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Learning how to play (pg. 2)
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| pho mo |
It is easy to create melodies just by stuffing around on the keyboard, without any knowledge of how to play piano.
All you have to do is play your song in the key of A. Then you can hammer out melodies just by using the white keys on the keyboard - et voila! no need for any theory, or knowledge of scales.
Then try the keys of D or E, also very nice, more moody and complex, and all you still have to do is use the white keys. |
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| Limit |
| yea but just using teh white keys sounds to bland and doesn't create any tension...the whole point of music is to create tension and not let the human brain calculate what is next. ut yea your right about just using teh white keys in the beginning...thats what i used to do and it worked well. |
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| pho mo |
I guarantee you that you can get loads of tension out of a melody played in A minor, using all white keys. Try just playing B over an A bass, it needs to go somewhere, needs to be resolved. Play an E over an A bass and it is pretty dull. Play the E then the B over A, and that's much better.
Not the most in-depth example I know, but I'm sure you get the point - Every scale has tense and non-tense notes. It's all about what you put next to each other ( thus - melody ). And rhythm in melody is really important too.
Anywya it all depends on what you're trying to achieve; you can work out 95% of uplifting melodic trance if you hit white notes in the key of A - and they have some of the most beatiful melodies around ( i.e. not bland ).
But if you're looking to write goa or hard trance, then melodic minor just ain't gonna cut it. Try hitting just white notes over an E bass and you'll be surprised how interesting some of those white notes sound. |
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| Dj Pyster |
I just play whatever comes to mind, if I want a uplifting kind of arpeggio i just play a low key, usually a white key, and then I play two keys 2 octaves higher not directly touching each other.
No lessons necessary. |
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| Biatchzxz |
| But the whole problem is, if u dont know how to play, How would you know what notes, or keys to play. Obviously you have to know scales and what goes together. I have a problem with that myself. I dont know all the Keys, I play B and thats about it, I get stuck in Bminor all the time and i dont know what else to do anymore, My bassline is in Bminor i believe and I cant play any pads to match it or any other sort of intro melody type thing. Chord progressions and things like that too are driving me mad. |
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| pho mo |
| That's why A minor is a good place to start. Just use the white keys! All you have to do is work out which key on the keyboard "A" is so you can set it up as your bassline. No knowledge of scales necessary. |
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| Biatchzxz |
| quote: | Originally posted by pho mo
That's why A minor is a good place to start. Just use the white keys! All you have to do is work out which key on the keyboard "A" is so you can set it up as your bassline. No knowledge of scales necessary. |
I mean you can just bug out and play random white keys, but might take your track in way to many different directions, Each key has its own vibe to it, and i am assuming you cant play a dark or 'scary' key as upposed to a 'happy' key. I hope you understand what i am saying
I just wanna really know a good lay out of a keyboard with the keys on them and chords that are used, A chord i know is pretty much ever 3 keys, I dont know.. |
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| music2dance2 |
| pho mo- how do you mean playing in key A? I know which is key a but how sdo you mean in A minor, and then to progress into other keys from there? |
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| Biatchzxz |
| quote: | Originally posted by music2dance2
pho mo- how do you mean playing in key A? I know which is key a but how sdo you mean in A minor, and then to progress into other keys from there? |
Well, Now u and i are on the same page. I am confused abuot it. and want to learn on my own but need some sort of guidance |
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| music2dance2 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Biatchzxz
Well, Now u and i are on the same page. I am confused abuot it. and want to learn on my own but need some sort of guidance |
Yeah im getting there but theres some parts I just find difficult and need advice also |
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| pho mo |
| quote: | Originally posted by music2dance2
pho mo- how do you mean playing in key A? I know which is key a but how sdo you mean in A minor, and then to progress into other keys from there? |
So by "keys" i'm just talking about the bits of plastic or wood that you hit on the keyboard; it can be confusing because "keys" also has a meaning in musical theory.
So if you know where the "A" key is on your keyboard, try this:
Begin at the "A" key. Play that, then the white key above it. Then play the next white key above that, etc. After you've played 8 notes, you will have played a scale. This scale happens to be called "A minor", but that's irrelevant if you just want to bang out some melody lines to begin with.
Go into fruity or cubase or whatever, and write out a bassline that just uses the "A" note. I'm assuming you know how to write a bassline. If not, just stick some "A"s down at the speed a bassline goes.
Now you've got your bass playing "A". This is going to underpin your melody, and set it firmly in the musical key of "A".
Now choose your lead sound, and dick around on the keyboard using all of the white keys. Some will sound really nice, some won't sound as nice. But as long as your bassline is playing "A", then any white key you hit is going to be alright; don't be afraid to use any white key at all.
As long as the bass note is playing the "A" note, then any white key you hit is going to be part of A minor. This means that the vibe isn't going to be changing randomly etc., you're not going to suddenly get stuck in a happy vibe, or a chinese vibe or whatever, it is all going to sound like it works together.
If you want to progress your song a bit further, then it is easy!
All you've got to do now, is change the bassline from playing just the "A" note, to playing a really simple melody. You can do exactly the same thing as before, i.e. stuff around on the white keys on your keyboard, to make a new bassline.
Right! Now you've got a bassline that is not just using the "A" key, but hopefully it starts and ends on the "A" key - doing this will make sure the song still has that same vibe as before.
Now try out a new lead melody line. Still using just the white keys on your keyboard, play around over this new bassline. All of the white keys will still "work" - but they will sound more interesting over the new bassline.
Anyway, that was a bit of a ramble, and I don't know if that is going to help you or confuse you or just bore you! But hopefully it helps! Good luck! |
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| Derosas |
| Wow Pho mo, thats a good way to put it.. take his advice if you need it! Also, if you do come up with something cool, all you have to do is transpose your entire midi date up or down a few steps to get it out of bland Am mode. In Sonar 3 you just highlight all your midi tracks and hit transpose. It will make it sound alot "fresher," since most music is written in Am and it's relative major. |
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