# Can you compose music without electric energy? (a german question)



## Emanuel Fróes (Nov 5, 2022)

Can you do it? 

Or are you disabled in case it happens?


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## dcoscina (Nov 5, 2022)

started at piano and manuscript in the late 70s as a kid. Still use it to jot down ideas and overall structure of pieces.


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## Henu (Nov 5, 2022)

Composing, yes. Finalizing and delivering, no.


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## Emanuel Fróes (Nov 5, 2022)

dcoscina said:


> started at piano and manuscript in the late 70s as a kid. Still use it to jot down ideas and overall structure of pieces.


THis question is for people ike you speak to younguer ones 

I do as well. But hate my own manuscript. And have to say I am so attached to midi, and my solfeggio just got in action recently as choir conductor.

But by no means i can write like VIlla-Lobos: at the bar, with people talking... (so tells the legend)


And I had to sell my acoustic piano in the disaster of de pandemic here in Austria.


I guess some experienced people there can maybe create a piano roll on paper in case of emergency? ...


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## Emanuel Fróes (Nov 5, 2022)

Henu said:


> Composing, yes. Finalizing and delivering, no.


This is already a huge step! Matheus Passion waited a lot as well! And the Miserere way more. 14:51Allegri - Miserere mei, DeusYouTube · HWFr14 minutos e 51 segundos10 de fev. de 2011


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## dcoscina (Nov 5, 2022)

Emanuel Fróes said:


> THis question is for people ike you speak to younguer ones
> 
> I do as well. But hate my own manuscript. And have to say I am so attached to midi, and my solfeggio just got in acation recently as choir conductor.
> 
> ...


I don't have perfect pitch but a good relative pitch enough to compose away from an instrument if need be.


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## Emanuel Fróes (Nov 5, 2022)

Henu said:


> Composing, yes. Finalizing and delivering, no.


Do you mean by writing? memorizing? or using 345 powerbanks?


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## Emanuel Fróes (Nov 5, 2022)

dcoscina said:


> I don't have perfect pitch but a good relative pitch enough to compose away from an instrument if need be.


awesome. This is power


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## Henu (Nov 5, 2022)

Emanuel Fróes said:


> Do you mean by writing? memorizing? or using 345 powerbanks?


Just simply by writing things down, as in notating.


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## R.G. (Nov 5, 2022)

No electricity means no pencil sharpener or coffee maker. I'm out.


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## cloudbuster (Nov 5, 2022)

Yes, but I'd prefer to work with the wonderful gizmos in the box. 
Just in case, my rig can run on solar energy and external batteries should the need arise. 
(Back in the 80s after a blackout I got so p...ed that I started to sell my hardware on the following day and didn't touch a keyboard for years. Never again.)


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## AceAudioHQ (Nov 5, 2022)

I guess you mean electricity not energy? I compose mostly in my head while I'm walking my dog, the computer I use for producing.


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## timbit2006 (Nov 5, 2022)

If you tape a penny to an acoustic guitar it will work fine for playing rock and metal 
Now the whole making it loud enough for a stadium sized crowd thing, that's the challenge.


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## d.healey (Nov 5, 2022)

Yes but if the electricity has gone out I have more important things to worry about.


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## AceAudioHQ (Nov 5, 2022)

d.healey said:


> Yes but if the electricity has gone out I have more important things to worry about.


like where the candles are so you don’t have to browse vi-control in the dark!


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## Thomas Kallweit (Nov 5, 2022)

All started with a guitar and the voice and there it would go to again. So, yes.


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## DCPImages (Nov 5, 2022)

My brain, nerves and muscles use electrical energy…


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## The Retroblueman (Nov 5, 2022)

Yes (most of my lines are heard in the head first and then transcribed into the DAW and I could write them in notation if I wanted too), but with limits - nothing too chromatic or that moves through a lot of keys so also yes that I would be "disabled" if the power went out (possibly a different story if I owned an acoustic piano and was allowed to work stuff out on it). 

However, as pointed out above, without electricity, the coffee machine wouldn't work (plus my vape wouldn't work, and my beer would be warm, and I wouldn't be able to play Beethoven, Hans Zimmer or John Williams (etc) to get the juices flowing)... 

So, yes, but the music would suck!


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## proggermusic (Nov 6, 2022)

Emanuel Fróes said:


> But by no means i can write like VIlla-Lobos: at the bar, with people talking... (so tells the legend)


Now this, THIS, my friends... this is a heroic legacy from which we should draw an eternity of inspiration. Legendary!

To be honest, some of my very best ideas come bopping into my brain uninvited while I'm off doing something utterly non-music-related. I try to always have a pad of staff paper in my backpack so I can jot those ideas down before I forget. I'm grateful to be able to do that!


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## dunamisstudio (Nov 6, 2022)

No, cause I rather compose with it. But yes, I could, I just need a acoustic guitar or piano. But if you take away the batteries and electricity then I can't capture it then.


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## TWY (Nov 6, 2022)

Aarrrgh, my players need good lighting in order to read and play my scores!

And don't give me "daylight", because they're most likely having to get their playing RECORDED (with mics, preamps and everything else) in a studio.

Even if you can get away with just pencil and paper - the actual performance and recording of your score will still need electricity no matter what. Let alone DAW production, etc etc.


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## patrick76 (Nov 6, 2022)

d.healey said:


> Yes but if the electricity has gone out I have more important things to worry about.


Indeed. We’ve had several power outages this year, so I looked at getting a whole house backup generator. Wow. From the generator, the installation, and the fuel it becomes very expensive. That said, it would be amazing to have it as I’m not overly confident in our grid.


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