Digital Music Composition

Entitled

Ian White

Drakes Creek Middle School

Digital Music Composition

To begin, I first made the beginning of my song using a cool sounding riff I made on my electric guitar at my house. I set the instrument to the closest sound-alike to my own guitar, which happened to be the jazz guitar. I experimented with different riffs, making the beginning of my song. Next, I created a bass line in the program I used, Songsterr, adding a simple riff to the background of my song.

Then, I experimented with the tools, quickly adapting to the software. I started to make more of my song, experimenting with what sounded good and different note lengths. After a bit, I got far enough in making the song that I had to make a chorus. I sampled some power chords that sounded good together and arpeggiated them. I also made some cool high-pitched riffs as transitions.

Next, I started to add some drums, making it sound more and more like a real rock song. I added some more guitar and drums, making good progress. After a point, I decided to make a guitar solo. I experimented with vibratos and different parts of the scale that was pretty much my entire song. I tried out many different note lengths and vibratos, until I finally made my first solo. After that, I made drum lines for everything I had already made.

Finally, I finished the guitar solo, and started a slower tempo bridge to mix things up. I incorporated another riff I made at my house on my guitar. I like to play parts on my guitar so I can listen to what they actually sound like. I added some simple but catchy drums. I experimented with what sounded good to try and find the best part to add, but eventually I decided to add a second guitar solo. It was more of a continuation of the first one than a second solo, but I added some new things like pinch harmonics to it. I added some of the main riff in the solo, and mixed and matched until I finally had something that sounded good. Then, I put the main riff one last time at the end, and a riff to conclude the song.

I used Songsterr to compose my song, because I really don’t know how to use sheet music as well, but I am very familiar with tablature. I use it all the time to learn music, so I know it’s a good option.

The goal of my song is to give me and my band, The Does (like the word “do” does, not the deer) a song to play, and to express anger against someone who used to be a friend.

I was inspired to make this song by my favorite bands like Rise Against and the Offspring. Their catchy and sick riffs greatly inspired the riffs in my song.

I am proud of myself for learning how to use all the program’s tools without any outside help, and making my song purely out of trial and error, starting only from a riff I made at my house.

A problem I faced while creating the song was not knowing what the song would be about. I didn’t really solve it, it solved itself because my friend was getting on my nerves, so I decided to make him the subject.

If I had unlimited time to work on this song, I would add lyrics and incorporate different scales into the solo as well.