How do you create melodies?

[johnfn]

Do you have any tips about how you come up with melodies? Do they just come randomly to you in your head? Do you fool around with notes for hours looking for perfection? Does environment do anything to help?

I'm just curious if anyone has any tips.

[MattBlair]

this is clearly something your going to have to figure out for yourself. its different for everyone. i like places with plenty of natural light and vivid colors/scenes.

[vwvSTATICvwv]

At 8/18/06 10:13 PM, johnfn wrote: Do they just come randomly to you in your head?

yes

Do you fool around with notes for hours looking for perfection?

yes

Does environment do anything to help?

yes

You have to at least have some kind of musically/artistically shaped mind to create good melodies (yes, create, not copy). Music creation isn't for everyone.

[dj-padman1]

At 8/18/06 10:33 PM, VWVSTATICVWV wrote:

You have to at least have some kind of musically/artistically shaped mind to create good melodies (yes, create, not copy). Music creation isn't for everyone.

I don't agree with that at all! A cat walking across a keyboard could possibly create a wondrous melody. By the same token, looping a 2 bar riff in a piano roll and constantly modifying it until it sounded right could yield even an absolute beginner good results if they had the patience.

[MaestroSorrow]

ah, but I do agree that some melodies are easily formed then others.

If it took you 5 hours to come up with a melody somebody else could in 20 minutes, are you really going to persue music?

Anybody can do what anybody else can, but there are several factors, both biological, and mental, that effect this.

I have a friend, bless his heart, he loves music so damn much, and he wants to make tunes so bad, yet he is openly tone deaf, and cannot seem to come up with anything. He spends several hours to come up with a 20 second riff, which I have seen others beat melodic wise in sheer minutes.

I don't want to rain on anybodies parade, but sometimes, you need to look at facts, and decide what is better for you.

To answer your question, it doesn't matter where i'm sitting, because i'm usually lost in my own head creating some kind of story or scenery that I try to create audio wise.

I heard that people do their best work in uncomfortable positions.

[ZENON]

At 8/18/06 10:13 PM, johnfn wrote: Do you have any tips about how you come up with melodies?

One: put what you think sounds good down :) Thats it. Thats all you really need.

[vwvSTATICvwv]

At 8/18/06 11:32 PM, dj_padman1 wrote: By the same token, looping a 2 bar riff in a piano roll and constantly modifying it until it sounded right could yield even an absolute beginner good results if they had the patience.

True.

But it does take patience.

And luck.

And even so, they would have to be able to recognize the good melody. I know many people that wouldn't be able to recognize a good melody if it grabbed their dick. Or a bad melody, for that matter. Which is why the portal is filled with crap.

[MaestroSorrow]

Well I wouldn't say crap, I just like to think, unrefined. There's a huge amount of people, who if they knew what they were doing, those same songs would be deadly.

As it turns out, Newgrounds is an excellent stepping stone.

[vwvSTATICvwv]

At 8/18/06 11:43 PM, MaestroSorrow wrote: I have a friend, bless his heart, he loves music so damn much, and he wants to make tunes so bad, yet he is openly tone deaf, and cannot seem to come up with anything. He spends several hours to come up with a 20 second riff, which I have seen others beat melodic wise in sheer minutes.

Perfect example.

I heard that people do their best work in uncomfortable positions.

I find that to be true. I think it is because, they are so into their work, and doing well at it, that they don't want it to change, so they don't either.

[vwvSTATICvwv]

At 8/18/06 11:49 PM, MaestroSorrow wrote: Well I wouldn't say crap, I just like to think, unrefined. There's a huge amount of people, who if they knew what they were doing, those same songs would be deadly.

As it turns out, Newgrounds is an excellent stepping stone.

God you amaze me with your brilliance. You keep saying what I am struggling to get out.

[MaestroSorrow]

I also write alot, which probably helps.

Maybe thats why i'm so obsessed with making songs with stories, and why ultimately I decided to side with classical.

OH, on another note (I lol at my play on words) another great way to come up with melodies, is listening to the type of music you want to end up making.

People who draw in a certain style are told to follow three steps

1) find pictures and drawings to the style you want.

2) Trace those pictures, and get your hand used to drawing in that style.

3) master the style, and then make it your own.

I like to think audio creation follows similar process, except don't TRACE the song, cuz thats gonna get you destroyed by your peers and etc, but try to understand what they use, and how they use it, and where, and eventually you'll break it down into steps small enough to manipulate it into your own liking.

Also, for the first couple of months, the songs in your head you hear, you will more then likely not be able to create them. Think of it like this, imagine a great drawing, and then get some paper and draw it. You're not going to be able to, because you know how it SHOULD look, but you lack the skills in getting there. Audio creation, EXACTLY the same thing. Just keep busting them out, i've hit my 250 song mark, and i'm still struggling to get it down perfect.

[vwvSTATICvwv]

At 8/18/06 11:59 PM, MaestroSorrow wrote: OH, on another note (I lol at my play on words)

Haha!

I like to think audio creation follows similar process, except don't TRACE the song, cuz thats gonna get you destroyed by your peers and etc, but try to understand what they use, and how they use it, and where, and eventually you'll break it down into steps small enough to manipulate it into your own liking.

Or you can TRACE it. Just don't upload it to NG. Bad idea.

Just keep busting them out, i've hit my 250 song mark, and i'm still struggling to get it down perfect.

You are pretty damn near. In fact, your creations in the audio portal inspire me.

*Goes to make a song called "MaestroSorrow is a really good artist"*

[dj-padman1]

Static, you've probably hit the nail on the head before, they WOULD have to be able to recognise it. I would have thought that it would be quite easy to tell if something hits the mark on not, but I suppose it is a very subjective thing, and unfortunately a lot of people frankly cannot grasp what constitutes effective, artistically competiive music. Who's to say anyway? Don't the masses rule anyway? But I suppose popular music is always (errr......!.) very well produced and has hallmarks of proper structure, even though it might be quite derivative and not exactly forward looking...
Maestro, you're observations are as lucid as always. When are you going to start a chat show already!?! If a person was in your friends situtation, i suppose the only grounds for them to pursue music would be as a side pursuit in their life, just a hobby. If they intended to make a living out of it, they should have a long hard look at their real chances..It's a shame that people can love an art and are doomed to fail at it...at least in a professional sense. Perhaps in their own mind they've taken the art to the next level! Maybe that's all that counts.

As a sidenote, even the most tonedeaf person could produce hard techno I reckon! Repetitve 2 note 1/2 bar riffs. Layered overdriven ethnic percussion loops. You can't exactly go wrong! Whack a mighty kick over the top of it, and you're smokin!

[MaestroSorrow]

Pshaw, Chat shows are for people who have more then ten minutes worth of observations, alot of my thoughts end with "ROFL", so you can guess just how useful they are :D!

As for my friend, I feel bad for his situation as well, I try to assist him on every turn, and as you said, he is only going to take it as a hobby.

If his music reflected how much he loved the art, he would destroy me and my songs in the timeframe of seconds. Sometimes I envy him for that, and he still can't tell me how and why he started his obsession with music. I suppose it's just one of those things.

And WVWSTATICVWV, no need to create a song like that man, if you make stuff I can sit down and enjoy, that is really more then enough.

[vwvSTATICvwv]

Another well-thought-out post. Nice work.

[vwvSTATICvwv]

At 8/19/06 12:34 AM, MaestroSorrow wrote: And WVWSTATICVWV, no need to create a song like that man, if you make stuff I can sit down and enjoy, that is really more then enough.

Are you reffering to my one and only song in the portal?

[Anth0n]

Remember, melodies don't have to be complex to be good. Simple melodies can be really good, too.

[vwvSTATICvwv]

At 8/19/06 12:35 AM, VWVSTATICVWV wrote: Another well-thought-out post. Nice work.

Directed to dj_padman1

[vwvSTATICvwv]

At 8/19/06 12:38 AM, Anth0n wrote: Remember, melodies don't have to be complex to be good. Simple melodies can be really good, too.

Very true. A lot of my unsubmitted songs have awsome melodies that would sound like crap if some noob tried to coppy it with crappy instruments. So I suppose it has a lot to do with use of instruments, or in other words, the software.

[Rucklo]

I just click stuff(on the key lane in reason)/play randomly on my midi-keyboard or guitar, or perhaps whistle a little...
Basicly for me it´s important to have a stable situation overall to be inspired, meaning i have to activate my body both physically and mentally to be "in shape" so to say. I produce horrible stuff when depressed, and out of shape. Wich i´ve been one way or another last year or so. But it´s coming back to me now i think :)

quick example of making a elodie/composition;

- Try create a high-pitched lead. Let it go however you want, just make it sound decent.

- Add a pretty simple baseline, perhaps a vicious low key string or something.

- Adjust the lead and make it sound smooth with the baseline.

- Add a beat that seem OK, and fill in the "empty voids" with a cool effect or weird beat sample or something.

- LEAVE the song. Pick it up in a couple of days/weeks and check what you made. If you still like it, keep working on it. You´ll most likley hear things you didn´t before.

But like earlier mentioned, all ways of making melodies are individual. Yet it´s never wrong to try out different methods, perhaps one part of the method suites you perfectly, while others don´t. That´s one way of getting structured up in the head....

[Swirly-Helix]

I collab alot, so I geuss you can say I take inspiration from others. but I do know what I want in a song, I make sure every note is on how I want it. and go with it. Its like every note makes an image and a full melody is a little movie, if the note isnt right. Its damages the whole thing.

[MaestroSorrow]

Now thats strange, I seem to be able to make songs best when I am depressed, I just feel my emotions are more... raw? at that point.

(Hence the name MaestroEmo, I believe you were the one to suggest that Rucklo ;)

What he says is right though, you can only flourish after you've built a system that works for you.

[vwvSTATICvwv]

If you listen to my song, you'll notice that it is totally random notes (not really, I just felt like saying that) and it works. If you hear something you don't like in a melody, just fix it. That is the recipe for a mediochre melody.

But for a kick ass melody, I believe it takes much more.

[Rucklo]

At 8/19/06 01:04 AM, MaestroSorrow wrote: Now thats strange, I seem to be able to make songs best when I am depressed, I just feel my emotions are more... raw? at that point.

That´s what i thought would be valid for me too, but uh uh, it´s the total opposite for me. I guess when I´m down i dont think in a rational way, and to be honest i belive i use quite alot "mathemathical thinking" when i spawn and create, and therefore must be sharp. Weird how things work, huh? :)

(Hence the name MaestroEmo, I believe you were the one to suggest that Rucklo ;)

Hehe i reckognise that name. Now go change it >:(

[Vanyel]

i use sibelius to input some random notes, then change it till its awesome

[pitbulljones]

What the fuck is a melody? Seriously?

I hardly ever make anything that has a recognisable melody line, i just use a load of sounds and aural aspects to make a song. melody to me is left to a singer to work out, maybe thats because of my time with bands, being rythmn guitar i didnt have to worry about melody, just progression.

i wouldn't worry so much about how t make melodies, just make whatever comes to mind and keep moving forward. If you want to know what i mean, listen to someof my stuff and you'll get what im talking about.

[SpamWarrior]

I dont believe that for some people tho, its not a matter of being either pitch perfect or tone deaf, i got told by someone who can on occasion write a full track from the first note he plays that he had to LEARN to be pitch perfect. So unless its medical fact someone is tone deaf, then there is every chance for improvement.

As regardin making music, i dont really make much thats beautiful, i generally follow the techno approach which is about putting weird noises into a track and seeing how they react with each other.

Melody writing if you can play an instrument should come easily, if not it might take a bit longer.

And then theres... those days that i'm not going to talk about, and i hope no one else does or did.

[Cerrax]

Sleep deprivation does wonders for my music creation. My best songs have always been composed very late at night. I guess its sort of (on a much smaller scale) the same thing that drugs do that inspire so many artists. It just messes with your brain and breaks it free of the shackles of reality. When you're that tired, you don't worry about what is acceptable, what is good musical design, what constitutes a well-defined song. You just do what sounds good because your brain just doesn't care. Then go back when your brain is very sharply focused (say after a good eight hours of sleep) and refine it. Then you get one very kick-ass tune. Well, that's how it works for me anyway.

[Deflektor]

And also,if you want to picture a situation,like a battle or something,music wise,first,imagine the scene.That is important,because as each one has his style of music,each one has his imagination.I mean,when you imagine a battle scene,this would not be the same characters,decor,or that stuff as another artist.So,make YOUR scene,as YOU picture it,and then,just imagine the best music you could imagine on that scene.Well,it's how i create melodies.

[pitbulljones]

don a blind fold and randomly hit the keys. throw your keyboard against a wall, get your friends over to fiddle with it. use you penis, or a nipple, lick it with your tongue, or your dogs tongue, even better a cats tongue, theyre rough like old carpet.