If you’re like most of us songwriters, you don’t always have a band at your disposal every time you get inspired to write a song. This can sometimes make it difficult to get a feel for the context of the song and where it is headed. For example, if you’re a guitarist, while you’re writing a song you may be wondering what the other instruments will be doing at certain points. This can put an unnecessary pressure on the songwriting process.
What’s the solution?
There are many solutions, but here's one: Anvil Studio. This free midi software helped immensely when I first started composing. It gives you the ability to create individual tracks with different instruments, and you can compose each instrument however you would like. With a selection of 130 instruments, you’ll have an easy time finding the one you want.
With most of my songs, I compose using a guitar. So with Anvil Studio, I would compose tracks for drums, bass, and keys…and voila! I have a band to “rehearse” with as I compose my song. This helps me grasp the context of the music and allows me to control the instruments that I’m not literally playing. That adds a huge benefit and ease to the process.
