# Your greatest strength as a composer?



## tokatila (Feb 14, 2015)

While I am a novice, still I find melody writing being the easiest of them all. Writing melody is "only" hard. Everything else is very hard. Except drum programming; that's near impossible.

And now some wisdom from Wolfgang:



> “Melody is the essence of music. I compare a good melodist to a fine racer, and counterpointists to hack post-horses; therefore be advised, let well alone and remember the old Italian proverb: Chi sa più, meno sa—Who knows most, knows least.”
> ― Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart


----------



## doctornine (Feb 14, 2015)

I'd say : it's knowing when to put the kettle on.

Don't undervalue tea.


----------



## Lassi Tani (Feb 14, 2015)

My greatest strength is new ideas. But it leads to removing lots of unnecessary parts. Today I was doing 1 minute short piece, from where I've at least removed 5 minutes of different ideas all together :D. Thus my weakness is making sense out of my ideas.


----------



## tokatila (Feb 14, 2015)

doctornine @ Sat Feb 14 said:


> I'd say : it's knowing when to put the kettle on.
> 
> Don't undervalue tea.



You...you young whippersnapper!


----------



## wst3 (Feb 14, 2015)

A lesson I (sadly) continue to learn over and over again... life is so much easier if one starts with a melody.

Even the 'epic' style can start from a simple melody.

The rest, I think, comes from listening to everything you can, and practicing, sometimes at the expense of others<G>!

I recently had to write half a dozen dance band style pieces. I LOVE dance band music, but I found writing for trumpet, trombone and sax to be really challenging. And actually, I'm not sure it is the writing so much as the rendering... my charts might be ok, but I am still not satisfied with the rendered results.

For a change, this time I did start with just the piano or guitar, and come up with my basic melodies. One of the challenges for this show was that the music had to be very closely linked, our protagonist has a strange memory, and he recalls the same basic song, in different settings (waltz, tango, foxtrot, etc).

Next I wrote out the arrangements - some on paper, some in Finale - before I tried to render them. That was a HUGE time saver. Goes without saying to most here I'm sure, but it was a lesson I had to learn for myself.

In the past it has always been a hybrid approach, mostly because I also needed to learn what my libraries were capable of - or I thought I did anyway.

This time I assumed that my libraries could do whatever I asked them to do, and then when I discovered things I could not do I edited.

And of course I learned more about what I could do with my libraries at the same time<G>!

Drum programming is tough if you are not a drummer. Controlling four limbs independently is not a thought process one can develop away from the drums I think.

If you have some spare change I'd strongly recommend Jamstix by Rayzoon. It is a drum programming environment and has a "brain" that can either compose drum parts, or humanize drum parts that you write yourself.

I use a combination of the two, but I've also learned a LOT about writing for a drum kit by letting Jamstix write a part, and then analyzing it.

I still use Jamstix as a 'humanizer', but I find I write my own basic parts more often. And, I am happy with the results more often<G>!

Jamstix comes with its own sound library, and it is a lot better than it has any right to be! I use their kits from time to time, but most of the time I use Jamstix to drive Toontrack Superior2. The combination is wonderful.

For me, writing just to practice is difficult, or rather I find it easier to write for a purpose. If I don't have a show to write for I write for my personal library. OK, it is still somewhat imaginary, but just setting that goal gives me a target. I don't know if that is one of your challenges, but if it is try writing for your own library.

Good luck.


----------



## Daryl (Feb 14, 2015)

My greatest strength is knowing that I'm a fantastic composer, no matter what anyone else says. :mrgreen: 

D


----------



## Ned Bouhalassa (Feb 14, 2015)

Experience.


----------



## impressions (Feb 14, 2015)

I am dark drama.


----------



## PerryD (Feb 14, 2015)

Playing a few "real" instruments has really helped me. I grew up playing trumpet. I have had some amazing pianists in my little studio that could play better than me with one finger! But ah, have them try to play a convincing virtual trumpet is another story! My wife studied to be a music teacher and she brought home lots of wonderful instruments that I was fortunate enough to experiment with. Honestly, about the only things I haven't "played" are double reeds. Having played trumpet in orchestras, cover bands and jazz bands has been very helpful in understanding arrangements and music styles. Unfortunately for my wallet, new libraries and virtual instruments are always inspiring for me. Also the very moment I am inspired by my new Concert Harp library, I am called upon to do a country music piece! :( Music is a wonderful thing.


----------



## KEnK (Feb 14, 2015)

For me-
An uncompromising view of the value and importance of Art in Life.

but this makes me kind of like Don Quixotic 

Hah!

k


----------



## stonzthro (Feb 14, 2015)

Knowing when something is actually done - or done enough to pretend it is done.


----------



## EwigWanderer (Feb 15, 2015)

1. Putting my ego aside when working with clients. 

2. Understanding that the paying client is always right even when I think he/she is wrong.

3. Temp tracks destroys your original input and I've come to understand it (I usually do a second demo that is very different than (HZ :? )temp track. Just to give another idea to the client).


----------



## David Donaldson (Feb 15, 2015)

1 Coming initially from an experimental and improv background has served me well as a screen composer, where often there is a blurred line between music and sound design.

2 Not being precious, the ability to please the client as well as hopefully pleasing yourself.

3 The ability to work with others longterm, I've sat in the studio with the same people for 30 years, one of who is my wife, there's an achievement.

4 To put sounds and instruments together in a non conventional way, 

5 Love doing it still, it's almost a need. I love making shit up!


----------



## Ned Bouhalassa (Feb 15, 2015)

Good post, David. I really enjoyed the music on the Plan 9 website! Respect.


----------



## Kralc (Feb 15, 2015)

I'm proud to say that I've spent years of focused practice to become the absolute best at researching gear I can't afford.


----------



## AlexandreSafi (Feb 17, 2015)

Being the person that i am, this question has been obsessing me since this thread started, and i actually find it such a deep question you probably of course didn't intend it to be.
I have just written something "not unusally" lengthy for my habits on this great forum, but i only realize now, being 24, i should keep it saved and post it in around 10 years from now, so i can truly put my boring, slightly pretentious, "not-exclusively-music-related" self-biography to the test...


----------



## skyy38 (Feb 3, 2016)

My imagination and my refusal to work within "theoretical rules."
.......or restrictions.

This quote sums up my philosophy.

http://www.relatably.com/q/img/albe...knowledge/tumblr_nu84yjSFYD1rxsdkto1_1280.jpg


----------



## Russell Moran (Feb 3, 2016)

the ability to self edit.


----------



## Suganthan (Feb 4, 2016)

Curiosity, being rational, dedication.


----------



## Ryan (Feb 4, 2016)

I never give up.


----------



## dgburns (Feb 4, 2016)

Russell Moran said:


> the ability to self edit.



yup,or my version is-

know when it's a shit sandwich  
...which it is more often then not!


----------



## geoffreyvernon (Feb 15, 2016)

For me I personally think my strength as a composer is knowing exactly where music should go, and where music shouldn't go. I ALWAYS let the picture guide me and speak to me. Melodies and chord progressions don't always come easy to me, but knowing exactly where the music should and shouldn't go is easy for me. I think of the film like an ocean, and the music like a boat. I let the current guide me. In a rip current, if you fight it you'll just get drug under more and more but if you go with it, you'll eventually get out. Or in quick sand, the more and more you fight and struggle the quicker it takes you down and buries you alive, and the less you struggle and fight the greater your chances are of coming out alive. That's how I view the relationship of a film and film score. The more you fight it, the harder it is and the less you fight it, the easier it is.


----------



## TimCox (Feb 16, 2016)

Russell Moran said:


> the ability to self edit.


Totally. Fighting with something that just isn't working is an aspect of composition I've been able to get past. Sometimes ripping out a whole part and rethinking it is what's needed!

If I had to pick, my other strength is having a good ear. It slowed down learning to read notation for awhile but it has helped writing/orchestrating SO much.


----------



## mc_deli (Feb 19, 2016)

Greatest strength: my ability to contribute to rich online debate
As a composer: my ability to contribute to the coffers of NI, Apple et al
As an artist: my ability to p**s honey with a wah wah pedal

As a media composer: my ability to fearlessly stare rejection in the face and whimper a bit


----------



## skyy38 (Feb 29, 2016)

One of my strengths as a composer is realizing that you don't have to use the whole orchestra, to illustrate a certain character:


----------



## toddkedwards (Mar 16, 2016)

My greatest strength as a composer is procrastinating.  Being serious, I would say coming up with ideas, but now I need to work on expanding/developing those ideas.


----------

