Getting the ideas together
Every musician has their own way of creating music and as the main driving force behind The Bustling Tram Society, I’m no different. And what’s more, I thought you might like to find out how I approach this most creative of subjects!
Starting Point
For me, there isn’t a way that I start every time; it can vary and inspiration usually catches me off-guard as well.
I find that if I think I want to create something at a particular time because I have a spare half an hour, then I don’t usually make great progress.
The times when I stumble upon something I like are usually when I have a few minutes here and there; I’ll be noodling around on the guitar and suddenly something starts to take shape. My ears prick up and I start thinking "hang on a minute, I think I'm onto something here!"
The challenge then is… to remember it! (Fortunately, it’s pretty easy with smart phones these days to just record a short snippet to come back to later).
The Initial Bones
So usually for me, the starting point takes the form of a chord progression or some sort of picking idea that includes a bit of bass and a melody line (like Narrator from Mariana’s Café).
I’ll usually tinker with this for a while; trying a few different options – sometimes they come together pretty quickly, but sometimes they can take weeks or longer until I find the right path. Usually, once the initial chords are down, my mind just knows if the next bit fits or not. I guess you could say that my job is to try and figure out what my mind already knows!
What Next?
If I have time, I’ll record the ideas onto Cubase (music recording software) and give the song a structure. Then I’ll start creating a bass line and recording some of those ideas down before adding some percussion.
If I know I’m not going to have the chance to record any time soon, then I’ll start tinkering with the chords or riff and add an initial melody line – this is limited to what I can play at the same time of course, but I can usually come up with an idea; it might not be the final idea, but it’s a starting point.
Initial Recording
So once I’ve got the main guitar part down, added some bass and percussion, I'll start to develop some vocal line ideas and add some extra lead guitar parts, which really starts to give some structure.
Lyrics
The next stage, aside from listening to the tunes over and over to refine them, is to start working on the lyrics; to start thinking about the feel that each tune creates and then go from there.
I won’t lie… I rely heavily on my wife for help with the lyrics.
We’ll sit on the sofa, with a glass of wine (how rock 'n' roll!) or more likely a cup of herbal tea (times have changed!), listen to the tunes and see where our minds naturally wonder. Then the words start appearing from there. Sometimes quickly and sometimes over a few weeks.
Eventually once we’ve got the lyrics down, my wife very generously sings them onto the guide Cubase recordings and voilà: suddenly I have something good enough to share!
At least, good enough to approach my fellow Bustling Tram Society musicians, and this is where the magic really starts to happen! But that is for another blog in the not too distant future!
So did you find that interesting? If you're a musician, do you work in a similar way? Whatever your opinion, why not let us know over on our Facebook page! Start a conversation and let’s see where it takes us!
Saludos,
Dave
