I hate everything I write.

When I sit down to write music, it seems like all my decent or excellent ideas like to disappear. Throughout the day I can walk around humming complete pieces and knowing exactly the harmony and instrumentation etc. that I want to use, but as soon as I sit down to write it on paper, I can't think of anything... and what I can think of isn't the style that I imagine my work to be. I hate it all.

Any ideas/suggestions/similar experiences? thanks.

I went through a period where I walked around with a micro-cassette recorder and did all my humming, whistling, and singing into that - then transcribed it later.

You can try the same thing with an .mp3 player with a sound recorder.

Wow. This is exactly what is happening to me right now! I thought I was the only person that had this happen to them. :P

I feel your pain. :(

was it berlioz that said something about this?

Just checked...and yes...it was:

“Every composer knows the anguish and despair occasioned by forgetting ideas which one had no time to write down”

I dont have anysuggestions except!!! Buy a voice recorder. If you are one of the people who are talented enough to be able to hum a tune and know all the harmonic progression/instrumentation/form and what not...do it.

I also do this, hum...and then create a full blown work...and then dont remember it by the time i get near somiething musical.

A similar experience: Twas walking to the grocery store, and I heard a Whippersnipper...you know, those hand held lawn edge cutters...a lawn mower on a stick...whatever...and i decided to mimic the loud sound it made as it went about cutting the grass.

Literally, from that non interesting tone...i was able to come up with "in my head" a full blown piano concerto! I was very excited...however...not near manuscript, or mp3 recorder. So...i tried my hardest to remember it...and hoped to hear the wippersnipper again when i walked home...but it had left. sadly.

So...i just need to look out for another one and see what i remember haha. But yes...a good start is to get (thought expensive) a voice recorder, or use your mobile...or whatever!

Some may say 'thats not very talented, and is a lazy way to compose. beethoven never had a voice recorder'...yes but we do. duh. if we have the resources to push forward our musical abilities...why then must we have to stick to slow processed musical creation?

I went through a period where I walked around with a micro-cassette recorder and did all my humming, whistling, and singing into that - then transcribed it later.

You can try the same thing with an .mp3 player with a sound recorder.

haha. sad that we wrote this at like exactly the same time haha.

go us.

I know how you feel. I find that the best way for me to start transcribing something I hear in my head is to play it at the piano as soon as I think of it - work it all out on the piano first, play it over and over so you actually remember it. This ensures that good/decent ideas don't just float away come writing time. I find it's generally best to do this as soon as you come up with the idea, and if you can't, as flint said, recording yourself singing it is a great idea, even if you can't record all the harmonies etc. Often even a snippet of melody will be enough to trigger your memory.

Another similar problem I had when I was just starting out was that I just wasn't very good at transcribing (which may be your problem, since it's the writing part that's causing you trouble.) The key to that is PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. Get out a recording of something and try to transcribe the first few bars, and see how you go. Try to start fairly small (with a chamber work for instance). Don't try to transcribe Mahler's 3rd all in one shot or anything.

I whistle into my phone all the time. the problem is that i listen to it later and don't have the slightest clue to what i was thinking when i recorded it... grrr...

recording it would be me advice. lol

it would help greatly, if you will go to the piano and make out the notes, then remember the harmonies intended. If possible, write them down.

I personally think that the recording method will not work well, as we primarily think by tone color, not by individual tones, and having recorded your voice (which can, im sure of it) which is only capable of producing the principal tone.

sometimes its the harmonies that do the trick in beautiful writing. or the polyphonic texturization. or the heterophony. Thus, it would better to go to the nearest piano and wham it, like what my music tutor always say. =)

good luck!

If I'm having trouble coming up with or remembering ideas, my teacher has me make an energy graph.

Basically, it's a line graph that shows the high-points and low-points of a piece (or maybe just a section of a piece). It looks kind of like a heart-monitor. :P

When you're done drawing the line, then try to outline the form (e.g., the first part of the line might be your intro, then another part would be the "A" section, and so on...).

The technique isn't magic, but it's been very helpul for me.

I might upload a picture soon if I can get my webcam to work properly! :D

If I'm having trouble coming up with or remembering ideas, my teacher has me make an energy graph.

Basically, it's a line graph that shows the high-points and low-points of a piece (or maybe just a section of a piece). It looks kind of like a heart-monitor. :P

When you're done drawing the line, then try to outline the form (e.g., the first part of the line might be your intro, then another part would be the "A" section, and so on...).

The technique isn't magic, but it's been very helpul for me.

I might upload a picture soon if I can get my webcam to work properly! :D

Michael Leslie is your teacher?

The energy graph reminds me of a commercial I saw in a public television commercial where a composer was sitting at his piano staring at the blank page coming up with nothing. Then he saw several birds perched on different overhead telephone and cable wires between building outside his apartment window -- it looked liked notes on a staff -- and voila he improvised the beginning of a piece.

When I sit down to write music, it seems like all my decent or excellent ideas like to disappear. Throughout the day I can walk around humming complete pieces and knowing exactly the harmony and instrumentation etc. that I want to use, but as soon as I sit down to write it on paper, I can't think of anything... and what I can think of isn't the style that I imagine my work to be. I hate it all.

Any ideas/suggestions/similar experiences? thanks.

You can have a tape recorder or an MP3 player/recorder that has a capacity to record audio in hand. Once you're in that humming mood, hit that record button. When you have your "hum" recorded, transcribe it down and then do the rest of the processes (maybe applying counterpoint, making variations, orchestrate, etc.)

I guess that's the best way to solidify those ideas. :toothygrin:

Not sure if it's much help, but I usually carry a small notepad around with me. Whenever I get an idea I'll just jot it down, as well as a few comments on mood, tempo, etc.

However, one thing i would advise *against* is sitting down to play the idea before writing it. I used to do this regularly and found that if you don't play it exactly as you hear it, you can lose the whole idea.

My experience is that when you have your melody in mind, it's better to notate it on paper first before trying to play it on the piano, because if you hit a wrong key your melody can be easily shattered.

My suggestion is to learn movable-do solfege (often referred as a part of Kod

tune.mid

Argh, yes, this happens to me a lot. I can walk around the place humming entire songs, huge, 20 minute pieces, just improvising, but still I'm always quite happy with the results. But, yep, when I get home I forget. I find a very user friendly MIDI sequencer works. I use my mouse to write in the notes, so I just sit down and quickly insert the main idea, and once it's down, I can relax and develop it.

Not sure if it's much help, but I usually carry a small notepad around with me...

Highly recommended...

Moleskine Pocket Music Notebook (3.5 x 5.5), MoleskineUS

It is said that Beethoven never left his home without some means with which to record his compositions. Perhaps the modern equivalent would be a dictaphone?

You hate everything you write? Write it anyway! Keep writing... It's called discipline.

Highly recommended...

Moleskine Pocket Music Notebook (3.5 x 5.5), MoleskineUS

OMG! I saw this like 4 years ago in a catalog. Then I lost it. :[

THANK YOU :toothygrin:

was it berlioz that said...