A break from technology

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Michael

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« on: March 21, 2013, 09:05:35 PM »
Hi guys and girls,

first of all I'd like to apologize for my recent absence from the forum (which I still consider the single most friendly and resourceful place for any songwriter). I had lots of stuff going on with moving house and settling in with a new job and all.

Which brings me to the reason for this post. While moving, I had to leave almost all my musical equipment, instruments, gear, DAW etc behind and can only access all that every couple of weeks. For the rest of the time I'm down to my acoustic guitar, that's it.

The problem with all that is: Sitting in front of the DAW and being able to experiment with recordings and synths, shifting tracks around, manipulating audio and obsessing over tiny details of an arrangement is and has always been my main source of inspiration, my way of being creative and writing songs.

With all that gone for most of the time, I'm facing a bit of a dilemma, as I can't seem to be able to get any writing or composing done. I absolutely envy and admire all of the musicians and writers on here who can come up with fantastic material by just sitting down with their guitar or piano. I can write simple chord progressions and riffs on guitar, but that's about it. Apparently I lack the imagination required to actually "build" any kind of arrangement in my head, let alone write a song based on just a simple acoustic guitar track, as so many here manage to do so wonderfully. I need to have it all visually summarized the way it is in a DAW.

Maybe this is a result of the availability of semi-professional tools and software, the fact that practically every layman can build their own more or less advanced "studio" in their bedroom these days. (Although maybe I am a bit too young to credibly be using phrases like "these days" ;-D).
What I'm saying is, I feel like I've never learned the real trade of songwriting, the skill to create words and music simply by using one's imagination instead of soft- and hardware that allow you to basically cheat your way through an arrangement. And now that might be coming back to bite me in the ass.

I'm writing this for two reasons:
To ask all you guys here, who may or may not have had similar experiences for any kind of advice or suggestion on how to deal with this problem, how to properly learn to write and how to gain some distance from the technological aids and obstacles.
And to start a discussion on said tools, how they help and hinder the songwriting challenge, how they have changed your writing process.

I'm very much looking forward to hearing all your thoughts :)

Cheers

Michael

James Nighthawk

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« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2013, 10:20:03 PM »
Hmm

I have been a guitarist and songwriter since 13. And I have had access to recording equipment since age 15. I then did an A Level in Music Tech, a degree, and now run my own studio

I find my favourite way to write is with a guitar, a pen and a notebook.

I have written electronica. And I have written plenty of songs which start from acoustic ideas, but complete in the DAW.

But I still write more than 50% of my work acoustically.

Why? Hmm... Perhaps it's cos I love it that way? Perhaps it is because I perform live as a solo artist, so what good is a portfolio of songs I cannot play live? Perhaps part of me thinks that a song should stand up without the recording trickery? I can't be sure

I will say this: from my experience working with young bands, there is a worrying growth of thinking "it can be fixed in the studio". No. The studio is not a place to fix. It is a place to record. Create. produce.

What I'm saying is, I feel like I've never learned the real trade of songwriting, the skill to create words and music simply by using one's imagination instead of soft- and hardware that allow you to basically cheat your way through an arrangement. And now that might be coming back to bite me in the ass.

This is a little worrying. If you need the visualisation of a song on a DAW alongside certain cheats such as drum loops, preprogrammed chords and "Smart" instruments (Yes, I am looking at you with an evil glance "GarageBand") then perhaps you do need to fill a hole in your knowledge.

There is of course the matter of genre. My genre (rock/folk) is all about guitar vocal. If you are in electronica, the DAW pretty much IS your instrument. So there is less concern here. I wouldn't expect royksopp or Basement Jaxx to write their next album on a guitar, and I love them the same regardless!

Just some thoughts in no particular order. (It has been a long day)

Don't fret it though, It is good that you have raised a concern but equally perhaps you just work best on a DAW and that is your way.
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Boydie

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« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2013, 10:44:20 PM »
This is a great discussion topic

I do come up with most of my song ideas with just a guitar

However, I am definitely NOT a notepad & pen type of person

I like to "write" down ideas on my phone and I write lyrics at a computer screen

I just don't have that "romantic" link with pen & paper - my handwritten lyrics are not going to fetch a fortune at auction - not sure how attractive a Microsoft Word document is going to be though

I like to copy & paste sections of lyrics around and have a nice "neat" lyric sheet


I will often let a song swim around my subconcious before sitting down at my DAW to start putting the "song" together - but for me this is where the magic happens - the "idea" is turned in to the "song"

I get a buzz out of taking a basic idea and experimenting in a DAW until I end up with something I like

It is the interaction between the simple idea, the drums, the bass, other elements that get my juices flowing

Coming up with a guitar & vocal is the first step for me - mucking around in a DAW is part of the process I enjoy most

I think this is because I grew up playing guitar in bands where the magic happens from everyone contributing their "bit"

For me to be able to do the same on my own is very satisfying
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habiTat

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« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2013, 11:27:36 PM »
Hi Michael,

I'm someone who still hasn't a clue how to use a proper daw. I should learn how to use the ones I have, but I never get round to it. Do you have any access to a computer while you're away? Even an old laptop you could take? If so, I'd recommend downloading Audacity, im sure you already know but it's free, quite basic and is really easy to use. Its a basic multi track which might help you to at least 'record' (on the laptop mic) basic elements for you to play around with.

Hab

montydog

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« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2013, 11:30:59 PM »
I've come at this the exact opposite way from you. I get a fragment of melody in my head or a phrase or a combination of maybe just 2 chords and then sing them while finding which chords fit the melody in my head. Sometimes the chords direct the melody, sometimes the other war round. It's 100% on the guitar while writing ideas on a notepad. The DAW is just to add the other instruments as I record them.
I write simple, traditional folk/country/singer songwriter stuff where the song and delivery is everything and the arrangement is just deciding what instruments to put on the track! This wouldn't work in most other genres but if it works in yours then the DAW is your guitar and requires just as much skill and experience to get the most from. It just depends what floats your musical boat.

S.T.C

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« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2013, 11:43:59 PM »
Hard to give advice on this,time to learn new skills i guess.

Saeed AlSuri

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« Reply #6 on: March 22, 2013, 02:25:46 AM »
It comes to one's style of music I guess ..

I think you mentioned Strat .. so there is a guitar is there to play ??

personally I some time hum the tune without any instrument .. if I like what I hear I record it on my small cheap digital mp3 recorder .. may be do more then few different takes with different melodies ..
some times on different days .. before I think of picking up the guitar to find the chords or the scale in the respect .. 

but I write the lyrics most of the time without music .. just plain words ..an Idea .. once it takes the proper shape that I think it relay the massage I start putting it to music ..

other times I'll be practicing scales and I find a pattern which leads me to an Instrumental piece ..

there is no hard rules in making music .. what ever works .. works .. that's it ..

now you feel handicapped .. NO DAW .. is basically of what you want to write ..

I have one advice for you .. consider every thing you do as an exercise .. to improve one self ..

and you have to keep practicing .. :D


Cheers..

Michael

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« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2013, 12:49:27 PM »
Thanks for all the replies, guys :)
It is very interesting and helpful to hear other poeple's approach to writing songs.

Seems like you all are more or less the sit-down-with-my-instrument-and-start-writing types - which I think is definitely the more healthy approach to songwriting.

Hard to give advice on this,time to learn new skills i guess.
Haha, I guess you're spot on with that!
Maybe it's not a bad thing to have to give up the DAW-approach for a while, that way I'm basically forced to discover new ways of writing - although right now it's really bothering me  ???

certain cheats such as drum loops, preprogrammed chords and "Smart" instruments
I'm not using any of those - but the convenience of the DAW for me is basically being able to add elements like MIDI drums, or really anything based on MIDI. Which of course in some way is cheating, since it enables you to - to some extend - simulate a full band ensemble on your own.

@Hab: Thanks for the hint, I'll have a look at Audacity

I agree that of course the necessity for a DAW depends on the genre in question. I do like to use quite electronic sounding elements in some songs, and for that Cubase is immensely helpful.
On the other hand, I really enjoy simple arrangements with little more than an acoustic guitar and the singer, too. And I'd love to be able to explore that musical direction myself.
Which of course brings me back to my initial issue :D

grassbath

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« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2013, 04:14:38 PM »
If as you say, you can only come up with simple chord progressions and riffs, there's no reason why you can't come up with more complex ones with some practice. I'd use this opportunity to forget about the DAW and practice building a song organically just with the guitar. Reshuffle your songwriting process so that the DAW is what you use to build on and advance a song rather than define its creation, if you see what I mean.



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Kafla

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« Reply #9 on: April 03, 2013, 08:58:49 AM »
I constantly need to change things to write - even if it just a new guitar - a new sound brings out something different

I really have the opposite problem - I can write something different easily but my production skills are quite limited so I only really produce a certain type of song

I have loads of files on my hard drive - songs that I imagine as rockers , edgy indie etc

But I can't complete them yet  ??? I will though in time

If only we could swap some traits Michael  ;D