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I make the same mistake whether making tacos or composing.

Discussion in 'Tips, Tricks & Talk' started by Evan Arnett, Jul 30, 2017.

  1. #1 Evan Arnett, Jul 30, 2017
    Last night my wife made tacos, and as I was placing ingredients on the tortillas, I got typically greedy. "This meat looks delicious!" "Extra cheese!" "Oh yeah I almost forgot the avocado slice!" I get so excited about the ingredients that by the time I'm done, I've piled on so much that it barely fits into the tortilla, falls out as I'm eating it and makes a mess. It's utterly immature and absurd, and I have no excuse. But who cares- it's just dinner at home in private and I can do what I want.

    But I realized I sometimes do the exact same thing when writing music, and it's just as immature. "I'll stack three layers of percussion!" "Double everything in octaves!" "A dozen extra horns!!" I try to make it better by adding more and more, rather than choosing the correct balance of essential elements. It's easier to duplicate a midi part and drag it down to another track than to slow down and consider the structure or strength of each idea or part.

    I'm thinking about trying to break myself out of it by purposely giving myself specific sets of limitations. For example, starting with a few solo instrument pieces, doing a piece with only four tracks, writing for one family, etc. Has anyone else struggled with this? Or overcome this in a specific way?
     
    Claude Ruelle and Rohann van Rensburg like this.
  2. #2 Scott Steinmetz, Jul 30, 2017
    I'm a noob to this stuff and I'm right there.

    I'm of the mindset right now where I'll start with a pad or a melody and just keep adding things and the next thing you know I've got 32 tracks of stuff all playing the same chords lol.

    I'm going to keep an eye on this thread.
     
    Rohann van Rensburg likes this.
  3. #3 Alexander Schiborr, Jul 30, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2017
    I am totally with you Evan. While I don´t do it exatly like you, I have my own infamous faibles which results in overorchestrated tracks. Your idea of taking a limited number of instruments is imo a good start trying to write more effective because it trains you better to come to the focal point in your music / orchestration. So, yes you can do it like with a few solo instruments,e.g. a piece just with a few woodwinds (flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon), or other combinations or take a combination of different instrument sections: French Horns, Violins, Cellos.
     
    Jamie Niebergall likes this.
  4. #4 Rohann van Rensburg, Aug 3, 2017
    I still find myself ending up with 4 voices per string section at times. Good idea for a thread.

    I haven't gotten to a point where I can share wisdom but I do find writing for a specific instrument family (i.e. string quartet, string section, solo instruments, etc) can be really helpful, as if one is hiring X amount of players and has to write for them. All of a sudden one needs to be conservative about note choice, octaves, etc, as one's resources are finite.
     
  5. #5 Adam Alake, Aug 6, 2017
    That is why you should sketch on paper, then you shall only write down what you absolutely must.
     
    Rohann van Rensburg likes this.
  6. #6 Tatu Rytkönen, Aug 10, 2017
    I'm also guilty of this.

    I asked my self "Why am I over orchestrating / doubling everything all the time?" and realised I do it, because I don't trust my samples and the occasional easiness that comes with them. If I come up with an idea of a single swell on 2nd violins for example - instead of using something like a single dynamic arc from Adagio Violins (single note, no modwheel or any othe CC#'s) I end up doubling that with violas, some sordino cellos for harmony and perhaps a ppp clarinet for some extra sustain... and the next day I'll ad 2 horns patch beneath it as well and maybe a synth pad.. o_O

    And I don't see myself getting out of that any time soon.. :rolleyes:
     
  7. #7 Mike Verta, Aug 11, 2017
    My single biggest problem when starting out was over-writing. I think it's just insecurity, and a lack of orchestration experience. Putting things - simple things for a few instruments - on stands for musicians to play constantly cured it. You can get college kids to play pretty much anything for pretty much any reason if you try. Transcribe, and put things on stands.
     
    Rohann van Rensburg, Kyle Preston and Scott Steinmetz like this.
  8. #8 Fritz von Flotow, Aug 12, 2017
    I think midi orchestration pushes you to overwrite and double. If you just think the music, maybe play it on a piano or just write down, you don't get the feeling all of this is not enough, but as soon as you write in your DAW, everything starts to sound "to naked". So, the answere could be to learn composing with a pen and piano ...
     
  9. #9 Gharun Lacy, Aug 13, 2017
    Great thread.
    I often have the same problem. One thing that has worked for me in the past. Although not as efficient is to not fight it while I'm writting. Go ahead and throw all the ideas in as soon as they come to my head and keep moving. Just get it all out in the a
    DAW as fast as possible. Once I'm done, I see how much can I strip away and still have the principle idea present. As I get better with pencile and paper I don't need to do this as much but this can still work in a pinch. I honestly don't know what I'd do if I were under deadline though.
     
  10. #10 Alexander Schiborr, Aug 13, 2017
    I think one of the main problem here is to be afraid of having a thin sound, and so a lot of people biting on their nails trying to fill up their daw with layering a lot. But I guess it a big misconception to think that great sound has to do with "thick" overloaded all over the place orchestration. I am only assuming here but I guess it has to do with our times also where everything has to be epic, loud and sounding like there are 3 orchestra on crack. So my recommendation as I stated before: Take a few instruments and just write with them a piece. By doing that you learn to get to the point and write and orchestrate more effectively on the point. So you leave stupid stuff outside and realize whats important to come to say the most with the least. Try it out.
     
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