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DjZelous
Advanced Member
United States
553 posts
Joined: Oct, 2012
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 Posted - 2017/03/04 : 07:18:32
Ive written some original melodies but im always struggling to keep my flow going.
Do you guys recommend studying music theory? Or anything else i can do to help write melodies??
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Soon to be Audio Engineer :)
Listen To my station!: http://tunein.com/radio/The-Rave-EDM-Radio-s278768/
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Hard2Get
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
12,837 posts
Joined: Jun, 2001
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Posted - 2017/03/06 : 21:48:43
The problem i have, and ultimately what stops me from trying to write music to begin with anymore - is that anything i come up with generally ends up being something from my subconcious that already exists (a kind of melody i particularly like), so the point that i know that anything i come up with in theory has to just be something that is from memory since I'm not using theory to come up with them.
I've not really learned music theory but i know that it would take out all of the guesswork if i did, so in my opinion it would be the best thing you can do. You can of course get away with using a really small amount of melody when you are focusing more on things like rhythm etc (think Techno, which basically has no melody) if that's what you're going for.
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Elliott
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
1,137 posts
Joined: May, 2012
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Posted - 2017/04/01 : 01:38:27
Yeah, by all means, learn music theory but you can't teach writing melodies. If you've got a midi keyboard or any kind of instrument in front of you and you can't construct a melody by playing around on it, you'll never write music. Harsh but true.
I have to deal with the fact that I can write but can't engineer for shit. We all have our crosses to bear.
Anyway, I didn't really find learning music theory greatly more useful than dicking around with my piano, guitar or midi keyboard. Everything still sounds the same, whether you understand the theory behind it or not.
__________________________________
old soundcloud
i gave up producing
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Edited by - Elliott on 2017/04/01 01:40:09 |
arpz
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
1,267 posts
Joined: Aug, 2012
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Posted - 2017/04/01 : 01:43:15
I can often come up with melodies whilst listening to tunes, riffing from the base notes, maybe that would be a better starting point than from silence. I had the idea to build a tune around a vocal and then just not bother using the vocal. I haven't actually done it but it seems like a better idea than nothing lol
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soundcloud - http://soundcloud.com/arpz // site -
http://arps.io
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Hard2Get
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
12,837 posts
Joined: Jun, 2001
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Posted - 2017/04/01 : 12:26:27
You can play notes and create melodies you like but understanding music theory (scales and such) takes out the guess work.
quote:
I can often come up with melodies whilst listening to tunes, riffing from the base notes, maybe that would be a better starting point than from silence. I had the idea to build a tune around a vocal and then just not bother using the vocal. I haven't actually done it but it seems like a better idea than nothing lol
Providing you are able to go into a sequencer, click the mouse and produce the notes you hear in your head (or alternatively, a keyboard, but you have to own one first) on the virtual keyboard of whatever synth you have, then you can do what you say without any problems. If you can come up with a melody in your head then you're well on the way to making tunes. Your idea about using a vocal template is not just better than nothing, it's a good idea.
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Edited by - Hard2Get on 2017/04/01 12:31:36 |
brodster
Junior Member
United States
99 posts
Joined: Nov, 2013
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Posted - 2017/04/01 : 16:50:53
It's easier to write melodies when you write a chord progression first and understand how those chords work.
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Captain Triceps
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
2,184 posts
Joined: Dec, 2011
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Posted - 2017/04/01 : 17:56:30
quote:
Originally posted by brodster:
It's easier to write melodies when you write a chord progression first and understand how those chords work.
This is how I do it. Usually with piano lines and pads first, it's a lot easier doing the chords and working from that.
__________________________________
Some of my remixes, original tracks and mixes here:
https://soundcloud.com/bradders-tracks-and-remix
https://soundcloud.com/bradders1982
https://soundcloud.com/paulbradley1982
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Hard2Get
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
12,837 posts
Joined: Jun, 2001
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Posted - 2017/04/01 : 20:27:44
quote:
Originally posted by Captain Triceps:
quote:
Originally posted by brodster:
It's easier to write melodies when you write a chord progression first and understand how those chords work.
This is how I do it. Usually with piano lines and pads first, it's a lot easier doing the chords and working from that.
Yeah, similar to what's happening when working within a scale.
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DJ_FunDaBounce
Advanced Member
Colombia
1,913 posts
Joined: Nov, 2001
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Posted - 2017/04/01 : 23:20:57
quote:
Originally posted by Captain Triceps:
quote:
Originally posted by brodster:
It's easier to write melodies when you write a chord progression first and understand how those chords work.
This is how I do it. Usually with piano lines and pads first, it's a lot easier doing the chords and working from that.
Yeah. If chords are an issue though, just start with a bassline.
__________________________________
"Fun with a capital F-D-B!"
https://soundcloud.com/fundabouncedj
https://brightspeedrecordings.bandcamp.com
Every Saturday night from 10-12 (Bogota/Colombia time)
https://www.twitch.tv/fundabouncedj
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Edited by - DJ_FunDaBounce on 2017/04/01 23:21:44 |
Captain Triceps
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
2,184 posts
Joined: Dec, 2011
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Posted - 2017/04/02 : 12:09:40
quote:
Originally posted by DJ_FunDaBounce:
quote:
Originally posted by Captain Triceps:
quote:
Originally posted by brodster:
It's easier to write melodies when you write a chord progression first and understand how those chords work.
This is how I do it. Usually with piano lines and pads first, it's a lot easier doing the chords and working from that.
Yeah. If chords are an issue though, just start with a bassline.
Aye, I used to do that, now I find myself using the chords for doing the bassline rather that the other way round.
__________________________________
Some of my remixes, original tracks and mixes here:
https://soundcloud.com/bradders-tracks-and-remix
https://soundcloud.com/bradders1982
https://soundcloud.com/paulbradley1982
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Elliott
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
1,137 posts
Joined: May, 2012
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Posted - 2017/04/12 : 17:21:29
quote:
Originally posted by Captain Triceps:
quote:
Originally posted by DJ_FunDaBounce:
quote:
Originally posted by Captain Triceps:
quote:
Originally posted by brodster:
It's easier to write melodies when you write a chord progression first and understand how those chords work.
This is how I do it. Usually with piano lines and pads first, it's a lot easier doing the chords and working from that.
Yeah. If chords are an issue though, just start with a bassline.
Aye, I used to do that, now I find myself using the chords for doing the bassline rather that the other way round.
On a complete tangent: I love how clean your mixdown is on your Partytime remix and the breakbeat section is sick.
If I could get my mixes to that level, I'd still be producing.
Edit: It even sounds good with the bass on my system turned all the way up, which I've noticed a lot of hardcore tracks don't -- even professionally released tracks. I've got a very clean but powerful sub that, in a small room, seems to really show up imbalances between the impact of the kick and bass and tuning differences.
__________________________________
old soundcloud
i gave up producing
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Edited by - Elliott on 2017/04/12 17:27:03 |
Captain Triceps
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
2,184 posts
Joined: Dec, 2011
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Posted - 2017/04/12 : 19:44:56
quote:
Originally posted by Elliott:
quote:
Originally posted by Captain Triceps:
quote:
Originally posted by DJ_FunDaBounce:
quote:
Originally posted by Captain Triceps:
quote:
Originally posted by brodster:
It's easier to write melodies when you write a chord progression first and understand how those chords work.
This is how I do it. Usually with piano lines and pads first, it's a lot easier doing the chords and working from that.
Yeah. If chords are an issue though, just start with a bassline.
Aye, I used to do that, now I find myself using the chords for doing the bassline rather that the other way round.
On a complete tangent: I love how clean your mixdown is on your Partytime remix and the breakbeat section is sick.
If I could get my mixes to that level, I'd still be producing.
Edit: It even sounds good with the bass on my system turned all the way up, which I've noticed a lot of hardcore tracks don't -- even professionally released tracks. I've got a very clean but powerful sub that, in a small room, seems to really show up imbalances between the impact of the kick and bass and tuning differences.
Cheers mate! I've been told a few times my mixes are surprisingly clean sounding. And I don't know what I am doing to get that - the speakers I use are cheap Microlab speakers from Asda or something, not much bigger than a can of pop, in a completely untreated room. My dining room, actually. And I suffer tinnitus. I think it's because I mix and EQ as I am going - some discourage or outright advise against that, for whatever reason.
*edit*
Apologies for the huge image.
__________________________________
Some of my remixes, original tracks and mixes here:
https://soundcloud.com/bradders-tracks-and-remix
https://soundcloud.com/bradders1982
https://soundcloud.com/paulbradley1982
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Edited by - Captain Triceps on 2017/04/12 20:28:32 |
Elliott
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
1,137 posts
Joined: May, 2012
|
Posted - 2017/04/13 : 23:54:48
quote:
Originally posted by Captain Triceps:
quote:
Originally posted by Elliott:
quote:
Originally posted by Captain Triceps:
quote:
Originally posted by DJ_FunDaBounce:
quote:
Originally posted by Captain Triceps:
quote:
Originally posted by brodster:
It's easier to write melodies when you write a chord progression first and understand how those chords work.
This is how I do it. Usually with piano lines and pads first, it's a lot easier doing the chords and working from that.
Yeah. If chords are an issue though, just start with a bassline.
Aye, I used to do that, now I find myself using the chords for doing the bassline rather that the other way round.
On a complete tangent: I love how clean your mixdown is on your Partytime remix and the breakbeat section is sick.
If I could get my mixes to that level, I'd still be producing.
Edit: It even sounds good with the bass on my system turned all the way up, which I've noticed a lot of hardcore tracks don't -- even professionally released tracks. I've got a very clean but powerful sub that, in a small room, seems to really show up imbalances between the impact of the kick and bass and tuning differences.
Cheers mate! I've been told a few times my mixes are surprisingly clean sounding. And I don't know what I am doing to get that - the speakers I use are cheap Microlab speakers from Asda or something, not much bigger than a can of pop, in a completely untreated room. My dining room, actually. And I suffer tinnitus. I think it's because I mix and EQ as I am going - some discourage or outright advise against that, for whatever reason.
Did those speakers come free with the Pepsi?
It's all in the ears. If you've got a good ear for engineering, you can mix on a potato. Sadly, as I've discovered firsthand, if you don't have it naturally, you can't develop it past a certain level. You just hit a wall and never get any better.
You should be grateful you've got a great ear. You have no idea how much it ****s me off that I can't mix. It literally took all the fun out of producing when I was coming up with these great lead melodies and finishing with crap.
__________________________________
old soundcloud
i gave up producing
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Edited by - Elliott on 2017/04/13 23:56:54 |
Captain Triceps
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
2,184 posts
Joined: Dec, 2011
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Posted - 2017/04/14 : 00:13:22
I implore you to have another go, if you still have the facility. I've not always done mixdowns like this, in fact it's only kind words like yours that make me realise they are clean but it's only this last year or so that I have purposefully made a conscious effort to eq and mix as I go and get the sound I'm after. It's not the be all and end all, if you can make a decent enough track you can get someone else to mix and master it. Hell, send me the project file and I'll even help if I can. As a quick rule of thumb, my low-ends tend to be in mono, the high ends can afford to be panned a bit more then you think, the mids I just work with until they sound alright.
The more people making music, the better. Don't be put off by silly little things like your mix.
__________________________________
Some of my remixes, original tracks and mixes here:
https://soundcloud.com/bradders-tracks-and-remix
https://soundcloud.com/bradders1982
https://soundcloud.com/paulbradley1982
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DJ_FunDaBounce
Advanced Member
Colombia
1,913 posts
Joined: Nov, 2001
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Posted - 2017/04/14 : 00:25:13
Mixing isn't too far off from arranging. Some even say that "A good arrangement mixes itself".
Good sound selection comes first. I think this is where DJ'ing skill comes into use when producing. After spending buttloads of time listening to the sounds that appeal to you, you will know when you've got a good batch for a starting point.
@Elliot:
Don't get discouraged, man. I can totally relate to what you say about hittin a wall. I've hit a few of them myself and actually going through a plateu right now. Play at the level you are at. Accept it as it is and before you know you will have risen above it. :)
__________________________________
"Fun with a capital F-D-B!"
https://soundcloud.com/fundabouncedj
https://brightspeedrecordings.bandcamp.com
Every Saturday night from 10-12 (Bogota/Colombia time)
https://www.twitch.tv/fundabouncedj
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Captain Triceps
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
2,184 posts
Joined: Dec, 2011
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Posted - 2017/04/14 : 08:11:10
What was putting me off was comparing my tracks to professionally produced and mastered ones. I honestly thought it was a waste of time even trying, it was never going to happen and it was very discouraging.
But that just isn't the point of producing. Once I got over that, I started to have fun with it again. Once you're having fun, it's easier to get into the flow. If you're making tracks for the fun of it, for you and your mates or to put on Soundcloud or what have you, mixdowns and mastering are the last things you should worry about. Make it sound nice as you can for sure, but only worry about it if the track's going to be released or anything. In which case, again, someone else can master it for you.
__________________________________
Some of my remixes, original tracks and mixes here:
https://soundcloud.com/bradders-tracks-and-remix
https://soundcloud.com/bradders1982
https://soundcloud.com/paulbradley1982
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