# Remote writing methods



## JStraitiff (Nov 10, 2011)

My band rarely gets to practice because our drummer is in a different town which is about 35 min from here. So we basically hit the ground running when we do practice which is usually only once every 2 weeks or so and for about 2.5 hrs. We write as much as we can while at practice and then bascially i end up at home thinking up parts and planning how to execute them when we get a chance to get everyone together. Obviously this isnt going to be a fast process.

This last week i started something new. Im trying to get everyone on to google wave so that we can log our writing at home and everyone can see the new arrangements and such and add their recordings and such. So that seems to be a good step in the right direction if i can manage to get everyone on it. Also im probably going to have the drummer record his parts so that we can all get together more often without him and work on things. This way when we all get together at his place we can just work on the drums and thatll be that.

Does anyone else have this type of situation? How do you go about writing when you arent together very often?


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## DVRP (Nov 10, 2011)

Guitar Pro 5


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## Blasphemer (Nov 10, 2011)

Have everyone get Tuxguitar and Dropbox. Put the song file in the dropbox and have all members work on it.


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## Pooluke41 (Nov 10, 2011)

Use something like Guitar Pro and Dropbox it all.


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## JStraitiff (Nov 10, 2011)

wow everyone seems to lean towards tabs. I guess ill look into it. I dont think any of us care to deal with the timings and stuff like that. I have guitar pro 6 myself tho.


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## UnderTheSign (Nov 13, 2011)

Could always record a video or audiofile and dropbox that if you're too lazy to tab?


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## thedarkoceans (Nov 13, 2011)

the timing would fuck you if you are (like me) a non theory guy.


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## DVRP (Nov 13, 2011)

Timing is something you HAVE to learn if you want to become a better musician. Learning the ins and out of Guitarpro can really REALLY help you with your grasp of theory. It takes awhile to get into it but it's 100% worth it.

My suggestion is practice tabbing full songs from bands you like. You'll quickly pick up what you need to know.


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## Blasphemer (Nov 13, 2011)

DVRP said:


> Timing is something you HAVE to learn if you want to become a better musician. Learning the ins and out of Guitarpro can really REALLY help you with your grasp of theory. It takes awhile to get into it but it's 100% worth it.
> 
> My suggestion is practice tabbing full songs from bands you like. You'll quickly pick up what you need to know.



+1

I tabbed all the parts of this out, and my timing improved ten fold


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## Geest (Dec 24, 2011)

JStraitiff said:


> wow everyone seems to lean towards tabs. I guess ill look into it. I dont think any of us care to deal with the timings and stuff like that. I have guitar pro 6 myself tho.



I prefer 5 but 6 should work too. In my band (in which I do the vocals) the lead guitarist writes most of the instrumental music. He simply notes it down on a tab and puts it on dropbox. Although I do occasionally adjust things, due to my knowledge of music theory (I also play guitar, but not in the band)

You can't expect songs to be written quickly, especially when the band's still young. We must've written about 50 songs and we only play 8 of 'em, currently working on the lyrics for the 9th one. 
At first the writing process was quite slow, and I guess that only after more than a year we have found our sound. Which to this day is still evolving and improving. We've also stopped playing the first 2 songs we've written, so don't worry too much about them not being perfect.

I always write the lyrics after the instrumental version has been completed, since it's way harder for the guitarist to adept to me instead of me to him. Again, it's a slow process. I've literally spend days after another just listening to the guitar tab over and over again... And I'd only be able to write down 1 sentence.

Patience .


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## Osorio (Dec 25, 2011)

I don't think this is the place, but I will say it anyway: GP can improve AND destroy ones understanding of theory. It did both for me. It would just be my personal advice not to rely too much on the "play", and know what you are writing. 
I found it, from writing with people overseas, that a tab and a recording is the best way to get composing going. I would also advice on trying to advance one instrument at first, have a full melody and then a harmony before trying to flesh out all the instruments, but that is just me...


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## Blasphemer (Dec 25, 2011)

Here's an example of Tux and dropbox gone wrong (possibly TL;DR):

So, to preface - I suck at writing riffs. With chords and rhythms, I'm really stable and know what I'm doing, and can experiment with extended chords and fit them into places where they shouldnt fit like a boss.
But, yesterday, I was on a goddamn riff-roll. I was writing some really cool stuff, and saved it in the dropbox. Then, later, I accidentally fucked like half of it up without noticing, and saved it in the dropbox. The internet at my house is really spotty, so I just decided to turn my airport off so it wouldn't update, and have my drummer take it out, save it on his computer, and rename it so that the original file would be there.

Long story short, he's a turd and decided that playing LOL and texting his girlfriend was a better idea, so we lost like 30+ measures of great material...


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## Blasphemer (Dec 25, 2011)

Somehow, I double posted...


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Dec 26, 2011)

I gave everybody in my band Finale and we all just write our songs and lyrics on our own and bring them to practice. That's just how we do things. My bandmates are horrible people, though, and there are only a couple of us who actually notate shit. I hate the "I'm going to show you how to play this on your instrument" huddle - just give me a page and get the fuck on with it. I'll notate your goddamn song if I have to.


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