# What instrument do you start with?



## Scott Cairns (Feb 7, 2007)

Hi, it occured to me that I often start with Cello's when creating from scratch. For me, they're a versatile instrument; percussive and melodic, 4 octaves (give or take) of sonic range.

I realise that always starting with Cello's might be a drawback, perhaps its dictating the style of the piece without me realising it?

Anyone else have a kind of "go-to" instrument when starting a theme?


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## JonFairhurst (Feb 7, 2007)

My starting point varies. Sometimes I start with percussion, other times basses (only if the piece is slow and sustained), often piano. When futzing, I often use the piano with strings patch in my PC88. It has the percussion of the piano and the sustain of strings. I've been a bit stuck on my current piece, so tonight I plan to record my voice...


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## bryla (Feb 8, 2007)

whatever starts the idea, I guess.

Today I was eager to try out this bass drum pattern, so I programmed it, and built up from there.

Sometimes the melody or harmony is the base in a string situation I either start with the melody or bass line


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## RiffWraith (Feb 8, 2007)

If I hear something percise in my head, I play it on that instrument. When building and layering, I always go to the instrument that I want to add next. 

However, if I need to work out a melody or chord progression/structure, my go-to instrument of choice is always the piano. 

Cheers.


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## dogforester (Feb 8, 2007)

I usually start with the F Hall Noise, from EWQLSO PRO XP.


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## sbkp (Feb 8, 2007)

dogforester @ Thu Feb 08 said:


> I usually start with the F Hall Noise, from EWQLSO PRO XP.



awesome...


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## Thonex (Feb 8, 2007)

Cow bell


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Feb 8, 2007)

Stylus RMX. If it's a piece with no beats, I usually start with the melodic instrument, as often the melody will dictate the chord progression. If I need a pulse underneath it, I will then use cello or piano in the bass. Hey, sometimes a string ensemble patch will do the trick as well. I will then replay the individual string parts later.


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## synergy543 (Feb 8, 2007)

deleted


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## Leandro Gardini (Feb 10, 2007)

For sure I start with my piano, paper and pencil...I orchestrate everything for 3 pianos, one for each section and than go to my samples!!!
It has been proved that it´s the best way to learn and since I started doing that I fell more confident about what I write and hear in my head!!!

~o) ...ops, don´t know what it means but I found it cool :roll: !!!


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## bluejay (Feb 22, 2007)

Surprisingly similar to Ned!

For groove based music I tend to start with Stylus RMX for everything I else I usually use Atmosphere Hybrid Strings and then split them down into individual tracks for the sample sections.

If I am aiming for a very strong melody then I might simply get the best performance instrument available and try and play in the melody. This is often the case for horn/woodwind parts.


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## madbulk (Feb 22, 2007)

Depends entirely on my initial intent. But in the spirit of the question, if I'm taking a certain level of pride in it, I write on my instrument, piano. Then the orchestraton is sorta conceived all at once. Not that the piano achieves that, but having fleshed out the ebb and flow of the piece, the orchestration part isn't section by section, built up gradually, it's just the orchestration -- a matter of time.
I'm thinking that sounded silly. But I'm pressed for time. So submitting it anyway.


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## James W.G. Smith (Feb 22, 2007)

Violins...

No, wait... French Horns, yeah...

No, that isn't right either...eh...Basses...no...Flutes...no...WASHBOARD!!...Ah, that is the one :D

Seriously though, it changes almost every time depending on what I am writing. The most COMMON instrument for me to lead with is the Violins though, but I usually have more going on in my head than one instrument so I clisk on whatever track I can find first and write from there. On the other hand, if I am having one of those "I can't think of anything because that damn Avril Lavigne song is stuck in my head again" moments, I'll usually just start with whatever instrument I want featured in the track, and hope I don't accidently write some popular song in orchestral form. They are so friggan catchy, it really drives me nuts.

James


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## Kaatza_Music (May 22, 2007)

For orchestral scores, cello most frequently, I just love the sound of a cello, especially in the middle & upper register. Also violin or French horn. If it is a piano dominated piece then I might start with it.

I also do instrumental pop/rock arrangements and there I almost always lay down some basic rhythm track with drums/percussion/bass. It helps me to tweak the tempo and gives me something to build over. I usually end up replacing the synth bass line with a real bass later unless it is a techno type piece. I also replace the looped drum and percussion parts with fully worked out parts.

And I still like tinkling on a real piano, it's great for coming up with melodies and working out the harmonic structures.


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## Ashermusic (May 23, 2007)

Usually piano, sometimes string patch or Stylus RMX.


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## Necromancer (Jun 9, 2007)

I change almost every piece because it's quite subjective, whatever instrument I feel like using in the beginning. Usually I can hear an opening melody in my head, and after I can determine what instrument is playing, I guess that would be the instrument that I use first. 

I just wrote a song that opens with a bass line.


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## mirrodin (Jun 10, 2007)

I noticed this post set off a pretty wide range of options. Everyone here is right, and by that I mean there really is no one right way to compose. When it comes to composing any song whether it's for orchestra or big band, jazz, latin, pop, it starts out with an idea in your head or even just playing until you hear something you like. That's the raw creativity sparking. Everyone in here has pointed out while they start from different points when composing a piece, it's what they are accustomed to and these processes work for them. All I can say being objective about this topic is that you should start with the instrument that you hear most vividly playing the prominent part of whatever you're imagining.
For example, I love metal: I'm usually very concerned about drum patterns and making the piece sound as live as possible and while I can hear great melodies or harmonies being played by guitars and even spots for vocals the drums are the instruments I hear most vividly and for the style of music, the drums are what keeps the song alive tempo-wise. So, I start with the drums. For orchestral pieces I am not traditionally trained, but I can imagine some pretty cool ideas I want to create. I usually start with the bassline or the main melody, sometimes even just get down the chords I plan on using just to get an idea of the key signatures I'm moving through, and as I build up from there the percussion surrounds the movement of the piece.
You should find a process that you can easily memorize and work from there, because the quicker you are at it, you'll discover more time to start playing with the piece and expanding your compositional skills.
In certain industries like Film production where ideas are already established this method of creation is usually very strict and laid out. a "production pipeline" and following a similar strict method of what to do when helps for speeding up any project.


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## StrangeCat (Jul 6, 2007)

it really depends on the style of music really. For composition I always start with piano and the melody. If it'electronic style I generally start with pads intro or cymble or some sort of rhythmic thing then go from there it could be be just a bass riff even.
For jazz it could just be playing on top of a drum/cymble pattern but then it depends again on the style(shrug)


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