Hi there,
This is just a general query, not necessarily about dance music.
What are the main contituent parts of a track/song?
Ok: 1) Vocal (or sample, in dance)
2) Chord Sequence, played by guitar/keyboard etc.
3) Fills, possibly by a synth.
4) Sound textures, l
5) Drums
6) Bass
7)
what else?
tha nks,
General Music Question
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- KVRAF
- 21350 posts since 26 Jul, 2005 from Gone
You could have a piece of music where none of those 6 apply at all. I don't know that you're going to be able to find a list of instruments/sound elements that's definitive as music isn't about creating to templates.
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- KVRAF
- 11093 posts since 16 Mar, 2003 from Porto - Portugal
When I see certain posts in this section, I sincerely doubt about the meaning the term music has to some people. I also doubt wether we are talking the same thing or not. In art (any art, being it carpentry, plumbing, cooking, music or literature) there are a minimum of skills and pre-requisites that are supposed to be acquired in the apprenticeship time by the artisans. I can't imagine a plumber asking is a forum wether he/she would use a pipe of copper, propylene or stainless steel in an installation.
That said, the constituents of a music (ANY MUSIC), are: Melody, rhythm, harmony, and, in a second dimension, timbre, orchestration and density.
Chords are harmony, and they are present anywhere, no matter if more or less explicit, as long as the music is tonal. There are. however, situations where the music has note aggrgates that cannot be classified as chords. Thera can be also situations where the music has no tonality at all, and we cannot speak of harmony anymore. Thera are also situations where we have chords but the tonality is ambiguous.
Rhythm is more or less the same case (you always have rhythm, no matter if the music has or not a rhythmic section, which is usually composed of drums and bass in pop music).
Fills are just a section of the music (better use the term bridges, since this term will include fills and may be used to refer to other stuff too). Anyway, all sections are important, and a piece of music, ideally, should have a good balance between the different sections (did you anytime felt tired with the endless solos, or too much chorus in a song?).
Sound textures are the domain of timbre, orchestration and density. A good orchestration (instrumentation) should again contribute to the balance of the piece. Wether the instrumentation/orchestration surpasses the domains of melody/harmony, it's up to the composer, and very much depends on the style of the music (in pop music, instrumentation tends to be rather simple).
The same may be said regarding the rhythm. There are music styles where the rhythm is more important, and others where it is less important.
In the end, a piece of music is a delicate balance between many factors, where it's up to the composer or composer/arranger, or composer/arranger/producer to make the final decisions and support them.
That said, the constituents of a music (ANY MUSIC), are: Melody, rhythm, harmony, and, in a second dimension, timbre, orchestration and density.
Chords are harmony, and they are present anywhere, no matter if more or less explicit, as long as the music is tonal. There are. however, situations where the music has note aggrgates that cannot be classified as chords. Thera can be also situations where the music has no tonality at all, and we cannot speak of harmony anymore. Thera are also situations where we have chords but the tonality is ambiguous.
Rhythm is more or less the same case (you always have rhythm, no matter if the music has or not a rhythmic section, which is usually composed of drums and bass in pop music).
Fills are just a section of the music (better use the term bridges, since this term will include fills and may be used to refer to other stuff too). Anyway, all sections are important, and a piece of music, ideally, should have a good balance between the different sections (did you anytime felt tired with the endless solos, or too much chorus in a song?).
Sound textures are the domain of timbre, orchestration and density. A good orchestration (instrumentation) should again contribute to the balance of the piece. Wether the instrumentation/orchestration surpasses the domains of melody/harmony, it's up to the composer, and very much depends on the style of the music (in pop music, instrumentation tends to be rather simple).
The same may be said regarding the rhythm. There are music styles where the rhythm is more important, and others where it is less important.
In the end, a piece of music is a delicate balance between many factors, where it's up to the composer or composer/arranger, or composer/arranger/producer to make the final decisions and support them.
Last edited by fmr on Thu Jan 23, 2014 8:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Fernando (FMR)
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JumpingJackFlash JumpingJackFlash https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=44005
- KVRian
- 1227 posts since 10 Oct, 2004
You might want to look at John Cage's 4'33''.
See if you can find a recording on YouTube!
See if you can find a recording on YouTube!
Unfamiliar words can be looked up in my Glossary of musical terms.
Also check out my Introduction to Music Theory.
Also check out my Introduction to Music Theory.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 194 posts since 31 Aug, 2010
Ok, so I admit I am talking about a house track in this situation. My main issue is what does one fill the track with besides, a chordal progression, a vocal sample, a bass line, drums, percussion, instrumental fills or riffs, counter melody perhaps.
Templates can be useful, when learning craft, just like Music Theory. When one knows the rules, feel free to break them...
joe
Templates can be useful, when learning craft, just like Music Theory. When one knows the rules, feel free to break them...
joe
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- KVRAF
- 11093 posts since 16 Mar, 2003 from Porto - Portugal
First things first:joecc wrote:Ok, so I admit I am talking about a house track in this situation. My main issue is what does one fill the track with besides, a chordal progression, a vocal sample, a bass line, drums, percussion, instrumental fills or riffs, counter melody perhaps.
Templates can be useful, when learning craft, just like Music Theory. When one knows the rules, feel free to break them...
joe
1. Do you already have a complete composition? Can you write it in a piano reduction?
2. Does the piece overall scheme feels balanced (e.g. are the different sections alternating and more or less with the same lenghth or multiples of that length?)?
3. How do you "hear" it in you head? Do you feel it does need all that you mention (vocal sample, a bass line, drums, percussion, instrumental fills or riffs, counter melody)? Take notice that not all songs need everything. Great songs were written with just a piano or guitar accompaniment.
Fernando (FMR)
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 194 posts since 31 Aug, 2010
I don't quite understand your first point? Can you write it in a piano reduction?
you mean write the whole piece in piano? melody line, chords underneath, fills, bass way down?
?
you mean write the whole piece in piano? melody line, chords underneath, fills, bass way down?
?
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- KVRAF
- 5717 posts since 8 Jun, 2009
You don't need all of those in house. The more you lose, the more it sounds like techno but a chord progression is entirely optional as are vocals.joecc wrote:Ok, so I admit I am talking about a house track in this situation. My main issue is what does one fill the track with besides, a chordal progression, a vocal sample, a bass line, drums, percussion, instrumental fills or riffs, counter melody perhaps.
Templates can be useful, when learning craft, just like Music Theory. When one knows the rules, feel free to break them...
joe
The only thing you absolutely need is groove. Everything else is window dressing.
