| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Song Composition Question - Running out of steam/ideas |
SunSpots
Super Deluxe Wiggler
Joined: 19 Jun 2011
Last Visit: 22 May 2013
Posts: 1255
Location: Northern California
|
 Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 1:04 am Post subject: Song Composition Question - Running out of steam/ideas |
  |
|
|
Okay, I'm making an album. I'm about 7 tracks in and I feel like I'm pulling teeth to even get to the 2nd minute of the 7th track. I keep hating my ideas, basically. I am totally sick of the style at this point, even though I know I still love it when I go back and listen to the first 6 songs.
I'm losing my mojo here and I still need to do an 8th and possibly 9th track in this same style.
What do you do? And no, I can't find any local weed. 
Jokes aside, I'm pretty serious. The deadline is coming up quickly and I don't want to stress about it because that would likely make it worse.
SS
_________________
SunSpots
WTB : stackables - a112 - modcan dual wave - modcan cv recorder |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
SunSpots
Super Deluxe Wiggler
Joined: 19 Jun 2011
Last Visit: 22 May 2013
Posts: 1255
Location: Northern California
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 1:05 am Post subject: |
|
|
|
P.S. It's house music, nothing too crazy or complicated. Any ideas would be appreciated.
_________________
SunSpots
WTB : stackables - a112 - modcan dual wave - modcan cv recorder |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Hainbach
Super Deluxe Wiggler
Joined: 26 May 2011
Last Visit: 22 May 2013
Posts: 1608
Location: Berlin
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 1:54 am Post subject: |
|
|
|
Stop for two days. Read a book. Go for long walks. Drop track seven, go to track eight. Reverse. Filter. Do the opposite of what you would normally do. Green tea is nice. Go out dancing and leave early. Copy and improve. Google "Oblique Strategies". Get off the web quickly.
_________________
New album: "As Sparks Fly Upward" |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Orbless
Super Deluxe Wiggler
Joined: 12 Jan 2011
Last Visit: 22 May 2013
Posts: 1134
Location: San Francisco, CA
| |
| Back to top |
|
|
Liddlepud
Awfully Common Wiggler
Joined: 17 Apr 2010
Last Visit: 22 May 2013
Posts: 951
Location: Essex, England
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 3:21 am Post subject: |
|
|
|
| SunSpots wrote: | | P.S. It's house music, nothing too crazy or complicated. Any ideas would be appreciated. |
There's always the lazy option - Listen to another artists tracks in the same style and use the same song structure - intro, breaks, drops, etc. but use your own drums and melodies etc. If you're still completely stuck then "borrow" melodies or timings from tracks in a completely different genre and see how that works.
If you're not up for that you can always use the Oblique Strategies cards to mix things up a bit. There's an on-line version available:
http://stoney.sb.org/eno/oblique.html
_________________
http://soundcloud.com/koova |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
tuj
Super Deluxe Wiggler
Joined: 17 May 2010
Last Visit: 18 May 2013
Posts: 1104
Location: Houston
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 6:41 am Post subject: |
|
|
|
OBLIQUE STRATEGIES.
_________________
too i for your dm
http://www.renkucorp.com |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SunSpots
Super Deluxe Wiggler
Joined: 19 Jun 2011
Last Visit: 22 May 2013
Posts: 1255
Location: Northern California
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 12:49 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
| Orbless wrote: | | what's wrong with six tracks? |
Not enough album length for the project/price point.
_________________
SunSpots
WTB : stackables - a112 - modcan dual wave - modcan cv recorder |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SunSpots
Super Deluxe Wiggler
Joined: 19 Jun 2011
Last Visit: 22 May 2013
Posts: 1255
Location: Northern California
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 12:53 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
| Hainbach wrote: | Stop for two days. Read a book. Go for long walks. Drop track seven, go to track eight. Reverse. Filter. Do the opposite of what you would normally do. Green tea is nice. Go out dancing and leave early. Copy and improve. Google "Oblique Strategies". Get off the web quickly.
|
Hmm... I keep feeling like I need to just take a couple days off. Maybe I should go with that instead of forcing the issue. I'm just a really driven personality and have little concept of .... breaks? Except musical breaks, which are DOPEISHNESS.
Oblique Strategies what a strange website. I think it's helpful...
Anyways, last night I took the fattest base line I could find, mixed it with a chord prog. that sounded good, and got the root for a new track. It sounds great compared to the other idea I was trying to force. I'll just make Song 7 version a and b, and then see which one works best.
But you're right, I need a couple days rest, or to get out of the house, go dancing, or at least work out! lol
SS
_________________
SunSpots
WTB : stackables - a112 - modcan dual wave - modcan cv recorder |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kindredlost
Super Deluxe Wiggler
Joined: 28 Oct 2009
Last Visit: 22 May 2013
Posts: 2436
| |
| Back to top |
|
|
tuj
Super Deluxe Wiggler
Joined: 17 May 2010
Last Visit: 18 May 2013
Posts: 1104
Location: Houston
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 1:46 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
Another strategy is to take a track you like and mangle the crap out of it until its your own. Sample it, resequence it, FSU with a Nord modular.
This can lead you in a new direction whereby you might replace the 'lifted' track with elements eventually all your own.
another idea: write a line for an instrument, then apply that line to something completely different. This might be like a bass-line and you run the notes into your drum machine.
_________________
too i for your dm
http://www.renkucorp.com |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jake
under-age wiggler
Joined: 22 Jun 2011
Last Visit: 22 May 2013
Posts: 1071
Location: york england UK
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 2:52 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
@1:32
_________________
soundcloud.com/jake-woodall
facebook.com/jakeiw
twitter.com/jakey789
jake.muffwiggler.com
please feel free to add me on FB or twitter or follow on soundcloud |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
djs
Veteran Wiggler
Joined: 01 Sep 2010
Last Visit: 22 May 2013
Posts: 559
Location: South Beloit, IL
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 7:29 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
does it have to be house music? I mean, if it's a full album, surely a downtempo-ish track here or there wouldn't be a bad thing.
Or maybe see if any wigglers could turn out a remix for free of one of the other tracks?
or just do an acapella cover of something by Meat Loaf and call it a day.
_________________
"Noise is what the Earth is made of" - David Bowie |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SunSpots
Super Deluxe Wiggler
Joined: 19 Jun 2011
Last Visit: 22 May 2013
Posts: 1255
Location: Northern California
|
| Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 9:33 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
Okay you all were extremely helpful.
What I needed was "don't be afraid of convention". A quote from Oblique strategies site. I kept trying to reinvent the wheel and be so damn different I couldn't even relate to the stuff I was making.
Quickest solution was an arpeggiator on a very controlled random setting. BOOYAH MALAISE! 
Thank you muffwigglers
_________________
SunSpots
WTB : stackables - a112 - modcan dual wave - modcan cv recorder |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Hainbach
Super Deluxe Wiggler
Joined: 26 May 2011
Last Visit: 22 May 2013
Posts: 1608
Location: Berlin
| |
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ & Terms Of Use
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
