-
1. Stop thinking of drums as KICK/SNARE/HIHAT
-
-
3. The relationship between percussive sounds and rhythmic noises can be a melodic relationship
-
-
5. Turn it into percussion
-
-
7. Think about a bongo player sitting in the street
-
8. Select a new random tempo
-
9. What Would Joe Zawinul do?
-
-
11. Put in something off-key
-
-
-
14. List your standard process from start to finish, now reverse it
-
15. If you dismiss an idea, stop and ask yourself why
-
16. Skip your first impulse and use the second one
-
17. Do something that isn’t 4/4 now
-
18. How can you make this fall apart
-
19. Play it backwards – the part, don’t reverse audio.
-
20. Pretend your mom is sitting next to you
-
21. Pretend your dad is sitting next to you
-
22. Swap midi clips between all elements
-
23. Keep everything, but change the order
-
24. Keep everything, but change the timing
-
25. Only one note at a time
-
26. Just play every other note
-
27. Think of something that seems like a bad idea, then use it
-
28. Play it like a child would play it
-
29. Play it with your knuckles
-
30. Play it with your elbows
-
31. What would you make if you knew everyone in the world was listening?
-
32. What would you make if you knew no one would ever hear it?
-
33. You’re not married to that octave !
-
34. Make your melody your bass line
-
35. Make a song with no drums at all
-
36. Make a song with only drums
-
-
38. Remove a part that’s giving you trouble. Just cut it!
-
39. What would your least favorite musician do?
-
40. Abandon normal instruments.
-
-
-
43. Split the parts and play them with two instruments
-
44. Do it sober/drunk for a change…
-
45. Process something acoustic
-
46. start with something different
-
47. Stop. Turn a different knob
-
48. reverb or delay, but only for a little while
-
-
-
51. Take your favorite bit and make it unrecognizable
-
52. increase complexity, decrease density
-
53. Increase density, decrease complexity
-
54. Try to write the part with your voice
-
-
56. Let the machines play, make some tea.
-
57. sample it, reverse it
-
58. Is modulation really necessary?
-
59. Use fewer patchcords.
-
-
61. Turn it up to twelve and leave it there.
-
62. Plug an input into an output.
-
63. Use tracks with different tempos
-
64. Reach for the farthest knob
-
-
-
67. Remember that old sound source you love but never use?
-
68. Don’t use the same old signal path
-
69. Unpatch everything and hook it up with intent for this specific project
-
70. Stick with the very first thing you try
-
-
72. Copy it, alter it, repeat
-
-
74. Reverse the loud and quiet
-
75. What insect — going where?
-
76. Play closer. Then farther
-
77. Record in silence. Add harmony
-
-
-
80. Pick a number. Use it
-
-
-
-
84. take a different approach to sequencing
-
85. change your clock source; ‘pattern’ not click track
-
86. go into unfamiliar territory; try something that you’ve never done before
-
87. use an element for something other than its ‘intended purpose’ (envelope/delay/filter as a sound source)
-
88. start with noise, then subtract
-
-
-
91. cut it up and rearrange
-
92. build up, tear down *gradually*
-
93. patch it up silently before you turn it on, then adjust
-
94. add the element of *chance*
-
-
-
97. Reveal Hidden Structure
-
98. The One is where you think it is
-
-
-
-
102. Nostalgia as a weapon
-
103. Make something out of sync
-
104. emulate a style you cannot stand
-
-
-
-
108. stop writing. start painting
-
-
110. sell everything. Buy new stuff
-
111. Stop Time, then resume
-
112. Play it so wrong it’s right
-
-
-
115. Engage in intentional imitative synthesis
-
116. What would Springsteen do?
-
117. Pick out two odd “gear partners” and turn everything else off
-
118. Only use short patch cords
-
119. Make the sound with your voice
-
120. Turn off the effects
-
121. Make the sound smaller
-
122. Turn off the computer
-
123. repurpose your equipment
-
124. The studio is the instrument
-
125. Clean out the filter
-
126. Actually program a sound
-
127. Start recording, turn on a movie, mute the sound and write a soundtrack in real time for whatever you see
-
-
-
130. Remove one frequency band
-
-
-
-
-
-
136. Bjork called, mix too tame
-
137. Too serious, make it laugh
-
138. Think of a note. Now don’t play it
-
-
140. You play so many notes…
-
-
142. Play when it’s wrong
-
143. strip it; invisible or naked?
-
144. Play the drum part on a keyboard, and play the keyboard part on the drums.
-
145. Imagine what the world sounds like to your cat (who can only hear down to 45Hz, but all the way up to 60K!!)
-
146. Learn the alphabet in another language.
-
147. Compose the theme song to the movie about your life.
-
-
149. Close your eyes and find your way twice around your home
-
150. Do two things; Show half of one, half of the other
-
151. pretend the computer isn’t programming you
-
152. sketch the project in a different material
-
-
154. Ring (modulate) the changes
-
155. Check your pulse, is it racing?
-
156. It’s hip to b square
-
157. Close your eyes, open your mind
-
158. Take a step back and move forward
-
159. Move your chair, brush your hair
-
160. Put your fingers in your ears
-
161. Make loudest voice but a whisper
-
162. Inspiration comes in many forms
-
-
164. choose your least favorite element, remove everything else
-
165. choose an element and reverse the sequence
-
-
-
-
169. drop something and mimic the sound. don’t use the result for percussion. or do
-
170. Go as far as you can with the monitor – if not the computer – switched off
-
171. Draw up a list of your top five presets, and delete them
-
172. Silence at any time during the session should be eliminated unless as a deliberate tactic
-
173. Commit to your mistakes and take inspiration from them; do not undo or revert to any saved versions
-
174. Do not use automation at any stage, instead mix all sounds in realtime
-
175. Bounce all audio and delete source tracks before each overdub
-
176. Do not overdub; do as much in realtime as possible. If the result is unsatisfactory, consider this a limitation of your system
|
|
