18 The Creative Process: Revise and Finish
Now let’s create an entire piece by combining the 5 elements we have discussed by letting you decide the order in which you’d like to work…
- Rhythm – Drum Kit(s)
- Texture/Timbre – Software Instruments / Track Stacks
- Harmony – Arpeggiator (also consider Bass Riffs)
- Melody – MIDI FX (Transposer) if needed
- Form – Sections (Arrangement Track)
Your piece should have the following components/features:
- Rhythm Track(s): A track involving the use of drum beats that you’ve created. NOTE: you may use multiple tracks to help separate out the various percussion instruments…
- Texture/Timbre Track(s): A track that uses Track Stacks and/or doubled tracks to create an interesting ‘patch’ (sound combo)
- Harmony: An arpeggiator instrument of your creation that is based on a three note chord (i.e. cluster of 3 black keys OR a major triad [i.e. C E G] or a minor triad [A C E], etc.
- Melody track that uses notes from your chords of the Harmony Track
- Form that has at least three sections (which can be copies!)
You can create these tracks and/or work with these components in any order you like…
Pre-Planning
- Before you begin to compose, do a bit of planning by thinking through the steps in “A Composition Process” table below. To begin the planning for this new piece/song, answer the question ‘What is an interesting problem you can solve?’. – You may wish to include a working title and/or concept for what an album cover would look like.
- Next, jot down what you think you’ll try to create some initial ideas that are also ‘germinal ideas’ that could turn into something interesting. Which element(s) will you try? Be as specific as you can…
- To complete the pre-planning, describe the features of what will become your “first draft” – again provide as much detail as you can…
- Enter all of this preplan into the NotePad of your document then as you work…
- …keep a short ‘time-stamped’ journal of what decisions you made and especially when and why you deviated from your plan.
Summary
Music has elements
Music has rhythm, melody, harmony, texture, timbre, and form. All of these can be taken apart and discussed technically but each can be an expressive aspect of any musical experience. You are probably drawn to certain elements more than others (for example, most music novices react to rhythm first). As you gain more technical expertise within an element, you will gain in your ability to create using that element. As you learn more words (vocabulary) you are able to write more interesting stories – the same applies to music composition.
A Composition Process
| Process | Skills | Questions/Comments |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|