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Couple of Melody Writing Tips
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| J.L. |
Good posts...
What the 7-steps actually cover some basic principles in basic harmony in music theory (Harmony and Counterpoint) |
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| Beatflux |
| quote: | Originally posted by J.L.
Good posts...
What the 7-steps actually cover some basic principles in basic harmony in music theory (Harmony and Counterpoint) |
For the first one, you don't need to know any theory. For the second, you should know a bit about chords.
There are already plenty of books on music theory out there. |
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| cryophonik |
| quote: | Originally posted by J.L.
What the 7-steps actually cover some basic principles in basic harmony in music theory (Harmony and Counterpoint) |
There's some decent information there and it's worth reading, but let me tell you what my problem with it is. Like many so-called "tutorials", he is unfortunately a little selective with some of his information and is largely just explaining some examples that he personally likes to use, rather than offering any constructive concepts that the reader could make practical use of. So, this is going to lead an uninformed reader where? To copy his ideas? Isn't that what most people bitch and moan about when they think about music theory - that it's a bunch of "rules" that will stifle their creativity? What better way to stifle your creativity and originality than by copying others' ideas?
It's sort of like saying, "Dogs, bears, and humans are mammals. Alligators, rattle snakes, and gila monsters are reptiles. Now, go figure out what a duck is." Aren't you better off learning what defines and differentiates mammals, reptiles, birds, etc. rather than trying to memorize what classification every animal falls into? That's my problem with many of these so-called "tutorials" - they're just asking you to remember a handful of examples, rather than arming you with the knowledge to figure them out and develop ways to apply them yourself through structured learning and understanding (i.e., music theory).
For example, in his discussions of harmonic and non-harmonic (i.e., "other notes in the scale") tones, he is just throwing out some examples of intervals that he personally likes to use (e.g., jumping 6 notes, overshooting the desired note by a whole tone), rather than explaining some of the types of non-harmonic tones, such as passing tones, neighboring tones, escape tones, anticipations, suspensions, appoggiatura, etc., and how to use or abuse them. It also helps to give the reader a little credit and define and use standard terminology in these circumstances to minimize confusion, particularly when it comes to music theory, which many newcomers already struggle with. That way, when they read about the same concepts in another article, they'll understand exactly what the authors are talking about.
Aside from that little editorial POV, I'd agree that these are definitely worth reading, even for an old music theory student like myself. |
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| J.L. |
Well, he's not trying to explain all the rules...
But musical rules are meant to be understood so that we know how to creatively break them |
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| cryophonik |
I'd argue that there are no rules - just concepts, guidelines, and listeners' expectations. ;)
Regardless, I still think the author could have easily adapted his articles to teach the reader to fish, rather than just give him a fish. |
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| kitphillips |
I'm always keen to read this sort of thing to further my knowledge, but I do find that first example in the second set a great example of the sort of music I'd never want to write. What an utter ball of heinous cheese.
If there'd been some modal changes or interesting off notes I'd have been interested, but that was just possibly the most overblown and least substantial "pieces" of music I've ever had the misfortune to encounted. |
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| Beatflux |
| quote: | Originally posted by cryophonik
I'd argue that there are no rules - just concepts, guidelines, and listeners' expectations. ;)
Regardless, I still think the author could have easily adapted his articles to teach the reader to fish, rather than just give him a fish. |
Maybe its just a psychological thing.
If you learn music "theory", then its being artistically dishonest. But if you pick a tip or two every once in a while, you are exploring your options. |
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