Watch the Footage

I've been wanting to start a thread like this for a little while, and now it's finally here

This topic is all about composing music. Not writing a song, but more creating melodies and rhythms. I myself am trying to get into a music school that teaches Composition for the Media, and I could use a little motivation preparing for it

So I was wondering: Have you guys composed your own music? What kind of music, and where did the inspiration come from. What programs do you use, or do you record your music straight from the instrument?

I myself have mostly used Anvil Studio for my compositions. A melody usually pops up in my head, only to be forgotten after 5 minutes (which is a shame). I have a little something I can let you hear if someone can explain me how

Also, for those of us who want to compose something but don't know how, maybe some examples of where/how to get some music programs or something? ^^

I've tried to compose music.

I can't.

My brain just won't generate new melodies. Previous attempts have all turned out to be either the song "I Wanna Be a Producer" or Jonathan Coulton's "You Ruined Everything."

I've done small melodies ever since the 6th or 7th grade. When I had access to a piano, I'd pick them out on a keyboard, but they'd be sickeningly simple since I can't actually play piano. Only thing I can play is the violin, and that doesn't lend to complex melodies. I can't write music either, so that's out as well. It's a bit of a curse really - I don't go very long without an original song bouncing around in my head, but I have little to no way to express them.

I can't properly play any instrument, so I can't really compose music. What is horrible, because sometimes I make up some neat melodies, and I can't take them to the real world. *sigh* I can only dream of being able to one day do so.

Well, guess what, I found the lyrics of a small melody for keyboard, and used this site in the demo to write it down. On piano it didn't sound like it was on keyboard, and also I don't remembr much of it, so it may be slower than it was. There's also the flute melody, which is an adaptation from this one to flute, but I suppose both could go together. I don't remember. I might scan the original sheet and post here, or just write in that site. Anyways, here it is.

narrativedilettante wrote:I've tried to compose music.

I can't.

My brain just won't generate new melodies. Previous attempts have all turned out to be either the song "I Wanna Be a Producer" or Jonathan Coulton's "You Ruined Everything."

This happens to me a lot too. I'm thinking of a really nice melody, and then when it progresses, I come to the terrible conclusion that it already exists. What I do when that happens is I try to keep the music in the same style, but I choose completely different notes to make it still sound different
...If that makes sense >_>

IslaKariese wrote:I've done small melodies ever since the 6th or 7th grade. When I had access to a piano, I'd pick them out on a keyboard, but they'd be sickeningly simple since I can't actually play piano. Only thing I can play is the violin, and that doesn't lend to complex melodies. I can't write music either, so that's out as well. It's a bit of a curse really - I don't go very long without an original song bouncing around in my head, but I have little to no way to express them.

I think what you need is a composing program. Really, the easiest way to express your music is with a simple Piano Roll composer. You won't need to know how to write music, because you can very easily set the duration and pitch of the note (among other settings) by making the notebar longer or placing it higher or lower on the Piano Roll. I hope I'm explaining it clearly?

The rare times I have been able to come up with a tune for something, which usually happens by accident rather than deliberately, I eventually get around to figuring out how to approximate it on the piano, then transcribe the sheet music for what I'm playing. Fortunately, I have many years of piano lessons behind me, so that much is not beyond me, and I can read sheet music.

I have no clue about programs for it, though I remember my cousin once said he was designing an app that would transcribe sheet music if you play a tune at it... don't know what ever became of that. And I'm generally not one to compose music, anyway.

I used to play the guitar a bit, though I wasn't that good at it. Tried to compose one thing or two, I don't know where I left the recording of those (they were really simple though, like 30 seconds and then they repeated...) also, I made mistakes when recording... because, you know, it totally makes sense to get nervous when recording in your home... alone

Well, I did study some music, and have an inherited violin. Which is quite badass, or would be if I knew how to use the thing, or do anything vaguely music related at all. >_<

I play four musical instruments, and I do compose. My DQ refic was a composition . I do use some programs (and used to have the über-awesome (£500 for PCs) Sibelius). They're not really complex, huge, or very good, but it's fairly easy to do.

I write music sometimes. In particular, most of the music that appeared in the ARG was written by me, with the exception of the metaguards song that was appropriated for the credits and maybe anything else I'm forgetting. I actually started working on a suite for the credits before that became a thing, but I only got as far as a not-quite-finished version of the Watch The Footage theme song. I'm not sure it's any good, but at least one person likes it enough to insist I post it. There also exists an 8-bit version, but you'll have to ask Sophie for that.

I've also got a pretty small and outdated soundcloud page in case you enjoy stalking me.

Alexander Moser wrote:I write music sometimes. In particular, most of the music that appeared in the ARG was written by me, with the exception of the metaguards song that was appropriated for the credits and maybe anything else I'm forgetting. I actually started working on a suite for the credits before that became a thing, but I only got as far as a not-quite-finished version of the Watch The Footage theme song. I'm not sure it's any good, but at least one person likes it enough to insist I post it. There also exists an 8-bit version, but you'll have to ask Sophie for that.

I've also got a pretty small and outdated soundcloud page in case you enjoy stalking me.

Thanks for the awesome music, Alex!

Yep, I made an 8-bit version of that tune too. (actually 8-bit, that is - the way I made it, you'd be able to play it on a real C64 with a SID player)

I've put an MP3 version up at http://neo.theblob.org/tvt-joe-c64.mp3 if you want to check it out.

Both of these songs are now added to my "The Wall Will Fall" album on iTunes:

Genndy Oda C.O.G. wrote:Both of these songs are now added to my "The Wall Will Fall" album on iTunes:

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Woah you made an album?

Thats awesome

One of these days, I'll actually write that violin theme I hinted at an eternity ago...

IslaKariese wrote:One of these days, I'll actually write that violin theme I hinted at an eternity ago...

And when you do we shall all be fighting to be firast in line for the download

I really need to clar up my The Wall Will Fall playlist... it's got all sorts of random and like, six different prerelease versions of Make a Metaguard out of You on it :/

Pssst plz to be violining Joe's Theme

Scarab wrote:

IslaKariese wrote:One of these days, I'll actually write that violin theme I hinted at an eternity ago...

Pssst plz to be violining Joe's Theme

Where do I listen to that?

IslaKariese wrote:

Scarab wrote:

IslaKariese wrote:One of these days, I'll actually write that violin theme I hinted at an eternity ago...

Pssst plz to be violining Joe's Theme

Where do I listen to that?

He linked it up there ^^^

Ah, I hear it... He says it's unfinished, though, and I dunno what I would add to it if I tried to finish it myself, but the more I listen, the more I feel I could do with my violin. You know, with the right recording and computer equipment and programs. I never did learn how to splice and combine different parts of a track...