A composition method

[folderol]

I wrote this for KVR in response to a guy who produces some very good music, but, sadly, rigidly quanitised. I thought it might be of interest to some of you as well!

Where I want reasonably accurate timing, but without the music sounding mechanical. I record a click track or maybe quantised bass line, then live record other parts alongside that.

Occasionally I can play a part right through, but more usually I'll practice a few bars till I get them right, then record that section, and move on to the next section... rinse and repeat for all sections of all parts.

Overall, this gives music that breathes, but is fairly 'tight'. The final step is to remove the click or re-record the bass live.

However, if I have a piece with lots of variations in timing or expression, then having got a bare melody as good as possible I copy that to another track, change the instrument and delete or change the pitch of individual notes, to get, say, a bass line, or a harmony. I only have to add occasional notes in step time at positions where the melody had none.

This way the parts remain perfectly in step although the overall composition retains its fluidity.

[Oren]

Sounds like a method I could work with, Will.

Having  notoriously eccentric timing myself, a click track or synthetic percussion track is essential as a basis for further work. Even sequenced (quantisized?) bass and keyboards will work fairly nicely, if my guitar and vocal tracks are sufficiently varied in terms of dynamics and timing (and they always are ).

Oren.

[Laguna Rising]

In most of my tracks there are real bass and guitar, and although synth lines could be step-sequenced or written on the piano roll and not played I think that's enough for keeping some fluidity into the tune.
There are also technical tips to 'humanize' drums and percussions

Cheers