Composing music on a Touchstyle Instrument

[DavidReyes]

I'm new to the list.

I'm curious if there's anyone out there who is using their Touchstyle instrument to compose music, either for solo instrument or for an ensemble setting. Style doesn't matter. I'm curious to know what other composers' experiences have been working with this type of instrument.

Did you find it inspired new melodic ideas?
Did you find it really changed your process?

Thanks. And keep on writing and playing!

[John O'Connor]

Yes, I am composing new music on the Solene, and I find that it does give me new ideas. After playing fingerstyle guitar for a few years, I am now getting into more spread out chord voicings, and more counterpoint. The tapping does make a wonderful difference.:)

[Daniel Schell]

I compose operas, and ensemble scores directly on paper without using an instrument. Usually I check with the tiptar to check a few chords afterwards.

On the contrary, when I compose for the tiptar, then I play until it feels and 'plays' ok. Specially when it is for complicated palying, like splitted arpeggios on both sides for instance.

best

[John O'Connor]

Wow. My composing is much less complex than yours. In fact, my composing came about as a result of improvisations on standard chord progressions, and my interest in Prebaroque strata counterpoint. Most of my composing is rather short songs and tone poems. I usually improvise, finding out where the music is taking me, and then put it on paper in both notation and tablature. Certainly not at the level at which you compose.

[Daniel Schell]

Thanks for the compliment but first listen to my music.
By the way, I heard a funny story.
The French composer Hector Berlioz is said to have composed some of his works - rather gigantic operas and symphonies - just by tapping occasionaly on a guitar laying in front of him, horizontally on a table....
Actually, I do the same, but with my Megatar laid in front of me.

:D

[John O'Connor]

I have a lot of admiration for those who can compose without the aid of an instrument. Unfortunately, I find that I can't do that. I need to play when I want before I can write it down. After it's written, I can arrange it for other instruments, but I have to have something to work on before I can reach that point. I guess I'm not that good a composer.

[Octavio Brito]

I like to compose away from the instrument only to allow my mind to escape from the limitations imposed by my playing capabilities at the given moment.

I normally use the piano to check things.

I find that this opens up new possibilities and many times I have to learn new mechanics in order to perform the piece.

The Touch instrument is so new that I don`t believe anyone knows how far one can go. So I truly enjoy this dual process of discovery.

If you aren`t proficient in writing, try a recorder. I think you`ll be surprised at what you come up with.

Happy Tapping,

Octavio

[Daniel Schell]

A recorder is nice, but not really practical for checking the harmonies.
The tap-guitar has these advantages against piano:
You can play open harmonies in the left hand (from 10th on). You can write things which are "piano unlike-s".

Otherwise a piano is ideal for checking closed chords and clusters.

I still prefer using the t-g.
Composing using the piano has a long story and tradition. No doubt, Bach was using it. Mozart also, but he could easily write a whole symphony without checking as he was writing with an astounding speed.
So you could say that these composers actually heard the music and possibly checked afterwards.
On the other hand a composer like Stravinsky was using specifically the piano as a composing device. And this is reflected in the percussive quality of his orchestral works. You can feel that the 'Sacre' or 'Symphony in C' use these percussive chords, and you can actually hear them sounding on the like if they were from the piano.
So there is always the - well known - danger that music written on a piano will fall into a category of 'what's possible on a piano'.
You could say that I composed also 'tap-guitar like' music, specially in my early chamber music with the Karo Ensemble, where I reflected clearly my tapping technique in the orchestral writing.

Best

Daniel Schell
The E-TAp, European tap-guitar Seminar, Neufchâteau, 8-15 July.