KVR Audio

mandarin · Post by **mandarin** » Fri May 02, 2014 1:21 pm

Well hi,

I'm producing for quite a while now (nothing good comes out of it though but it's just practicing) and I was wondering how Martin Garrix comes up with melodies. When I make melodies I only have lame chords with an unoriginal synth and a bass but I can't think of anything else with it.

I already know Martin often uses vandalism soundbanks for his melodies but when I use those soundbanks nothing good comes out of it.

Is it all about studying music theory?

ariston · Post by **ariston** » Fri May 02, 2014 1:40 pm

mandarin wrote: Is it all about studying music theory?

From what little I've heard from Martin Garrix, I can confidently tell you that music theory doesn't have anything to do with what he's doing. Calling those quaint sequences of notes "melodies" is also really stretching it.

Writing (good and memorable) melodies is an art and a craft, and it needs to be learned like any other craft. Do you really, honestly believe there are shortcuts to that?

Doug1978 · Post by **Doug1978** » Fri May 02, 2014 1:47 pm

Have a read of this:

http://doandroidsdance.com/features/the ... x-animals/

Garrix is one of the most popular young producers at the moment, but his melodies are made to fit an arguably-stale genre and he openly uses pirated software (check his YouTube video featuring the ''Team Air'' cracked Sylenth).

So rightly he won't get much praise around here (thieves never do).

To answer the real point of your question though - yes, you can improve immensely by studying music theory, and it will take time.

Check out some of the posts in the Music Theory forum at KVR.

Also, these are well worth buying and reading for starters:

http://www.samplemagic.com/details/72/t ... production

http://zenchamusic.com/electronic-music ... nt-course/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Arranging-Techn ... rrangement

murnau · Post by **murnau** » Fri May 02, 2014 2:03 pm

you don't have any inspiration thats all.. ..(and everything).

mandarin · Post by **mandarin** » Fri May 02, 2014 2:17 pm

So.. where do you get inspiration from?

murnau · Post by **murnau** » Fri May 02, 2014 2:20 pm

from donuts.

tehlord · Post by **tehlord** » Fri May 02, 2014 2:25 pm

I suspect he bangs away at the keyboard like a meth'd up chimp and then simply highlights a selection of midi.

Then, profit.

AstralExistence · Post by **AstralExistence** » Fri May 02, 2014 2:26 pm

murnau wrote:from donuts.

best fing comment i heard in a long time. not lol funny but comeback funny

Doug1978 · Post by **Doug1978** » Fri May 02, 2014 2:49 pm

TBH, this smells like a wind-up.
(OP ignores advice and starts firing off more questions...)

Hey ho.

standalone · Post by **standalone** » Fri May 02, 2014 3:04 pm

How does Martin Garrix come?

standalone · Post by **standalone** » Fri May 02, 2014 3:13 pm

... with those melodies?

Sendy · Post by **Sendy** » Fri May 02, 2014 3:14 pm

Doug1978 wrote:TBH, this smells like a wind-up.
(OP ignores advice and starts firing off more questions...)

Hey ho.

I'd be inclined to agree with you, if it were not for the fact that I'm pretty sure that's fairly common behaviour.

Sendy · Post by **Sendy** » Fri May 02, 2014 3:21 pm

Here's how you come up with your progressive EDM melodies: Place down a bunch of chord tones, then connect some of them together with passing notes.

If you want to go mainroom, a la showtek, press the key that's got the letter name of the key that your song is in. Keep pressing it. Hammer that shit home. Are you near the end of your four bar phrase? If so, press THE BLACK NOTE ABOVE THE NOTE YOU WERE PLAYING. BAM! You just blew your audience's fricking MIND, bro!

(If you think this is hyperbole, that is actually a typical Showtek riff, I'm not f**king joking. I heard variations of this in 70% of their tunes).

In all honesty, the question isn't "where does Garrix come up with inspiration/riffs/etc?", but "What has inspired *me* to make music?". Seriously, what brings you to music? Is it because it's easy to make passable loop-based music nowadays? Because that's the wrong answer. If you're grasping at straws, perhaps it's time to try something different, or at the very least, come back in a year or two when/if you feel you have music in you.

DJ Warmonger · Post by **DJ Warmonger** » Fri May 02, 2014 3:45 pm

I call the first post a provocation.
Unless you spent your youth in a cell under the stairs and never heard any melody before, that is.

Tricky-Loops · Post by **Tricky-Loops** » Fri May 02, 2014 3:58 pm

mandarin wrote:Is it all about studying music theory?

Music theory is only a skeleton, you have to make it alive by learning an instrument. The better you play an instrument, the better you'll become in making melodies...

(Sorry for the serious answer but others have already made enough fun of Martin Garrix, so I'll resist. But if you want to make real melodies, better listen to Martin Solveig than to Martin Garrix...)

How does Martin Garrix come up with his melodies?