i have trouble with making melodies any advice would help?(like do i use chords and then puts notes and then more chords etc?) also when i make a drum pattern and than when i try and make a melody they dont sound cohesive. i was wondering how to fix that? Do i create the melody first and then the drums or when im makin the melody do i listen to the drums and just make a melody that fits in with the drums?
serious melody help?
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Cayden Carrell
Active member
Look at songs you like and see how they make melodies. See how they use timing. Mimick the timing but use your own melody.
You can make a melody completely without chords and then fit chords in alter.
Or dial in a chordprogression and make up the melody after.If you are stuck on chords just dial in Am, F, C, G or Am G F F from start to finish to get you going. Another way to make melodies is to play well known melodies into a synth track and start moving them notes around. That way you borrow the timing from a hit song but make you're own melody
voila
Or make you´re own but I guess that is where you are stuck so this to get you going a little.
Best of luck; may the force...
You can make a melody completely without chords and then fit chords in alter.
Or dial in a chordprogression and make up the melody after.If you are stuck on chords just dial in Am, F, C, G or Am G F F from start to finish to get you going. Another way to make melodies is to play well known melodies into a synth track and start moving them notes around. That way you borrow the timing from a hit song but make you're own melody
voilaOr make you´re own but I guess that is where you are stuck so this to get you going a little.
Best of luck; may the force...
DirtyGrits
New member
Look at songs you like and see how they make melodies. See how they use timing. Mimick the timing but use your own melody.
You can make a melody completely without chords and then fit chords in alter.
Or dial in a chordprogression and make up the melody after.If you are stuck on chords just dial in Am, F, C, G or Am G F F from start to finish to get you going. Another way to make melodies is to play well known melodies into a synth track and start moving them notes around. That way you borrow the timing from a hit song but make you're own melody
Or make you´re own but I guess that is where you are stuck so this to get you going a little.
Best of luck; may the force...
Heyclown is right. The bolded stuff is probably the easiest when you are first starting. Also, as far as drums go, its generally better to start with drums because it gets the musical juices flowing creatively, IMO. Keep working and learning. Good Luck.
-DG
A Kind Machine
New member
It helps to sing or hum melodies when writing them. The voice is the most pliable instrument for us since, unless you are trying to record a perfect vocal, you know how to use it without practice. You can make funky rhythms and interesting articulations without worrying about playing an instrument, and this is a great way to find your voice and come up with catchy material I have found.
bandcoach
Zukatoku - Mod Scientist
To add to machine's comments, record what you sing/hum. then transcribe the basic outline.
This gives you a window through which you can understand how your own mind conceives of melody.
If you are uncertain of how to proceed with transcribing the melody you sang, the following basic construction ideas for melodies are offered:
originally posted here
most melodies (based on a study of over 200 hundered pop and folk songs) follow the same principles
Some special cases apply for scale tone 7 in the major:
It must usually rise to scale tone 1
Although it can descend to scale tone 6 on the way from 1 to 5.
It may also move to scale tones 2 or 5 if used over chord V.
In note names in C major this can be seen as
B must rise to C
It may be part of the descending runs C-B-A-G or C-B-G
It may move as B-D- or B-G over the G major chord
For the minor these cases do not apply although there are some special cases when using the melodic minor
see
Bandcoach: Keys, Scales, Chords: Melodically Minor
for more details
This gives you a window through which you can understand how your own mind conceives of melody.
If you are uncertain of how to proceed with transcribing the melody you sang, the following basic construction ideas for melodies are offered:
originally posted here
most melodies (based on a study of over 200 hundered pop and folk songs) follow the same principles
| Concept | frequency | example | audio |
| Same note | 1/3 time |
| [mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/melodicIntervals-01.mp3[/mp3] |
| Move up or down a step | 1/4 time | 
| [mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/melodicIntervals-02.mp3[/mp3] |
| Jump up or down two steps | 1/4 time | 
| [mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/melodicIntervals-03.mp3[/mp3] |
| Jump up or down a larger interval | 1/6 time | 
| [mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/melodicIntervals-04.mp3[/mp3] |
Some special cases apply for scale tone 7 in the major:
It must usually rise to scale tone 1
Although it can descend to scale tone 6 on the way from 1 to 5.
It may also move to scale tones 2 or 5 if used over chord V.
In note names in C major this can be seen as
B must rise to C
It may be part of the descending runs C-B-A-G or C-B-G
It may move as B-D- or B-G over the G major chord
For the minor these cases do not apply although there are some special cases when using the melodic minor
see
Bandcoach: Keys, Scales, Chords: Melodically Minor
for more details
1
1k drop
Guest
i use to and still struggle with this from time to time, my best advice to you is to just do it, i know this sounds crazy but IMO this entire
"can't find a melodie to go with my chords" is part of two issues all young producers including myself have which is, A: song writing block and B: the idea that we as young producers are gonna make something never heard before and stop our work flow from going forward when we hear something that we heard on the radio before ( i constantly have to tell my self that music has been around so long there is nothing i can make that has not been heard before in the area of progressions and melodies.... synthesis is a entirely different debate)
anyway hope this helps some how.... you could always do what i do and just make a song with what ever comes to the ears and see where it goes most of the time for me its trash but it resolves my writing block.
"can't find a melodie to go with my chords" is part of two issues all young producers including myself have which is, A: song writing block and B: the idea that we as young producers are gonna make something never heard before and stop our work flow from going forward when we hear something that we heard on the radio before ( i constantly have to tell my self that music has been around so long there is nothing i can make that has not been heard before in the area of progressions and melodies.... synthesis is a entirely different debate)
anyway hope this helps some how.... you could always do what i do and just make a song with what ever comes to the ears and see where it goes most of the time for me its trash but it resolves my writing block.
what do you mean by dial in a chord progression? and also could u just use a arpeggiator to create a melody?
DirtyGrits
New member
"Dial in a chord progression" could mean a couple things. It could just be a fancy way of saying "pick a popular chord progression" or it could mean that you utilize chord leading principles to come up with your own chord progression. You can do this by starting with a chord and leading to next one or by picking the last chord in the progression and working backwards.
As far as melody goes, yes you can use an arpeggiator for melodies; however, using an arpeggiator will affect your note velocities, rhythm and groove tremendously. It can also hinder your imagination when it come to melody variations IMO.
Cayden Carrell
Active member
This!
Program a chord progression like Am, F, C, G and repeat it from start to end. Then make a melody over it. Examples of such songs are:
Songwriter: Ryan Tedder (One Republic)
Songs: Bleeding Love (Leona Lewis, Halo (Beyonce), Apologize (One Republic/Timbaland)
They all follow the same rigid chord structure from start to end. Repetition can be you best friend. And listen to those choruses! Very repetitive.
Now go dial in Am, F, C, G and make the next Hot 100 #1
Best of luck!