Sometimes the word “composition” feels too big for those who feel the itch to create but don't dare make the decision. In other cases it's unavoidable because of the creative soul of the writer and the need to express ideas and feelings in a language other than words. Once you've gathered a series of ideas, you have to face the recording process and approach it on the right terms. We'll go step by step through how to develop your ideas.
Composing
I believe creativity, or rather the need to express, is something you carry inside. The author feels the desire to give shape to their ideas and turns them into a message. In fact, the satisfaction that creating brings is common, in my view, to any artistic discipline. The way to channel that creativity is through whichever language is closest to its creator: poetry, prose, lyrics, paintings, drawings, engravings, sculptures, musical compositions, and so on.
I would even venture to say that those who feel a burning need to get their messages out or put them down are tempted to work in several disciplines, such as painting, poetry, and music. Obviously, getting good results takes more than talent and sensitivity; you also need to master the tools that will turn the idea into a visual, musical, or other message.
Speaking of Music
So I would sum up the process in two big blocks. The first is what you carry inside: your desire to express, your longing to turn your feelings into music, and your interest in handling different languages. The essence is to communicate. The second block is based on theoretical and practical knowledge. Put another way, if you're passionate about writing in English but you don't know the vocabulary and your grammar in that language is like a five-year-old's, it will be practically impossible for you to put your ideas down in an interesting and competitive way, however good they may be.
At this point, and if we have that creative explosion beforehand, we need to invest a lot of time in handling our medium as well as possible. The piano, the guitar, or any other creative tool you feel is suited to your messages.
Learning
One of the basic premises of the musician is modesty (I'd extend this quality to artists in any “trade”). There's an explanation for this. The more you learn, the more aware you become of your limitations, and the more clearly you see that the universe of musical language is far bigger than you could have imagined. You realize that you never stop learning, and you appreciate how your creative and expressive possibilities are enriched when your mind is open and receptive.
It's common to read or hear others who know more than you say that it's not good to pigeonhole yourself into one musical style, especially when it comes to listening. This statement ties in with the point above. The more open your mind, the more resources you'll take in, processing them and then turning them into tools of your own language.
Getting Started
If you still haven't made up your mind, there's only one thing missing: losing your fear. You have to get started, put your ideas down, and be aware that however badly they turn out, they're part of the learning and evolution process. If, on the other hand, you've been composing for some time, you should focus on improving your skills and on knowing the language you use, music, inside and out.
Laying Out the Songs
To really compose, you don't need anything. We might find the most complete and best-equipped studio in the world but, if there are no ideas, no feeling, no message, all the instruments and gear are useless. What's more, I think the best way to “breathe in” the feel of a song is to hear it with voice and guitar (voice, piano, etc.). Simply, without dressing it up or adorning it with a thousand frills. If the song is good in essence, it will be good even played in the humblest way in the world. Often, sitting in front of lots of gear and “musical distractions” can make us lose the thread of the song, because we get caught up in how it will turn out. What if I add this instrument or that one? That way the creative process becomes a “production” process, and they're very different things that we must tell apart perfectly. In short, we should focus on composing our song in a simple, solid, and confident way. That way we'll be fully focused on squeezing the most out of our songwriting ability, without other elements distracting us or camouflaging the song.
Making a Demo
I think we all get a thrill from watching our songs grow. Even as you're composing, “imaginary tracks” can pile up in your head and help you develop the idea. With a number of songs laid out, we'll take the next step: dressing them up.
The same song can be approached in a thousand different ways: by its rhythmic foundation, by the sounds we choose, by the style of the players, by our intention, and by a long list of other circumstances. Personally, I'm more in favor of recording only the necessary tracks, the essence, the ones that contribute something. “Superproduction” with a thousand tracks is more often used to disguise a weak song. The challenge of producing a song “over the top” can have its charm too, although I personally prefer minimalist arrangements, giving more prominence to the song than to the production.
With the conveniences that today's home studios give us, it's relatively easy to get down to work. How to set up and expand our home studio has already been described before (in other ISP chapters). That's not our topic today, though we'll keep developing it in other issues. Today I prefer to concentrate on some questions that reach the editorial desk, related to how to approach the recording.
These parameters are unnecessary for those of you who are already familiar, but I'll mention them for those who really need basic guidance. Sometimes I've received comments like: “I composed a song with my bass, recorded it without a click track, and now I want to add the drums and the rest of the parts.” You need to follow an order and a method to get good results. Following that example, if you record a bass or any other instrument without a click, the tempo will be totally out of control (unless you're a human clock) and the song, before it even begins, is doomed to certain failure.
Structure: A Proposal
Click Track, Metronome
Get used to playing with a click track or metronome. You should play in “tempo,” and especially when you're going to layer tracks on top of each other. Consider that if each track does its own thing and you have no guide, it will be almost impossible (especially if you're not a very experienced musician) to get the tracks to “line up.”
Demo, Rough Draft
You can make an initial sketch of the song on a couple of “draft” tracks, recording a base instrument and the vocal. Piano, guitar, etc. (always to tempo, okay). You can use a drum loop if it's more comfortable. Even if it's repetitive, we'll change it later.
Rhythm Foundations
Now you should establish a solid rhythm foundation, compact and tight. We focus on the drum track(s), achieving perfect timing (if necessary with the help of quantization, which is highly recommended).
It's important that you work on the intentions and attacks of this track or these tracks. It will later help us emphasize or reduce intensities evenly across all the tracks.
Bass
Now we can turn to recording the bass. Keep in mind that frills on any track, and especially on the rhythmic (melodic) foundations, will clutter the mix and limit the melodic arrangements of other instruments. Tracks with nerve-racking melodic flourishes turn the song into chaos (even more so when you're not a performance monster). In short, we recommend establishing a compact bass that fulfills its supporting role, aiming for a good blend with the kick drums and an orderly rhythmic feel.
Pads
To complement this foundation you can now move on to the “pads or beds”: string sections, keyboards, rhythm acoustic guitars, and so on. Likewise, aim for a good blend and a tight foundation. The melodic arrangements will come later. Your goal is to get a good foundation that doesn't distract and is firmly established. Watch the levels of all the tracks so that there are no harsh notes and the result is as even as possible (within the nuances of your song, logically).
Arrangements
Now we move on to perhaps the most fun phase. It's fun if what you've recorded before is good, if it gives you confidence and lets you play the rest of the tracks comfortably. If something goes wrong, delete and redo it until you get a strong foundation.
Recording of more delicate, melodic instruments and/or ones that add nuance. Electric guitars, string sections, brass, woodwinds, backing vocals, and so on.
Vocals
Finally, we move on to the vocals and the song is ready.
As you can guess, this is a drastic summary of a recording process. We could go on endlessly about each section. I suppose, on the other hand, that every “master has his own method,” and so there are many ways to meet the challenge. In any case, you should try to keep the tempo tight, make sure the tracks you add are well recorded (I mean performance, intention, etc.), and avoid drastic level changes between tracks and parts unless they're intentional, for the song's “growth.” As a final recommendation, add tracks that contribute something; confusing ones that get lost are no good, and try to keep everything you record crisp and clear.
Good luck, and go for it.
