Creating Backing Tracks

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  • Post
    • September 10, 2008 at 8:53 pm
    FretDancer69
    Member

    Recently, ive taken the decission to start composing. And i really dont know when to start when it comes to the backing tracks of what my compositions will have. I know i can make them on GP, import them to Fruity Loops and so on. But were i really need help is , how to come up with the rest of the instruments, like i said, i dont know where to start….

    Any tips are greatly appreciated,

    Thanks

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • Replies
    • September 11, 2008 at 3:07 am
    Sean Conklin
    Sean Conklin
    Member

    Well composing is definitely an art that takes a lot of time and practice. If you aren’t familiar with composing instruments other than guitar, it might take a lot of experimentation until you get the hang of it. When you listen to music, start paying very close attention to what other instruments are doing. For example, what kind of notes are the drums playing, and what kind of dynamics is the drummer using etc.?

    I’d also highly recommend getting a program called Anvil Studio: http://www.anvilstudio.com It’s an excellent free program that I use exclusively when I compose.

    Composing instruments that you aren’t familiar with will take a lot of trial and error, so be patient with yourself. You’ll start to get used to it.

    Good luck!

    • September 12, 2008 at 10:12 am
    billmeedog
    Member

    FretDancer69,

    Best of luck in your composing endeavors. Good for you!

    The best and most obvious advice I can give (and it’s similar to Sean’s advice but a bit different) is to break-down/analyze some songs from bands that you REALLY enjoy/respect, but not not in a traditional TRANSCRIPTION of notes, but instead SONG-FORM. There have been some great articles/tutorial-lessons on this subject (check out an article called “Song Forms” the July – 2008 issue of ACOUSTIC GUITAR – pg. 36-39.) A basic understanding of “song-form” (and it’s short-hand notation) coupled with the ideas that Sean Conklin recommended regarding the isolation and transcription of the various instruments, will go a long way towards presenting your music.

    Another idea is to have (preferrably friends!) outside musicians come in and lay down some “tasty-tracks” for you and see if they’d be kind enough to even sketch-out what they played (I suppose this tactic is only effective for those “musically-literate” types!!!

    Best of luck!!!

    ~Bill Meehan

    • September 14, 2008 at 8:03 pm
    FretDancer69
    Member

    @Sean Conklin 4688 wrote:

    Well composing is definitely an art that takes a lot of time and practice. If you aren’t familiar with composing instruments other than guitar, it might take a lot of experimentation until you get the hang of it. When you listen to music, start paying very close attention to what other instruments are doing. For example, what kind of notes are the drums playing, and what kind of dynamics is the drummer using etc.?

    I’d also highly recommend getting a program called Anvil Studio: http://www.anvilstudio.com It’s an excellent free program that I use exclusively when I compose.

    Composing instruments that you aren’t familiar with will take a lot of trial and error, so be patient with yourself. You’ll start to get used to it.

    Good luck!

    thanks Sean, ill guess i better start ASAP :P, ill also check out that software u mentioned. Thanks šŸ™‚

    @billmeedog 4699 wrote:

    FretDancer69,

    Best of luck in your composing endeavors. Good for you!

    The best and most obvious advice I can give (and it’s similar to Sean’s advice but a bit different) is to break-down/analyze some songs from bands that you REALLY enjoy/respect, but not not in a traditional TRANSCRIPTION of notes, but instead SONG-FORM. There have been some great articles/tutorial-lessons on this subject (check out an article called “Song Forms” the July – 2008 issue of ACOUSTIC GUITAR – pg. 36-39.) A basic understanding of “song-form” (and it’s short-hand notation) coupled with the ideas that Sean Conklin recommended regarding the isolation and transcription of the various instruments, will go a long way towards presenting your music.

    Another idea is to have (preferrably friends!) outside musicians come in and lay down some “tasty-tracks” for you and see if they’d be kind enough to even sketch-out what they played (I suppose this tactic is only effective for those “musically-literate” types!!!

    Best of luck!!!

    ~Bill Meehan

    Thanks, ill start analyzing songs more deeply from now on. And ill also try getting musicians for tracks, although that will be a little hard šŸ˜› šŸ˜€

    Again, thank you all šŸ™‚

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