6 Tips For Music Composers to Make Something Great
Even if you have a gift for composing music it always helps to get some fresh ideas on how to create something extraordinary. Here are some tips on how you can bring your A Game every day and knock it out of the park.
Sir Gilbert Levine conducts the concert “Peace Through Music ‘In Our Age’”
at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., on May 5, 2014
Photo credit: Georgetown University
#1: Increase Your Music Arsenal
When you’re putting together a song you need as many samples, beats, and loops as possible to spark your creativity. That’s why you should have a large and growing collection of musical material so that you can put it together in a unique way to create something new and awesome.
#2: Get Out Of Your Head
If you run into a creative block and are looking for ways to come up with new ideas one of the best ways is to get up, get outside, and get your body moving. Taking a one-hour walk in the sunshine might not sound like you are working, but it is often enough to clear your head and open it up for new inspiration.
#3: Try Different Angles
If you always approach music composing the same way each time your songs might have a cookie-cutter feel to them. It’s better to think of different angles you can use to create a song to avoid getting into a rut.
Perhaps one time you’ll start with the bassline, or you’ll just start whistling a tune and figure out how to arrange it. Maybe you only have the lyrics and you can come up with a good way to back them up with music. This variation keep things fresh and will keep the process more organic.
#4: Get In The Zone
It is hard to block out distractions during a busy day, but each time you sit down to work you should make sure that you are dialed in and ready to do something amazing. Do whatever works for you, whether it’s listening to a song that gets you amped up, or drinking a caffeinated energy drink so that you feel supercharged, never approach your work from a place of melancholy or boredom.
#5: “Go Pro”
In his book The Art of War Steven Pressfield says that you need to battle Resistance each day in order to complete your work. He describes Resistance as that negative force that keeps us from creating what is inside of us. He says that when you “go pro” i.e. when you show up to work everyday and create something new even though you don’t really feel like it, Resistance will yield to your perseverance.
#6: Play Jazz
Even if you’re not creating jazz music, you can still “play jazz” as in try new things without a lot of pressure to make it sound a certain way. Don’t be afraid to come up with something that is outside of the box or is unlike anything you’ve ever done before. Just start creating and see where things lead, you might like where you end up.
If you follow the tips above you’re sure to come up with something new and exciting that everyone will love. Remember not to get bogged down by the process and try to make it as enjoyable as possible throughout. This positive, relaxed energy will come through in the music you create.
Author: Carmelo Hannity
