Russ Suereth
I
like to listen to different types of music. They provide me with different
perspectives, and they fit the different moods that I have. But I also like
different music because it gives me different ideas for creating new music. That’s the topic of this article, borrowing
aspects of different music to incorporate into your own music.
When
you think about creating a song there are two main areas you can consider.
1. The song’s foundation or chord structure
2. The melody
I’ve
always felt that a great source of ideas for a song foundation can be found in
new age and ambient music. Those styles often focus on the atmosphere of the
song. Lush pads and eerie landscapes can last for several minutes. During that
time, an occasional string pluck or keyboard tingle helps provide focus.
Of
course, you just can’t steal someone’s work. But you can take chord progression
ideas and modify them to suit your style and taste.
When
I’m listening to new age and ambient music, my mind usually embellishes the
sound. It inserts a few notes here and there to fill in where it thinks
something is missing. After a while into the song, I’ve created a basic melody.
The song provided the foundation and I’ve added a little melody, sometimes
without even noticing.
It’s
the same with the rhythm. The song may have a distant repeating bell in the background,
or a pulsing drone. Many times my mind will add a low bass drum to emphasize a
rhythm. Maybe even add some toms to fill
in a transition.
You
could even record all of this on your cell phone so you can retain it. Without
even realizing it, you can have the start of a new song.