Looper's Delight Archive Top (Search)
Date Index
Thread Index
Author Index
Looper's Delight Home
Mailing List Info

[Date Prev][Date Next]   [Thread Prev][Thread Next]   [Date Index][Thread Index][Author Index]

Re: How do you approach looping composition?



Welcome, Cristian!

Of course, every composer approaches the act of composition differently; you seem to have the drive and will to discover and develop your own thing (these are the most important ingredients!)

I would say continue what you are doing- frustration is a great teacher. Try everything you can think of. Get yourself to the ultimate edge of frustration, then step back, take a break, do some deep breathing exercises in a quiet place, a park or  forest might be good... 8^) step back, surrender what you have been doing, and I'd bet that the Next Idea will appear, if you can still the mind enough to hear it.

Above all, remember that everything you need already exists inside you- outside inspirations and examples of others' success are only pointers to the infinite power that exists inside you at the deepest levels.

Also, adding a second looping device would probably take your mind into areas you wouldn't normally think of...

Stay with it!!!

Best,

Tim



In a message dated 10/6/03 9:18:20 AM Pacific Daylight Time, cristian@accord.it writes:

Hello,

It's my first post (even if I registered to the mailing list 5 months
ago), so I'd like to introduce myself:

I'm a (non professional) bassist from Milan, Italy.

In the last 9 years I played mostly blues and rock-blues, then I started
being interested in ambient dub after reading an article in Bass Player
magazine about Bill Laswell.

At the same time I found loopers-delight, I appreciated the perfect mix
between the importance given to the conceptual aspects of looping and
the discussion about technical aspects.

Looking for looping bassists I found Steve Lawson's incredible website
and this helped me to decide  to buy  an akay headrush  and trying to
become a looping bassist.

My actual gear is:

Basses:
Fender Mexican Jazz Bass
Laurus (an Italian Luthier) Stylist 4 string Bass
'71 Gibson EB-2
Washburn AB-20 defretted

My effect chain is:

Bass -> EBS BassIQ -> Tech21 Bass Compactor -> EBS Multidrive -> Akai
Headrush -> Rolls DI -> Behringer Mixer -> IBM Thinkpad (as recording
unit).

I never used any looping device live, but the looping concept hit me so
hard I decided to give up my actual rock-blues band and concentrate on
the musical and conceptual aspects of looping.

After this (long) presentation (I couldn't resist talking about myself
and my gear), this is my question:

How do you approach looping composition? I'd like to create some
composition and a little repertoire, as I'd like to try some bass
looping busking.

When I try to compose something, I start with some simple riff, then I
add some layer, but soon I've the impression of overplaying and messing
up everything.

I think that I'm focusing too much on the looping paradigm, and I lose
the musical inspiration. Another disturbing thing is that I tend to
answer and react to the loops I create filling every silent part
producing a strong anxiety impression in what I play.

I know composing is a very personal matter, but I hope to get some
suggestions from you experienced loopers.

cristian