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Choosing a key for a trance production
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| 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! |
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| cryophonik |
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 (:p).
Yeah, on second thought, scratch everything I just wrote and just write all of your songs in Amin. ;) |
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| djshire |
| Ok seriously, why is it assumed that all djs are morons? |
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| Looney4Clooney |
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. |
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| 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. :p ***
*** smiley face indicates a joke. |
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| Looney4Clooney |
| but djing kinda bumped drummers up a pay grade. I mean djing is so ing easy it really pains me to call djs musicians. |
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| djshire |
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.... |
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| Trancelover03591 |
| 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. |
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| EddieZilker |
| quote: | Originally posted by Trancelover03591
I really only like certain BPMs: 120, 125, 128, 132 and 135. |
Sig worthy. |
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| DJRYAN™ |
| I like 128 especially.. Something about where the kick hits at that BPM that just sounds right.. |
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| Beatflux |
| 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. |
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| EddieZilker |
| 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?!? |
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