Whether solo guitar or layered recordings, the composing process is always multi-faceted. For me it is a balance between many elements. For example:
- Music Theory related to different styles of music.
- Techniques that are interesting or different or new to me.
- Tonal aspects of different guitars.
- Effects that might add to the music.
There is also a large and constantly growing element of personal experience. Accumulated knowledge of favourite music.
But perhaps the most important element for me personally is often how I feel about the piece of music I am writing. All of the practical elements should be a given, an assumption that they are in place and solid knowledge. So the question for me is simply “For what reason am I moved to write?”.
I consider myself incredibly lucky to be able to have a career where music is the central theme. And of course I still love playing the guitar after 50+ years. So composing for me and being inspired to write music, feel like it should be a constant state of mind, not an occasional and heightened state.
There is a tremendous amount of work involved in getting good music finished and recorded or to performance level. If one doesn’t love every stage then something will make the music weaker. It is my personal feeling that it’s my duty to remain in a receptive and ready state. Son whenever I have the chance I can get on with composing.
Many people have many unique approaches to music and this is mine. I know that music is a gift. I try and remain grateful that the gift of music is within my life constantly.
So really there is for me only one reason to write music. It is the pure joy of total immersion in the sounds and the physical process. Music keeps me at peace as for me it covers both the physical requirements of precise movements, that in turn create clear sounds, also defined in a state of mind and of being.
Music for me is simply Meditation with Movement.