Is there any good tutorial for epic music that can be downloaded for free?
I am not looking for link, but for name of such tutorial, I 've been searching this for year, and I heard evenant ones are good, but not avaible freely and "Creating Epic Cinematic Compositions by Gary Hiebner" is a joke.

 

Not free... but $48 isn't expensive either

https://www.groove3.com/promo/the-orchestral-production-bundle

 

What about Tom Holkenborg and the tutorials on his YouTube channel?
https://www.youtube.com/user/junkiexlofficial/videos

Or if it needs to be really epic, listen to tracks from 2 Steps From Hell (although you probably know them already), and search for remakes on https://musescore.org. The midi files for example give a good idea how to write such music. Or check the 'tutorials' from the producers behind 2SFH at EWQL http://www.soundsonline.com/ to see how they use all the different instruments. Just to give an idea.

I agree that most courses aren't that epic at all so the challenge is to be creative what's available I guess.

 

just learn from these guys

 

i thought you meant Epic like epic intro or melody or buildups like this track

if you wanna check out Vangelis Blade Runner original movie soundtracks and documentaries /Vangelis and the Journey to Ithaka (2013) documentary/or check out Junkie XL's vidz on youtube or Hans Zimmer's mastercalls video for epic movie and scene soundtracks all have some good tips bro !! good luck

 

Trumpet, trombones + horns + big reverb, mid to low register, percussion.
If you have more problems, better improve your playing and theory chops.
You are "searching" for years, but how hard is to learn on your own from the masters? People like J.Williams, D.Elfman, H.Zimmer weren't waiting for someone to make "tutorials" for them to learn and instead studied Holst, Bruckner etc.

 

You are opposing 2 approaches that doesn't necessarily have to be antagonist. It's perfectly possible to study big composers by yourself and search for courses about the same subject.
Specially in this genre where, once mixed, some details can be very difficult to catch as an autodidact.
Not to speak about how much time you can save with a real good lesson compared to finding the same answer by yourself.
And these renowned composers that you mention had professors too.

 

just watch CNN.......or FOX...

 

https://clyp.it/pawoysdj

 

Theory?
Theory is useless when you sit down in front of computer with openned DAW.
Im looking for this tutorial not because I don't know the theory, but to learn how to shape tracks and rhythms.
Creating chords and melody for me is 5 minute job, splitting it on instrument ranges too, but the arrangement is problem (why trumpet here, why horn there, why horn takes from there, why violins leave there, why accented this notes, how do you make it flow if you accent same places, won't it be a bit jumpy, as accents are on same place on all isntruments etc.), and that you won't find in any book, that can not be explained, you will find how Mozzart did it and other composers, I do not want to be Mozzart for epic music, today we have standard put by TSFH and similar, and we can only teach from them or someone who knows how to explain that style, not from any Mozzart.
Whoever thinks studying theory and classic scores will teach them sounding like TSFH, are wong, and also ones who saying that music is too simple, why don't they create something like that? Why they are not Nick Phoenix, or Thomas Bergersen?
These two guys in this modern era are something different than classical music, and everyone should draw line between those two, Mozzart had less instruments, and he does not had to care for panning, spacing, eqing, it will sound good, it is in ranges and not too many instruments at the same time, and TSFH have 200 voices at the same time, this two music styles aren't near to close.

H.Zimmer style is unique, but its not style I am looking for.

 

You don't learn in school how to imitate a style, wow. You learn how and why things work, so you can compose anything (not like they had any creative freedom with directors asking for variations of existing music).
When Zimmer and Williams wrote imitations of Mars for action movies like Gladiator and Star Wars, they changed the time sig., rhythms and melodies, retaining most of the Holst's orchestration and general idea. It's not a hard thing to do conceptually.

 

What is "epic music"?

I think that's pretty epic.

 

Eh, I hate to disagree, but theory is important. Necessary? No, important, yes. The biggest tip I can give is to watch the pros. Search for Daniel James on Youtube. He does 5 hour long composition videos, go to his actual channel, there are dozens of videos he has done. Do not get hung up on the libraries he uses, or any composer for that matter. Until you are very experienced, you wont benefit from a high end expensive library.

https://www.youtube.com/user/dazexus/videos

If I said, always use dominant and tonic notes and avoid using thirds except by one or two instruments out of the entire orchestra, would you understand what I am saying? Because this is fundamental to orchestral music, and this is music theory.

Get your hands on some good libraries. I recommend starting with what I call an arp library. This is an orchestral library that contains common runs commonly used in soundtracks today. One of the best is The Orchestra Complete by SonusScore.

The Orchestra Complete ($399)

https://sonuscore.com/shop/the-orchestra-complete/

Getting your hands on a good overall orchestral library is also important. I personally use the Special Edition libraries from Vienna Symphonic Library (I have both the Vienna Instruments version and the Synchronized version that they just released), but there are other options that may be better to start with if you are not familiar with orchestral composing. Metropolis Ark 1 &3 by orchestral tools are great to start with that can fill this bill, as well as Berlin Orchestra Inspire 1 & 2.

(All four of these libraries are fantastic)

https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Product_Overview/Starter_Editions

(VI Starter Edition - € 1,480 Euros)
(Synchronized Start Edition - € 1,480 Euros)
(Smart Orchestra - $175 Euros)
(Smart Spheres - $125 Euros)

(Go to collections at the top and look for Metropolis Ark or Berlin Series)
(MA 1 - $549 Euros)
(MA 3 - $549 Euros)
(MA 4 - $549 Euros)
(BO 1 - $399 Euros)
(BO 2 - $399 Euros)

http://www.orchestraltools.com/

For specific libraries, Cinesamples Brass is a great brass library. LASS & Cinematic Strings are great string libraries. For percussion, Heavyocity Damage, Strikeforce Percussion, and Hans Zimmer Percussion are your goto libraries. Berlin Tools Woodwinds is an excellent Woodwinds library. For choirs, 8dio Insolidus is great. For piano, my goto is the Steinway D-274 piano from Vienna Symphonic Library, but for horror writing, Death Piano is going to be hard to beat for that bizarre, horrific piano sound (they have hundreds of piano presets that offer that creepy or mysterious atmosphere). For electronic music, my goto is Omnisphere. Nothing beats what you get from this package, especially if you arent familiar with sound shaping / sculpting.

Cinebrass Complete Bundle comes with core, pro, and descant horn. Retro trumpets and 12 horn ensemble are also very good)

Cinebrass complete ($650 + $70 for 12 horn Ensemble + $110 for retro trumpets)

https://cinesamples.com/category/brass

LASS ($557)

https://audiobro.com/lass-2-0/

Cinematic Strings ($299)

https://www.cinematicstrings.com/

Heavyocity Damage ($299)

https://heavyocity.com/product/damage/

Strikeforce Percussion ($389)

https://laboratoryaudio.com/

Hans Zimmer Percussion ($399)

https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-z/hans-zimmer-percussion/

Berlin Series Woodwinds ($649 Euros + $85 Euros for expansion A, soloists (expansion B & C) are $175 and $125)

http://www.orchestraltools.com/

Insolidus Choir ($600)

https://8dio.com/instrument/insolidus-choir-for-kontakt-vst-au-aax-samples/

VSL Steinway D-274 ($285 Euros or $540 Euros if you want the full version with additional microphone positions)

https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Synchron_Package/Concert_D

Death Piano ($80)

https://www.productionvoices.com/product/death-piano/

Omnisphere ($499)

https://www.spectrasonics.net/sales/techshop/?main_page=product_info&products_id=45

 

Last edited: Jun 26, 2019

another epic track to get some ideas from bro !! awesome female vocals and buildups

another good track from Goldenscan too

 

Thanks for such answer.
While I know dominant and tonic are names for 5th and 7th note, if you Said subdominant, mediant or else, I would not know, I know those are scale degrees but i did not memorised them.

I read theory dozen times, and always forget even simple things, why, because I will open FL Studio, use key, highlight ghost notes, make melody, pick chords, add extra notes, if I need minor triad or major triad I bring it up from tools, instead of counting 4 or 3 semitones.
Now fix me if I am wrong, but I dont see why I would memorise notes on piano cdefgab and their position or scales to be able to make music.
I play melodies by ear.

- To go by theory, I would need a piano, train myself to forget playing by ear, or at least knowing what I play with right hand.
- To learn Playing with left hand.
- Memorise scales, as its easier to find interval in scale, than finding it by counting steps.
What I mean by this is knowing scale to forum major, you just go 1-3-5 in scale, otherwise it would be completed mess to count semitones to built each chord.

So lets be honest, I would need years for this too, and finaly I would know to play piano, I will open FL Studio and find myself using same ghost notes, scale helpers and without idea how to create track.

Well, theory about orchestral instruments is important, but just to know something about each orchestral instrument, otherwise going deeper in some views, as avoid parallels, dont make your voices move same up or down, gives a lot of troubles for someone who cant play piano.

Summary...
Yes, i know I can not be some amazing producer without learning to play piano and theory to deep.
No, I do not want to be amazing producer that can do magic with notation and stuff, ehh notation, + years for me to learn it if i would do.

Dont get me wrong, I know you are right, great producer should study all this, but I am trying to get nice tracks with simple triad and melody that I can make with daw scale helpers and I am just looking for ways of filling the track, making it move, you know... ideas, once you have chords and melody than to know some different approaches of accenting percussion and staccato or spiccato playing instruments, and after accenting to also fill that space between accents, to get nice flow motion, to not create mess with different accents, and to not create jumpy track by accenting on same places everywhere.

I know these are probably ideas that person develop from talent, theory and liking, but instead of developing ones, I would like to know how to do existing (ideas) ones.

What I mean ny ideas?
TSFH have almost always similar ostinato motion to fill background in faster tracks. How to do that ostinato?
TSFH have always similar metal percussion motion to fill background? How?
Similar deep synth, ta ta ta ta ta. I know this one often goes like click and fast to fill low end.
And probably stuff like ones i Just count fill this Space between important accents in particular track.
Ehh, there lays my problem bro, even if i developed idea on full strings patch, it sounds empty if using only accents, if fill low dynamics off notes, sounds better, but I will mess it with percussion... So, yeah, again, basic ideas that are popular in modern time.
We dont need to take TSFH as example, we can talk hes a pirate track, and i can recreate main theme on spiccato, but it sound empty, because "im missing knowledge on how to fill background of main idea".
I hear snares like constantly doing something, cymbals crashing often, percussion plays accent, and after answer in melody percussion hits ta ra ta to bring roll like before New bar starta with cymbal crash.
Strings and brass play main theme.
Low strings might be following accents on chords with some off notes (not off scale, off accent).
And all this i hear, i would put in daw, and still im missing stuff, the stuff which blend im background and cant be heard clearly to know whats going on, and that is my question after all.

Hope i explained it better now.

 

Last edited: Oct 5, 2019

Epic music should move you before you can use it to move anyone else. Study influences and adapt your own style. I'm watching "of mice and men" the Wu tang story and feel crazy inspired for epic music. epic is math!

 

@Esteros Have a look here
https://mikeverta.com/product-category/masterclasses/

i've bought a couple from him. some of the best stuff i've come across.
he is the real deal

 

Why do you mislead him?

@Esteros Be aware! He's tricking you. Do whatever other guys tell you but never study. It's uninspiring and hinders your fast production and makes you think deeply.

 

He's a great guy but doesn't know much about the theory and more advanced technicalities. His practical guidelines help to know the general points but unfortunately disregards or flouts everything he doesn't understand and conveys that incomplete view in his tutorials.