Hello Mike
> I can come up with, what to me anyway, is a pretty good beat, percussion
and
> bass loop, but I don't really know where to go from there. I can figure
out
> how to lead into the song as well as a break. I guess my loop is more
like
> the first verse (16 measures) of the song. I am having troubles coming up
> with the melody and counterpoints for a chorus that really pulls you into
> the song or makes you want to throw your hands up. :-) Everything I've
> tried just hasn't sounded right. I think part of my problem is not fully
> understanding the "basics" of music. I understand notes, octaves, and the
> like. I know what chords are, I even know a few, but that's about it. As
> far as being able to tell what "key" part of the song is in...I'm
clueless.
Learning about other instruments is almost always a good idea, since you'll
start to get a handle on where particular instruments and sounds should fit
in a mix.
Don't be discouraged by not knowing what to do next. Having good ideas and
knowing how to develop them are two different things - with the latter being
more difficult. A good place to start is to pick apart your favorite songs -
reverse engineer them. That way you start to see how to develop a "story"
and keep peoples' interest. Maybe a song you like starts with a synth intro,
then kicks into the verse with some bass, then a drumbeat. Now here comes
the chorus and a BIG signature riff or hook pops up; then your back into a
verse again (this time bring in a little variation on a theme); then back to
the chorus (even BIGGER this time) and maybe a C part to give the ears a
break; then back to the chorus and wind up. This is, of course, only *one*
of many ways to construct a song.
A lot of newer electronic tunes only have one main hook (the A part) and
never bother with a B or C part as it might take away from the intensity and
focus. Constructing variety in this framework is a little more tricky, since
the framework of the main hook is always present and you risk becoming
monotonous (which is usualy a matter for debate). In this case the variety
often takes a more subtle shape and you must listen very carefully to your
tune to hear what's happening - sometimes just tiny bits of percussion of
sound FX get added, sometimes its a synth line or vocal part or tricks in
the mix.
Hope some of this helps.
Michael Weiser
Producer, Composer & Recording Engineer
[EMAIL PROTECTED] * Check out the NEW MUSIC :
www.mp3.com/ReFraction*
___________________________________________
DREAM ENGINE AUDIO
http://webhome.idirect.com/~mweiser
Ottawa, Canada (613) 733-4687 Cell # (613) 277-4822
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Reilly" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Saturday, April 08, 2000 12:41 AM
Subject: Collaboration / Learning Experience for RM1x Newbies?
> Hi,
>
> I'd like to know if the anyone on the RM1x list would like to work on a
song
> together. It would be a great learning experience for us newbies. The
song
> could be added to by different people and they could explain how and what
> they did in detail so others could learn. Even if its just a bunch of us
> newbies, we'd learn from each other. Is anyone interested?
>
> The reason I am asking is because I've had my RM1x about a year. It was
my
> first piece of gear, so I was pretty overwhelmed at first. I was trying
to
> learn how to program drum loops, create a bass line, add percussion,
create
> breaks, come up with a melody, etc. all on a blue box with terms I had
never
> heard of. :-) I read magazine after magazine, studied my favorite songs,
> searched the internet for tutorials, rented videos on how to play
keyboards,
> and last bust not least I read the manual about 3 times. I took a break
for
> a few months, but now I've got that itch again - bad. I've been playing
> with premade loops in Acid for a while, and I've had lots of fun and
learned
> quite a bit, but it's the RM1x (and my AN1x) that I really want to master.
>
> I think I want to take piano or keyboard lessons to get familiar with all
of
> this. Is this a good place to start though for someone that wants to make
> house and trace? I've looked at all the presets loops in the RM1x that I
> liked in Edit mode to see what relationship the bass had to the melody but
I
> don't think I'm getting it, but I have learned a lot from them. I mostly
go
> by my ear and what I feel, which in the end is how I'll judge anything I
do.
>
> If someone out there is willing to take a listen to this loop and either
> suggest ways to progress with it, or some do's and don'ts about what I've
> done, I'd appreciate it. Better yet, if others would like to collaborate
> and make this a type of tutorial that could be archived and put on the
web,
> it could help out a lot of others like me. We don't even have to start
with
> this loop, we could come up with something together.
>
> Files Anywhere only allows the following link to be accessed for 24hrs, so
> if it is unavailable and you want the loop, just email me and I'll send it
> to you.
>
>
http://www.filesanywhere.com/FAELINK/20000407/TMPEPIPHANY10.9403680.0273250.
> 546341/Loop1.r1p
>
> Thanks,
> Mike
>
>
