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Shuffling the Creative Deck

Metadata

title
Shuffling the Creative Deck
description
Switching up the "lead" instrument in a song can have incredible effects. In this solo pod, I discuss different songs with different recording orders and how that can dramatically change the parts musicians lay down.
status
complete
date
2024-03-12
kind
solo
guestSlugs
listenUrl
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lovemusicmore/episodes/Shuffling-the-Creative-Deck-e2h0650
appleUrl
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shuffling-the-creative-deck/id1567355195?i=1000648968368&uo=4
spotifyUrl
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4HYT5xo7DnjVYwy5fmqg5a
topicsDiscussed
  • Creativity
  • Bass
  • Singing and vocals
  • Songwriting
  • Music production
  • Creative Sequencing
  • Recording Techniques
  • Song Arrangement
  • Influence of Instrument Order
  • Emotional Impact of Music
hostNote
The instrument you start with shapes the whole session, not just the arrangement, but the feel. If the drums come first, everything locks to a pocket. If the bass comes first, the pocket is negotiable. If the vocal comes first, you're composing around a human being. I run through specific examples of what changes when you shuffle the recording order, why starting late with bass can free up a pitch center rather than lock one in, and why, in a world where everyone has the same palette of tools, process is one of the last places to find a genuinely different sound.
selectedMoments
  • label
    Starting Creative Processes
    startSec
    139
    note
    How starting creative projects with different instruments can change outcomes.
  • label
    The Magic of Bass Parts
    startSec
    226
    note
    The magic of placing bass tracks at different points in the recording process.
  • label
    Vocal Centerpieces
    startSec
    365
    note
    The unique challenges of recording vocals first as a centerpiece.
  • label
    Rethinking Song Structure
    startSec
    631
    note
    The importance of reassessing starting points in song creation.
  • label
    Experimentation with Instrument Order
    startSec
    678
    note
    Encouraging experimentation with instrument order for creative growth.
  • label
    Guided by the Vocal
    startSec
    452
    note
    Building arrangements around the vocal and how it changes the overall vibe of the music.
excerptQuotes
  • text
    I want to talk to you about a concept of following the leader. So depending on where you start with any sort of creative endeavor, I feel like that influences where you end up.
    startSec
    103
    reviewed
    true
  • text
    There's a magic in doing it late. Vocal is usually done late. There's a magic in doing it early.
    startSec
    222
    reviewed
    true
  • text
    I found that really liberating because you could just set a pitch center. So it gives you a place that you can kind of set as your bass line and you can dance above and below it.
    startSec
    367
    reviewed
    true
  • text
    Just try to reassess your starting point and that's going to have incredible downstream effect.
    startSec
    586
    reviewed
    true
  • text
    In a world where everybody's kind of got the same tools, there's a lot of the same palettes. You can make these incredible changes just by rethinking process.
    startSec
    629
    reviewed
    true
faq
  • question
    What are creative sequencing strategies in music production?
    answer
    This episode discusses different strategies such as starting with various instruments and how that influences the song.
  • question
    How does the order of instruments affect a song?
    answer
    I explain that changing the order can lead to surprising emotional impacts and dynamics in a song.
  • question
    What can you learn from this episode about songwriting?
    answer
    Shuffling the order, starting with bass instead of drums, or vocal instead of rhythm, changes which element sets the harmonic center and emotional frame for everything that follows. The first instrument leads; the rest follow.
transcriptPublished
false
draft
false

Content

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