About composing

I've been watching the PBS series Art:21 lately.  The series shows visual artists at work, talking about their creative routines.  I’ve heard the artists say, "I’ve tried different ways of doing this, and this suits me".  Or, "I used to do something else, but lately I’m excited by this method of working.”  Both their work and their methods change over time.

I write music going back and forth between piano, manuscript paper, notation software and recordings of sketches.  Often I'll improvise at the piano and ideas will come pretty quickly.  I'll stay with an idea for a while, refining it as I do.  A lot of nice details might appear and disappear during this process.  It seems to be the best way, though.  If I record everything I'm faced with too much listening.  I prefer to get something somewhat defined, no matter how many possibilities are lost.  Then I write out what I have, or record with whatever device is handy.  I prefer notating to recording audio - I can look over the page and see what's next, what comes before and after.  I usually do so much editing later that I don't fuss too much at this point.

I use 10 stave manuscript, not 12 stave (how many lines are on the page).  That gives me room to write chord symbols and alternate rhythms above my sketches.    My notation is quick at this point, motivated by not forgetting what I have, and there may be crossing out and revisions.  Sometimes I really want it all to fit on two facing pages, so a long idea might be pretty crunched up on the page.

I'll usually play the idea into notation software on the computer pretty soon after this.  I’m likely to start with exactly what I had in pencil, but now I can format it, and leave space for writing in lines above.  I’ll print it, play through it at the piano, marking revisions on the printout.  Then I go back to the computer and enter the revisions into the software, print it again.  This usually happens a few times.  Living with something for a few days (or months) seems to be necessary.  It's harder to write using a keyboard or away from the piano. The charm, the richness, the mass of the piano sound affect my perspective, even if I'm writing for other instruments.

If I try to transcribe or compose straight into the notation software it slows me down.  I was doing that for a while but it didn't work out well.  I’ve returned to pencil and paper in a big way.

If  music is for a group, or for my trio, I'll get it in shape, read it with the group, and make whatever corrections or revisions might be needed.  I think a lot about what will make sense to the players, what will lay well on the instruments, what will be interesting to a jazz soloist.  That’s usually called ‘arranging’, or ‘Ellington-style arranging’ if you really write with specific players in mind.  Personally, I wouldn't know how to compose or arrange without considering instruments and players.  The "limitations" of each instrument are inspiring, they often help me to compose.

If a song goes through many versions, I'm always interested in the last one.  Other versions just go to the Land Of The Misfit Toys.  That might seems inefficient, but it works well. For me, more of the composing happens during the editing than in the initial moment.  I may add or remove sections, write new lines etc -- at any point in a piece's history, even after it’s been on an album.

As a teen I had a facility for creating short pieces in the moment.  I had no ability to refine music then – I’d play them or write them out and stare at the page, feeling it was precious, not knowing how to find alternatives.  I did a little film scoring and I could see  that editing was really important.  I started forcing it, forcing myself to do many revisions.

Sometimes it seems that I can't play through music without wanting to tinker with it.  In 50s sci-fi there were stories about inventors who built anti-gravity machines in the family garage.  That's how composing should probably be done: in dim light, next to a Studebaker.