Hi Clyde,

Thanks for this clear explanation of how you use BIAB to compose.

In some ways, your method of using BIAB to compose is similar to that of individuals who compose by fooling around with improvisations. A good jazz musician's first shot at an improvisation might be so good that it sounds like a polished composition. But for many of us who compose by improvising, the process is like yours with BIAB. One tries out ideas by improvising, to see which work and which don't. The difference is that in your case, BIAB provides the first ideas, whereas in the other case, the improviser comes up with the ideas-- although, really, he is doing something like BIAB, by borrowing musical ideas he's already heard, that are already in his fingers.

Where your BIAB method and the improvisation method are the same is that you have to use musical judgment to decide what is worth keeping and what isn't. That is demonstrated by the fact that it takes you a full day in BIAB to generate 3 or 4 melodies (with harmonies) that you might find useful. If you didn't use your own developed musical judgment, you might settle on one of the first couple melodies after 30 minutes, and the resulting composition would not be as good.

You've found a great musical partner, PG Music's BIAB to collaborate with in your composing.

Cheers
-- Mark