Need Help So Frustrated

Nimleyx

New member
Ok idk if you read my old post on "Getting Started" but i said that i always hear beats in my head but when i want to make it. I cant. Ill have melodies in my head that i want but since i know nothing about music theory i get stuck and cant make a melody.


I have a midi keyboard but i have no cord to connect it to my laptop.But my mom said she'll get one for me in 3 days. And im just afraid that even when i get the cord for it. lol i still wont be able to make a melody and simply be stuck again.

so with kindess can someone point me to the direction where i can devour information on music theory in 3 days. I justs wanna make beats.

and one question when your using a midi keyboard on fl studio and recording how many bars do you do? i keep doing 8.
 
Start with the basics. First off a measure or bar is 4 beats. You're biggest thing to learn is Rythym (in melody) Harmony, and Counter-Melody. (I'm probably missing someone else) I was getting confused when I first started off with bars and melodys. I would make my melody 4 bars long just a continuation of what I was playing with no home note.

Use the Cmajor or Aminor scale to make a beat first. (They are all white keys) If you use A first, start on a and end in A (or very close to it)

Try making your melodys 2 bars. I suggest getting yourself some books when you get your midi key keyboard.

Youtube tutorials are good too. The key to melody is repetition. You'll hear it alot in songs. that's how they get catchy. Change it up at the end.
 
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Thats what ive been doing so far. i stood up till 1 in the afternoon and finally knocked out. cuz i was up all night trying to make something but with no midi and using a laptop mouse its hard.

like making the lead brass for trap beats its so easy but i cant do it with a mouse. i know how it sounds and where to put the notes but for some reason im just frustrated

and btw what midi keyboard would you recommend? something not too big or too small just right where i can feel comfortable. Because i have a yamaha keyboard but its so big and i just dont feel right with it.
 
honestly a keyboard is a keyboard. Make sure you get one where you can practice both left hand and right hand playing. velocity sensored also. it doesn't have to be but it'd be nice. You can make beats with a laptop mouse, it's not that hard. watch youtube tutorials.. or people making beats. you'll learn
 
yeah your right. you know what?! im not gonna let it beat me so i guess im going to have to work hard.

Imma just stay up and and try to use my mouse hey maybe if i learn how to use the mouse and fl studio i wont need it.Because ive seen alot of producers on youtube with no midi and thier just going at it and making bangerz with thier mouse.

lol and to tell you the truth man it absolutely pisses me off. like how do they do that? with just a mouse.

do you think they got use to it or what?

do you know where i can find producer terms/vocab Because some of the things i see in fl studio im just completely lost
 
get yourself a 61 key keyboard controller big enough that you won't have too much trouble playing at the right octave.

consider learning a lot of things in small doses

requoted from here

There is no one way to progress or create when composing as there are so many paths you can travel.

Most pop music is based within one of several scale/mode choices:

Major: Major scale/Lydian mode/Mixolydian mode
Minor: Natural minor scale/Harmonic (and all of its modes) minor scale/Melodic (and all of its modes) minor scale/Dorian mode/Phrygian mode

Chord progressions can be chosen before or after scale/mode choice: i.e. both provide a pointer to the tonality/modality in use.

Instrument choices are an important of composing as they form the basis for expressing your ideas.

Structural ideas are also important as they allocate/relegate different instruments to different roles. There are two levels of structural ideas:
  1. Level 1
    • Melody: the main melodic ideas singer, solos, etc
    • Counter-Melody: the response to the call of the melody
    • Harmony: chords
    • Rhythm: percussion and bass (bass also draws on harmony)
  2. Level 2
    • Formal structures
      • Ternary: ABA | AABA | ABAA | ABBA | etc a lot of RnB is based in this type of structure
      • Binary: AB | AAB | ABB | etc sometimes called Verse Chorus form, the B section can be broken down into other formal structures as well
      • Rondo: ABACABA and variants (also called ritornello or returning form) Fur Elise is an example of this one
      • Song Forms: Intro Verse Chorus Verse Chorus Solo Bridge Chorus Verse Chorus Chorus Outro is one of many examples
    • In each of the above no indication has been given about numbers of bars for a section (AB or the various song form sections) - these can be from 4 to 8 to 16 for an individual section. The AABA and variants is usually called 32 bar song form, i.e. 8 bars per section letter. AB is usually called 16 bar song form for the same reasons. However, there is nothing stopping you from taking these structural components and making the smaller or larger

When analysing harmonic progressions (chord progressions) we usually use the letters found in the level formal structures to represent different parts of the chord progression as they relate to the overall structure.

Think of the level 2 structural ideas as the scaffold to hang your level 1 ideas on (your chord progressions and melodic ideas).

The rest is simply choosing a path and experimenting as you follow it......

If uncertain about some terms in this post, use the search here at fp to find deeper explanations

extension to the above quoted material

In terms of percussion and drums, you need to analyse what you are trying to duplicate and apply the results of that analysis to your writing:
  • How often does the kick come in?
  • How is the snare used? simple back-beat (2 and 4)? rolls and fills?
  • What function do the hi-hats have? time keeping? off-beat emphasis? decorative?
  • Are other percussive sounds used?
    If so,
    • how? rhythmic features, dynamics, etc
    • where? structural usage (verse, chorus, bridge, etc) is often important in defining a style
    • how often? how many beats/bars between appearances?

it's only hard if you try to do things that you don't understand how to do; learn a little, apply it; learn a little more apply it too and so it goes

requoted from here

get reaper or renoise
get an audio interface
read the manuals (aka rtfm) and experiment
Learn some basic ideas about music such as
  • instruments to use
  • notes
  • rhythm
  • intervals
  • scales
  • chords
  • melodic invention - creating a new melody from scratch
  • melodic decoration - adding new notes whilst shortening the notes/rhythms in an existing melody
  • melodic development - taking a melody and creating new ideas form it (not necessarily the same as decoration as you may change pitch instead of just adding notes)
  • melodic variation - combination of decoration and development
  • arranging - sections and structures as well as applying instruments to each
  • orchestrating - applying instruments to a particular line.

Pick one at a time and learn just enough so that you are not stressing - usually when you head starts fuzzing, you've learnt enough for that session - that is the point where your brain is working hard to integrate the new information into your existing experiences and knowledge.

Ask questions here, at school in the music department, anywhere where you trust the person giving the answer....

requoted from here
I answered this just yesterday
There are many ways to create a bass line:
  • take the root of each chord and play it with some rhythm that usually syncs up with the kick drum
  • take the notes of each chord and play through them like the bass in rock around the clock (arpeggio bass 1-3-5-3)
  • take the notes of the chord and play them with joining scale runs or leaps to notes outside the chord and then fall back into the chord note (e.g. 1-4-3-2-3-4-5)
  • take the notes of each chord and construct a line that moves up or down smoothly, effectively mimicking scale runs but with chromatic (out of key) notes where needed; this is generally called a walking bass line as it walks from chord to chord. You can also jump out of a note to another chord tone to push the flow of the line if needed
  • create a melody that pays attention the chords but is not tied to using the root of any one chord, creating a line that flows

many more besides.

So the short answer is that you need to learn:
  • chords and chord spellings
  • scales
  • melodic devices
  • chromatic notes (non-scale tones) and when they should be used

Chords and chord spellings

Keyboard fingering charts - a collection of different chords

Scales



Melodic Devices

Bass matching the melody and vice versa
Addressing your issue about matching the bass the melody, if they are both based within a chordal concept (chord progression) then it will happen as a matter of course.

If not then you need to analyse one or the other to see if there is an underlying chord in each bar and as a result a larger scale progression or sequence of chords in use. This type of analysis is beyond the scope of the (simple) theory discussed above.
 
Here's what I did when I began.
Starting with just the black keys. Take the F# as root note/chord. You can build chords from any black key and it'll be good in scale (F# as root, D# as parallel, C# as dominant, you can guide from G# to C# to F#, that'll be an II-IV move and helps getting the tonality stuck in the listeners head :D )
Theoretical background:
Tha black keys are the F#-major-pentatonic scale and serve as mixolydian scale for C# and aolic scale for D#. You can pretty fast create easy, basic, but creative melodies with just using these notes. If you feel save, try to also use the F-note and the B-note on light beats (1,3=heavy; 2,4=light)
hope that helps :D

Another tip:
I had the problem that I was overpowered with theoretical information and harmonic informations and I always kept thinking "what would theoretically sound good" or "what would the listener prefer to hear". Now that's the complete wrong direction for the start (though after all the years you can combine creativity and precise melodic movements). First play what YOU feel like, and give a **** if anyone else might like it. You'll see that you'll grow fast, since with your musical background and experience just through listening to music, you have your own opinion of a good sounding melodic line. And if everything in your song is based on your very own theoretical or creative construct, it'll sound good to others aswell.

Have fun doing beats/songs. And you may post your results here so we can review it :)

---------- Post added at 01:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:07 PM ----------

Oh, and you must learn reading notes. And also the functional harmonic theory is a must for every musician. Some complain about the use of theory since "real music is inspirational and if you're good you can without knowledge". Really romantic and stuff, and I partwise agree, but understanding the theory makes you notice, what you've intuitivly done before, and you can apply your new understandings of your creativity precisely to your new tracks.
 
Here's what I did when I began.
Starting with just the black keys. Take the F# as root note/chord. You can build chords from any black key and it'll be good in scale (F# as root, D# as parallel, C# as dominant, you can guide from G# to C# to F#, that'll be an II-IV move and helps getting the tonality stuck in the listeners head :D )

Interesting but wrong.

F[sup]#[/sup]/G[sup]b[/sup] is the tonic or chord I; It is constructed using F[sup]#[/sup]-A[sup]#[/sup]-C[sup]#[/sup]/G[sup]b[/sup]-B[sup]b[/sup]-D[sup]b[/sup].
D[sup]#[/sup]/E[sup]b[/sup] is the sub-mediant or relative minor or chord vi; it is constructed using D[sup]#[/sup]-F[sup]#[/sup]-A[sup]#[/sup]/E[sup]b[/sup]-G[sup]b[/sup]-B[sup]b[/sup].
C[sup]#[/sup]/D[sup]b[/sup] is the dominant or chord V; it is constructed using C[sup]#[/sup]-E[sup]#[/sup]-G[sup]#[/sup]/D[sup]b[/sup]-F-A[sup]b[/sup] (note the white key note E[sup]#[/sup]/F).

G[sup]#[/sup]-C[sup]#[/sup]-F[sup]#[/sup] is ii-V-I (Not II-IV as you indicate) - ii-V-I is the bread and butter of jazz and Classical period and later harmonic movement and finality

Chord ii is constructed using G[sup]#[/sup]-B-D[sup]#[/sup]/A[sup]b[/sup]-C[sup]b[/sup]-E[sup]b[/sup] (note the white key note B/C[sup]b[/sup]).

The black notes are one of the forms of the major pentatonic if you start on F[sup]#[/sup]/G[sup]b[/sup]: F[sup]#[/sup]-G[sup]#[/sup]-A[sup]#[/sup]-C[sup]#[/sup]-D[sup]#[/sup]-F[sup]#[/sup]; G[sup]b[/sup]-A[sup]b[/sup]-B[sup]b[/sup]-D[sup]b[/sup]-E[sup]b[/sup]-G[sup]b[/sup]

They are also the form of the minor pentatonic starting on D[sup]#[/sup]/E[sup]b[/sup]: D[sup]#[/sup]-F[sup]#[/sup]-G[sup]#[/sup]-A[sup]#[/sup]-C[sup]#[/sup]-D[sup]#[/sup]; E[sup]b[/sup]-G[sup]b[/sup]-A[sup]b[/sup]-B[sup]b[/sup]-D[sup]b[/sup]-E[sup]b[/sup]

Theoretical background:
Tha black keys are the F#-major-pentatonic scale and serve as mixolydian scale for C# and aolic scale for D#. You can pretty fast create easy, basic, but creative melodies with just using these notes. If you feel save, try to also use the F-note and the B-note on light beats (1,3=heavy; 2,4=light)
hope that helps :D

The major scale of F[sup]#[/sup] is: F[sup]#[/sup]-G[sup]#[/sup]-A[sup]#[/sup]-B-C[sup]#[/sup]-D[sup]#[/sup]-E[sup]#[/sup]-F[sup]#[/sup]; the major scale of G[sup]b[/sup] is: G[sup]b[/sup]-A[sup]b[/sup]-B[sup]b[/sup]-C[sup]b[/sup]-D[sup]b[/sup]-E[sup]b[/sup]-F-G[sup]b[/sup]

The mixolydian mode of C[sup]#[/sup] is: C[sup]#[/sup]-D[sup]#[/sup]-E[sup]#[/sup]-F[sup]#[/sup]-G[sup]#[/sup]-A[sup]#[/sup]-B-C[sup]#[/sup]; the mixolydian mode of D[sup]b[/sup] is: D[sup]b[/sup]-E[sup]b[/sup]-F-G[sup]b[/sup]-A[sup]b[/sup]-B[sup]b[/sup]-C[sup]b[/sup]-D[sup]b[/sup]

The aeolian mode of D[sup]#[/sup] is: D[sup]#[/sup]-E[sup]#[/sup]-F[sup]#[/sup]-G[sup]#[/sup]-A[sup]#[/sup]-B-C[sup]#[/sup]-D[sup]#[/sup]; the aeolian mode of E[sup]b[/sup] is: E[sup]b[/sup]-F-G[sup]b[/sup]-A[sup]b[/sup]-B[sup]b[/sup]-C[sup]b[/sup]-D[sup]b[/sup]-E[sup]b[/sup]
 
One of the most helpful things you can do is to not expect your going to produce a hit, first try.

Its going to take some time to learn the program and train yourself to learn a bit about chords and the piano. How long this takes is up to you, the more you practice, as grueling as it may be, the fast you will learn.

I still have yet to complete a beat, I too struggle with putting whats in my head on FL, and sometimes I just can't think of what to add to a beat. So right now I got like 3 different projects 1/3 of the way done.

keep practicing thats all I can tell you...this is something that will take time and patience to get better at. If your too frustrated to make a beat, practice piano, if your too frustrated to practice piano, work on a beat...or watch some youtube tutorial. This way you get to keep things moving.
 
You could use a sus4 (c# with black keys) as a dominant (in fact it's a sub-dominant cause of the missing melodic tone f but that does not limit the dominant feel).
I was talking about the pentatonic F#, whichs tones are also used in the C#-mixolydian.
The II-IV-I move is used in pop/rock aswell and also in hiphop. In fact there is no limitation to use this progression. It's ideal to create a strong tonal feeling for the song since it's so fundamental. And with secundary ii-iv-i moves you're on the safe side switching tonality (of course it is not the only way..). It's also the end move of the harmonical turnaround, but I'm not going to discuss that here :D

Actually everything I posted earlier is pretty useful for the starter (and also correct). Everyone who wants to can learn the complete scale and theoretic backgrounds.
 
You could use a sus4 (c# with black keys) as a dominant (in fact it's a sub-dominant cause of the missing melodic tone f but that does not limit the dominant feel).

i.e. C[sup]#sus4[/sup] ~ C[sup]#[/sup]-F[sup]#[/sup]-G[sup]#[/sup]

However, it is firmly a dominant function (chord V[sup]sus4[/sup]), not sub dominant (which is B-D[sup]#[/sup]-F[sup]#[/sup] or chord IV); lack of the 3rd does not change the overall function of the chord, as the 4th is substituting for the 3rd within the current context.

I was talking about the pentatonic F#, whichs tones are also used in the C#-mixolydian.

I do not dispute this assertion, however, it is an incomplete rendering of the mode, and can only be viewed as a mode of the pentatonic major version 1.

The II-IV-I move is used in pop/rock aswell and also in hiphop. In fact there is no limitation to use this progression. It's ideal to create a strong tonal feeling for the song since it's so fundamental.

So you are saying that something like D(DF[sup]#[/sup]A)-F(FAC)-C(CEG) (this is how you would render II-IV-I, with chord II as a major chord) is a common progression and that it serves a well defined functional purpose - never actually seen that in any of my reading or training or application or research (the absence of the leading tone in the "defining" chords makes the statement moot in my opinion).

you are more likely to see II-V-I (D-G-C) or IV-V-I (F-G-C) or ii-V-I (Dm-G-C) as defining progressions in a given key (C major has been chosen for simplicity of presentation)

And with secundary ii-iv-i moves you're on the safe side switching tonality (of course it is not the only way..). It's also the end move of the harmonical turnaround, but I'm not going to discuss that here :D

ii-iv-i (Dm (DFA) - Fm (FA[sup]b[/sup]C) - Cm (CE[sup]b[/sup]G)) is unusual, it would normally be ii[sup]b5[/sup]-iv-i (Dm[sup]b5[/sup] (DFA[sup]b[/sup]) - Fm (FA[sup]b[/sup]C) - Cm (CE[sup]b[/sup]G)). Even then it is not a common progression. You are more likely to experience ii[sup]b5[/sup]-V-i (Dm[sup]b5[/sup] (DFA[sup]b[/sup]) - G (GBD) - Cm (CE[sup]b[/sup]G)) or even [sup]b[/sup]VI-[sup]b[/sup]VII-i (A[sup]b[/sup] (A[sup]b[/sup]CE[sup]b[/sup])) - B[sup]b[/sup] (B[sup]b[/sup]DF) - Cm (CE[sup]b[/sup]G))

Turnarounds are based on cycle of 5ths movement not cycle of 4ths. They also usually end on chord V as lead back to the I at the start of the progression.

there are several turnaround formulae, the most common of which are

I-vi-ii-VC-Am-Dm-G
I-vi-IV-VC-Am-F-G
i-[sup]b[/sup]VI-ii[sup]b5[/sup]-VCm-A[sup]b[/sup]-Dm[sup]b5[/sup]-G
i-[sup]b[/sup]VI-iv-VCm-A[sup]b[/sup]-Fm-G
I-iii-ii-VC-Em-Dm-G
I-iii-IV-VC-Em-F-G

Chord ii is a substitute for chord IV and vice versa
Chord ii[sup]b5[/sup] is a substitute for chord iv and vice versa

The movement from I-vi and i-[sup]b[/sup]VI and I-iii are a short circuiting of the full cycle of 5ths motion which is

I-IV-vii[sup]b5[/sup]-iii-vi-ii-V-I in the major
i-iv-[sup]b[/sup]VII-[sup]b[/sup]III-[sup]b[/sup]VI-ii[sup]b5[/sup]-v-i in the natural minor
i-iv-vii[sup]b5[/sup]-[sup]b[/sup]III[sup]#5[/sup]-[sup]b[/sup]VI-ii[sup]b5[/sup]-V-i in the harmonic minor
i-IV-vii[sup]b5[/sup]-[sup]b[/sup]III[sup]#5[/sup]-vi[sup]b5[/sup]-ii-V-i in the melodic minor
 
Dude, I ment II-V-I :D Sorry, my fault. I was wondering why this wasn't right lol.
However, ii-iv-i is without any cadence.
Oh and essential spoken, a dominant functioned chord can be anything with the harmonic and melodic guide tones in it. If the harmonic is missing (in a sus4 it is), the dominant character is no longer given and it's more likely a sub-dominanted chord with only the melodic guide tone in it.

However, if you feel like discussing about theory, you're welcome to pm me :)
 
Music theory helps, but it is not the end all be all of music production. Trust your ear. If it sounds good, its probably right, if it sounds bad, its probably wrong. ^these previous comments probably seem really overwhelming in talking about theory. If you do want to learn some, I'd just suggest getting a basic knowledge of chords, specifically how to build them, how to invert them, and how to add scale degrees (such as adding a seventh to make a chord C7). Don't worry about what you don't know, work with what you do know and the rest will come with time. Practice is everything!
 
Dude, I ment II-V-I :D Sorry, my fault. I was wondering why this wasn't right lol.
However, ii-iv-i is without any cadence.

Not true: the subdominant minor (iv) to tonic minor (i) is an acceptable variation of the plagal cadence.

Oh and essential spoken, a dominant functioned chord can be anything with the harmonic and melodic guide tones in it.
Your use of the phrase "harmonic and melodic guide tones" is opaque: what is your intent in using such lazy terminology? Any tone scale or chromatic can be a melodic tone against a given chord. All tones within a given chord are harmonic tones.

If the harmonic is missing (in a sus4 it is), the dominant character is no longer given and it's more likely a sub-dominanted chord with only the melodic guide tone in it.

Again, I have never read anything or received instruction to this effect (and I have read a lot of books on music theory, dealing with, variously, classical, Baroque, ars nova, secunda practica, jazz, bepop, etc).

I understand that you are trying to push the fact that with the leading tone absent the chord does not have a harmonic push into the I.

This is only part of the dominant function - resolution of the leading tone to the tonic, by starting with the tonic as the sus 4, the resolution is subsumed in what is still a dominant chord.

Dominant function is more to do with the bass movement of 5-1 either as an upward 4th or downward 5th.

The type of dominant function you are referring to is the nexus between the 3rd and the 7th of the dominant 7th chord - the 3rd (scale tone 7) pushes up and the 7th (scale tone 4) pushes down to resolve to the major 3rd diad of the tonic chord

Of course in extended dominant function such as V[sup]7b9[/sup] we are left with the possibility of the 3rd pushing down and the 7th pushing up, each by semitone to arrive at the flat super-tonic [sup]#[/sup]IV, the chord that is a tritone away from the tonic.....
 
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no offense man Oo this gets a hit of topic.
I respect you and your work. especially that you try to get others into harmonic.

but you're not the only man with musical background, and even if you're the good guy correcting others, i feel a bit like being pushed down by you.
My knowledge posted here is correct and also based on lessons and books, i'm sorry if you are not 100% my opinion, but posting whole lessons here is a bit over the top.
everyone knows you and your knowledge. we thank you forsharing it with us.
I'd love if you'd have a review at my music, there is a post here, so you understand my musical background.
 
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