Music theory question.. need someone with a good ear

Discussion in 'Education' started by FrankWhite23, Jun 30, 2020.

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  1. FrankWhite23

    FrankWhite23 Producer

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    First off I just wanted to thank you guys... everyone here has been so helpful with the questions I ask... it does mean alot.. ok enough with the sappy stuff
    My question is I think its time for me to venture outta of the minor scales for all of my melodies .. alot of my stuff is starting to sound the same.. i have 2 songs I was hoping you could transcribe not the whole thing maybe just the intro of the first song and the scale/mode and what notes the horn stabs I can't tell if its a chord or a detuned horn sample. This one here is more of a jazzy blues type beat.

    And the second one is the horns I was talking about.. i can't seem to get that same feeling in my music or atleast a good starting point.
     
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  3. Smoove Grooves

    Smoove Grooves Audiosexual

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    Hi!
    Not hearing any brass in the Drake track.
    Do you mean the filtered and pitched vocal cut-up on top? That's what it sounds like to me.
    The first track is pretty involved to work out, and I don't believe it would be of virtue for me to spend ages working it out and telling it to you, when you'd learn so much more yourself.
    Btw, there are obviously minor scales in that track too!
    Or do you mean minor chord progressions that always start on the 1 of the scale? Like the Drake track?
    Anyway, the first track is in Gm!
    Something like F, EbM7 (capital M is Major!), F, Csus2 (or with 9th, however you see it) over first 2 bars,
    then same again but finishing on Gm instead of the C turnaround chord.
    If you know minor scales I'm surprised you couldn't hear that. Which is why I don'y know if I'm wasting my time even explaining it simply!
    But this should help you anyway! :wink:

    edit: and of course, I listened to the root notes of the bass to get an understanding of the chord progression.
     
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2020
  4. FrankWhite23

    FrankWhite23 Producer

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    I'm still learning chords I should of mentioned that and thats probably why all my stuff kinda sounds alike
     
  5. FrankWhite23

    FrankWhite23 Producer

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    But thank you smoove groove.. im at work right now im gonna try and recreate something similar when I get home just 4 practice
     
  6. Smoove Grooves

    Smoove Grooves Audiosexual

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    Uh...you're welcome?! Your ratings button not working? lol
    Under that top line melody thing in the Drake track, there are just two string chords, btw. Is that what you heard as brass? Idk.
     
  7. Colin

    Colin Producer

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    At the end of the day, all you need to do is figure out the best way to record whatever's going on in your head. Maybe that's way too simple for most, but musicians have existed since the dawn of time and certainly before DAW's and computers. I get that maybe you are really looking for feedbac, we've all been there. The worst thing in the world is not having a trusted set of second ears to bounce things off. Being a one man enterprise is do-able, but it slows everything down by weeks as you have to park an idea and come back to it with fresh ears to form any kind of objective opinion. Getting back to majors and minors and all that theory ... well ... it can only take you so far, and it has it's place in the world, especially when working with other musicians and trying to convey your vision to them. At the end of the day just go with your own intuition if you have one. People will either buy into what you do or not. Don't be a clone. Also, these are strange times. The notion that you can use keys to do every instrument under the sun is just lunacy. The reality is, every instrument has it's own way of being played which is almost impossible to replicate. Think this has turned into a rant lol ... bottom line .... just be you ..... dont try and be someone else ..... and if you arent confident, and need to ask a lot of advice ..... then maybe you arent at the level to be releasing things into the wild just yet. Anyway good luck and good fun with whatever it is you do :)
     
  8. Ayc

    Ayc Ultrasonic

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    Hi, i think if you are bored with the minor scale (Aeolian) the best think you could learn is Modal Mixture. The first song that you posted has it (the forth chord).

    You could try with Secondary Dominants too, this sounds really jazzy if you implement it well.

    Sometimes it isn't that the minor scale is small maybe you haven't tried a lot with it, sometimes just plaing with chord extensions will make minor scale sound really intresting (13th, 9th, etc).
     
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  9. Colin

    Colin Producer

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    my point was, there's a whole new reality when you stop thinking in terms of scales, modes, note positions, chord shapes etc (bearing in mind you have learned that stuff first!) ..... start thinking in terms of music, and melody and harmony, and whatever sounds right in your head
     
  10. Smoove Grooves

    Smoove Grooves Audiosexual

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    Totally agree. But this comment and your prior one seem to be OT regards what the op was asking for.
    And @Ayc was responding to the op, btw.
     
  11. I don't try and make interesting music. I just leave the mistakes in.
     
  12. FrankWhite23

    FrankWhite23 Producer

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    Oh wow I like the chart... i almost always start my melodies on the root note.. i know there isn't rules but there is in a sense.. is it a normal thing for a melody to start on the 3rd or the 5th of the note scale?
     
  13. FrankWhite23

    FrankWhite23 Producer

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    https://www.beatstars.com/bearcub
    Thats my beatstars page i almost always in the key of cmin c#min or Dmin and ill start on the one till I find something interesting and catchy then start on a counter melody I usually only hit 2 notes instead of 3 when making chords.. it limits my possibilities of being wrong.. but im still learning.. i try to keep a proper structure for the genre im doing but that also needs some work... im soaking all this info in though
     
  14. Smoove Grooves

    Smoove Grooves Audiosexual

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    Have you heard the track 'Three Blind Mice'?
     
  15. FrankWhite23

    FrankWhite23 Producer

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    Yes your right... i need a mentor ive been doing this awhile 8 years but I took a 3 year long break and im trying to get back into this as a serious producer
     
  16. FrankWhite23

    FrankWhite23 Producer

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    Yes.. ok gotcha... ive watched some music theory classes online but it seems like 80% of my questions aren't answered on alot of the stuff or maybe I need to find a whole course thats in depth
     
  17. Colin

    Colin Producer

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  18. Nought

    Nought Guest

    Maybe I'm wrong!

    The first one:
    Scale: A# Major

    Chords:
    A#maj, Gmin, Fmaj, D#maj = (I, vi, V, IV)
     
  19. Smoove Grooves

    Smoove Grooves Audiosexual

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    @Nought
    Where's your Csus2 as the 4th chord of the 8 chords?
    The one thing you got nearly right is the fact that the second chord is an EbM7, which in this case is relative to Gm, but with an Eb as first note.
    Listen to the root notes of the bass guitar.
     
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2020
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  20. Nought

    Nought Guest

    Sorry man! Maybe you're right but my ears ignore sus chords and anything related to jazz chord progressions, so I am not able to hear them.:sad:
     
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  21. Ayc

    Ayc Ultrasonic

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    This is the way i think of this progression
    Dm7 - Ebmaj7 - FMaj - Cmaj (and maj9 o Add 2 in the 8 chord)

    The Cmaj being a modal interchange between the Ionian mode
     
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2020
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