Instruments / Frequencies

[russwasherejr]

I'm getting pretty good at hearing stuff in a mix, I don't really have a style i'm aiming for but my beats just don't sound complete enough. I've been trying to watch beat videos and listen a little more but I need to take a break from it for a little and just work on producing beats.


Do you guys usually have one instrument that does each thing seperately? It looks like to me that people have the melody's in the really high octaves like 2nd octave or so. do you guys use other instruments in that same octave? cause what I do is i'll use 3 octaves the low/mids for bass, the mid range for counter melody and the highest for melody. if not, what did you guys do to learn this? any tips would be awesome. thanks!

 

[bandcoach]

you are limiting yourself too much

instead of watching beat making videos go read some websites on arranging and orchestration

yes they will talk about real instruments but you can substitute your own concepts into each of the roles

I know that I work across six octaves easily and have four roles always playing out in some fashion:

Melody
Counter-melody
Harmonic basis - Chordal instruments and instruments that perform a harmonic function: Piano, guitar, bass
Rhythmic Impetus - includes drums and bass, as bass whilst forming part of the harmonic basis is also about rhythmic push

the six octaves

C[sub]5[/sub]-C[sub]6[/sub] ~ Flute/Clarinet/piccolo, trumpet/trombone/horn, violin/viola, guitar (stops at E[sub]5[/sub]), piano continues another octave higher
C[sub]4[/sub]-B[sub]4[/sub] ~ Flute/Oboe/clarinet/piccolo (starts at D[sub]4[/sub]), trumpet/trombone/horn, violin/viola/cello, guitar (cello stops at G[sub]4[/sub])
C[sub]3[/sub]-B[sub]3[/sub] ~ Middle C, Flute/Oboe/clarinet/bassoon, trumpet/trombone/horn, violin/viola/cello, guitar
C[sub]2[/sub]-B[sub]2[/sub] ~ Guitar, most brass, clarinet/bassoon, cello/viola/violin (trumpets/clarinets are only down to E[sub]2[/sub], violin only down to G[sub]2[/sub])
C[sub]1[/sub]-B[sub]1[/sub] ~ Bass guitar/double bass/tuba/cello/bassoon, bottom end: of the guitar, trombone, horns
C[sub]0[/sub]-B[sub]0[/sub] ~ Sub Octave bass plus bass guitar/double bass/tuba range, piano (can go down to A[sub]-1[/sub])

Note that I have not assigned function to any of these octaves as any instrument can play any role in any octave