Writing instrumental music

[Wnm]

Would any of you mind posting your instrumentals ?

 

 

Hi

For example :

http://www.4shared.com/file/127346053/f61da3ed/-desolation-.html

(steel string guitar/synth)

 

http://www.4shared.com/file/127346774/5f004249/Loveneverdies.html

(nylon/synth)

 

 

once I find a group of chords I like and play them enough times to be able to then record them (I have no idea what the chords are or anything like that, they

[missouri_picker]

to me an instrumental has to have a strong melody line with support of harmony, the listener should see a vivd mental image from the title as they listen to it. I like many keep trying to make that happen, here is my latest attempt.

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7599280

some like some don't that to me is irrelevant, avant gart is what it is.
Donnell

[grace_slick]

I just use Ableton Live 7. That

[rockinrobby]

I'm working on a new Instrumental piece called "Acapella", it's beautiful, but somewhat paradoxical?

[grace_slick]

How can music be paradoxical? lol

[IanAlderman]

Paradoxical.... hmmmm....... I guess it could be some type of paradoxy, who knows?

[Robert Rowe]

How can music be paradoxical? lol

Written &/or performed by two doctors.

[DeveryHarper]

I have been trying to come up with 8 to 10 original instrumental songs for about 5 years now. I have been playing for 25 years and I have chops and a good grasp on theory but I cannot write an interesting piece of music to save my life. I beat up ideas for a few hours and then i struggle to connect a riff or a melody to a chorus or a bridge. I tend to actually over think my compositions and i cannot get a cohesive piece to develop. Where do some of you start when writing instrumentals? Beating up a chord progression ? The melody ? just mindless wanking ? I often feel limited by drum loops as well. I run Ableton Live and Addictive drums but I feel overwhelmed for the most part. Help.

 

All I write are instrumentals. I can't write lyrics for the life of me. I have nothing to say.

I definitely start out with some kind of melody. I rarely start out with a rhythm or drum beat. Everyone is different though. Some might start out with a drum beat then add some bass then add whatever and go from there. I guess you need to whatever YOU need to do. Find your own niche.

Once I have a melody I begin to add other parts to the song to accompany that melody. Then I begin to work my way further into the song. Sometimes I do this by what comes in my mind, sometimes I do this by simply playing along with the song, hitting the record button and then improvising. I find that a lot of my best stuff has come from just improvising and then going back and tweaking it.

Ultimately I try to reach a complete song structure. That is, to have pretty much everything in place. Then I go back and I edit. I spend more time editing than I do writing (although in a sense my editing is writing). Once the song has that basic foundation and structure, the song writes itself for me. I know that is cliche but that's how it works for me. I am able to hear all of my "mistakes" and the more I edit the more I realize where the song needs to go.

I often change the feeling of a song the further into it I get. What do I mean? Well, just changing a sound on an instrument can change the whole presentation of the song. Or, sometimes I will add or take away drum beats. But again, these changes come for me once the song has a basic structure.

Once everything is in place, I then record it and then spend just as much time mixing and tweaking sounds as I did writing and editing! It really can be a lot of work. But it's worth it.

All in all just do what's right for you. Try to just finish one song. Then work on another, then another, then another. The more you do it the better you will get (hopefully ).

 

If you want to check out my stuff just click on the "Direct link to a player that has all music."

[rockinrobby]

It's paradoxical because it's called accapella? Which means vocals only? But it's an instrumental? Hence? The paradox...

[K1W1Prog]

There are lots of paradoxical things to do in music, like tempo rubato licks over a strict rhythm section. Resolve it at the end, and you have a dramatic tension-relief.

 

Instruments played quietly but quickly is a good natural paradox, the human ear is accustomed to faster notes being louder.

[Robert Rowe]

There are lots of paradoxical things to do in music, like tempo rubato licks over a strict rhythm section. Resolve it at the end, and you have a dramatic tension-relief. Instruments played quietly but quickly is a good natural paradox, the human ear is accustomed to faster notes being louder.

Hmm ... Never thought of that.

Interesting.

[S1ay3R]

Hi all!

This will be my first post here

Im also a instrumental player, I play nylon acoustic solo music.

I play the styles of rodrigo y gabriela two amazing mexican due's also no lyrics!

Here is a video of me playing the cover of stairway to heaven composed and covered by them. Its a old video and ive improved alot more since then and playing live gigs and making a extra income out of it.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBZoerTiCsM

 

Let me know what you think of it, I will release new songs at the end of this month in perfect quality.

[OAFCORE]

It completely depends on what style you're into. but if you've been playing a long time and have a good grasp on theory, PUSH YOURSELF. When you play with a vocalist, EVERYTHING revolves around them. Sad but true....So when you right an instrumental piece just think about it as JUST you. Showing yourself off. Most of the heavier music I write could be played instrumental. I move around in time signatures/tempos/keys so much that the vocalist will litterally ask me "what the hell do I do with THAT!?"

SERIOUSLY! I've had vocalists say that to me! It's ussualy followed by something like "I mean I love it, it sounds great, but there's no room for me in there"

at that point I've created something that grabs the listener, with only my instrument.......

as for drum machines....I am in love with my BOSS BR-900CD. An eight-track digital recorder with built in drum machine. It even has plug and play capabilites that sound VERY good and takes batteries! and no bigger than a lap top computer....The drum machine is very simple but it allows you to compose an entire song map. With enough time you could program an entire song without repeating one drum loop, then just record your guitar over it. OR! OR! you can record the drum machine in real time, as you hit the button for each sample! AND IT BURNS CD'S!!!! Goddamn I love this thing...I think it was only like $600 new.....

If you just have simple computer based drum machines try downloading somekind of cheap mixing program like cool edit, or audacity, and stacking your drum loops until you get something interesting.....

[AlastairEno]

This is Cloud's Revenge: http://www.TheVerrazanoNarrows.Com/music/clouds_revenge.mp3

It was written in the key of E Minor. That seems to be what I write everything in these days...
The Chords as originally intended are: i(Em), VI©, iv(Am), v(Bm), i(Em).

The main piano melody is a standard piston with interlocking harmonies.

Cloud's Revenge was inspired by a song that was hidden in Windows 95 as an Easter Egg. The hidden song was called Clouds. I have no idea who the composer was, but it was up-beat and interesting for its day. I imagine that song would not be so upbeat these days, considering its long neglect and that Microsoft has stopped composing any original score to include with its operating systems.

Don't be angry clouds, we still love you.