Understanding electronic music composing.

[Forgotten]

Guitar is a lot more dynamic than programming electronic music though, but even without playing a melody on the guitar I bet when you add a vocal melody that the chords shape the melody or you change the chords to fit a melody.

[donkey tugger]

Guitar is a lot more dynamic than programming electronic music though, but even without playing a melody on the guitar I bet when you add a vocal melody that the chords shape the melody or you change the chords to fit a melody.

Always the chords first. Some of em are a bit odd mind

[vurt]

start with this or that tutorial is bullshit.
start with "an idea" flesh it out.

ie you might imagine a bassline, or you might imagine a soaring lead.
get this idea down. this is where you start.

otherwise its "well ive got this awesome lead going round in my head, but i always start with chords. ok, im working out these chords, but now ive lost the idea for the lead in my messed up head"

sparks light fires.

[Forgotten]

Even if they’re a bit odd I’d imagine there’s an implied melody being composed. Guitar is a bit different from other instruments though, but i don’t think I’d be composing sinthisizer music on a guitar.

[Forgotten]

start with this or that tutorial is bullshit.
start with "an idea" flesh it out.

ie you might imagine a bassline, or you might imagine a soaring lead.
get this idea down. this is where you start.

otherwise its "well ive got this awesome lead going round in my head, but i always start with chords. ok, im working out these chords, but now ive lost the idea for the lead in my messed up head"

sparks light fires.

^^
What he said.

Tutorials that tell you to start with complexity or limiting structures aren’t going to allow you the flexibility of just working on what comes out of playing around until you find a melody that you like.

[thecontrolcentre]

start with this or that tutorial is bullshit.
start with "an idea" flesh it out.

ie you might imagine a bassline, or you might imagine a soaring lead.
get this idea down. this is where you start.

otherwise its "well ive got this awesome lead going round in my head, but i always start with chords. ok, im working out these chords, but now ive lost the idea for the lead in my messed up head"

sparks light fires.

I totally agree ... but the op says he uses a chord generator. So no ideas and no spark in the first place.

[vurt]

start with this or that tutorial is bullshit.
start with "an idea" flesh it out.

ie you might imagine a bassline, or you might imagine a soaring lead.
get this idea down. this is where you start.

otherwise its "well ive got this awesome lead going round in my head, but i always start with chords. ok, im working out these chords, but now ive lost the idea for the lead in my messed up head"

sparks light fires.

I totally agree ... but the op says he uses a chord generator. So no ideas and no spark in the first place.

well, id work on this.
listen, to music, your environment.
read, watch movies.
go for walks in the park
live.

[Unaspected]

I'm not convinced how this relates to playing the music, I'm not a musician and not going to play a piano for anyone. If I can express this in a piano roll with a mouse, I prefer to take this shortcut.

It's the other way around. Playing the keyboad is the shortcut.

[Forgotten]

I'm not convinced how this relates to playing the music, I'm not a musician and not going to play a piano for anyone. If I can express this in a piano roll with a mouse, I prefer to take this shortcut.

It's the other way around. Playing the keyboad is the shortcut.

I’m amazed at how often people miss this - I cannot imagine how much time it would take me to do some of the things that take fractions of a second because I can play piano.

[vurt]

I'm not convinced how this relates to playing the music, I'm not a musician and not going to play a piano for anyone. If I can express this in a piano roll with a mouse, I prefer to take this shortcut.

It's the other way around. Playing the keyboad is the shortcut.

I’m amazed at how often people miss this - I cannot imagine how much time it would take me to do some of the things that take fractions of a second because I can play piano.

i wouldn't call myself a piano player, not by any stretch. but i can hammer out basic ideas, that may need editing, but yes, to get that done in a piano roll is a chore, looped playing, trial and error note length and pitch...
nah. also, helps an idea morph in to it's own thing, as you articulate through velocity and such, becomes "not a robot".

[vurt]

i know i dont use the usual technical terms.
but i dont know them and im high

[Forgotten]

No one needs to be technically proficient to be able to realize musical ideas, but to avoid learning to play an instrument entirely is likely to be limiting - it’s definitely not an advantage to do everything with mouse clicks.

[vurt]

definitely.
rythym is far easier to achieve by playing than mousing.
even if in the beginning you are doing it on one key, then moving notes up and down.

it helps you "feel" the music.

[Unaspected]

No one needs to be technically proficient to be able to realize musical ideas, but to avoid learning to play an instrument entirely is likely to be limiting - it’s definitely not an advantage to do everything with mouse clicks.

Absolutely. The piano roll is great for editing but when you want to get an idea down fast (the importance of which, vurt already explained) reaching out for some keys is much quicker, more natural and expressive than clicking a mouse.

i know i dont use the usual technical terms.
but i dont know them and im high

I approve of and support this.

[jancivil]

I'm not convinced how this relates to playing the music, I'm not a musician and not going to play a piano for anyone. If I can express this in a piano roll with a mouse, I prefer to take this shortcut.

So you’re a beginner that’s only ever going to cut corners?

The answer to ‘what skills to develop’ is very primary: musicianship. Play music. Be real, get a sense of what goes on with experience.

I don’t get why one would be acting like it’s time to write it with zero background and almost as if in a complete vacuum. It does occur to one there aren’t any actual ideas to begin with as the expected result.