How To Compose Music From Recorded Improizational Jam Sessions

[Astronaut Don]

What up! So I am a bassist who is really into improvisation. a lot of funk, groove oriented type stuff. Recently I have been jamming with some buddies. We have been recording our improv jam sessions and then listening back. My goal is to turn these improv groove sessions by connecting grooves to other grooves in hopes of creating a newly composed music. What are everyone's thoughts on the best way to go about this? Please share your experiences and what recording equipment you used... I have never tried composing music before but figured this would be the best way to start since I come from a background of improvisation. THANKS YALL

 

[Downunderwonder]

Do you mean to sync tracks or to produce notation?

 

[buldog5151bass]

Find the grooves you fnd that are worth working on (get rid of the dead wood) is the key. I find working with one piece at a time and see if you can start bulding a longer progression from it is the best way.

 

[FFTT]

I've sliced and diced the better sections from a loose 25 minute free for all jam into a cool set of usable sections that can be combined, arranged & looped to result in something worth keeping.

You have to become very familiar with your DAW editing functions, but this is done all the time.

 

[huckleberry1]

I'm curious about this also, I have a Presonus 22VSL and a Finale program. I've been told it is possible to make a recording, create a file, and drop it into the Finale program. I've never actually done it yet though. Is this what you're talking about or am I misunderstanding? This supposedly will trascribe the music?

 

[seamonkey]

Ableton Live is great at breaking tracks into clips. Re-pitching but keeping the BPM the same.
Video's all over youtube

 

[FFTT]

I tracked through my interface into Logic Studio 9 or straight up into iMove Capture, but it was easier for me to edit the greater audio clip in Soundtrack Pro
simply because I'm used to using it and still had access to the entire Logic plugin suite.

Then I dropped those sliced and diced good sections back into position in Logic.

No bass here, just guitar and Indy Live Kit Drums for the kit.



Just looped the combined sections.

 

[Downunderwonder]

Is two weeks long enough to call it lownered here?

 

[cnltb]

Easy ...cut, paste rerecord.
done.

 

[Astronaut Don]

Cut paste record? What.equupment or program.do you use to cut paste record?

 

[FFTT]

I track to Logic Studio, but find the editor easier to use in Soundtrack Pro.
I can then drop the edited sections back in place and add more stuff.

Lots of other ways to do it in various DAW programs.
What I do just works for me.

 

[Bassfiction]

I do what the first couple posters do. Me and my buddy jam on bass and guitar to a drum track(usually because a good reliable drummer is hard to find). then we jam to a drum track for a while til we work out the sound we are trying to achieve. Then when we have our drummer and keyboardist show up we go over what we recorded and try to make a scratch track.