Methods for making music/melodies

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Methods for making music/melodies

Postby LutariFan » 23 Sep 2012 00:49

So I just got Logic, used GarageBand until now.

I learned how to synthezise and all that, but now I need help with something else.

Are there any "methods" for making music? Should I start by doing the main part, or the intro?

And last but not least: how should I go about making melodies? I seem to just sit at my keyboard endlessly pressing random keys, and it's hard making it sound good. So what I'd like to learn is some basic music harmony; what intervals sound good together? How should I structure the music? My goal is making trance, but since trance is very melodic, I need to know how to make melodies.

Thanks in advance, LutariFan
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Re: Methods for making music/melodies

Postby Raddons » 23 Sep 2012 01:09

Well, it's good that you already know what an interval is.

My advice is go to your library and pick up a book. Browse Wikipedia. Submerge yourself in knowledge. Then study people you want to emulate.
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Re: Methods for making music/melodies

Postby Omnomnomnom » 23 Sep 2012 08:51

Music theory.
Music theory.
Music theory.

It's seriously important if you can't work 100% by ear (I have yet to meet a musician who can).
There is a WORLD of endless knowledge about how music works. Your best bet is to take a lot of classes on production & theory. Being self-taught might not be a great choice, especially due to specific vocabulary, learning paths, learning curves, etc.

On another note (no pun intended), you can really start wherever you want with a song. You can set up the main part and work backwards, or just go chronologically; set up progression first, or think up a tune first, blah blah blah. If you know where you want to go with a song, then it usually won't matter. The only real "method" is the one you want to choose.

I, for one, enjoy thinking up random melodies of all kinds whenever I'm bored. Marches, orchestral, darker stuff, happy stuff, whatever. Most people pick up this ability after either playing music, listening to music, or studying theory. It'll eventually come as second nature, and eventually the suitable harmonies and chord progressions will tie into that.
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Re: Methods for making music/melodies

Postby Nine Volt » 23 Sep 2012 13:45

I just derp around in my sequencer until I get something I like.
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Re: Methods for making music/melodies

Postby ph00tbag » 23 Sep 2012 20:46

It's almost impossible to teach decent theory on a forum post.

I will say that melodically, most trance is actually pretty simple. If you aren't particularly well-versed in how music works, you can usually just stick to thirds and fifths, maybe with some fourths thrown in if you're feeling adventurous, and you can make some decent stuff. Honestly, it's not really about melodies as much as it's about chord progressions, and even those don't have to be particularly crazy. A lot of tracks forego melodies and chord progressions entirely, and just do crazy sound effects for the entirety.
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Re: Methods for making music/melodies

Postby soultensionbenjamin » 23 Sep 2012 20:55

take out a note book and start writing musical phrases and record them in that note book see what sounds good and try picking a key i like the key of e for dark music
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Re: Methods for making music/melodies

Postby LutariFan » 24 Sep 2012 07:32

Thanks for all the answers. I will definitely get a music theory book at the library.
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Re: Methods for making music/melodies

Postby LoreRD » 24 Sep 2012 07:59

Learn scales. It will make melody composing so much easier.
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Re: Methods for making music/melodies

Postby LutariFan » 24 Sep 2012 23:17

LoreRD wrote:Learn scales. It will make melody composing so much easier.


This is something I've been meaning to do for a long time, I have no idea why I still haven't.
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Re: Methods for making music/melodies

Postby Kopachris » 25 Sep 2012 07:34

LutariFan wrote:
LoreRD wrote:Learn scales. It will make melody composing so much easier.


This is something I've been meaning to do for a long time, I have no idea why I still haven't.

Let's start with the basics then:

Major
White keys on C (C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C). Consists of sequential intervals: whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half. Defining characteristics: major third, major sixth, and major seventh. The major seventh creates a leading tone back to the tonic in ascending melodies. i.e. if you rise from a note to the seventh, the listener will feel a strong pull up to the higher tonic.

Natural minor
White keys on A (A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A). Consists of sequential intervals: whole-half-whole-whole-half-whole-whole. Defining characteristics: minor third, minor sixth, and minor seventh. Sounds darker (obviously).

Harmonic minor
Like the natural minor, but contains a major seventh (in A minor, a G#). Used because, in order to ensure the "finality" of the V-I chord progression at the end of a phrase, the V chord must be a major chord (the major seventh leads to the tonic, remember?).

Melodic minor
Like the natural minor, but contains a major seventh and a major sixth (in A minor, a G# and F#). Generally used in rising melodic lines because the major seventh helps lead to the tonic, but a step-and-a-half between sixth and seventh sounds unmelodic, so the sixth is raised as well.
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Re: Methods for making music/melodies

Postby Raddons » 25 Sep 2012 08:34

scales are for nerds and will only make your music sound nerdy

nerds

please take a joke

If you want something serious, don't just read the scales. Listen the them. "Why does a minor scale sound minor? Why are the 2nd and 3rd's so strong and the 5th and 6th? How can I make use of the harmonic minor scale in melody writing?" It's important to know HOW you can use these, more so than just knowing WHAT they are. Also, I advise learning chord inversions. You can spice up your chord progressions by keeping them real tight http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_LiTarYFgY. Also 7th chords.
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Re: Methods for making music/melodies

Postby Kopachris » 25 Sep 2012 11:35

Cloud wrote:scales are for nerds and will only make your music sound nerdy

nerds
[...]
Also, I advise learning chord inversions. You can spice up your chord progressions by keeping them real tight http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_LiTarYFgY. Also 7th chords.

Also ninth chords. Love 'em. :P
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Re: Methods for making music/melodies

Postby Raddons » 25 Sep 2012 14:42

Yeah! I was going to say those too originally. They have a nice dreamy feel to them.
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Re: Methods for making music/melodies

Postby Omnomnomnom » 25 Sep 2012 19:50

And then there's jazz/latin music, and then all this "music theory" stuff goes to complex rule-breaking shit.
XD

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I'm always half-asleep, and I hate dubstep.
Also, you know that other, way more awesome Nomnom guy who shows up on EQD sometimes? THAT PERSON IS NOT ME.
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Re: Methods for making music/melodies

Postby Captain Ironhelm » 25 Sep 2012 20:23

musictheory.net is a good place to start
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Re: Methods for making music/melodies

Postby ph00tbag » 25 Sep 2012 22:29

Just use serialism.
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Re: Methods for making music/melodies

Postby ÜberTriangle » 26 Sep 2012 02:31

Step aside, newbs, srs bsns right here

1. Write harmony - Choose generic chord progression (C min, Fmin, Gmaj is a good start)
2. Write melody - only out of notes that are in the chord you are currently using. (So if you are using C min, notes should be C Eb G)
2.1 Use non-chord tones (notes other than the chord tones)
3. Every bar start with the root of the chord you are using (root is the first note of the chord)
4. Write in genres where melody is not that important
0. Disregard all this and download midis.

Alternatively, learn music theory (IF YOU ARE A HUGE NERD)
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Re: Methods for making music/melodies

Postby Dr_Dissonance » 26 Sep 2012 08:12

Out of all of these, I'd actually go with Triangle's the most. Minus the 'disregard and download MIDI's', although if you're doing a remix of something, MIDI is very useful.
And maybe disregard number 3 if you're feeling confident.
But 1, 2 and 2.1 are what I would say! Establish a harmony and then build your melodies around that!
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