compose from ideas

Instead of basing on a main paradigm of composing and trying to integrate other ideas into that main paradgim,

• e.g: the whole structure is based on root movement. root movement -> rhythm -> harmony -> melody

Treat Everything as idea:

• root->rhythm->harmony->melody is an idea of spanning, a usable techinque
• a small melodic motive is an idea that could be used to built around/attach to other
• a clip/lick is an idea that could start with or attach along
• a special harmony lick(an harmony composition) could be attached when some colour is wanted
• a rhythm clip is an idea that could integrate with others
• “build on forth” is an idea that could be used in either harmony, root, or melody
• “shuffle”, “swing” is ideas of special feeling options

In a way, this echos with human brain as simulator, where instead of trying to find fundamental abstraction of generality of all things, brain (allegedly, by Bach) store and connect simulations and experience of each and every concrete idea.

And in composing, choose some ideas to start with, and maybe keep the simplicity or add more along the way. In a way, this would be like critive writing with zettelkasten in general, where unstructured(generally) ideas rise from data, and then integrated in different ways.

• as How to Take Smart Notes states, it is common that you have some integration idea already but not yet explored, and you never start clean, but with these start ideas. For example, you don’t start writing a song with “I want to write a song”, but “I’d like to see what jazzy stuff I could make->start with jazzy harmony and decorate bebop melody line?->adding some of my favourite licks->let’s see what key change looks like->…” or “I’d like to see how I could make this motive a funky song”.
• This way, you can innovate really naturally, because for everything song, it’s built off a different theory(integrated ideas). Your music would not be “a really really long song partitioned to 3 minute pieces”, but distinct implementations of various of ideas. Passion on ideas make stuff fun, rich, and sincere - being the exact thing you do, and not for fame, publicity, popularity, ability; intrinsic as hell.