When you compose, do you hear things before you sit down and write? Or do you find melodies with an instrument or DAW?
Composing : How Does Music Come to You? by Kat Spencer
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Both for me, it just depends. Sometimes I wake up I the middle of the night hearing something that I need to get written and I grab my phone and start humming in to a voice memo. This happened when I needed to create the main tune for the Vesper clip, basically the last half of the clip. Then other times it's not so natural and coming to me so easily so it's helpful to set at the keyboard with a piano patch or something and find something that way.
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Depends on the film or project I’m writing for.
Sometimes I start with chords then melodies.
When I did the EP - Collaboratio - I had Ed’s piano part to write from. Then I used different instruments to add melodies and other lines within the song structure.
It’s called Rhythm n Keys on YouTube and all DSPs.
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Yeah, I subconsciously hear things—melodies, soundscapes, abstract textures—but I prefer a workflow where I sit down with my DAW and instruments ready, record ideas as I play, and then refine everything afterward.
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Very interesting question. Both work for me, both are fun to try :)
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It depends. 9/10 times, it helps for me to get a pad down and then start writing. I love ambience, so getting that down usually spawns some moticom of creativity, especially if I'm having trouble finding something. However, I do think that trying to compose in my head away from my DAW ends up encouraging me and is more fulfilling for me as a composer.
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Awesome responses, everyone! Thank you for sharing. I rarely hear things first (though it happens.) Usually, I just sit down at my keys, and then my fingers find a melody quickly. Sometimes, a lyric will come to me, and I build around that.