how to get ideas of songs? (create it?)

crungedx0

New member
Hey guys! I'm pretty new here and recently decided to be an independent music producer.
I've worked with classical music, violin with soon 10 years experience and I have a pretty good view over the music theory.
I've written a song that I'd like to focus more on, hence trying to create it from scratch with FL studio.
The big problem though, is that I don't even know how I want it!
I know how I want the melody of the song to sound like, but I don't know what tools and instruments to use, like a tropical themed one and etc. Any suggestion or guidelines about it? Thank you!
 
Experiment with the major instruments you see in the song. Try different variations until it fits with your idea. You don't necessarily have to have an idea of how the completed song should sound like before you start. For me, the recording process is part of the song writing process.
 
...recently decided to be an independent music producer.......The big problem though, is that I don't even know how I want it!

Did anyone else find that ironic?

I would like to be a painter, but I know nothing about painting.

"knowing how you want it" is EXACTLY what a producer does. In fact, that's his MAJOR concern. If a producer were to do ONE thing, it would be sharing his vision for the song. If you don't know how you will do that, how can you decide that's what you want to do?! By all means, don't let me stop you, but this just struck me as odd. Maybe i'm misunderstanding something.
 
I'll take it a step further and say that this is an insult to everyone who has spent hours, days, months, and years to get even close to "good" at what we do. The fact that someone thinks they can just "Decide" to be an "Independent music producer" without having any idea what "music producing" even is insults me and should insult everyone else. Sorry, that might sound harsh, but this whole "Easy Button" approach to everything pisses me off. There isn't an "App" for everything.

I've decided I want to be an independent race car driver, but I don't know how to drive fast, how to turn without tipping over, and which foot to press the break down with. But I do have a driver's license.
 
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The fact that someone thinks they can just "Decide" to be an "Independent music producer" without having any idea what "music producing" even is insults me and should insult everyone else. Sorry, that might sound harsh, but this whole "Easy Button" approach to everything pisses me off. There isn't an "App" for everything.

No...it's not harsh.
I thought the same thing when I saw this thread yesterday...how people think everything is just a matter of wanting it, and then you're it. Like that's all that's required...and no real consideration for any long learning process or the time and work required.
 
While I agree that "deciding to be a producer" while having no idea how he/she wants their own song to sound seems like a naïve and perhaps unrealistic objective - this person did indicate 10 years of classical chops and a solid understanding of theory - so they may have part of the skill set needed.

While I can see how some who have spent much time and effort (and often expense) to achieve that goal could be insulted - I find I couldn't even try to provide an answer if I wanted to.

Every "producer" I know or have worked with (including myself), spent many years working in or with bands, to understand the role and sonic characteristic of each instrument - and developed an understanding of what instruments and/or effect processing could contribute to a good recording, etc.

That is not something that is learned (or can be taught) easily.

I can't speak for others - but I know when I write, I am already hearing the arrangement and production in my head. When I have people come into my studio and play their songs - I immediately start to think about what instruments could best present the song - I "hear" their songs in ways they cannot ......... that is something I learned over many years of playing in bands and listening to hundreds if not thousands of hours of music (not to mention the hundreds of hours spent in the studio - on both sides of the glass).

I often work with singer/songwriters - and I find that many are so use to simply hearing their song as a voice/guitar performance that they can not really "hear" other instruments in a planned production - and they often resist when I want to add a string pad or an oboe (or whatever) - until they actual hear the result.

I think some .... perhaps many, writers simply can't hear other parts - so that can't figure out how to "produce".
 
Again, I just want to reiterate that maybe I am misunderstanding something. I'm acknowledging that much.

I would think that "deciding to become a producer" occurs once you have realized you have a knack, and passion, for crafting songs into finished products. Feeling that you are good at it is what should drive someone to become a producer. Having classical training and theory is impressive and this person may be very talented in ways, absolutely. But the statement you made ("i don't know how i want it") is something that tells me this "decision" wasn't thoroughly thought through.

Again, apologies if I'm misunderstanding anything here. That happens. Especially with me. :)
 
You're not mis-understanding anything. It's as non-sensical as it seems.
 
Depends on what the OP meant by "producer." When I hear "producer" I think Butch Vig, somebody who takes other people's half-baked song ideas and turns them into a finished product. If that's the sense he intended, then yeah there's a problem. Many steps between "here" and "there." But the OP could just mean he wants to make some original music and doesn't know where to begin. It's common in the classical world to find people with great musicianship who have never tried their hand at songwriting or even improvisation. But having a solid musical foundation to build on is huge. If that's the case here, I'd suggest start by listening in your chosen genre, or songs that have a similar vibe. You've got the song idea. So the issue is arranging. Is it rock? What is the bass doing? What are the guitars doing? Keyboards? Drums? Take those as a starting point, then inject creativity of your own.
 
Wow music is serious business to some folks

Haha.

OP, just procrastinate for a while until an idea comes. Eventually you'll hear how you want the song. The odds of you becoming a producer, in the traditional sense, are asymptotic to zero. But you can record your song once you gain clarity.

The best advice I can give in that regard is to hear the vibe in your head and then use the instruments/gear to make it happen. So just wait until that happens. Without hearing it, you'll just create something random and hope to get lucky, but if you can hear what you want you can then get closer to creating it.
 
Practice. Unless, of course you find that too "serious". Because we all know that taking pride in something you spend a lot of time doing is frowned upon by the talentless and lazy. The proof is always in the pudding. :)
 
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