Medfish Composing First Approach |
GMC Forum > Discussion Boards > VINTAGE GMC > Community Activities and Tutorials > Ask an Instructor > Darius Wave
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Apr 12 2013, 12:16 PM
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QUOTE (Madfish @ Apr 12 2013, 11:52 AM)  I already got myself the free version of Addictive Drums and wired it into Reaper. Is that OK as well? Yeah - that's also cool  Now...let's do the very first steps. There are maaaany ways to compose song. Sometimes it's melody first, sometimes few nice sounding chords, sometimes doing an arrangement for one cool riff. I would like You to try the way that usually works best for me.Keep in mind that whatever You can do - how fast You are, how tricky things You play and how precise it's worth not much if there is no music in it so...When I try to compose I start from....not having guitar in my hands. I suggest to try one of my methods to do the first song: 1. For easier work on later tasks We could Use well know A-minor (natural minor) scale. 2. I would like You to hit the A-minor chord (no chord progression - that is important) than play A-minor scale from the 5th fret (3 notes per string on every string) You will make yourself familiar with the notes We will Use. 3. Now THE MOST IMPORTANT! - try to imagine Yourself a simple, vocal-like melody that fit A-minor notes. Those can be some 3 notes patterns with different endings, Don't try to think about it as a guitar solo - think of music, think of What You would sing through it if You would be a singer....You can use "la la la" method )). It would be great if You first record Your singing a than find those notes within A-minor scale.4. Try to Make 2 different melodies - one for the verse and one for the chorus. Try to make some contrast and a little "more power" feel for the chorus melody. Once remember - at this level You are not a guitar player - You only use guitar to find the notes, that are in Your head Imagination has no limits...no scales, no need of knowing the fretboard and no need of knowing any music theory...we try to bring out something from a limitless source - our brain 5. You can "hear" the backing chords in Your imagination while singing - it's pretty obvious that melody will not work as a stand alone but...stop Yourself from finding the chords at this level. There is too much risk of using something You already played an something that is very obvious. 6. Hit the A-minor to make shure You're searching in the correct field. 7. You can use tap tempo to define the beat of Your melody http://www.analogmix.com/tap-tempo-finder/ scroll down - there is a free a tap tempo meter - just hit with same freq as You would hit the floor with Your foot while feeling the groove of Your melody. 8. Set the displayed tempo on any metronome 9. If You have the recording o sang melody, play it and find those notes withing A-minor scale (You can use GMC scale generator) 10. Tell me the tempo and send me trakcs of both melodies with no backign tracks, no articulation (just a simple notes - no bends, slides etc...at this level You're a MIDI machine, will get to the articulation and will progress the solo section as a one of the final moments) 11. Don't avoid things that sounds like "I heard that beofre". This is how melodies are created. The base on what we have heard in music through whole our live. Many times You can caught Yourself doing a mix of a few melodies that already semms to sound "well known" for You. Don't try to run from this. It's a kind of natural way of what people consider being melodic. Of course...there are some geniuses that makes very uniqe melodies but that's the "hard level of composing" and not to be work on for now Give me those melodies and will progress them Waiting for Your recording |
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Apr 25 2013, 12:30 PM
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Here it is. I'm a human MIDI machine
 Tempo is 130.Will that do?
Attached File(s)
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Jul 23 2013, 03:57 PM
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QUOTE (Darius Wave @ May 8 2013, 08:28 AM) Ok...first idea is done Try to record both - melody and backing guitar. Feel free to choose the rhythm You like for it. Upload Your results.Hey. I'm getting there, although extremely slowly. Recorded the verse with a simple backing: 
excersize.mp3 ( 925.51K )
Number of downloads: 172Right now I'm doing the experiments you mentioned. |
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Jul 23 2013, 10:23 PM
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Hey,
I recorded everything with the chords in the back. I modified the melody a little bit as well:
excersize2.mp3 ( 1.46MB )
Number of downloads: 160In one place I did the experiment you suggested, but instead of G7 I decided to go with Gm7. Don't know why, but it sounds better for me. Is this good enough? |
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Jul 24 2013, 10:32 PM
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Thanks
The final progression looks like this: verse: Dm Am Dm Dm | Dm Am Dm Dm chorus: G, Am, C, Gm7 | G, Am, C, G I'd rather go with a rocky - distorted sound. |
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every time You improvise and th Gm7 comes in the backing |
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Jul 28 2013, 10:44 PM
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Hey,
Here is the bass track:
bass.mp3 ( 1.43MB )
Number of downloads: 167Is that more or less what you meant? This post has been edited by Madfish: Jul 28 2013, 10:44 PM |
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Jul 29 2013, 10:55 AM
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QUOTE (Madfish @ Jul 28 2013, 09:44 PM) Hey, Here is the bass track:
bass.mp3 ( 1.43MB )
Number of downloads: 167Is that more or less what you meant? Please record guitar playing chords with bass and simple drums groove...it would be much easier to work this way Little tip for the bass. To make it more melodic and sit well in the arrange very often bass players play different note from the chord. For example when the chords are G and D...they play G and F# (major 3rd from the D) so when for example next chord is E minor, than You'll have smooth melody in bass section - G F# E. Otherwise You make a huge skip from G to D on the nex string and this not always sound cool
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Aug 24 2013, 10:43 PM
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Hey Darius,
In the meantime I started working on https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Metal-...t-Hand-Workout/ to improve my right hand. Could you take a look at my slow tempo rec and drop me some comments/hints? I know there are lot's of timing issues :/ Anything else that I am doing wrong? Thank you! PS. The bass track recording is coming soon
This post has been edited by Madfish: Aug 24 2013, 10:46 PM |
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