what kinds of composing tools do you all use?

robin-rienzi, 1-0

:P

robin-rienzi, 1-0

:P

:laugh:

hmm, I do have to ask something though, is it better to compose on paper or on a computer? My reason for asking is, when you compose on paper, you have to go back on the computer and write it all down again. When you do it directly on the computer, you save yourself a step AND you know what it sounds like, already.

The only thing with a computer is that you can't bring it along, except a laptop, which I'm saving up for...

The advantages and disadvantages of both have been discussed quite a lot on this forum already.

What concerns having to write it twice: First of all, you might never actually write it in the computer, but also make the final clean score manually. And some people write so nicely on their first "draft" that they don't even need to write anything twice. For me that's certainly not true though and yes, you're right, it's quite some additional work to make a final score (in computer OR manually) after having already written it once shoddily. But I'd rather have this additional work, but not lose any time on how it looks when writing it down originally. When you do it in the computer, it may be faster to make a good looking score if you know what you're doing, but it always requires some minimum of care. Writing on paper allows you to leave many things open for a while that a computer wants you to fix (such as deciding on time signatures, rhythms, instrumentation etc.), whereas on paper you only have to write down what you really want to write down, and can leave other things for later. And really, the additional work required to write a final clean score is an excellent opportunity to go through everything once more critically.

As for knowing how it sounds: Partly that's a matter of training. You -will- know how many things sound by just looking at the score, or at least you can imagine it to a good degree. Some people, like myself, also additionally use a piano, to get the harmonies etc. "through their fingers". And for some things, such an imagination can get much closer to reality than a raw, computer-generated sound. (Especially if you use instruments, techniques or forms of notation the computer doesn't know.)

But the probably most important advantage writing on paper has for me is space. Even if you have a 30 inch screen that will be smaller than a large table on which you spread out your papers, which allows you both an overview of great parts of the piece and to see any single detail of it, whereas with a computer you always have to zoom in and out.

I'm not denying though that writing in a computer has great advantages too, and I'm not in the least opposed to it. And I have done it too for certain things. There's really no ultimate "better" way to compose.

aahg yea, I hate working on orchestral stuff or large ensemble with the pc. Lots of clutter, zooming around, blaah.

There should be an RSS feed available of all of Gardener's posts, the man speaks pure win.

I prefer pencil and paper (also erasers, a ruler, coffee etc.) with a piano close at hand for most things. I also write some 'formulaic' music (serialism and similar concepts) and for that i like to use graph paper and a large table. I also write directly to computer in some cases.. but I am rarely as happy with the results.

piano, bench, me, and my stuffed animals.

Pencil, staff paper, piano, guitar, drums, finale '09, midi controllers, my brain. i want my own laptop that can support finale '09 so i don't have to share the desktop with my brothers.

I used to write all on the Sibelius, but now I work a lot just at the piano with giant staff paper, pencil, ruler, eraser, and my little notebook for extra ideas that may arise. I like using the big stuff for even single lines of music, it just gives me more ability to step back and look at what I've done.

I still use Sibelius for large ensemble stuff, but it is very awkward to keep zooming around all the time.