How to get started on becoming a composer...

[magnusdeus123]

I often myself handling the bass , dishing out melodic basslines , and after a sucessfull 2 min bout , I get teh feeling that some of these idea's are getting wasted because I'm not composing them into songs . Which is why I am asking you guys , that how do you get started on overall composing ?? What software can you use as a sequencer to track multiple instruments , and such . What are you tips for figuring out other instruments tracks and such . Just suggest me some idea's which you guys think might be helpfull to someone trying to being composing original songs and such....

[Audiophage]

You could always try to free version of finale notepad. What's your theory background?

[tbone409]

what i do is right out the line/chord progression, and record me playing it on my tape deck, move on to a harmony part and so on, and then assign different parts to different instruments. or record a bass line, and move to the piano which is an easier instrument to compose on for me. but figuring out the chord progression is the main thing for me for developing counter melodies and harmony parts

[mutedeity]

The best way to compose is really just to do it and work at it over time. There is really no right or wrong way to go about it. I think that the more theory you know and have at your disposal the better, but even theory alone is not going to make you a prolific composer in itself. One problem I think a lot of people have when they compose is that they get hung up on creating the perfect piece of music that sounds "right". Use your time to experiment and develop those ideas into a piece. The more you write the more you get an idea of what you want to express in any given framework.

[Fishbrain]

Sibelius is a good program for composing on, well the best I've found anyway.