Thread: Any Tuneheads in Here? ( Music composition )

Hrm.

A lot of people don't consider using programs like FL to be music composition. Just connecting loops and beats.

But I'm taking a class on music compsition at the moment, I need some more experience in music theory first though...

Good to know little tricks and technical terms on things, puts my 6 years in band together.

I have made some music in Reason, but thats some years ago... Nowadays i compose music for big-band with Sibelius. In school, we also learn basic composition theory atm.

No name I know what you are talking about, I used to do that. Specifically with "games"....like the music generator that came out for the first playstation.

But I actually create my own melodies and the whole 9 :p

Reason doesn't have loops and boxes to move around, you have to record it all live

I just use a basic midi program to compose my music. Not to seem immodest, but I am quite proud of some of the things I've composed for my band. I'll probably be one of those musicians who has all of his own music on his iPod.

Guitar pro is great for tabbing stuff.

I compose music with FL Studio. I wish I could find an iTouch app that was a compositional equivalent. All I've found so far are instrument apps.

This is may suprise some of you... but I compose on instruments! Haha... jk, but seriously... how come you all use computer? I know it can be more 'flexible' but I find it much more fun and satisfying to become technically adept on several instruments, then throw it together in audacity! No, offence... but composing on computers is the easy way out (IMO)!

p.s. not trying to be condescending... just wondering

I've done a little composing with Finale, Garageband, and always the piano. Getting bored while sitting at a piano is how I get a lot of ideas (that and so many musical influences since I don't remember when).

I have an MPC. Right now it's screwing up and I'm angry at it.

Originally Posted by lseadragon

I have an MPC. Right now it's screwing up and I'm angry at it.

AH! you lucky

I wanted one of those so bad, but there just too expensive...

Now-a-days, everything is computer anyway, you can get something called a MPD, and it's a drumpad midi controller, and just load your own drum samples. AN MPD will only run ya 200 bucks, I would have sold an MPC if i had it...hardware is becoming obsolete.

Originally Posted by HaRd_WiReD

AH! you lucky

I wanted one of those so bad, but there just too expensive...

Now-a-days, everything is computer anyway, you can get something called a MPD, and it's a drumpad midi controller, and just load your own drum samples. AN MPD will only run ya 200 bucks, I would have sold an MPC if i had it...hardware is becoming obsolete.

Thing is, I used the computer for a while (Renoise FTW) but I could never get inspired using it. Hardware is nice because you're limited in what you can actually do, so you think within those limitations and actually finish something. Plus it hurts your eyes less than a computer screen. =P

Plus I got a MPC500 second-hand, which is about as cheap as you can go.

My sister is going to major in music.

She uses Sibelius 10

Originally Posted by mindwanderer

No, offence... but composing on computers is the easy way out (IMO)!

Wrong. That's like saying cutting-and-pasting frames in an animation program is the easy way out of having to render each frame individually. Why waste time with one when the other will save loads of time? Music will be music whether it is composed electronically or traditionally.

Plus, you have to look at people's circumstances. What if they play one instrument, but need to compose and arrange parts for completely different instruments that they don't know how to play (i.e., a clarinet player composing harmonies for the violinists to play)? Or what if they don't even have an instrument at all?

Sorry, but that did sound a little high-and-mighty of you...

"Wrong. That's like saying cutting-and-pasting frames in an animation program is the easy way out of having to render each frame individually. Why waste time with one when the other will save loads of time? Music will be music whether it is composed electronically or traditionally.

Plus, you have to look at people's circumstances. What if they play one instrument, but need to compose and arrange parts for completely different instruments that they don't know how to play (i.e., a clarinet player composing harmonies for the violinists to play)? Or what if they don't even have an instrument at all?

Sorry, but that did sound a little high-and-mighty of you..."

-Not sure if you read my whole post... you'll better understand my post if you consider the whole thing, rather than quote one sentence out of context of the rest of my post! Read this part here "I know it can be more 'flexible' but I find it much more fun and satisfying to become technically adept on several instruments, then throw it together in audacity! " That basically covers what you said... it's more flexible and convenient, but I find it more satisfying to learn the instrument and play them...


edit: Also, to make this clear... it is easier... though songs made like that are no less music than any other song...

Yeep

I just record everything on cubase and then add some drums I created on Reason - not silly boring constant loops, like ever changing time signatures with random fills to add to the spontaneity. I like complex shiz, yes.

I write music in various software things, and I'm hoping to get a recording USB thing for Christmas.

I write classical, jazz fusion, progressive rock, progressive metal, death metal, power metal, progressive jazz fusion metal, acoustic rock, etc. In other words, just what I feel like.

And there's a fuzzy line between what I consider music that's made on a computer and what I don't, but in order for me to not consider it music it'd have to be extremely, extremely tasteless and hard to listen to and enjoy. I mean, if and artist can't even avoid that on a computer, what can they do?

So yeah. I'm always up to sharing my music, by the way.

Abstract do you play by ear? Meaning without sheet music..that's good stuff.

I always play by ear, i don't know how to read music. My melodies are way more complex than they used to be.

Do you know what chord progressions are? So far I've learned scales, how to find major and minor scales, and I know chords.


But what do these mean? I know the numerals stand for the different chords..

for example, isn't numeral one, tonic chord? The 1st, 3rd, and 5th key in a scale.

i - VII - VI - V7 - VI - iv - V - i

iii9 - VI7 - ii9 - V7 - ii9 - V7 - Imaj9 - VII7

iii9 is a minor three chord, with a nine or second degree of the key in it.
IE:
CDEFGABC is the key of C

E is the third degree. take the third nd the fifth and add it to the E: EGB. Now add the ninth degree to that, which is also the second because there are only 7 notes. that's a D.

iii9: EGBD


FL Studio work isn't composing. I use it, but I just use it as a type of instrument, as in writing drum parts. Music theory is composing, and so is writing it down. Once you have a melody in ear, you should understand the theory behind it so you know what your talking about, not just "Oh, thrid fret, third string".

thanks..

playing by ear is the best stuff, you basically just play wut you feel

check out my beat, my latest one is called "love for her"

www.rocbattle.com/pakmane

Originally Posted by HaRd_WiReD

Abstract do you play by ear? Meaning without sheet music..that's good stuff.

I always play by ear, i don't know how to read music. My melodies are way more complex than they used to be.

Do you know what chord progressions are? So far I've learned scales, how to find major and minor scales, and I know chords.


But what do these mean? I know the numerals stand for the different chords..

for example, isn't numeral one, tonic chord? The 1st, 3rd, and 5th key in a scale.

i - VII - VI - V7 - VI - iv - V - i

iii9 - VI7 - ii9 - V7 - ii9 - V7 - Imaj9 - VII7

That's a chord progression. The numeral is which number chord it is in whatever you're playing in, and uppercase means major, lowercase means minor. I or i would be the tonic.