03-05-2018, 06:46 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-05-2018, 06:51 PM by Firebolt391d.)
I normally start with a single melody (sometimes a melody that I make myself, other times - if I'm making a cover or arrangement of another song - a melody I've heard before).
Note Separation
I personally like to separate the melody notes from the bass/lower notes (I mentally prefer to think of the melody notes as "right hand notes" and the lower notes as "left hand notes").
Musical Form
Most of the time, (especially when I am composing my own song) I tend to compose just one or two measures/portions that I think go well, and then I repeat that musical phrase. Then, I try to brainstorm another musical phrase that varies from the first two (this is the musical form A A B).
Ending the Song
From there, I will sometimes try to go back to phrase "A," and come up with an ending to the song (usually by making thicker chords and ending with a broken chord that goes up to the final root note of the key I'm using) - but it does vary from song to song.
Extra Stuff
Then, I go back through the song - listen to it a couple of times. Sometimes I will re-adjust certain "left-hand" chords. But mainly, I will look for places where I can do one of two things:
1. Double the melody up an octave using a different voice... or
2. Add a countermelody using another voice
A lot of the time, I will use an 8-bit sound as a countermelody (again, it depends on the style of the piece, and can vary from song to song).
*
Sometimes, I will find myself adding the "extra stuff" before I make the second iteration of the musical phrase "A" again. I will copy the phrase, paste it, and the second time the phrase plays, I will add the extra countermelody or doubled notes.
Percussion
I will also oftentimes here add percussion. I don't normally use percussion, but when I do, I add it just after I've composed the main melody. This is important, especially for me, so that I can easily make a percussion sequence, and then copy it so that I can easily loop it over and over. I do that, then test it to make sure it is what I want it to be, and add extra percussive notes (e.g. symbols) where/when necessary.
Lower Notes / "LH" Style
My lower notes (or "left hand" notes) will vary from song to song. But, if I am making a cheerful, or sort-of "carnival"-like tune, I will use a pattern in which I hit the root note of the key I'm using, and then on the second beat, I will hit the Mediant and Dominant notes of the key. It's somewhat hard to explain, but I've used it in many pieces, and it has a sort of "cutesy" feel.
You can see a pattern similar to this in my piece titled [url=
]"Short N' Sweet"[/url].
Other lower note patterns that I've used include just chords that play over and over again, and also, for more pieces that are more serious or dark in mood, I will use broken chords (and of course, darker pieces will most likely be in minor keys, and their chords will be minor). To add to this, much of the time I will find patterns in which I can play the broken-chord notes that fit well with the melody.
For example, my piece [url=
]"8-bit Lullaby"[/url] uses the 8-bit sine-wave sound for the lower notes, and they play a broken chord in a very specific pattern. You can hear that pattern (delete the triangle wave notes if you want to see the sine-wave notes under them).
Anything else?
Sometimes, I also like to add other subtle notes that might go in-between the top and bottom notes. I might use softer sounding instruments, like the Concert Harp (again - my choice of instrument will vary depending on the style of the piece).
Finishing
This is where I finish up, name the piece appropriately, and then save it.
That's it!
I hope that maybe you find this useful.
But remember! - MY COMPOSITIONS ARE ACTUALLY PRETTY "BAD" COMPARED TO MOST OTHER USERS HERE!
SO PLEASE TAKE MY IDEAS WITH A GRAIN OF SALT!
Thank you!
Note Separation
I personally like to separate the melody notes from the bass/lower notes (I mentally prefer to think of the melody notes as "right hand notes" and the lower notes as "left hand notes").
Musical Form
Most of the time, (especially when I am composing my own song) I tend to compose just one or two measures/portions that I think go well, and then I repeat that musical phrase. Then, I try to brainstorm another musical phrase that varies from the first two (this is the musical form A A B).
Ending the Song
From there, I will sometimes try to go back to phrase "A," and come up with an ending to the song (usually by making thicker chords and ending with a broken chord that goes up to the final root note of the key I'm using) - but it does vary from song to song.
Extra Stuff
Then, I go back through the song - listen to it a couple of times. Sometimes I will re-adjust certain "left-hand" chords. But mainly, I will look for places where I can do one of two things:
1. Double the melody up an octave using a different voice... or
2. Add a countermelody using another voice
A lot of the time, I will use an 8-bit sound as a countermelody (again, it depends on the style of the piece, and can vary from song to song).
*
Sometimes, I will find myself adding the "extra stuff" before I make the second iteration of the musical phrase "A" again. I will copy the phrase, paste it, and the second time the phrase plays, I will add the extra countermelody or doubled notes.
Percussion
I will also oftentimes here add percussion. I don't normally use percussion, but when I do, I add it just after I've composed the main melody. This is important, especially for me, so that I can easily make a percussion sequence, and then copy it so that I can easily loop it over and over. I do that, then test it to make sure it is what I want it to be, and add extra percussive notes (e.g. symbols) where/when necessary.
Lower Notes / "LH" Style
My lower notes (or "left hand" notes) will vary from song to song. But, if I am making a cheerful, or sort-of "carnival"-like tune, I will use a pattern in which I hit the root note of the key I'm using, and then on the second beat, I will hit the Mediant and Dominant notes of the key. It's somewhat hard to explain, but I've used it in many pieces, and it has a sort of "cutesy" feel.
You can see a pattern similar to this in my piece titled [url=
Other lower note patterns that I've used include just chords that play over and over again, and also, for more pieces that are more serious or dark in mood, I will use broken chords (and of course, darker pieces will most likely be in minor keys, and their chords will be minor). To add to this, much of the time I will find patterns in which I can play the broken-chord notes that fit well with the melody.
For example, my piece [url=
Anything else?
Sometimes, I also like to add other subtle notes that might go in-between the top and bottom notes. I might use softer sounding instruments, like the Concert Harp (again - my choice of instrument will vary depending on the style of the piece).
Finishing
This is where I finish up, name the piece appropriately, and then save it.
That's it!
I hope that maybe you find this useful.
But remember! - MY COMPOSITIONS ARE ACTUALLY PRETTY "BAD" COMPARED TO MOST OTHER USERS HERE!
SO PLEASE TAKE MY IDEAS WITH A GRAIN OF SALT!
Thank you!