In my case it is neither. Yeah I can accept the fact that most of the tunes you come up originate from something you have heard or played before. If I come up with something in my head that's sounds like something that might be familar, I change it so much that it doesn't anymore. Either by making the rhythm or melody line so out of phase, or ornamenting it is such radicals ways. My path is always on trying to create something new and original. I stopped learning other peoples stuff for this very reason. It's much easier to hum out truly original ideas because playing guitar always seems to repeat old patterns. Humming out something old and strange often produces some of my favorite melodies. Stuff that I could never come up with by playing the same patterns on guitar. Yeah there has to be structure and there needs to be some kind of balance to make it coherent, but even these values in music are boundless. Structure is based of equation in mathematics, and mathematics is infinite.

I never hum out random melodies. I usually start with some kind of motive and get it firmly in my mind. And then manipulate it in my mind and then humming it out. Also I always hear something in my head, and even when I listen to other peoples stuff. I'm always thinking of something to put over it. I never hum the tune the song is actually playing, I either harmonize it or think of something original. This could be just me, and the humming ideas may not work for everyone. But for some it does and for me, it's a big part in my art of composing music.

Even if I'm at work and can't write it down, I'll call home and wait for the answering machine to pick up and I'll hum a tune of there. Listen to it when I get home. Better than having a awesome idea and losing it over time.

The best advice is to go with what works for you.

[Edited by noticingthemistake on 02-25-2004 at 10:27 PM]