. This is what you need to do.



But I agree with Frantz, I don't think most people would appreciate a PM, especially if they hadn't kept up with the thread after they posted.
You should post the results here since you've already started a thread, I think.

[jancivil]

Can't play by ear knows almost nothing about arranging/composing ...
midi recording

your expectations should be very modest then. When I first got my own computer and Cubase SX1 and a couple of software instruments, I had been a composer before, experience with synths in a non-trivial way and understood the basics in the recording studio paradigm but still I was overwhelmed by the possibilities.

You need to start by giving most of your gear to me, certainly. Beyond that, with what you have left, I would say take a JS Bach two-part invention and make a decision about two instruments and see if it works. Record the midi to whatever extent and learn Cubase piano roll by editing. Rather than make a great recording, slap the thing on there and make the great performance via the editors in teh Cubase. RTFM when you don't know what something is. And work up from there.

I don't know if you expect to become any composer like the cart of these tools is going to pull that horse for you, but since you have not been driven to compose up to this juncture, chances are you're not built to do that. I don't know, beyond that.

I 'wrote' pretty simple things to get going with it, after having some more ambitious concepts. The wakeup moment for me came when I realized I could record little bits of things and construct it in Cubase rather than the live musician thing I brought to it which was for me a sort of block.

[xalama qo]

Thanks all.
I appreciate all your feedback.

For now - to get started I'm going to take the "KISS" advice...

You're welcome!

It sounds like you have an ear for, and can appreciate, high quality sampled instruments, judging from the gear choices you've made. So, yes, apply the KISS method with sounds that you relate to and which inspire you.

As Frantz pointed out, part of the KISS approach is to limit the number of instrument tracks. So don't go nuts with 5 flutes, and 3 pianos etc.

My general rule of thumb for a scratchpad or sketch arrangement is 4 tracks max. That may or may not include any percussion. Sometimes you just don't need it. Particularly if the melody and chord voicings/harmonic structure of the song is the most important element.

Another wise man once said "if it sounds good with just voice and guitar, then it's a solid song". So don't be afraid to arrange very sparsely, eg. piano and flute.
You can embellish (or jewelry it up) with what I call 'spice'. Just a dash of something here, and a little something else over there. Could be as simple as adding a tambourine in the chorus, for example.

Remember good songs have dynamics, loud full sections and softer sparse sections, the silence between notes is just as important as the notes. So don't feel you have to fill in all the blank spaces. Sit back, listen objectively (if possible), is the essence there? Does it NEED anything else?
Nope? Cool, done. Next sketch... and so on.

I'd agree with Frantz about not pm'ing everyone here. But set up a soundcloud page, post your stuff there, drop the link into this thread, and I'm sure when time and life allow, a few of us may get back to you with some feedback.

It's also a good idea to ask friends and family what they think. They can be brutally honest!

All the best

[arkmabat]

If you have iTunes, the radio option is full of electronic music channels, many of which have been quite inspiring/helpful to me.