Where you get your ideas from

Discuss tips, tricks, and the creative process of music creation. Post HELP threads here

Where you get your ideas from

Postby SpikeyMikey » 28 Jul 2013 12:26

So far I've done two 'pony' songs....and i find it really hard to come up with original ideas. The majority of 'brony music' is original, and I don't enjoy doing remixes of songs from the show anywhere near as much as writing an original idea. The only way i can get ideas is from songs like spike's 3 second dragon song in Season 3; i managed to write a song around that.

Case in point, where does everyone get their ideas for original pieces? Does art inspire you to write a song centered around it? Do you look through other content, like comics or fanfics?

Discuss.
Skype: crikeymikey27
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/cloud_spires
Nothing pony yet :(
User avatar
SpikeyMikey
 
Posts: 19
Joined: 18 Oct 2012 13:11

Re: Where you get your ideas from

Postby itroitnyah » 28 Jul 2013 12:49

Image

Although honestly, I just get ideas that pop into my head.
Image Image I am no longer an active member. here
My studio: [List of equipment]
User avatar
itroitnyah
 
Posts: 2482
Joined: 02 Mar 2012 20:27
OS: Windows 7
Primary: FL Studio 11
Cutie Mark: Blank flank

Re: Where you get your ideas from

Postby Motivfs » 28 Jul 2013 13:53

Sometimes vast places.

Other times just screwing around with melodies until I hear something I like.
User avatar
Motivfs
 
Posts: 528
Joined: 01 Sep 2012 16:14
Location: Vancouver, Canada

Re: Where you get your ideas from

Postby Freewave » 28 Jul 2013 14:03

I start with an idea first and then build the song. Just look to key scenes from the show, characters, match genres to characters, get ideas from non pony music and there's a LOT of stuff to be inspired from. Almost every episode should be able to trigger a song or two. Look to Toast Beard to get ideas of what people have done before to get ideas for music about the show. Also and very importantly look to match emotions from the show into real life. If you cant get an emotion that's relevant in your life from the show you're not seeing a lot of the symbolism that is there.
Links for my music: YouTube, Bandcamp, and Tumblr
Check out the Brony Music Directory and FimMusic. A portal for all pony music
Image
Support the 20+ Musician Maressey Project currently underway.
User avatar
Freewave
 
Posts: 3193
Joined: 29 Nov 2011 12:33
Location: Denver
OS: Windows 7
Primary: Fl Studio 10
Cutie Mark: X$X

Re: Where you get your ideas from

Postby Alycs » 28 Jul 2013 14:34

I draw most of my inspiration from Fallout: Equestria, too. There are countless scenes to draw from (from the current vastness and rate of addition to the universe; countless is probably literal) and so many characters and emotions and situations, I've never ran out of material.

Toast-beards are another great place. I haven't had time to do any of the recent one's sadly, but when I was doing them earlier this year, I found they were an excellent method of expression and improving your ability to identify with various hypothetical situations.

And then there's good-ol'-improv. Its a little more difficult to do it for EDM, but for playing physical instruments, learning how to improvise is a enormously beneficial way to spend your free time.
Soundcloud||Tumblr||Youtube||Graphics||Bandcamp
Freewave wrote:being too critical can make you too critical
User avatar
Alycs
 
Posts: 960
Joined: 23 Sep 2012 13:40
OS: Windows
Primary: FL Studio
Cutie Mark: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Re: Where you get your ideas from

Postby Genkar » 28 Jul 2013 16:45

I basically just screw around with different melodies/sounds until I find something I like, and then build off of that. It really just depends on what kind of frame of mind you have; whether you get inspiration from your interests, or if you can just sit down and write something without any sort of idea prior to starting.
Percussionist - Electronic Musician In Training
Soundcloud/Youtube/Tumblr
Skype: soundsofgenkar
User avatar
Genkar
 
Posts: 293
Joined: 25 Dec 2012 21:44
Location: Pennsylvania
OS: Windows
Primary: FL Studio 11

Re: Where you get your ideas from

Postby Mr. Bigglesworth » 28 Jul 2013 17:36

Depends, sometimes I get ideas as I'm fiddling with synths, sometimes I'm just out walking and get an idea and I get ideas from dreams sometimes, but it's really rare for that to happen.
I'm not here anymore, but if you want you can still just call me Mr. BigBagelBoggle!

Sound
Face
You
User avatar
Mr. Bigglesworth
 
Posts: 1869
Joined: 19 Apr 2012 03:17
Location: Toowoomba, Australia
OS: Windows 7
Primary: FL Studio
Cutie Mark: My own ass

Re: Where you get your ideas from

Postby JSynth » 28 Jul 2013 19:56

itroitnyah wrote:Image

Although honestly, I just get ideas that pop into my head.


Pretty much.
https://soundcloud.com/jasper-synth/back-at-me
Jokeblue wrote:You fool. You've doomed the Spam thread to yet another, inevitable :3 spam.

My Tumblr
My YouTube
My SoundCloud

DAW: Logic Pro 9
Plugins: Sylenth, Sausage Fattener, Komplete 9, NI The Mouth, Ozone 5, Bitspeek
User avatar
JSynth
 
Posts: 726
Joined: 12 Dec 2012 10:48
Location: not in the snow anymore
OS: Not Windows
Primary: Logic 9
Cutie Mark: yo face

Re: Where you get your ideas from

Postby Conchetupony » 28 Jul 2013 20:40

From things that I presence. I describe something that's happened to me, or critique something I've seen. I've written stuff about the student movement here in Chile, the last brony meetup over here, mental disabilities, my own insane lovesickness... :P

As for pony songs, what Freewave said. Watch the show, get an idea - of the "what if this happened" kind, maybe a headcanon of yours, or just describe a character or part of an episode. Then write around that.

That's it for lyrics. I get ideas for melodies by jamming and improvising on instruments. Then, if I didn't come up with both at the same time (having absolute hearing - to an extent - helps a lot if you don't have an instrument handy - but sadly not everyone can affirm this :c), slam both together. :P
oops I dropped the bass

will you pick it up for me
User avatar
Conchetupony
 
Posts: 247
Joined: 31 May 2013 22:15
Location: Chile
OS: GNU/Linux
Primary: Ardour 3.3.1
Cutie Mark: Mindlessly rocking out

Re: Where you get your ideas from

Postby GCKrastin » 29 Jul 2013 10:53

itroitnyah wrote:Image




But no in all seriousness most of the time I get inspiration from other songs that I listen to. Rarely do I make songs inspired by things other than other music, really.
Producing mediocre drum and bass since 2012.
Stuff I use: FL Studio 12, Harmor, Sytrus, Maximus, Akai MPK Mini, Numark Mixtrack
SoundCloud -=- YouTube -=- Tumblr
User avatar
GCKrastin
 
Posts: 54
Joined: 10 Jun 2013 18:51
Location: Texas
OS: Windows 7
Primary: FL Studio 11/12

Re: Where you get your ideas from

Postby Facade » 29 Jul 2013 12:22

*obligatory drug related post*

if only if only...

i'd say the show is one part of it the other part is mah mind
https://facadeofages.bandcamp.com/album ... o-the-dark
Spoiler Quotes:
DerpyGrooves wrote:The secret to a good song has everything to do with the relationship of the verse and the chorus to one another


ONEHOODASSPONY wrote:Image
User avatar
Facade
 
Posts: 2316
Joined: 22 Aug 2011 18:26
Location: Anywhere
OS: Windows 7
Primary: Fl11 + Lsdj
Cutie Mark: None

Re: Where you get your ideas from

Postby Wisp » 29 Jul 2013 13:43

Usually whenever I get inspiration it's either from a place I went to, a picture I saw, something I read, another song, or something I watched. Most of the time it's from another song.
User avatar
Wisp
 
Posts: 136
Joined: 08 Feb 2013 16:49
Location: New York
OS: Windows 7
Primary: Ableton Live 9
Cutie Mark: House, chill, dnb

Re: Where you get your ideas from

Postby Djeinus » 29 Jul 2013 14:46

The shower. But on a more serious note, I just open Sibelius and do whatever. Most of what comes out is utter crap of course, but some of it is usable. And sometimes I just mess around on a guitar until I stumble on something. Very rarely do I start with an actual idea in my head.
User avatar
Djeinus
 
Posts: 162
Joined: 28 May 2012 09:07
Location: Iceland.
OS: Windows Number Eight
Primary: Sibelius.
Cutie Mark: ur butt

Re: Where you get your ideas from

Postby ph00tbag » 30 Jul 2013 09:20

The border crossing of wakefulness and sleep.

But really, sometimes I encounter the most success by envisioning a scene or place or character in my minds eye, then trying to imagine the a mode, or hook, or melody that would serve as a soundtrack to that image. It's not instantaneous, of course. Usually I have to be holding that concept for as a long as a week before something gels. Once I've got that one idea, the rest usually follows as I start to work on the writing.
Image
User avatar
ph00tbag
Global Moderator
 
Posts: 769
Joined: 06 May 2012 16:19
Location: Cary, NC
OS: Windows
Primary: FL Studio
Cutie Mark: Blank flank

Re: Where you get your ideas from

Postby Dabrenn » 05 Aug 2013 21:52

Inspiration is probably where I struggle most.

I've never drawn inspiration directly from the show to be honest, I've more so just used samples as an instrument to flesh out an original idea I'm writing, which is usually not inspired from anything in particular other than an emotion.
User avatar
Dabrenn
 
Posts: 169
Joined: 11 Dec 2011 19:57

Re: Where you get your ideas from

Postby meletric » 07 Aug 2013 17:28

I usually start with a guitar or piano line first and just improv a melody and some lyrics over that. This can take a couple tries, but I find that I'm often able to get some interesting ideas by coming up with just a line or two of lyrics devoid of context and trying to fill in the blanks from there.
User avatar
meletric
 
Posts: 91
Joined: 19 Dec 2011 23:24
Location: A cornfield in Illinois

Re: Where you get your ideas from

Postby Conduit » 07 Aug 2013 21:58

My music just kinda flows, I never have to put any thought into it, I get an idea and the melodies and whatnot just appear. I actually got my name from that, because it feels like I'm a "conduit" for music that already exists, just nobodies written it yet (If that makes any sense, think of it kinda like something in the air, that I just breathe in and turn into music). I think thats part of the reason I suck at dubstep and other more complicated genres, too much thought and precision goes into each sound, orchestral lets me grab a brush and start painting.
https://soundcloud.com/flatflish/a-warm-past

DAW: Logic 9
Vst's: Absynth, Battery, FM8, Guitar Rig, Kontakt, Massive, Maschine
Real Instruments: Acoustic/Electric Guitar, Cello, Piano

YoutubeSoundcloudTutors ThreadSkype: FlatflishImage
User avatar
Conduit
 
Posts: 494
Joined: 12 Mar 2012 20:48
Location: Alberta, Canada
OS: Windows 8
Primary: Logic Pro 9
Cutie Mark: Strings

Re: Where you get your ideas from

Postby Wub5TRIKE » 08 Aug 2013 07:38

I'm just starting myself, and what I've made so far has been simply jingles I come up with in my head, and as I start to place something, I come up with another part that might sound good with that.

Also, sometimes a game plan helps. One of the songs I've made was based off Psalms 150. I just yanked the instruments as described and half the work of coming up with an idea was done.
User avatar
Wub5TRIKE
 
Posts: 4
Joined: 06 Aug 2013 16:36

Re: Where you get your ideas from

Postby Conchetupony » 08 Aug 2013 18:26

Conduit wrote:I actually got my name from that, because it feels like I'm a "conduit" for music that already exists, just nobodies written it yet (If that makes any sense, think of it kinda like something in the air, that I just breathe in and turn into music).

Sounds exactly like the plot on "Background Pony" to me. :P

While my music also seems to "flow" this way, rather than being something intricately written, I never feel like it's a melody that already exists (except when I'm taking way too direct inspiration. I'm making a CMC theme cover that sounds exactly like a Misfits song. >.> ).
oops I dropped the bass

will you pick it up for me
User avatar
Conchetupony
 
Posts: 247
Joined: 31 May 2013 22:15
Location: Chile
OS: GNU/Linux
Primary: Ardour 3.3.1
Cutie Mark: Mindlessly rocking out


Return to Technique



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Bing [Bot] and 11 guests

cron