Do you compose straight to sheet, or do you have to play it?

[Max]

I honestly find it easier to compose straight to sheet, but..I also like using Cubase to play in stuff. So its a dead tie I think.

[ChopinBallade]

i compose straight to my head and never have a prob remembering anything

[Philip Daniel]

i compose straight to my head and never have a prob remembering anything

Same here. No need to say any more, do I ?

[beethoven]

I can compose both ways. But, most of the time, I play my own stuff.

[Robert]

I have tried to use composing programs but everything just sucks that I do not compose at the piano. It is impossible to find the real feeling about it and I prefer compose right on paper with no instrument at all before use a midi-program. I must be able to feel the dynamics, touch, pedal, legato, staccato, close my eyes and listen to my hands, listen to the mood. The stiff midi kills my inspiration.

[PianistSk8er]

I have tried to use composing programs but everything just sucks that I do not compose at the piano. It is impossible to find the real feeling about it and I prefer compose right on paper with no instrument at all before use a midi-program. I must be able to feel the dynamics, touch, pedal, legato, staccato, close my eyes and listen to my hands, listen to the mood. The stiff midi kills my inspiration.

True, I do not like any kind of MIDI interpretation, to be honest. To think that it's a computer generating the sound kind of kills all feeling of the piece. As for the question on hand.. whenever I've "tried" to compose, I've never used a computer, so I just write it onto paper as soon as I have played it on the piano and liked it. Sometimes I will try composing using chord movements/progressions or using harmonic accompaniment before I even play on the piano. Or sometimes just find a nice melody on the piano and then go work on that away from the piano. I like to play around with it. But as I said, I tend to stay away from all computer-ized things like that.

PS

[Rach4]

I just use pen and paper, and change things I don't like after I get to hear it.

[Max]

i compose straight to my head and never have a prob remembering anything

Same here. No need to say any more, do I ?

Thats pretty incredible...were you just born with that talent then? Or is there a lesson I can take?

[Philip Daniel]

i compose straight to my head and never have a prob remembering anything

Same here. No need to say any more, do I ?

Thats pretty incredible...were you just born with that talent then? Or is there a lesson I can take?

I'm not that talented...any composer with a good ear can write music directly from his mind and soul to paper, without the intervention of an instrument.

[tony]

well i dont think so there is pitches melodies you realy need to look in to that. ps. mozart was like one of tyhe only ones realy good at doing that.

[tony]

I also think if the music sounds good and quality to you it doeznt matter if its bye hand, or bye ear, or computer..

[calebrw]

hmmm, i can go both ways, some time i remember stuff and then try to put on paper (mem. to comp. doesn't seem to work for me), or straight to paper, or straight to computer, man...so i guess that's no really a definative answer...srry...

[Fryderyk]

well i dont think so there is pitches melodies you realy need to look in to that. ps. mozart was like one of tyhe only ones realy good at doing that.

They all could. All great masters...

[pocorina]

You're wrong!! My music teacher is always telling me how Mozart could just compose straight to score without any editing or playing through at the piano. However, he is famously quoted for having requested a piano for his room in Vienna one time, because "he couldn't compose a thing until he had one". So he couldn't.

And not all great masters could. Beethoven, for instance, spent AGES revising and replaying his pieces.

[Max]

I find I can't compose without one, because often I look for pianistic effects as well, and thats hard without a piano.