That is not musicality, that is the theory of how the brain percept patterns and structures in tones and sound. And i think it takes away the "magic" of music if you feel the need to dissect every parts and whys. Of course it is good to have a basic understanding but just to understand the patterns. Most of the musicians don't know anything about theory. The Beatles for example, had no musical education or knowledge of music theory.
Music is something you feel, and the theory is a way to explain what, but not why and how. Theory is necessary when you have to explain part of music for collaboration with other musicians in a big orchestra., Or when there was no way to record sound, you had to write it down on paper. But now music theory is obsolete for most people.

 

@ Shandroke,

If I well remember your first comment, you was talking that you like the 'Phrygian' mode, isn't ?

Well, in this case you're playing the 'III' degree of a chosen scale.
As a little example, and always in 'C' (to stay simple !)

The 'C' (Major) scale includes the following (well known !) notes :

C - D - E - F - G - A - B - [C]

Well, if now you like to play the 'Phrygian' mode, you'll then play (for that 'C Major scale') :

E - F - G - A - B - C - D - [E]

As your played scale starts by the 'third' note of the 'C' scale, you're then playing in the 'Phrygian' mode of that scale.
If you simply move that path and/or logic to another (starting !) note of a major scale, you'll then always be playing the 'Phrygian' mode of that new scale... ad eternum ! *yes*

 

Don't get me wrong, but why would you want to make music if you don't have the talent for it? Is it possible to feel joy from something that you are not good at? Maybe, but in my experience i always find things i'm bad at more boring than the things i'm good at. Obviously...

 

I understand, it was only meant as a firestarter.

You could also use Harmony Improvisator for help. Of Steve Duda's Cthulu. As I said, just as a help, not as a surrogate.

E.g. if you analyse Mainroom Trance you'll see that all uses the same chord progressions, simply because those progressions work in Western music since at least hundreds of years.

If you are serious you could study harmony from the pros like Bach or Beethoven.

 

Well depends on the amount of talent I guess. Everyone who has some ears and a brain has at least a bit of musical talent one can develope with hard work and commitment.

 

I know this must be very simple but i got confused a little bit but i always use the interval t-s-t-t-t-s-t it seems much easier to me like this but i believe im missing something about what you said. Is there a way to use different notes of the selected scale that sounds harmonically but without modulating?

 

What i am saying is that i am not a naturally born musician\composer etc but don't do not get me wrong i do not suck at it i just need to improve on it in order to acheive what i desire.I believe that with hard work and dedication you can acomplish what you desire, so i just need to see it in a different light if you know what i mean! I do enjoy composing im just not satisfied about my abilities yet!

 

@ Shandroke,

Once again, you're on the (right) way ! *yes*

Nothing better to learn (a least a little !) a particular topic (in this case the Music Theory), before to be able to put your emotions, soul, feeling,... on it. *yes*

Effectively, you can have all the EMOTIONS of the world inside yourself, but if you don't know anything about music theory... you can guess the main result :

200 % of pure emotions, soul, feeling,... OK, Perfect !
and maybe 5-10 % of 'pure' musicality, for the single reason that most of your 'Chord Progressions', 'Scales', 'Melodies',... will not be in 'harmony' with the previous played Chord, Scale, Pattern,... or with the followings !

In this case, and is my own opinion, better to make some 'noise' !!! in place to try to play music.
And this is valid for any kind of music style... Even the most 'minimalistic' music needs some knowledge, even if not 'encyclopedic'...

By the way and for info, the 'noises' are stated as 'noise' because they don't have a well defined frequency... good to know, isn't ?
Think about 'Pink Noise', 'White Noise', 'Brown Noise',...

 

Yes maybe, but i think music is like any other talent or abilities. Everyone can write, but not everyone can write a book. Just because you love art doesn't mean you can paint...
It is good to have perception of your own limitations.
just because you love music doesn't mean you can make music.
It seems that people see music in a different way, I often hear people say that they can sing but the really can not. It's like music is delusional for people that are not musical. maybe?

 

Yes, that is great. and i wish you good luck.

 

Exactly, agree 100%, of course you can learn and with practice make something, but that's if you only want to go deep into it and not find shortcuts all the time, there is no shortcuts, I can tell that for sure, everything you try to fake come after you sooner or later, you just need to learn it good and be really really patient, great result are result of time and dedication and of course talent, you must feel it and have sense for music to deliver it good, just like you know how to drive a car, but that don't mean you can drive professional rally track tomorrow, you need more than that to get there, my point is we all love music, that doesn't mean we all are good at making it.

Big truth is people who know how to fake it know how to make it, they can make awesome music, but they choose to make something mediocre to please masses, that's real faking, not trying to make mediocre music with mediocre knowledge, it looks easy when you look how they did it, as I said before they spend years working and they are just taking a piss all over with their skills and knowledge, they worked it hard, people today think if some artist is making something so easy using shortcuts he don't have knowledge, it's just the opposite, he knows how to make it anyways, but he choose fastest road just because he know what he is doing all this time, not because he is lacking it, first learn the road to know where to took the shortcut, if you don't know that road, how would you know that is a real shortcut.

 

Well I guess it's a matter of what you belive in I guess.

As Edison said: Genius is 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiation.

Problem is: Most of the people don't want to put the least bit of effort in their aims. They try, they fail, they give up and look for sth easier.

I mean: Was a guy like Jackson Pollock able to 'paint'? Are his famous works 'paintings'?

Concerning singing: Anyone (healthy) can learn to sing, because the human voice is the primal instrument.

Same here: Can Bob Dylan 'sing'? Or Tom Waits? Is Black Metal growling 'singing'?

Everyone could be an artist.

 

@ Shandroke,

Another few tips about the main title of your article : 'How to create Great Melodies !!!', and without necessarily going deep in the 'Music Theory'.

A thing to keep in mind is that most of the Great melodies created in music since immemorial times and in any style of music, are in fact rather 'simple' melodies.
I'm not talking here about solos, leads, specific parts,... of some instrumentalists and/or virtuosos with their played instrument(s), SOLELY about the main melody, melodies of a particular song.

In most of the cases, you should (if able !) to whistle it easily...
These melodies are most of the time easily recognizable and memorisable, that's the main reason why the majority of the people (even if not musicians at all !) can remember a particular melody (notes) when they listen it even months (and more !) after listening to the first time(s)...

As a composer, avoid the large intervals among the notes of your melodies (apart if it's a searched effect).
Ex : 'jump' rather to a third, a fourth, a fifth,... from your previous played/written note, rather than directly 'jump' to a seventh..

This example is for if one day your melodies are sung by some singers, don't forget that NOT all the singers can easily make such 'jumps' among sung notes...


The story will continue... *yes*

 

A Dm always makes me feel sad

 

Maybe you try to theorize too much ?

Once you got your chords, you search for lead melodies but can't find anything you like, right ? One of the clue is because each scale don't always work with every chords... You probably know all that.

Do you know anything about time ? 4 times in a bar, etc... Most of the time everyone uses 2,4 or 8 bars long riffs. This is the most natural sounding.


Then about structure, who do what, what's the role of my bass, my lead sound, my drums etc... Each one must be in their place.

This is stupid but one way to learn great amount of things is to listen to the artists you like, why they use this note, this instruments etc...

I guess you have to take time experimenting, and not think TOO MUCH about theory ! And searching within yourself and your emotions. What emotions you are searching for, what melodies might express this or that emotion.


And about guys who say "I did a hit on a tour bus" most of the time that is not true. They probably do the first demos of their ideas but not the final release...


Don't know if that would help, that's a so simple but complex question... And one of the most precious advice I ever heard is "There's no rules" (It's not to be taken in the first degree but you know what I mean...)


And good luck

That is a good example ! Same for me haha or Am too
When I started playing guitar I thought some notes were "Hot" and some others were "Cold", that helped me playing with emotions (Because Hot = happy or grooving, Cold = More sad). Like E, G, A were Hot, F, B or A# were Cold. Of course that was SOOOOO stupid (I was like 14/15yo) but that helped me write my first songs...

 

10.000+ hours of practice. Then add talent and some theory into the equation. Then maybe, just maybe, you can greate great melodies on the fly (vocals/humming, guitar, piano, bass, etc). Like me.

Remember, the pauses between the notes are as important as the actual notes. Maybe even more important. Many people tend to forget/neglect that.

 

Learning too much theory will stifle your creativity. "Let it grow, let it grow. Let it blossom, let it flow."

 

You are right in some ways but i think you miss my point. Of course growling is singing. why wouldn't it be?
Dylan and Waits are geniuses. Dylan make simple and great songs, the lyrics are fantastic.
But if this are your examples of people that can not sing/make music then you totally miss my point.

So you are saying that just because you can make sounds with your voice you can sing?
No not everyone can learn how to sing, some people don't have the ability to hear if it sounds false or not.
Im not talking about people that that sings quite bad (that can even be charming), i mean, some people really can't sing even if they try.

Sure, everyone could be an artist, if you have something to express and to show. but who judge? people.
I mean that you could make anything, but don't expect people to like it.
About Jackson Pollock, sure he can paint, it's all about expression. Just because you and me can't understand it, doesn't mean it's bad art.

So you are telling me that everyone could do anything and be anything if they work hard enough? maybe, but i don't think so. Genes have many roles in our skills and talents. Thats not so hard to understand when you think that every living cell in our body are made up from the blueprint of our genes. So we cannot possibly be exactly the same, therefore we have different talents and abilities.

So on second thoughts, no not everyone could be an artist ;)

 

Hey Guys thanks for all the strong tips ! I appreciate it!!