It is remarkable how much equipment we could have and we still start with a grand piano. It is so baked in the head and could have main melody with a bass line at the same time. So perfect for prototyping.
I think the squeaks from that pedal work wonderfully on the chorus. It gives images of somebody walking alone on a secluded autumn beach while seagulls fly above.
You're SO right about that little recorder. I even have a Tascam Portastudio for that purpose, but I'm absolutely terrible at remembering to record when I mess around. Todays smartphones are terriffic recorders too for quickly remembering something so there's really no excuse for anyone not to just turn that on, and you never know when you might be glad you did so. Thanks for reminding us, it's really a terrific tip!
Yep - an invaluable tip for sure! In a pinch I just use voice memos on the iPhone but I have an H1n as well. My favourite integrated option I used all the time was the Skip Back Sampling on my Fantom X8 - it always records the last 50 seconds of audio flowing through it, and if you accidentally find gold, tap that button, trim and save - save it to a pad or a key. Very handy.
@@darwiniandude yes good keyboard the Phantom. But I love the luxurious function of an always constantly in the background running midi recording function as soon as you Start cubase. You do not notice anything, no need to press any record button or what ever. And I do only work with cubase and I am a studioman, why dancing on several weddings?
Interesting to see our very different approaches. 🤓 I’m more focused on hooks, riffs and rhythmic patterns. I start by browsing for cool sounds and see what they inspire me to play. I’ve never been able to plan the entire song on one single instrument from A to Z. I’m too impatient! 😂 Looking forward to the next episode!
Interesting to hear this, Anders, and to then compare your different styles and finished songs. There are different ways of conjuring up magic, for sure.
When I was writing on a daily basis years ago, my only prerequisites were the opening tempo and first chord, and to do short 1-3min short blasts of playing without thinking using inspiring sounds. Once I start to think too much, it becomes predictable so I keep it short and sweet and intuitive. Any good ideas I work on later in a more methodical fashion, with the arrangement, sounds and production.
So wonderful to see and hear you start a song. I wish I was close to being able to play piano like you, it would skyrocket my productions. I hope the rest of the series will be awesome too.
Thank you for sharing your composition process with us. It's very easy to get "lost in the box" dragging loops around in a DAW or endlessly tweaking individual notes in a piano-roll with a mouse instead of playing and humming or singing. Please forgive me for hearing synth brass stabs for the "bap bap ba bap" in the chorus. :)
At about 9.50, I recognised the melody. I can't remember the song title off the top of my head, but it started going around and around I my head on repeat. It comes from a Carly Simon dog I heard when I was at primary or secondary school. All I remember about the time it was warm, so probably Spring to early Autumn. I can hear her singing it, but can't pull out the title, sorry. It wasn't Your So Vain tho'ugh, or her late 82 single Why...
I enjoyed the whole 51 minutes and 21 seconds Espen, like your sense of chord sequences here and the Stream was very inspiring like all of your Videos, thx! 😁👍
I really enjoyed your work in this video, Espen. I'm looking forward to Part 2. Hopefully I can find inspiration from your effort to push my own music further along.
Amazing Video, thank you! I do the same thing, I make a new song every day on live stream (unprepared, from scratch, from start to finish) :) Althought I can't do the magic on the piano keyboard as You do!
I might be too enamored with rhymes, but my ear wants to hear "I wonder why / can I have one more try" Either way, I'm intrigued by watching your procesd, already learning, can't wait for more :)
Really fun and interesting to see your creative process, unfiltered. Your intuitive sense of chord sequences is great, knowing what might sound good after and before what else, and how to tie it altogether in resolution. Although music theory certainly helps one to know and understand what musical moves are available, I love how songwriting, nevertheless, has so many subjective aspects to it, choices to be faced, that are matters of taste. Fun fun!
That was fun to watch. Having to come up with something on the spot with a camera on you could not have been easy and probably felt a little intrusive, but you did it and I like the song. Looking forward to the next installment!
So, at least one person in the comments identified the similarities to "My Ever Changing Mood", which is the first thing I thought of. And that brings up a good point. If you run across chords that give you a strong impression of another song, how do you get that out of your head? How do you stay creative in spite of your "internal catalog" of music?
Beautiful idea so far. Your approach is very genuine and inspiring. I find myself starting with a title that sounds interesting. Other times I find myself starting with a beat or I find a sample. It’s instantaneous for me. If something doesn’t immediately pop, I move on to another beat / sample idea. I think I do this because I pretend to flip through radio stations and that one thing that pops out grabs my attention. “Pop hit” I know it’s unconventional and sterile lol. When I’m not doing this method, I go to my trust guitar and just strum stuff for 20/30 min and recording whatever comes to mind. Looking forward to part 2 of your song, buddy
Hi Espen, firstly thanks for all the great content, I'm a big fan. Secondly could you tell me the name of the program that is showing us the chords please
What has just struck me after having watched this upload multiple times is that in stark contrast to other online composers / musical mentors who sit in front of their DAWs and the first thing they do is get a click track going, then stick in some basic drum track, whereas Espen has no obvious connection to what the underlying rhythm might end up being. I personally find it incredibly difficult to keep in strict time when working on a musical idea. Probably why I’ve never been great at R&R and 4 to the floor… LOL!
Espen, are you sure that you are not a songwriter for (or 3rd member of ) the Pet Shop Boys? :-) Your song(s) could easily be on one of their records! I really look forward to see the rest of these episodes! (And I need to use more 7th and 9th chords in my own songs...)
Hello, thank you for sharing your creation process, it's very interesting ! Maybe I missed that part, but have you talked about the relation between your vocal range and the key when composing a melody ?
Thanks! I don't go through that in much capacity in this series, but I talk about it in one of my earlier "how to do" videos where I break down one of my compositions. At least I think I do so. ;-) I have a wide vocal range since I can rely on my falsetto and I usually compose the chords and top line melody at the same time. It's very rare that I have to change key after the song has been done.
Espen, i know ur Norwegian;) and I just wanted to know if u ever listen to Creation. Especially “The Real Thing” album that I think is a pretty hardcore synth album from the 80s
I always Start with the Refrain, because the rest of the Song is interchangable. I use only one basic Instrument, a guitar or an acoustic piano. I use only chords and Start with no Bass. Sometimes I only sing or play a melody and find the music around, many ways. I build from very basic until extreme complexity. I make a collection of ideas resulting in a Pool of basic ideas and later I choose out one of those and make it complex. I use my cellphone to record to catch the moment when magic happens. My ideas are so basic, I say that they are omnipotent, means, the style is not fixed. Might be Pop, Rock Metal or Jazz.
Wow! This is bravery on the highest level. One of the most honest videos I have seen. Great stuff. Wonderful to see your process. Still. I could not help being a bit distracted by the wonderful LEDs behind your shoulders about 30 minutes in, that is that 1u graphic analyzer?
Any tips on "capturing the idea whenever, wherever it comes"? I find that for me the best ideas always come walking outside, driving a car etc. It's not easy though to get the complete ideas saved on the go, my brain typically doesn't wait for me to write things down and humming/whistling into the mobile phone doesn't always capture the idea truthfully. :D
I really wish I could write like you do, just working away with an instrument and not getting stuck. You're self-reflecting so well getting ideas where you want to go. Loving the video!
As said in the video trailer for this series I will address all questions in my weekly livestream covering the episodes. I have a new livestream tonight and I'll talk a little about this very thing as it's a very common question. Cheers
Ever thought to make a track for the eurovision? Danmark had in 2020 an 80s track with 'fyr og flamme', but choose the wrong track. 'Kaereste' is their best. 80s style is popular anno 2022. Synthwave for example in many commercials. It's the best moment to have a result in eurovision with a catchy 80s track.
You can't make a track for Eurovision unless you're invited. In Norway they've often had a submission entry for everyone to submit, but it's all windowdressing. They don't listen to it at all. They have the people they want to invite as composers. Besides, they would never go for my sound as I'd want it to be authentic sounding, both in arrangement, production and mix. Synthwave is in reality just EDM with some 80s flavor, it has rarely very little to do with 80s music. Not musically, not technically.
I don't know if you have seen Kung Fury Espen? Your work would be perfect for it. The sequel is being made and there is some heavy hitters involved.' Pretty sure the director/star is a neighbor of yours!!!
The flipside to having this series open to everyone is that I will not answer any questions in regards to the series outside my weekly livestream on Patreon. My trailer promoting the series states that very clearly. Those livestreams are available to watch later too, but again, on my Patreon page. ;-)
Brilliant as usual. And as far as I’m concerned You’re not a proper musician if you’ve never had a squeaky sustain pedal 😂😂 so there’s no need to apologise 👍
i have a sentence to add to this. oh my love can you pick up your phone i'm so tired its in silence all day long. maybe to morrow you call me back or else i have to wait another who knows how long and maybe never i see you again it will be for ever all the same.
Hi Espen. I'm a Patreon subscriber and just wanted to say "thanks" for putting your most intimate song writing process online for us all to learn from. It's very brave and it makes for fascinating viewing. One more thing, could you or another viewer tell me the software you're using which monitors what you play and tells you what the chords are? I'd love to use that to improve my music theory. Thanks again.
Thanks Matthew! I will gather up all questions and answer them in my weekly live streams starting Monday. If you can't watch live you can watch it later, being a patron. I just have to stick to my guns (as promised) and not answer any questions in regards to this series, here in the open comments section. ;-)
There's nothing better than 51 minutes of Espen Kraft and his unlimited 80's genius.
Awesome!
I agree 100%.
For sure!
yeah there is, 52+ minutes!
It is remarkable how much equipment we could have and we still start with a grand piano. It is so baked in the head and could have main melody with a bass line at the same time. So perfect for prototyping.
i feel definitely some "Pop goes my heart"- vibes going on (Hugh Grant)
Am I the only one that upvotes Espen's video before I've even watched one second? I just know it's gonna be great, so why wait till the end? 😁
Awesome man, cheers! :)
I think the squeaks from that pedal work wonderfully on the chorus. It gives images of somebody walking alone on a secluded autumn beach while seagulls fly above.
Interesting perspective. ;-)
You're SO right about that little recorder. I even have a Tascam Portastudio for that purpose, but I'm absolutely terrible at remembering to record when I mess around. Todays smartphones are terriffic recorders too for quickly remembering something so there's really no excuse for anyone not to just turn that on, and you never know when you might be glad you did so. Thanks for reminding us, it's really a terrific tip!
Yes. Cubase has a built in function that records all the midi Input and this is so awesome function.
Yep - an invaluable tip for sure! In a pinch I just use voice memos on the iPhone but I have an H1n as well. My favourite integrated option I used all the time was the Skip Back Sampling on my Fantom X8 - it always records the last 50 seconds of audio flowing through it, and if you accidentally find gold, tap that button, trim and save - save it to a pad or a key. Very handy.
@@darwiniandude yes good keyboard the Phantom. But I love the luxurious function of an always constantly in the background running midi recording function as soon as you Start cubase. You do not notice anything, no need to press any record button or what ever. And I do only work with cubase and I am a studioman, why dancing on several weddings?
Interesting to see our very different approaches. 🤓 I’m more focused on hooks, riffs and rhythmic patterns. I start by browsing for cool sounds and see what they inspire me to play. I’ve never been able to plan the entire song on one single instrument from A to Z. I’m too impatient! 😂
Looking forward to the next episode!
Definitely not any right- or wrongs here. We all find our ways to create. ;-)
Interesting to hear this, Anders, and to then compare your different styles and finished songs. There are different ways of conjuring up magic, for sure.
When I was writing on a daily basis years ago, my only prerequisites were the opening tempo and first chord, and to do short 1-3min short blasts of playing without thinking using inspiring sounds. Once I start to think too much, it becomes predictable so I keep it short and sweet and intuitive. Any good ideas I work on later in a more methodical fashion, with the arrangement, sounds and production.
Okay Anders, now you have to do a video on your creative process. :-)
still you do great songs :-) there are different paths to the same goal ...
What a great idea for a series! I can’t wait to watch them all!!👍👍👍
Cheers!
So wonderful to see and hear you start a song. I wish I was close to being able to play piano like you, it would skyrocket my productions. I hope the rest of the series will be awesome too.
Many thanks! Next episode this Friday.
Thank you for sharing your composition process with us. It's very easy to get "lost in the box" dragging loops around in a DAW or endlessly tweaking individual notes in a piano-roll with a mouse instead of playing and humming or singing.
Please forgive me for hearing synth brass stabs for the "bap bap ba bap" in the chorus. :)
I think we all hear stuff in our heads when listening to music. ;-) Cheers
Excelente 💡 idea compartir un proceso complicado 🎨 artístico, realmente me gusta mucho. Felicitaciones.
Gracias!
Brilliant, so personal and very informative. Thanks again for a first class video Espen! Totally helpful.
Cheers!
thanks for this, Espen !!
Cheers!
When you first hit that Dmin9 for the bridge I thought "yes" before you said it. Great video.
The 80s sound will rule forever. Im working on Billie Jean at the moment. Got most of the sounds down pat on my Reface DX.
At about 9.50, I recognised the melody. I can't remember the song title off the top of my head, but it started going around and around I my head on repeat. It comes from a Carly Simon dog I heard when I was at primary or secondary school. All I remember about the time it was warm, so probably Spring to early Autumn. I can hear her singing it, but can't pull out the title, sorry. It wasn't Your So Vain tho'ugh, or her late 82 single Why...
Very interesting start and one of many approaches to making a song. Looking forward to part 2! Thank you!
Cheers!
Nice work. I found this video thanks to the audient Facebook post.
I like the way you constantly think about the emotion in your writing
I appreciate you saying that! Without emotion it's meaningless to me. ;-)
I enjoyed the whole 51 minutes and 21 seconds Espen, like your sense of chord sequences here and the Stream was very inspiring like all of your Videos, thx! 😁👍
Many thanks, I'm happy you think so! :)
THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing your knowledge, skills and creativity. this is so incredibly valuable.
Cheers!
Thank you for this. I use my iPhone as the recorder (mostly recording guitar ideas on the couch).
iPhone works well. ;-)
Thanks Espen! Have a nice weekend.
Cheers!
I'm only 8 minutes in...and stuff like "My ever changing moods" by The Style Council comes to mind. 🙂
Agreed. Very Carole King 70's feel there.
51 minutes just flew by. Very interesting and inspiring. Makes me want to go and finish a piano idea I have. Thank you.
Many thanks! :)
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and talent. skillfully navigating us through the process of writing nice songs.
Thanks!
I really enjoyed your work in this video, Espen. I'm looking forward to Part 2. Hopefully I can find inspiration from your effort to push my own music further along.
Thanks! That's my main goal, to inspire others to crack on with their own stuff.
This is simply beautiful. Composing with that padded piano sound makes perfect sense. Looking forward to the rest of the series 🍿
Cheers!
Amazing Video, thank you! I do the same thing, I make a new song every day on live stream (unprepared, from scratch, from start to finish) :)
Althought I can't do the magic on the piano keyboard as You do!
Sounds awesome. Cheers
I like all your (musical) story you tell
Awesome!
Love it! Can't wait for the tom fills to kick in
Cheers!
I might be too enamored with rhymes, but my ear wants to hear "I wonder why / can I have one more try" Either way, I'm intrigued by watching your procesd, already learning, can't wait for more :)
Let's see how it goes. ;-) Cheers
Miracle 🎉 38:08 you sing my birth year ❤ coincidence so much eighties in that moment 😊
Cheers!
Yanni touted that controller for a long while in the past. I remember it well.
LET'S GOOO!! 🤘
We have lift-off!
Really fun and interesting to see your creative process, unfiltered. Your intuitive sense of chord sequences is great, knowing what might sound good after and before what else, and how to tie it altogether in resolution. Although music theory certainly helps one to know and understand what musical moves are available, I love how songwriting, nevertheless, has so many subjective aspects to it, choices to be faced, that are matters of taste. Fun fun!
Thanks for saying! Hopefully the next episodes will tie it all together in a structured way and even more fun. ;-)
That was fun to watch. Having to come up with something on the spot with a camera on you could not have been easy and probably felt a little intrusive, but you did it and I like the song. Looking forward to the next installment!
Many thanks! It's always that extra pressure, but it was fun.
So, at least one person in the comments identified the similarities to "My Ever Changing Mood", which is the first thing I thought of. And that brings up a good point. If you run across chords that give you a strong impression of another song, how do you get that out of your head? How do you stay creative in spite of your "internal catalog" of music?
Good question. I'll address that in my weekly livestream on Mondays.
Beautiful idea so far. Your approach is very genuine and inspiring. I find myself starting with a title that sounds interesting. Other times I find myself starting with a beat or I find a sample. It’s instantaneous for me. If something doesn’t immediately pop, I move on to another beat / sample idea. I think I do this because I pretend to flip through radio stations and that one thing that pops out grabs my attention. “Pop hit” I know it’s unconventional and sterile lol. When I’m not doing this method, I go to my trust guitar and just strum stuff for 20/30 min and recording whatever comes to mind. Looking forward to part 2 of your song, buddy
Thanks man! No rights- or wrongs when it comes to making music. We find our ways to create. :)
for me it comes when I listen to other music, and its style makes me want to make a song of my own in the same style, and I go from there
Hi Espen, firstly thanks for all the great content, I'm a big fan. Secondly could you tell me the name of the program that is showing us the chords please
Thanks! Yes, it's called MIDIculous. I just use the free version.
What has just struck me after having watched this upload multiple times is that in stark contrast to other online composers / musical mentors who sit in front of their DAWs and the first thing they do is get a click track going, then stick in some basic drum track, whereas Espen has no obvious connection to what the underlying rhythm might end up being. I personally find it incredibly difficult to keep in strict time when working on a musical idea. Probably why I’ve never been great at R&R and 4 to the floor… LOL!
Making chords, melody and lyrics first, is a dying art. ;-)
Espen, are you sure that you are not a songwriter for (or 3rd member of ) the Pet Shop Boys? :-) Your song(s) could easily be on one of their records! I really look forward to see the rest of these episodes! (And I need to use more 7th and 9th chords in my own songs...)
Thanks! Next episode tomorrow night.
Hello, thank you for sharing your creation process, it's very interesting ! Maybe I missed that part, but have you talked about the relation between your vocal range and the key when composing a melody ?
Thanks! I don't go through that in much capacity in this series, but I talk about it in one of my earlier "how to do" videos where I break down one of my compositions. At least I think I do so. ;-)
I have a wide vocal range since I can rely on my falsetto and I usually compose the chords and top line melody at the same time. It's very rare that I have to change key after the song has been done.
@@EspenKraft thanks for your answer. I'll check your other "how to videos". Cheers !
Espen, i know ur Norwegian;) and I just wanted to know if u ever listen to Creation. Especially “The Real Thing” album that I think is a pretty hardcore synth album from the 80s
I have several Creation releases on vinyl yes. I always liked them.
I always Start with the Refrain, because the rest of the Song is interchangable. I use only one basic Instrument, a guitar or an acoustic piano. I use only chords and Start with no Bass. Sometimes I only sing or play a melody and find the music around, many ways. I build from very basic until extreme complexity. I make a collection of ideas resulting in a Pool of basic ideas and later I choose out one of those and make it complex. I use my cellphone to record to catch the moment when magic happens. My ideas are so basic, I say that they are omnipotent, means, the style is not fixed. Might be Pop, Rock Metal or Jazz.
We all find our ways to create. No rights- or wrongs here. ;-)
Wow! This is bravery on the highest level. One of the most honest videos I have seen. Great stuff. Wonderful to see your process. Still. I could not help being a bit distracted by the wonderful LEDs behind your shoulders about 30 minutes in, that is that 1u graphic analyzer?
Thanks! It's a Spectrum Analyzer yes. I talk about it in one of the later episodes.
Looks cool. What brand?
It's a cheap one, I think the name is Fun Generation.
@@EspenKraft Ok, locking forward to that episode.
Hi, could you tell me brand and model of your inclined rack stand on the left?
I can't remember the name of it, but I think you can still find it at Gear4music.
Any tips on "capturing the idea whenever, wherever it comes"? I find that for me the best ideas always come walking outside, driving a car etc. It's not easy though to get the complete ideas saved on the go, my brain typically doesn't wait for me to write things down and humming/whistling into the mobile phone doesn't always capture the idea truthfully. :D
I really wish I could write like you do, just working away with an instrument and not getting stuck. You're self-reflecting so well getting ideas where you want to go. Loving the video!
Thanks!
As said in the video trailer for this series I will address all questions in my weekly livestream covering the episodes. I have a new livestream tonight and I'll talk a little about this very thing as it's a very common question. Cheers
Ever thought to make a track for the eurovision? Danmark had in 2020 an 80s track with 'fyr og flamme', but choose the wrong track. 'Kaereste' is their best. 80s style is popular anno 2022. Synthwave for example in many commercials. It's the best moment to have a result in eurovision with a catchy 80s track.
You can't make a track for Eurovision unless you're invited. In Norway they've often had a submission entry for everyone to submit, but it's all windowdressing. They don't listen to it at all. They have the people they want to invite as composers.
Besides, they would never go for my sound as I'd want it to be authentic sounding, both in arrangement, production and mix. Synthwave is in reality just EDM with some 80s flavor, it has rarely very little to do with 80s music. Not musically, not technically.
That sounds awesome sir!
Do I detect a hint of Pet Shop Boys Influence?
Thanks! I think that's more because of how I sing. Heard it before though. ;-)
I don't know if you have seen Kung Fury Espen?
Your work would be perfect for it.
The sequel is being made and there is some heavy hitters involved.'
Pretty sure the director/star is a neighbor of yours!!!
Thanks for saying! If you by neighbour mean living in a country close to Norway, you're right. ;-)
How do you get in there? I don’t see a path in or out. 😅
I live there.
As always great video Espen! Are you using the Proformance module for the piano sound?
Thanks! Only answering questions (of any kind) in the live streams following each episodes. As stated in the trailer-video. ;-)
Epsen, what is that program in the upper left that is showing the notes and chords played?
The flipside to having this series open to everyone is that I will not answer any questions in regards to the series outside my weekly livestream on Patreon. My trailer promoting the series states that very clearly. Those livestreams are available to watch later too, but again, on my Patreon page. ;-)
Ok, no worries. 👍
What are you using in the upper left corner of the screen that’s displaying the chord names as you play?
MIDIculous.
Thank you. :)
Brilliant as usual. And as far as I’m concerned You’re not a proper musician if you’ve never had a squeaky sustain pedal 😂😂 so there’s no need to apologise 👍
Well then, cheers! :)
i have a sentence to add to this. oh my love can you pick up your phone i'm so tired its in silence all day long. maybe to morrow you call me back or else i have to wait another who knows how long and maybe never i see you again it will be for ever all the same.
Surely ‘A Song is Bjorn’, good sir?
Hopefully.
Melodyne & Autotune are banned! YEAAAAAY!
det kjem inkte steikte fuglar flugjande i mun
I don't know why but your singing sounds like an autotune, even though it's clearly not. 🤔
I can guarantee you, it's free of that. ;-)
@@EspenKraft I thought it is. Autotune sounds bad in my opinion, and when someone uses, they're basically saying they can't sing 🤣
It doesn't. It's processed yes but no autotune here.
What's the computer software you're using here Espen?
Chords showing is Midiculous.
Hi Espen. I'm a Patreon subscriber and just wanted to say "thanks" for putting your most intimate song writing process online for us all to learn from. It's very brave and it makes for fascinating viewing. One more thing, could you or another viewer tell me the software you're using which monitors what you play and tells you what the chords are? I'd love to use that to improve my music theory. Thanks again.
Thanks Matthew! I will gather up all questions and answer them in my weekly live streams starting Monday. If you can't watch live you can watch it later, being a patron. I just have to stick to my guns (as promised) and not answer any questions in regards to this series, here in the open comments section. ;-)
@@EspenKraft No problem. I'll look forward to tuning in on Monday 👍🏻