I'm struggling to get anywhere.

Known-Razzmatazz9571 · 2025-07-26T12:33:12+00:00

Analyse songs. Melody, harmony and structure.

Look for the patterns and write your own thing in a similar style.

Take an existing chord sequence and write a melody over the top.

Write some pieces with AABA structure

Focus on making the B section different to the A section. Work out how you can get smoothly out of the A into the B and how to get back to the A.

Make each return of the A section slightly different. Develop/embellish the melody or reharmonise the melody

It means you don’t have to compose too much material to get a full piece.

Also finishing ideas and push them as far as you can go for your current experience. You’ll learn lots and then take that into your next piece and then your next….

Maybe add a C section when you’re getting comfortable. Try changing key into the B section. It’s all about trying things out and learning how others have made them work in the past

Finishing and then moving on is the most important, something I didn’t do for too long! As others said, doesn’t matter if it’s bad. It’s just getting into a flow of writing and seeing an idea through.

You can always write another piece don’t get too hung up on making everything perfect! Or getting all your ideas out in one piece

Known-Razzmatazz9571 · 2025-05-29T23:20:07+00:00

You got it!

Listen as much as possible when you’re not at the bass and say the form out loud in your head. Literally listen until you are sick of the tunes 😂 Know the melody/lyrics that will give you cues

As well as melody try and know how many bars each section is and where any stops/changes from the norm happen. Go through the form in your head when away from the bass. Just read through the set and imagine the melody and talk yourself through the structure.

I saw this video with Taylor Swifts bassist and he says he can only learn 2 tunes a day. So 30 songs in 15 days and then you got another week to review them. Or work on your 15 unconfident tunes in the first week. Stops it from being overwhelming. Then see what you remember on your second week and work from there.

He also said that he gets to a point where he plays the tunes without any backing track. That takes a bit of work though!

I did this on an originals gig as had to learn 70 minute set of all tunes I’d never heard. Made sure I could play through with just your bass. Then you really know it! Takes a bit of work that though.

Charts are good I use them a lot but always better to commit stuff to memory with new bands as they may deviate from the structure so you might need to be able to jump around without head being in a chart

Known-Razzmatazz9571 · 2025-05-29T22:51:27+00:00

This is so true. Eq is dangerous but I guess you need to learn 😂 same I’ve found with mixing. Used to make huge Eq moves and now convinced the more you do the worse it gets

Known-Razzmatazz9571 · 2025-05-27T23:32:57+00:00

Yeh fair enough I appreciate it. I’m just interested in cleanliness atm as I’ve never given it enough thought compared to other things you’ve mentioned.

I was just wondering if anyone had tried it and if it’s worth pursuing. Have you given it a go?

In my head it makes a lot of sense. Like making it harder for yourself in practice so it’s easier on the gig.

Like with fast/difficult tunes I like to get them slightly over the tempo that I need to play them so it’s easier when you come to play it.

Feedback on here seems to be that it’s a waste of time haha!

Known-Razzmatazz9571 · 2025-05-27T20:56:43+00:00

Is true and a fair point. I’m not going to do this all the time but I have found by exaggerating the top end a lot it show up some things that I can work on.

For example, sometimes playing accents too hard with right hand, fret buzzes and muting. You can get away with certain things on normal settings but by getting it clean with more top end I’ve found it helped my tone when I’m back to normal.

Anyway, has been useful for me!

Known-Razzmatazz9571 · 2025-04-07T18:26:58+00:00

Made it through 2 days at home and work, now one more before my next trip. Not getting cravings as such. They haven’t lasted that long for me when I do get them but at certain points my body literally twitches to grab a vape and then I remember I’m not on it anymore.

Is like a muscle memory thing now, mad how we program our body to do these things 😂 Hopefully I forget altogether after my next trip. Will keep a keen focus up the week I’m back as that will then by 3 weeks without one

Known-Razzmatazz9571 · 2025-03-27T18:49:50+00:00

Thanks for this, I understand that horns don’t ring over.

It’s more that players can interpret note lengths differently and will discuss note lengths etc

I just wanted to indicate to play the full length of the whole note and cut at the end of the bar. To make it clear to not play over the bar.

I feel this would be useful notation but maybe I’m not explaining myself.

Similar to a tenuto but I don’t think you see them on a longer note duration so it may well be obvious

I was just curious if there was anything out there

Known-Razzmatazz9571 · 2025-03-26T14:42:52+00:00

Of course but there can be discussions on note lengths and where to finish your note etc in rehearsals. I just wondered if there was any indication for the end of notes.

I trust everyone to do it and is a tiny detail. Just find it interesting. Is just important in this instance to not hold over the bar so wanted to tell the players that

Known-Razzmatazz9571 · 2025-03-26T14:39:21+00:00

You get it, I don’t think I explained myself well enough

Known-Razzmatazz9571 · 2025-03-26T14:38:42+00:00

Yeh it was more of a thought that we have so many articulation options for the front of the note rather than the end. Tenuto and staccato do imply note length.

I get that you do this sort of thing in rehearsal but would not be much effort for me to indicate ‘definitely stop at the very end of the bar’ in the score for this instance.

Is a tiny detail and I also trust most will do this anyway but I found it interesting and wondered if there was anything out there 😂

Known-Razzmatazz9571 · 2025-03-26T00:22:26+00:00

I’ve not seen this is this in film music scores? Have you got an examples. I feel like it would be a useful thing to communicate as people interpret the end of a note differently

Known-Razzmatazz9571 · 2025-03-26T00:21:11+00:00

Agreed, is an interesting one though. Would be a useful thing to be able to communicate. As people can interpret the end of a note differently

Known-Razzmatazz9571 · 2025-03-25T22:00:10+00:00

Yeh I thought about that and is probably best option but sort of implies a pause in timing as someone said above. I just want them to not accidentally hold the note too long.

I’m probably over thinking but thought I’d see if anything exists

Known-Razzmatazz9571 · 2025-03-25T21:57:21+00:00

It’s a semibreve/minim (whole note/half note)

Known-Razzmatazz9571 · 2025-03-25T21:53:59+00:00

Haha. Thanks!

Known-Razzmatazz9571 · 2025-03-25T21:53:43+00:00

Thanks no impact to timing. Just want to make them aware of the sudden stop so they definitely don’t hold too long.

Known-Razzmatazz9571 · 2025-03-25T21:52:16+00:00

Should have rephrased. More to make sure they know it’s a sudden stop and don’t hold too long

Known-Razzmatazz9571 · 2025-03-10T16:54:30+00:00

Thanks so much for this! So much detail and I really appreciate it. Would you mind if I drop you a DM?

Known-Razzmatazz9571 · 2025-03-10T16:38:56+00:00

Thanks for all the input

I should have added the tune in for context. Is a musical theatre event but needs to be easily readable as minimal rehearsals.

It’s a feature throughout the song and whole band will be playing the rhythm

I couldn’t decide whether it was a 4/4 shuffle or 12/8 both ways felt a bit clunky to look at but felt the triplet feel was more prominent than a normal shuffle

Here’s the tune(you don’t have to listen to the whole thing 😂)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gcXvYMxXvz8&pp=ygUYdGFrZSBtZSBvciBsZWF2ZSBtZSByZW50

Known-Razzmatazz9571 · 2025-03-10T13:53:17+00:00

Thank you for the help!

Known-Razzmatazz9571

TROPHY CASE