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Easy fellow producers, i was wondering what inspires you to write tunes? Listening to others, sample collation being the obvious examples.... i'm interested in the process of how you guys write beats/tunes?

Do you start with a riddim? or with a key sound to get the other components in tune with? any suggestions of tricks, wacky ideas would be great.... need some inspiration....

also probs another thread entirely.... any ideas on finishing tunes.... having a lot of tunes which i spend an few hours on go back and think.....baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa its just not flicking the switches...

Lots of different ways really. Very often though, I get something in my head, go to the look at work and then sing something into my phone's recorder... Just like a hook for a bassline, some kind of riff... whatever. I've got a whole catalogue of unfinished tunes on there!

When I lack inspiration to make beats I start browsing presets and try to learn more about synthesis. When I find interesting sounds, I mess with them til they sound like I want. Usually, a couple of hours later I have enough material to start a tune.
Otherwise, when I'm just not in the mood for building a structure and make an entire tune, I browse the mp3 folder, select one track I like and try to reproduce some of its sounds - again to get a better understanding rather than trying to sound like x or y.

Imo inspiration is highly related to the knowledge you have over your instruments, synthesis, melodies and other technical stuff. That's why I don't care much about unfinished tunes atm. You always learn something while making them, that's what matters.

Daft tnuc wrote:When I lack inspiration to make beats I start browsing presets and try to learn more about synthesis. When I find interesting sounds, I mess with them til they sound like I want. Usually, a couple of hours later I have enough material to start a tune.
Otherwise, when I'm just not in the mood for building a structure and make an entire tune, I browse the mp3 folder, select one track I like and try to reproduce some of its sounds - again to get a better understanding rather than trying to sound like x or y.

Imo inspiration is highly related to the knowledge you have over your instruments, synthesis, melodies and other technical stuff. That's why I don't care much about unfinished tunes atm. You always learn something while making them, that's what matters.

wise words

drewdrops wrote:1. Do you start with a riddim? or with a key sound to get the other components in tune with? any suggestions of tricks, wacky ideas would be great.... need some inspiration....

2. also probs another thread entirely.... any ideas on finishing tunes.... having a lot of tunes which i spend an few hours on go back and think.....baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa its just not flicking the switches...

Hi Dewdrops,
1. Often I work on beats first, bass next, then melody-hook-vocal sample often in that order, each element suggests a space for the next to lock in with. Listen to Sub FM when not working on own stuff to keep you on your toes! Carboot & jumble sales for finding random stuff to sample from, old toys, records, videos!
2. Having deadlines helps with getting stuff finished, lol! Focus on arrangement, with what you got. Get an intro/drop/outro formula thing going that you can look at objectively, instead of creative decisions. If it stands up it will be worth finishing.

blines into phone recorder nice! will give that a go...

copying tunes is something i've done before and works really well for me, nice to have reference plus takes the compositonal thought process away and leaves time for sound design.....

what about emotional inspiration? do you ever do things to evoke an emotion? like messing with your own head, taking acid and sitting in a graveyard on your own, messing around with releationships?

[quote="SLVA1. Often I work on beats first, bass next, then melody-hook-vocal sample often in that order, each element suggests a space for the next to lock in with. Listen to Sub FM when not working on own stuff to keep you on your toes! Carboot & jumble sales for finding random stuff to sample from, old toys, records, videos!
2. Having deadlines helps with getting stuff finished, lol! Focus on arrangement, with what you got. Get an intro/drop/outro formula thing going that you can look at objectively, instead of creative decisions. If it stands up it will be worth finishing.[/quote]

carboots! used to go to enough carboots when i was younger might have to revisit - old records to sample as well as the dodgy doughnuts

hmmm, i got so many processes when it comes to making tunes. i always have something in mind for a dj, as for sounds n shit i always try do something original and use things in different contexts; like jazzy sounds and instruments with darkside futuristic basslines, but right now ive fallen in love with the steel drums in logic 8!

when it comes to moods i have alot of mad concepts. rght now though i write music to evoke different mind states. my fabourite one though for example is if im linking a girl soon and want to be a sexy kinda guy ill start writing sexy music - if that makes sense? or i write tunes simply to evoke different mind states. im a psychological astronaut trust me

dont know just make.. i dont gonna think bout that kinda things.. if it happens it happens

the inherent structuralism of sequencing-- the grid, loops, quantizing, 8bar stuff-- is often really stifling, at least to me. something that grows from top (idea) down (structure) from me is almost always a better tune than from structure up to idea.

there's ways to bridge the gap. fuckin' up a loop/melody/drumpattern often brings forth a bigger idea... shit like that.

I think we are influenced by everything we hear, see, and feel

channelling this into positive creative energy is the key.

oh yeah, the right gear, knowledge and the ability to hear also play a roll.

and if that doesnt work, buy reason and get really stoned

.................

half my life is learning and thinking and imagining, which leads to tons of samples and presets, which i use in the other half in which I actually make tunes. Sampling your own rejects can be good. I spend a lot of time thinking of places, like the west coast of Ireland (near home) or driving in cities or whatever, and make soundtracks to the idea of that.
Learn more about your gear.

The times when I sit down and say to myself I'm going to make a song are the times when im worst. Other times il go on my computer to check my emails or whatever and 3 hours later im working away getting loads done. Don't force it, its true the best thing you can do is just try and learn new ideas, methods etc.

if I run out of inspiration, I don't push it. I just close cubase and focus on buying fresh records and developing my mixing. Along the way I'm growing my awareness of what people are doing, and when I return to the studio, I'll have fresh ideas. Bad for my output, but I'm not a music factory. i'm a human being looking to enjoy life to the fullest.

cracktactics wrote:The times when I sit down and say to myself I'm going to make a song are the times when im worst. Other times il go on my computer to check my emails or whatever and 3 hours later im working away getting loads done. Don't force it, its true the best thing you can do is just try and learn new ideas, methods etc.

agree wiv dat...it was just last night i sat dwn to check a few fings on my comp at about 10pm nxt fing i no is its 4am in the morninn i ogt a good tune goin lol

Lots. Other peoples tunes, mind state, the weather!!

decklyn wrote:if I run out of inspiration, I don't push it. I just close cubase and focus on buying fresh records and developing my mixing. Along the way I'm growing my awareness of what people are doing, and when I return to the studio, I'll have fresh ideas. Bad for my output, but I'm not a music factory. i'm a human being looking to enjoy life to the fullest.

i like this advice, having fun with the process is really important

TeReKeTe wrote:the inherent structuralism of sequencing-- the grid, loops, quantizing, 8bar stuff-- is often really stifling, at least to me.

definite!!

too long over the years looking at piano rolls and grids in logic & live has bled the inspiration and spontaneity out of me

so i've closed them up and am making music in a completely different way

inevitably you need to spend time on the daw etc to make yourself familiar so that when an idea comes up you can move on it - but thereafter i reckon people should work from inspiration and inevitably if you're of a creative mindset then ideas will come

one of the hardest things in making music is the balance between being creative and the administrative side of music making

decklyn wrote:if I run out of inspiration, I don't push it. I just close cubase and focus on buying fresh records and developing my mixing. Along the way I'm growing my awareness of what people are doing, and when I return to the studio, I'll have fresh ideas. Bad for my output, but I'm not a music factory. i'm a human being looking to enjoy life to the fullest.

I agree with this 100%. Wise words. I am new to producing dubstep, and when i get frustated, i just go back to my DJ rig. Inspires me everytime.