how rahman composes music for a film-part 3

*Composing Back Ground Music*

He doesn't actually sees the entire movie , he makes the director explain
the entire script 100% and in every details and then asks for a demo.
However the first version of BGM he gives is modified and re modified
numerous time after seeing the film. The BGM for the movie Guru was modified
just a month before the public release. Rang de Basanti BGM was actually
purely on script. Some parts of the movie was modified as per the BGM.
Remember the scene when the rebels walked into the radio station and the
music that comes behind it. The scene was actually pretty different but
according to the music it was modified and the modifications came in their
walking style, check the scene carefully you will find their feet falling on
the ground as per the music tune. Rahman composed this music for a period of
two years. If he really took two years to compose the films music then see
his dedication. Amazing.

*Rahman's recording and mixing*

Not just Rahman, about all music composers use loops or samples which they
buy from distributers like Sony or Apple. Its like instead of calling a
performer like a guitarist to perform for his/her song a composer buys his
recorded piece and uses it. These pieces are royalty free its like the
guitarist sells it to Sony on an agreement and Sony distributes it through
out the world. That is why you find same sound effects in two different
songs of Rahman some times. Loops are not necessary to be only a single
note. It can be chords or even a piece or a scratch.

How many of you have noticed this in Rahman songs especially those who are
musicians. All his songs irrespective of the mood has a constant 'pads' or
'strings' backing. The chords played with the pads and strings is also not
conventional. They are the 7ths, 11ths or Diminished chords. They give the
song a 'feeling', a 'soul'. Quite Technical

A classic example is the song "Thirupachi Arivalaa" from Taj Mahal. Check
out the pads in the songs. Another is "Aye Udi Udi" from Saathiya. Remove
the pads these songs become soul-less and very plain.

The only other person who uses this same method is Harris Jayaraj. And for
sure he learned it from Rahman .Wonder if more music directors should do the
same.

A R Rahman started learning Indian classical and Carnatic classical in 1992.
Since almost all his songs are Raga based just wanted to clarify that he
learned classical before or after 1992.

How does he compose a new tune. Does he play it in his piano or does he
write the swaram or how does he go about conceiving a song out of nowhere
and create a master piece.

Its a fact that no softwares in the world can create a tune. The people who
learned music will laugh their stomachs out if someone tells them that Tere
Bina or any song is a product of a software. Now what can a software do.
What does Rahman do in his studio with all those softwares. Why does he
always updates his software. It is very simple. Just a brief concept.

1. Rahman records a songs over a period of 10-15 days. A singer sings one
song perhaps innumerable time till Rahman gives a hands up. Once that signal
has been got the singer realizes that his job is done . Now rahman sits over
his singing and edits the bad parts and couples all the best parts and after
another day of hard work the singers work is ready. The singer never sang
that song continuously but his best parts are selected and sampled .

2. Rahman then records music or what you call as BGM. After that he mixes it
with the vocal part. Then suddenly he may realize that both of them don't
gel well in frequency. And then frequency division modulation takes place.
Its a huge process friends which very well packs the music and vocal part.

3. Let us take an example of Shreya Ghosal. Rahman needs Shreya Ghosal to
sing in track 15 ie the Highest. But Shreya can sing only till 11. So what
can Rahman do. Let her sing in track 8 -9 in which she is comfortable and
then simply phase modulates the vocal to appear as if she sang in track 15.
This is a very costly process and risky too so Rahman has done it only 5-6
times.

So A R Rahman is a genius , not a technician. He uses softwares but doesn't
use to "produce" tunes. Instead he use them so effectively to "edit" tunes.
And that is why perhaps he is the best. He uses Technology but his
originality is maintained in each song.

A software has no brains. It will do what you tell it to do. So if anyone
program his software to sing "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa" then yes, you are right.
Software can produce tunes. And everyone is pretty sure Rahman uses custom
made softwares. The bottom line is Softwares Do Not Produce Tunes.

will be continued..................