Essential Composition Course How to start composing with your PC

Be organised!

It is dull but true – if your equipment does not work properly, and you are not on top of your system, you will sap your creativity in problem solving. When you are not feeling creative, spend that time on giving your equipment some TLC, and it will be your friend when you are creating, not your enemy!

Your PC music software is a very powerful piece of kit, with a huge number of functions. Learn the basic record, copy and edit functions before you embark on composing your first piece. Do not get overwhelmed with trying to learn all your software’s functions at once. I have been working on various versions of Cubase for 20 years, but I still have not learned it all, because, frankly, I do not need to. Adopt a “need to know” strategy, and you can learn some more functions as you go, but get the basics under your belt before you start.

When making music on a PC, you will create a lot of files; audio files, song files, program files, loops, and sounds – and unless you are careful, they will end up being scattered in an awful electronic tangle on your PC. Get into the habit of naming files and creating folders. When I start a new piece, I create a folder with the name of the piece, and then, within that folder, I create more folders for audio, song files, etc. It is a good idea to make a different a song or project file for each stage of the song’s development; for example, basic track, with vocals, mix, etc. In 6 months time, I can then go back to the piece, and know where everything is. Make sure you name the tracks within ‘my project’ in a way you will recognise later. Use the notepad on your PC for any special points.

Lastly, you may be tired of hearing this, but BACK YOUR DATA UP! With 2GB pen drives selling for £10, there is really no excuse not to do this. Believe me, there is nothing more frustrating than re-creating what you can remember of a song you have lost.

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