oh wow an aspiring chiptuner from St Louis O__O
I was gonna invite you to the show I'm playing here with Dream Fox next weekend, but I have a hunch you are younger than 21 lol
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zobe
Greetings,
you can already write melodies. Improvise with your voice until you find something beautiful and then transcribe it - much easier than stabbing around in the dark. You already know some basic scales too - just think about the run of notes involved in a typical vocal warm-up, or think about the few notes that make up Three Blind Mice, a tune which needs no chordal accompaniment. The only trick is to let yourself draw upon the masses of musical theory you've already absorbed unconsciously.
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Clermont-Ferrand, France
I think all you need for now has been said, just wanted to wish you good luck for your start, but since you seem receptive and motivated you won't need it 
All I can say about music theory is that you should learn basics just to have your ear trained, but don't drown into it. Only very high-skilled musicians can compose with theory only (and some don't even though btw), but in my opinion (I'm an average level musician) it's better to let your ear guide you, when it's trained of course. That's pretty much what aanaaanaaanaaana just said, in fact.
Above all, have fun !
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France (au milieu)
hello,
don't know if that helps:
http://randscullard.com/CircleOfFifths/UserGuide.htm
print a simple circle of fifth, FCGDAEB like this one: 
what you have to remember on this (well everything is interresting but might be somehow a pain to go through) are 2 tricks:
1/ the very easy way:
Pick a random chord in the circle, let's say D
Play the 2 ''neighbourg'' chords, D>A>G
The Beatles have earned quite a lot of money with this...
2/ variation:
pick a random chord, let's say C
pick a second chord in the circle, let's say A
go back to the first one following the circle down, C>A>D>G>C
you can substitute some of these by their ''minor relative'' shown on the circle
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Brunswick, GA USA
The last time this came up in an IRC channel, someone made a comment about the Von Trapp family learning to sing, referring to the way "Do Re Mi" is in The Sound of Music (which is the major scale, btw...)
All the composing classes I have ever taken assume that a student is capable of making up a melody that begins and ends on the tonic (same home) note, so you must reach that point on your own before most tutorials will help. I recommend this series in its entirety:
You will know where your skills need work from the points where you lose track of what he is talking about. Watch as many times as you need.
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St. Louis Missouri
Thanks alot guys if you go to soundcloud you can see my first attempt at a cover by fallout boy. Baconstructo I am turnign 17 in two days but not 21 or I would love to come! maybe we could meet up and exchange information. if your in town tonight some buddys of mine and I are going to see the hobbit lol pm me if you want to hang. again thanks to everybody for the help.
Soundcloud name is 8bitalchemist
Last edited by ashtonmehrle (Dec 13, 2013 2:01 pm)
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Poland
Melody is mix of notes included in chord and Nonchord tones:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonchord_tone
and here you got list of chords:
http://www.8notes.com/piano_chord_chart/C.asp
I'm sorry for my bad english
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Allright guys just an update, used some advice you guys gave me to make the following covers of punk songs... check it out at
8-bitalchemist.bandcamp.com please let me know what you guys think.
Offline
KC
PleaseLoseBattle wrote:
I think all you need for now has been said, just wanted to wish you good luck for your start, but since you seem receptive and motivated you won't need it
All I can say about music theory is that you should learn basics just to have your ear trained, but don't drown into it. Only very high-skilled musicians can compose with theory only (and some don't even though btw), but in my opinion (I'm an average level musician) it's better to let your ear guide you, when it's trained of course. That's pretty much what aanaaanaaanaaana just said, in fact.
Above all, have fun !
there you go
oh yeah and just like what was said that melodies always lead back to the tonic
Last edited by Grymmtymm (Dec 15, 2013 9:04 pm)
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D D D Detroit, not the burbs
Its true, you have already learned some theory without realizing it, but doing a little light reading couldn't hurt especially when you get into chord progression concepts and scale modulations.
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St. Charles, MO
boaconstructor wrote:
oh wow an aspiring chiptuner from St Louis O__O
Hey! So am I! You got a problem with St. Louis? 
Last edited by ShinigamiMachine (Dec 15, 2013 10:55 pm)
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Detroit
dude just lay some notes down that sound good and u got it dude gl hf
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UK
Use the minor/major pentatonic scales. Cheat scales for musical success.
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Seattle, WA US
ShinigamiMachine wrote:
boaconstructor wrote:oh wow an aspiring chiptuner from St Louis O__O
Hey! So am I! You got a problem with St. Louis?
no problems at all ^__^ I have been living in St Louis since August, was unaware that there were other folks interested in chips here besides me, shitbird, Dream Fox, and Solid State Disaster!!!
Keep doin it yo, you are blessed to have some rad chippers in your city
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Louisville Ky
Best advice I can give you, keep placing notes Down until you get something that sounds good.
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Holland
Watching others do it helps a lot too. Watch how people structure melodies, et cetera.