Do you always look at scales when composing?

[firesoundwave]

Hi there. So I have been writing and producing music in many genres on and off for many years professionally and as a hobby. I generally never looked at scales when writing a song, unless a client requested something specific or I wanted to use an authentic Egyptian scale or something like that, but most of the time I just mess around with the notes and see what sounds "right" and of course it will end up in some sort of scale which is in tune, but I never think at the start OK I am going to use this specific key and scale. I just play notes and see what feels good. It seems to work. I wonder if other people are the same as me or not? Or do you like to choose a scale at the very start of your songs?

[IAA]

Or do you like to choose a scale at the very start of your songs?

Never. The only consideration I give is where I’m linking two compositions and I deliberately want a particular feel between. Even then I would first look at chord voicing on the preceding piece first if I can’t get where I need it I’ll consider a particular key.
Mind you I’ve lately being playing more guitar (being a pianist by training) and struggled with some of my compositions.

[The Elf]

If you are working with other musicians then scale can be critically important. Vocalists will need a chosen scale that suits their vocal range, and some instruments are restricted to (or are difficult to play in) certain scales.

But if you're working on your own, then you just choose what works for you.

[IAA]

But if you're working on your own, then you just choose what works for you.

I should have added that to my post. I do work on my own.

[Arpangel]

I can only play in a limited number of scales, so my choice is almost always made for me, at other times, I put together in real time, chords based on the diatonic scale, I haven't a clue what I'm doing, but it sounds good to me.
I tend to feel my way around, and at least I know what notes, and combinations of notes, sound like before I play them.

[RichardT]

No, virtually never.

[Arpangel]

I tend to think, is it going to be major or minor? that's about it.
Is it going to be happy, or sad, basically.

[Folderol]

Usually I just start noodling around on the keyboard and have no idea about key/scale at all. I only need to know what key it's in when I start to add accompanying tracks!

[Drew Stephenson]

Not having any musical theory I wouldn't know what scale I was working in even when I'd finished.

But then I'd generally call myself a song-writer rather than a musician and definitely not a composer.

[BigRedX]

No. I work on the principle that if it sounds good, then it is good.

Having said that I have changed the tuning of B string on my Bass VI to C which works better for two note chords and drone parts on the songs that are in Am

[Tomás Mulcahy]

Or do you like to choose a scale at the very start of your songs?

Never. The only consideration I give is where I’m linking two compositions and I deliberately want a particular feel between. Even then I would first look at chord voicing on the preceding piece first if I can’t get where I need it I’ll consider a particular key.
Mind you I’ve lately being playing more guitar (being a pianist by training) and struggled with some of my compositions.

Same here. I'll either spend some time at the keyboard working on voicings, or changing the keys to get a nice transition, or try all 12 keys by transposing in the DAW and hear what they sound like. Then some further massaging by living with the resulting topline for a while. Maybe some regret at ever trying to shove two different ideas together and be like Don Music for a while... So it's about voicing, scale, key, or mode... or all of them!

If you are working with other musicians then scale can be critically important. Vocalists will need a chosen scale that suits their vocal range, and some instruments are restricted to (or are difficult to play in) certain scales.

For a vocalist it's purely the key that pertains to vocal range. I assume most good vocalists won't have a difficulty with any scale (unless they're untrained and are bad at certain intervals, which is unusual IME) unlike as you say, certain scales are physically difficult on different instruments. My wife was practicing B minor on the violin today, or "Bitch minor" as she calls it

[BJG145]

Ditto, never. Knowledge is power and all that, but I want to write what's in my head, unconstrained by any consideration of scales or theory.

** wanders off to write another three-chord song in Am **