|
music theory, learning on how to compose melodies
|
View this Thread in Original format
| PaRaNoIk0 |
well, I've been improving a lot my production skills over the last few months in fruity.. but what I keep being total e is in melodies. putting random notes on piano roll just don't seem to work very effectively :nervous:
I read somewhere (think it was on samplecity) a really basic introduction on chords and whatever, that was really cool but had very little information.. So does anyone have tutorial or guides to music theory basics? what are your secrets on composing melodies? :D
this is also because people say that learning music theory can improve a lot your recognising notes skills.. and it drives me insane when I have a decent melody going on my head and I don't have a clue about the notes.
any help is appreciated :) |
|
|
| hey cheggy |
One way, rather than just putting in random notes. If you have the melody in your head, then put down the notes in the postition that they should be. Make them all the same key, but just get them in the right position, so what you have is your melody but every sound is the same note. Does this make sense? Then start to move the notes up or down so that they are right, starting from the first, then going onto the second and so on.
That was hard to explain in typing, I hope it makes sense. |
|
|
| Floorfiller |
| there was a really good post a while back about this with a great link...i suggest a search on music theory... |
|
|
| TranceInMySoul |
Well, I use a MIDI keyboard and record the melodies into Cubase. This relies on having the kit and being able to play your ideas on a keyboard ok though...
But, my melodies mainly suck anyway :( |
|
|
| DJMikeyP |
Actually the best thing in my opinion is to record audio of yourself humming the tune while snapping your fingers or whatever as soon as you can. I can't tell you how many times a great tune escaped me from hearing myself do the wrong notes while trying to get it down. Try to pretend you're explaining the song,bassline, etc to someone whos never heard it before - even do what I do - if you're out, find a quiet corner and leave yourself a voicemai. When I do this, I never lose an idea.
Mike |
|
|
| DJ-Kreing^^ |
A good way to learn about melodies is to look at midi files.
Try importing some midi files into your favorite software, and just look at the notes, see how they are arranged, listen to some diffrent melodies.
That is the way i learned to make melodies...
:rolleyes: |
|
|
| Floorfiller |
| quote: | Originally posted by DJMikeyP
Actually the best thing in my opinion is to record audio of yourself humming the tune while snapping your fingers or whatever as soon as you can. I can't tell you how many times a great tune escaped me from hearing myself do the wrong notes while trying to get it down. Try to pretend you're explaining the song,bassline, etc to someone whos never heard it before - even do what I do - if you're out, find a quiet corner and leave yourself a voicemai. When I do this, I never lose an idea.
Mike |
i totally agree with this...i carry a little tape recorder around with me just in case a melody jumps into my head...and yes it works... really this is the only way i can make a good melody, i freeze when i'm just sitting at the computer and then i resort to note pushing... |
|
|
| PaRaNoIk0 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Floorfiller
i totally agree with this...i carry a little tape recorder around with me just in case a melody jumps into my head...and yes it works... really this is the only way i can make a good melody, i freeze when i'm just sitting at the computer and then i resort to note pushing... |
heh.. i do that too.. the problem is that i can't find the notes after |
|
|
| Arty |
Try starting off with an arpeggiated chord (don't use an arpeggiator, make it yourself - you need to manipulate it). Try 3 descending notes repeating every 16th of the bar (like Flutlicht - Mutterkorn). Any notes within your key that sound good, but 3 different ones so that it's a proper chord.
Now add more bars with different notes in the chord. Play around with chord sequences until you have an eight bar arpeggiated chord melody, where the chords change each bar (or otherwise if you feel adventurous). Now, once you have a chord structure you can tweak individual notes to pull the chords around a bit as you please. You can even abandon the arpeggiation and just have a melody that plays notes within the chords you have made. This way your melody will fit within a nice chord structure, and go nicely with your bassline, which should also use notes from the chord structure.
The advantage of this method is that it's very gradual, so you don't need a sudden magical flash of inspiration. You can work on it and improve it as much as you want. It also keeps the musical side of things sorted without much effort from you. |
|
|
| DJMikeyP |
| Yeah that goes along with the theory of 'scales'. Just basically you can get yourself a chord progression you like, and look up a scale in that same key.... A scale is like what you were just saying - the notes all in a certain chord, only with scales there are so many more possibilities - and all you have to do is stick to notes with the particular scale you've chosen, and your tune SHOULD still make musical sense. |
|
|
|
|
