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Composing - what does your process look like?

ein fisch

ein fisch

Dreamer
In terms of the composition - chords, arrangement, melody, percussion, sound choice - what do you do first? Do you have a fixed routine or is it different on every project you're working on?

I personally found out that its way easier (and faster) for me to sketch everything out with my piano and record it with my phone before i even touch my DAW and think about instrumentation. However it can be a frustrating process, sitting on the piano for like 10 days (like right now :grin:) and not coming up with something where i could say "thats it!"

Any routines, tools which help you in the composition process are more than welcome
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  1. Procrastinate.
  2. Procrastinate some more.
  3. Hit YouTube/iTunes/Anything for an idea.
  4. Go nuts making a very rough version of the track.
  5. Tidy it up.
  6. Mix it.
  7. Doubt everything I did between steps 4-6.
  8. Go "shopping" on the internet for new libraries/tools to fix self loathing.
  9. Create a "better" mix from scratch, only to find out it sounds exactly the same as the first one.
  10. Repeat steps 7 - 9.
  11. Eventually break of out loop as deadline or patience limit is reached.
 
For sample based music I usually start improvising with an instrument in the template and start to shape something that leads to other ideas. Then I'll go for a walk and plot out the structure etc and chisel away when I get back back.

For concert music I don't go near a DAW or even Sibelius. Paper and pencils and sometimes the piano.
 
The usual stuff...booze, fumblin around, booze, etc.
Seriously though, exploration of ideas first via techniques, improvising within created structures, booze, anything to reach the "Lucky find". Once something stirs my loins, I then explore the implications of it, be it a motif or a chord by generating material from it to see what lies hidden.
 
Different for each project. Time, genre, instrumentation, time, existence of dialog, usage of a reference track, time, oh and time are some of the variables that determine my process.
 
In all seriousness, I'm a keyboard player so I start with whatever sound I think might work, and then start tinkering. Often times, although I might not totally rewrite a cue (Though that happens too), I often change little bits of it so many times that it becomes something quite different. I'm not an orchestrator, and whether it's orchestral or otherwise, I think a good analogy is that of building a statue out of clay. I might start with a vague shape of what I want. I'll add more clay, make it more detailed, maybe very detailed, but then rip half of it back off....but then add on more clay, of maybe a different color. I will go through these stages countless times as I proceed. It seem wasteful but I've decided it's just the way I function. Eventually I end up with a detailed, colurful shape of something I don't hate (hopefully).
 
ein fisch said:
Those errors bother me so much when im under pressure / working with someone
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That's how you can refine your workflow. Theoretical optimizations are a rabbit hole - and can lead to some bag habit you dug yourself into out of misinformation (for example preparing stem groups that you think everybody needs, but in reality the people you work with want something completely different - ergo redo your routing).

My approach to composition is similar to Farkles approach. Usually I try to assemble as much info as I can before I write a single note - therefore having a laser-focus on what I set out to do with minimal distractions. I still am shaping some aspects - like at what point do I go into the DAW, what music genres are better to precompose on paper, what info do I really need etcetc.

I can go into further detail later if needed xD
 
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