jancivil wrote:thank you, well said.
Problem with creating melody
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- KVRer
- 4 posts since 2 Jul, 2012
put doe ray mi to the first 3 notes of your melody in mind find the note on the scale put the rest of the melody into far so lar t doe and improvise on sharps and flats, other than that the circle of fifths is your friendDanny V wrote:Hello,
I was wondering if anyone could help me with this problem.
Anytime I start creating a new project I somehow get stuck when it comes to creating a melody. I have it in my mind, but I can't seem to play in with midi / draw it in a piano roll. Any advice on how to improve in this?
Thanks
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- KVRist
- 33 posts since 16 Jan, 2012
Hm, it doesn't seem OP has enough stuff to sort through, so I'll add to the pile.
First and foremost: learn to improvise with an instrument. MIDI keyboards are kickass, so get one. If somebody said this earlier, they're awesome and know what they're talking about.
Besides that, I can think of three that I start writing music: with a melody, with a rhythm, and with a chord progression.
Despite what I said earlier about chord progressions being lazy, it is a valid technique and gets a lot of use. Set the tempo, set the time, grab a chord progression template and let it rip. You can build a bass line and rhythm parts and just grind away at the keyboard until you find a good hook and some melodies to float above all that. The results are usually simple, but hey, at least it's not complex.
If you start with a rhythm, you'll probably be tempted to reach for a chord progression you use as a default. That's fine, do it if you must. If you want to practice music with more depth, try taking some of the rhythmic ideas already there and sequencing them in pitched instruments. Beethoven's 5th is the shining example of a simple rhythm sequenced to hell and back to great effect, so why not give that a try?
Starting with a melody is probably the most common way to write music. You basically just improvise on an instrument in a certain time and tempo and start with some basic motivic shapes or (even periodic contours) you're accustomed to. Fiddle around for as long as you need to make a melody and have it make sense, then refine it and try to harmonize it. You may have come up with an accompaniment right away while improvising, and if so, then you have an easier starting point for harmonization. If not, harmonizing isn't a big deal - identify notes in your melody that reside on strong beats and look for chords with those notes in them, write them down as possibilities and try them out until you find the right harmonic choices for that section. That's the simplest way to do it and a bit ham-handed, but it works 90% of the time.
So the choices got picked, now get to writing counter melodies that emphasize certain characteristics of your piece. If you have a nice rhythm, maybe emphasize it with off-beat, groovy lead-in notes or contrast it deliberately with careful syncopation. If you have a flowing melody, maybe decorate it with gentle punctuation from a lighter instrument or write another flowing line to keep energy consistent where one pauses for breath. That kinda thing.
It doesn't matter what's in your mind if you can't get it out of there. First learn to make the stuff until you don't have to think about it, then when you start getting hit with inspiration, you'll be able to grab it and refine the crap out of it in a moment's notice.
First and foremost: learn to improvise with an instrument. MIDI keyboards are kickass, so get one. If somebody said this earlier, they're awesome and know what they're talking about.
Besides that, I can think of three that I start writing music: with a melody, with a rhythm, and with a chord progression.
Despite what I said earlier about chord progressions being lazy, it is a valid technique and gets a lot of use. Set the tempo, set the time, grab a chord progression template and let it rip. You can build a bass line and rhythm parts and just grind away at the keyboard until you find a good hook and some melodies to float above all that. The results are usually simple, but hey, at least it's not complex.
If you start with a rhythm, you'll probably be tempted to reach for a chord progression you use as a default. That's fine, do it if you must. If you want to practice music with more depth, try taking some of the rhythmic ideas already there and sequencing them in pitched instruments. Beethoven's 5th is the shining example of a simple rhythm sequenced to hell and back to great effect, so why not give that a try?
Starting with a melody is probably the most common way to write music. You basically just improvise on an instrument in a certain time and tempo and start with some basic motivic shapes or (even periodic contours) you're accustomed to. Fiddle around for as long as you need to make a melody and have it make sense, then refine it and try to harmonize it. You may have come up with an accompaniment right away while improvising, and if so, then you have an easier starting point for harmonization. If not, harmonizing isn't a big deal - identify notes in your melody that reside on strong beats and look for chords with those notes in them, write them down as possibilities and try them out until you find the right harmonic choices for that section. That's the simplest way to do it and a bit ham-handed, but it works 90% of the time.
So the choices got picked, now get to writing counter melodies that emphasize certain characteristics of your piece. If you have a nice rhythm, maybe emphasize it with off-beat, groovy lead-in notes or contrast it deliberately with careful syncopation. If you have a flowing melody, maybe decorate it with gentle punctuation from a lighter instrument or write another flowing line to keep energy consistent where one pauses for breath. That kinda thing.
It doesn't matter what's in your mind if you can't get it out of there. First learn to make the stuff until you don't have to think about it, then when you start getting hit with inspiration, you'll be able to grab it and refine the crap out of it in a moment's notice.
