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Musical people!

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hello there, well i'm learning atm how to use software to make music and all that but i'm not exactly what you would call a "musical" person.

I have a good ear and know if something sounds shit or good but i'm useless when it comes to the actual theory side, like reading music or more importantly things like minor and major scales. I've been playing about trying to make some nice simple melodies and it would be good to know the basics of what notes are allowed etc in that scale ... if that even makes sense :p

So anyone got any good sites they know of or any musically minded people here?

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Get hold of some ABRSM books on Grade 5 Theory of Music. Any lower level probably won't be detailed enough for what you want.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You don't need to know a massive deal of music theory to produce dance music. Obviously it can help tho when writing melodys...

    This site has some tutorials... although I aint used them before, it was just a google search.

    http://www.8notes.com/theory/

    Its good to know the basics, but I wouldn't go too far with it. I have spent more of my time learning about sound design and sound synthasis
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yeah i'm not after bags and bags of theory, just would be good to know a little about the basics :)

    Cheers
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    whilst on the subject, does anyone know/recommend any software for creating drum loops?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Major scales sound happy
    Minor scales sound sad
    Pentatonic scales sound bluesy
    Phryggian scales are only for wankers who like Dream Theater
    Arpeggios are scales for lazy people
    If playing blues melodies, include many 6ths and flattened 7ths
    If playing metal melodies, include many flattened 3rds and raised 6ths (basically the Aeolian mode)

    :thumb:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Phryggian scales are only for wankers who like Dream Theater
    Arpeggios are scales for lazy people
    :thumb:
    Brilliant!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Dream Theater... Oh, the hilarity!!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    the little red ABRSM book! thats what you need!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    the little red ABRSM book! thats what you need!
    Yeah that's the one I meant.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Arpeggios are scales for lazy people


    :thumb:

    Arpeggios are actually used a lot in dance music. Most soft synths have an Arpeggio setting with a few different selections.

    I would never use one as my main melody, but they are good to fill out tracks.

    They work better with music like trance than drum & bass, but they still have there place.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    piccolo wrote: »
    Brilliant!

    Nomination for post of the week please?

    Would make a nice change for some of those chest-thumping pompous tosspots who've won recently.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Major scales sound happy
    Minor scales sound sad
    Pentatonic scales sound bluesy
    Phryggian scales are only for wankers who like Dream Theater
    Arpeggios are scales for lazy people
    If playing blues melodies, include many 6ths and flattened 7ths
    If playing metal melodies, include many flattened 3rds and raised 6ths (basically the Aeolian mode)

    :thumb:

    Yeah i appreciate that but 6th what? Flattened what? 6th banana?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yeah pretty much, though I was thinking of the E major scale (since I'm a-thinking geetar).

    Normal major scale:

    E F# G# A B C# D# E

    Metal tends to flatten the C# to a C natural and the D# to a D natural, giving three whole tones (a tone is two semitones, or frets on a guitar for example) in the ascent towards the root (E). This is a very common chord sequence in metal (think - Breaking The Law by Judas Priest, the bit after the first lyrics in Sabbath's Paranoid, almost the whole of Maiden's Hallowed Be Thy Name, etc. etc.)

    Also if you flatten the 3rd and the 7th, you basically end up with the Aeolian mode which is:

    E F# G A B C D E

    In blues, the C natural would tend to stay as a C# though naturally these are not hard and fast rules.

    And Bungle, it's very bad form to use sharps and flats in the same key signature :)

    Also, I realise that I spelt Phrygian wrongly up there. There goes post of the week...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    O_o wrote: »
    whilst on the subject, does anyone know/recommend any software for creating drum loops?

    Fruity loops for drum loops and playing about with Midi.
    Brilliant programme loads in it.
    Acid pro five ...I didn't and don't like six ...for usingsamples and loops and ...creating your own.
    I make drum and guitar and synth loops using it.
    I have a mass of vst plug ins as well but am buggered if I can remember the names.
    It's all on another pc and I haven't played with any of it for quite some time.
    It's all good fun.
    Heres a few of my messings if your interested ....none of them are ever finished and I get carried away once I have the head phones on using the vst's and other plugis ...all them whoosing noises ...especially after a little herb.
    Here have a listen ...no I'm not going to be on top of the pops ...

    http://www.reverbnation.com/badbackjack
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