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Re: Approaches to Composition

Date1999-06-02 03:24
FromHans Mikelson
SubjectRe: Approaches to Composition
Hi,

I thought I would take this opportunity to ramble a bit.  I'm still
struggling with composing so my thoughts may not be too helpful except to
some of the beginners.

>What are your compositional
>attitudes, approaches or techniques?



I now try to start with a single concept or idea for the composition.
Perhaps a story.  I then start generating sounds in Csound.  Sometimes I am
trying to generate a particular sound other times I am just trying to come
up with something interesting.  Usually the sounds will influence the
direction of the piece.  Sometimes I think that if I found the right niche
or style of music for myself I would be able to create some good music.  So
I try to compose in different styles hoping to find my place.

At one time I thought I would be good at writing techno music.  I listened
to quite a bit of it trying to listen to the basic parts, drums, bass,
Perhaps I could get good at it someday.  Modern european techno music seems
to have acquired a very rigid style.  Usually in 4/4 with an 808 Kick on
every quarter note.  Breaks preceded by fast drum machine drum rolls, a new
phrase part introduced every 2 measures or so, TB-303 sound on the lead.
I've listened to so much that I'm really starting to dislike drums
altogether as well as the signature 303 sound.



The primary songs I made in the techno style are "Teknology World", "Pyro
Technique" and "Space"

http://www.mp3.com/artists/5/plasma_portal.html

Most of the sounds used in these pieces were created using Csound.



After learning more about electroacoustic music and ambient music I thought
I would try composing some.  My first piece I based on some of the fractal
instruments I created.  I also used a Perl program to generate scores based
on fractals.  I usually create a directory for the orchestras scores and the
samples.  I often don't bother to save all of the scores once I have samples
generated from them.  I then use Multiquence to assemble the samples into a
song.

This one was "Proto Call"

For a piece I'm currently working on I'm using Excel to generate many of the
scores.  I then put the samples for a single set of sounds together using
Multiquence.  I put together many sample files generated from many different
score files and save this as a new sample file.  I then put together several
of these new sample files using Multiquence.

This one is currently titled "Nebula".

There is always a difference between the sound I start out trying to create
and the sound I end up with.  There are many happy accidents along the way
where a sound produced by Csound is unlike what you imagined it would be but
in some ways better than you imagine.  In composing I find the same thing.
Most of my compositional ideas are vague.  Once are start putting them
together they form a new entity which is not that much like my original
idea.  I usually name a piece before I start so I will have some idea of the
direction.  Often I will have to rename a piece after it is finished because
the name I chose no longer fits the finished piece.

>What are your plans for the future?

I want to do more vocal based sounds and modified voices.  I think many of
the most interesting instruments are those that talk to us.  Electric guitar
has a very vocal quality, hammond organ screams, harmonicas wail and talk,
the resonant filter has a very vocal quality to it which I think is part of
what makes it so appealing.

I want to create adventures with sounds.

 With this wonderful tool, many have
>simply expanded on previous styles or approaches.

I don't see Csound in itself helping that much with composition.  I should
probably learn more of the tools geared at aiding in composition.  I started
doing some fractal based algorithmic composition back in 1986 or so but then
did not persue it.  I think there could be a wide variety of composition
software or performance tools created that would utilize the power of the
computer to aid in composition and improvisation.  I realize there are many
programs now that do this although I am not very familiar with them.



Happy Csounding,
Hans Mikelson