Well...I am a disable guy with a neurodegenerative disease, until 10 years ago I was able to play the piano but now, due to my disease, I can no more. Now the only way I have to compose is to insert notes in the piano roll through the mouse but, as you can imagine, is really frustrating because everytime I have to insert some notes and push play to listen, if I like the harmony or melody ok but if not I have to delete it and insert some new notes and then push play to listen again, if I like the sound ok, but if I don't like it I have to change the notes and listen again, this happens for the entire compositional process and for all the instruments involved in and in the end, doing this way, my will to compose goes away.

I was wondering if you know a faster way to compose...!

Thanks!

 

What about using your PC keyboard? you should be able to use it to play 1 or 2 octaves, check you DAW manual on how to set it up. I think you can also buy pc keyboards with the keys painted/marked as notes (or modify your own)

 

Unfortunately I can't, I can move my arms and hands just a bit...

 

Five12's Numerology plus a MIDI knob controller (e.g. AKAI LPD8) and/or Novation LaunchPad.

You'll be able to program step sequences with the knobs, even going so far as to just use 2 knobs: one to choose the current step and the other to set it's pitch. Then with the grid controller you can control the sequences further, duplicate and edit and switch patterns in realtime, change volume/pan/effects/octaves, and more.

It's highly exploratory, realtime and tactile but does not require precise timing, preparation and forethought, manual dexterity, controlled pressure, or a wide range of physical motion.

Good luck, I truly hope you can find a way to remain creative and inspired.

 

Sorry that you have such problems with your health...

I would suggest you to sing the melodies you have in mind,
and then use Melodyne to transform those to midi.
I also suggest you to use simple words like daa or dii, to have some kind of attack,
so that they can be easy picked up by the software.

...hope it helps....

addon: It just came to me !
You can also use WOK's Skalenmeister and transform those midi's
to chords, without the hassle of much mouse work.

 

just play midi clip in loop mode and click with mouse until you will be happy with harmony or melody...

right click delete note, left click put note, I think it's in all today's daw, or you can configure in keyborad shortcuts

 

i know its not an easy way out, but ear training can help you. it will take you a year or so to complete, but than you will insert notes effortlessly and without mistakes. you will hear music in your head and know exactly how to write it in.
Of course there is an easy way, the melodyne, or ableton's hum to midi. Mind you, thats pretty much how Mussorgsky composed some of his greatest works. Being drunk all the time, his friend who was a real believer in his m ujsic, would write the notes as he would hum lying down drunk on the bed.
But I would personally recommend the ear training route, because it will develop you musically. It is really I would say, essential training for any musician composer. Problem is, many people dont take this route as they dont take music seriously anymore. Someone lied to them that you can become a producer/composer without any effort at all. Ear training will help you not only with your problem, but you will understand music better and become a better composer. I personally did David Lucas Burge Eartraining for relative pitch. There might be other good ones.

 

Diabulus in Musica

When I saw your thread I took a tour around the net for informations! I don´t know if this is of any help, but I found this link:

http://www.qwertykeyboard.org/virtual-keyboard-here-to-stay

 

had the same idea, also would a track ball be better than a mouse?

 

There are ways to convert singing or humming (into a mic) into midi data. There is hardware like Sonuus G2M (aimed at guitarists) that does this in realtime (not just with guitar, but with any monophonic source). There is also alot of software that can do this (Melodyne, knzaudio Midifier, Digital Ear, etc). My weapon of choice is the voice, so I use this (and I'm not even disabled, yet).

I also use a trackball (Logitech marble mouse) due to my previous carpel tunnel syndrome about ten years ago, and I haven't gone back (to a "regular" mouse). I love my trackball, especially when working many hours in the studio.

 

As least for chords, I think EZkeys would be perfect for you.
You can create a chord progression, and change and try out chords just with one click.

When you are done you can drag & drop the chord sequence into your DAW, and edit it further there.

 

Sorry to hear about your disability and really hope some kind soul is able to post some answer which is going to work for you.

 

You can try SongSmith from Microsoft Research....
You sing a Melody and SongSmith creates an Arrangement,
like Band in a Box....you can select a Style....
Maybe this can help.....good luck !!!

 

How much love is here? All for you!
I had a terrible reumathic desease and wiil tell you what I learn:
1 Interface options: mouses, trackball, touchpad, joystick, voice command, etc. Ergonimics is all so research the ideal. I have so many ones and when my pain or tireness cames I switch. Be aware that each one have a diferent language to learn but you should continue.
2 Exercise: do all you can. Estipulate minimum anda maximum tasks for the day. Even when you are bad you can/should/must do something. Also you had to stop when is wright because tomorrow is another day of fight.
3 Learn with the faboulous Jason Becker (I am a Becker tooo). This fabulous guitarrist got Lou Garret desease and he never learn how to write music and the adaptation was very hard. Now he only meditates and he is a guy who really inspire me!!!
4 Food. I know after study a lot my desease that starch could delay the regenerative process of your body. I almost eat vegetable, fruits and protein and is marvelous for me.
5 Erognomics: It really makes diference a good chair, video, table or bed. Search a lot, nowadays the options are great.
6 Compose a little every day. Bach do not have computers or fenomenal sounds that we have today, almost no dynamics and no realtime/CCs process. Keep it simple and exercite your brain always.
& I do not know your style and formation but for the sake of the simplycity you can done remixes like djs do. Copy and paste its a god way to burn something easy. Remembering that many Djs do not know what is a piano roll...
7 Hear and research music. If you can download midi parts of a composer you like you can learn a lot REALLY.
8 I have a hachintosh with logic X, I do not think in a easier way to work (I tested almost everything... and I am old).
9 Ask for help. In this forum, with friends and family (I know that almos everyone runs away) or you can ask for a payed companion who helps you to write. PM me if you want. So many times a had work with composers that do not play, sing or write and I had to be their interface and its very common that "musicians" do not understand each other. So: healthy people also have problems and do not how to solve. The important is to do our best. FIND PARTHNER!
10 You can write while a section is written, so you do not have to start again and again. Bear in mind that music is very repetitive today so do little but do good.
11 do not be shy to explain what you can do (you can print T-shirt about this like many people) and describe you computer.
12 Be prepared fot the future: There are interfaces that controls the mouse pointer with mouth or eyes. Like everything else it depends where you live and what you can have acess.
13 Your mind is the best instrument you can have. Think hard and estipulate a strategy.
14 Do courses that are plenty for every stage of production or musical genre.

I hope that you fell loved and helped
hugs from Brazil
15 Be brave.

 

You Cold use Band In A Box to get some foundation tracks started. It is much easier to modify and customize a working track than I start it from scratch. You can then export the midi files and tweak them at your liking, and dress them up with software instruments.

For guitar parts, the best articulations without actual playing come from Pettinhouse, at least in my experience, but there's a huge world out there.

iPad apps are also intuitive, tactile, and with almost instantaneous results. In the end it's about keeping the creative juices flowing, right?

Be healthy. You post is an inspiration. One way or another, all of us will end up disabled to do what we love, and you don't let go.

Respect and lots of admiration to you.

 

I'm really saddened by your situation and it's so demoralizing that so many people have it so hard.

This isn't related to your question but I thought maybe it could be of use to you, it's a study of how THC can help people with neurodegenerative conditions:
Neuroprotection by Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, the Main Active Compound in Marijuana, against Ouabain-Induced In Vivo Excitotoxicity
I read a lot of scientific journals so I will keep an eye out on any materials that might offer you some hope or relief. Best wishes to you and yours and if there is ever anything I can do for you please do not hesitate to ask.

You are an inspiration to us all, the living embodiment of perseverance.

 

Relying on the piano roll is what most people do nowadays...

- some DAW work with step sequencing, instead of the piano roll, REAPER does, I don't know which other. You might like it.
- you talk about the mouse. I'm pretty sure some shortcuts will make you much faster.
- tablets might work pretty well too, easier than a full keyboard.
- cannabis is a bad advice. Except if you're dying or in constant pain.

 

My brother is in a similar position like yours my friend.I think the best way for you now to compose is the audio to midi function,cubase and flstudio have this function and it is very accurate.And of course you must ask for help from your friends.Ableton has a similar function but it is not very good,i prefer cubase.I hope you get better and start playing the piano again,good luck my friend

 

By the way I was going to send out another 48 hour Uploaded.net coupon PM and you were going to be included but I'll give it straight to you if you're interested.

 

Thanks to all for your support!

Many of you suggested me to use an alternative support like trackball, touchpad, iPad, virtual keyboards and so on. I don't think I can use such devices because it requires to move your fingers over the display, as I told in my post I can move my hands just a little (actually I can move only the index and thumb of both hands!), so for now I'm good with the mouse.

To those suggested me to use my voice...well I don't think is possible because I have a weak voice and I should spent a lot of time to bring it in tune after recording it!

I think the best way to improve my way to compose is the ear training, as suggested by don_questo, but I know that it's not easy to get a good trained ear, it requires a lot of work...

Another way could be to have a virtual keyboard interfaced with my brain so I could play music directly inside my mind, but I don't think something like that is available at the moment! *no*

However I want thank you all one more time for your support!