What instrument/gear allows you to create music with as little thinking as possible?

The Lounge General Discussion
#1

I’ve been overthinking the music recently and feel like exploring some new composing methods. Have you got any tips or tricks to just lean in and make the music and turn the thinking/analytical brain off?

I feel like loopers have helped me just get a feel for stuff in the past, but it’s harder to then move through different song section ideas and interplay, at least with a simple guitar looper pedal…
I bought a Bastl midi looper last year which is really fun, but again a bit tricky to work with song sections, and before I know it I’ve stopped the flow again.

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#2

Hand drums, guzheng (pentatonic tuned chinese zither) electric bass- in that order. Pure flow, no analyzing, only feeling. Especially so with other musicians.

I’m almost getting there with the Digitakt if it is properly prepared in advance, but I don’t think it will ever be as direct as a physical instrument.

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#3

Guitar & M:S

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#4

Koala on the iPad. It’s way deeper than it seems, but so simple that I always end up making something cool every time I launch it.

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#5

Hapax is fastest/easiest hardware sequencer for composing i’ve found so far, especially with the deep MIDI FX (now even better with 2.0 firmware).

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#6

Anything from Ableton to Analog Rytm. I first make the drums, then bass and then the rest with my own sounds I’ve built up over the years. Only once I have done that I start thinking about things such as sound design and mixing.

Work fast, think later.

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#7

I definitely agree with @Mistercharlie, Koala is very intuitive. But for me personally, with a little upfront preparation. My Novation Circuit Tracks and Rhythm combo gets me pretty close to finished tracks with very minimal stress or frustration.

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#8

Drum kit.
Drum machine.
Octatrack.
X0xbox.
SH101.

In that order.

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#9

super interesting, thanks folks! I typically start melodically using something polyphonic, whether an acoustic instrument or synth, so actually starting rhythmically or bass is actually a great insight!

#10

One instrument, a string instrument or a synth, my mouth to sing, hum, and beatbox, a notepad, and a bit of imagination. Sometimes the mouth and a notepad is enough.

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#11

for me, Syntakt and Hydrasynth :wink:

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#12

Perkons (currently including the Live setup I built around it). Flow state machine / setup

Syntakt

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#13

Guitar and bass without a doubt, since I have studied both instruments from a young age.

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#14

A few months ago i got a JD-Xi even though it’s not very popular. It’s a pretty cool sketch pad for recording one or two sequences, adding some drums with pitch bend automation and then move on from there. Sometimes i run it through outboard effects or use the midi notes to control another synth. Better than most of my other gear for a quick session to get some ideas flowing.

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#15

Piano Motifs app on IOS sometimes produces interesting results when I use it with as little thinking as possible - that means tap the Play button to generate a motif, without changing any settings.

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#16

I can confirm this, its very immediate, quick, thought out, i belive it has also a midi looper, but after setup its really fast. Totally dope device. I sequenced OT externally, just crazy how comfortable it is. Totally build for live sets, dream sequencer!

Shame i didnt buy it sooner, would have saved me money from other solutions i tried before.

#17

If I want to turn my brain « off » technically/musically because I’m tired or doing some sound design, I often use something like the Vermona meloDICER (sound designing Plucks or keep my two hands free to play the PERfourMER) or the NDLR (sound designing Pads, Chords or just composing without playing any Keyboard).

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#18

Roland TR-909/808/707/606 and the SH-101 are all very no thinking instruments.

Many good alternatives and clones out there that have their workflow. Anything like that will be good.

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#19

Oddly enough, my upright piano, even though I can barely play it.

I’m better at guitar, but I find putting new chords together can be challenging. And my fingers get tired fast.

I’ve played bass since I was a kid, but I only play it monophonically, for the most part.

There’s just something very inspiring about a good-sounding piano.

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#20

agreed. I think piano has to be the definitive answer for “easiest” instrument.

  • notes laid out in order
  • adjacent keys are same amount of semitones away from each other
  • mechanics provide consistency with key presses (user can’t accidentally make note out of tune or play it out of tune)
  • key press is the only physical requirement!

:pray::musical_keyboard::pray:

EDIT: you said “YOU” to create music, NEVERMIND :sweat_smile:

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