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Choosing a key for a trance production

Hi,

I am into trance production, and I was looking for advice for keys to write a song in.

Is most trance really minor? Whenever I write a melody I tend to write in A. Obviously I can always just write the melody in A and change the key later on, but I was just wondering is it more advisable to use minor keys? I read some comment before stating that barely any classic songs have been written in major keys.

Also, do producers tend to write mainly in the one key or do they change it every song? I'm guessing it would probably look stupid if all songs were in the one key!

Feedback appreciated!

Yes, most trance tracks are in minor keys, but that doesn't mean that they have to be or should be. The rest is up to you, but writing everything in the same key would start to get tiring after a few songs. Also, don't forget that your job as a trance producer is to make the DJ's life as simple as possible, since most of them are brain-dead, so try not to confuse them too much with things like Gb Dorian or their peanut-sized brains might explode when they try to fit it into a set ().

Yeah, on second thought, scratch everything I just wrote and just write all of your songs in Amin.

Ok seriously, why is it assumed that all djs are morons?

because most are ?

I mean you set your goals, you get judged accordingly. Djing is beyond easy that one has to wonder, like say a plumber what the issue is. I'm sure some plumbers are rhode scholars that just love plumbing. But i think it is pretty safe to say anyone that is satisfied by such an easy endeavour for more than a few months is a retard.

the correct key and bpm for 2012 is 128 A minor.

Making fun of drummers and DJs is what we musicians do in our spare time. The difference between drummers and DJs is that drummers are smart enough to understand the jokes, so they can laugh along. ***









*** smiley face indicates a joke.

but djing kinda bumped drummers up a pay grade. I mean djing is so fucking easy it really pains me to call djs musicians.

I get what you guys are saying....but what about the ones that aren't auto cue'd, Mac Book Pro using, "I'm a dj because its trendy" types?

I don't do digital, I use CDs. I cue everything by hand and by ear, does that make a difference?

Oh, and L4C.....my dads first job before going to school to become a mechanical engineer was plumber, and that is not as easy as you make it sound....

quote:

Originally posted by Looney4Clooney the correct key and bpm for 2012 is 128 A minor.

That is what I did my TA Allstars one in. The other one I like is 128 BPM D minor. I really only like certain BPMs: 120, 125, 128, 132 and 135.


To the OP-

One thing to keep in mind is how to keep your song balanced and together. Depending on the key it might be either too high or too low to work with. Think about The Star-Spangled Banner. A lot of people mess that up or can't sing it because it starts high but has a wide range going up even higher.

An instrumental electronic track is no different. If you start too high it can become hard on the listener as the track moves higher. If it is too low it will have no energy and might be distorted. That is why you should spend time figuring out what key to be in not as an arbitrary task but as a foundational issue of the song. I will sometimes mid project bring everything up or down a half octave because it doesn't have enough bass, or has too much.

quote:

Originally posted by Trancelover03591 I really only like certain BPMs: 120, 125, 128, 132 and 135.

Sig worthy.

I like 128 especially.. Something about where the kick hits at that BPM that just sounds right..

quote:

Originally posted by DJRYAN� I like 128 especially.. Something about where the kick hits at that BPM that just sounds right..

No no no...you have it all wrong.

128.5 is really the best. 128 is a close second though.

quote:

Originally posted by Beatflux No no no...you have it all wrong. 128.5 is really the best. 128 is a close second though.

132.63! WTF is wrong with you?!?

Actually there is a reason house or EDM is at those BPMs; it is actually quite accurate to the heart rate of someone dancing to that music for a prolonged period - one beat per kick.

Fat and older people tend to like slower BPM's and younger people like the faster (and healhier BPM).

128 ftw.

Oh, and DJ's aren't musicians, they are Disc jockeys. But then again, some are laptop jukeboxes operators and others just sync button assistants

quote:

Originally posted by ShabbaRANNx Actually there is a reason house or EDM is at those BPMs; it is actually quite accurate to the heart rate of someone dancing to that music for a prolonged period - one beat per kick.

This sounds so stupid I don't know here to begin answering this.

quote:

Originally posted by ShabbaRANNx Actually there is a reason house or EDM is at those BPMs; it is actually quite accurate to the heart rate of someone dancing to that music for a prolonged period - one beat per kick. Fat and older people tend to like slower BPM's and younger people like the faster (and healhier BPM). 128 ftw. Oh, and DJ's aren't musicians, they are Disc jockeys. But then again, some are laptop jukeboxes operators and others just sync button assistants

And others do stuff to the music that would blow your mind if you even tried to comprehend what really was going on.

And 128 is such a fucking cheesy bpm. one twenty seven crew reco'nize!!

quote:

Originally posted by dj_alfi one twenty seven crew reco'nize!!

Hollah!

quote:

Originally posted by cryophonik Making fun of drummers and DJs is what we musicians do in our spare time. The difference between drummers and DJs is that drummers are smart enough to understand the jokes, so they can laugh along. *** *** smiley face indicates a joke.

I once saw a documentary on Def Leppard.

Insert drummer joke here.

quote:

Originally posted by tehlord I once saw a documentary on Def Leppard. Insert drummer joke here.

You're kinda going out on a limb there, aren't you?

quote:

Originally posted by ShabbaRANNx Actually there is a reason house or EDM is at those BPMs; it is actually quite accurate to the heart rate of someone dancing to that music for a prolonged period - one beat per kick. Fat and older people tend to like slower BPM's and younger people like the faster (and healhier BPM). 128 ftw. Oh, and DJ's aren't musicians, they are Disc jockeys. But then again, some are laptop jukeboxes operators and others just sync button assistants

Generally, the higher the BPM the more aerobically challenging it can be to dance to a a genre.

Young people usually have the most energy...

as a drummer this thread offends me.

quote:

Originally posted by meriter as a drummer this thread offends me.

You could always bring it back OT and try to answer the OP's questions.

quote:

Originally posted by Deillon This sounds so stupid I don't know here to begin answering this.

Then please don't take the time to "enlighten" me

You may not beleive it but it's based on hard science. Studies were done on African rhythms and they found the patterns that generated the biggest biochemical and perceived emotional response were those that reflected or were analogous to the BPM vs heartrate (either same numbers or exact fractions/multiples) of the test subjects.

quote:

Originally posted by cryophonik You could always bring it back OT and try to answer the OP's questions.

I've never ever set out to write a track in a particular key.

I did make a lot of tracks at 127 bpm just because of the limitations with the gear I was working with.

Ping-pong delay controlled by milliseconds only went up to 355.0 ms

Thanks to the people who replied to the question anyway, there were a couple of you and I am grateful!

Re: Choosing a key for a trance production

quote:

Originally posted by paul6891 Hi, I am into trance production, and I was looking for advice for keys to write a song in. Is most trance really minor? Whenever I write a melody I tend to write in A. Obviously I can always just write the melody in A and change the key later on, but I was just wondering is it more advisable to use minor keys? I read some comment before stating that barely any classic songs have been written in major keys. Also, do producers tend to write mainly in the one key or do they change it every song? I'm guessing it would probably look stupid if all songs were in the one key! Feedback appreciated!

Years ago, I loaded lots of midi files from some artists and tracks I like. Most of these are minor scales, between F, G and A.

You can create good melodies in a major scale, but you can create a cheese melody in a minor scale. Thats the question.

You need study about chord progressions too, to create proper chord movement and cadences.

Good luck.

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