You don't have to do anything excessively. You are not a robot and you shouldn't keep optimizing yourself. You're already doing the right thing!

 

Thanks for this info, Sir, in particular about ChordPulse, I never hear about this software prior today. Not expensive ($30), but I'll watch videos first before buying it (to be sure it's not an useless buy). I have already bought Plugin Boutique's Scaler 2 two months ago, I consider it as great tool (IMHO).

 

Thanks for breaking those specifics down for me and I really appreciate that you suggested a specific exercise, thank you!

 

Thanks a lot, I really appreciate that you sent an in depth answer! But I don't get your diagram (C––D––E-F–G--A--B-), I know the dashes can't represent semitones since it doesn't add up. What do they represent? However I do understand the basic message about how chords are built from thirds.

I agree! It just seems very difficult and highly demanding for what I want to do, which is just make some good pop.

 

Hi Tinx, what is "the sister site that cover music theory" ? Thank you in advance.

 

Here is my really simple approach that really works well for me (The only thing that you need to know to use this approach is how to play C major or C minor):

Depending on whether you want to play in a minor or major scale, you play the chord progressions in the base scale (C maj or C min).

Then you can transpose the MIDI to any other scale you want and work from there.

You can also start with transposing the input of your midi by using a midi transpose plugin on the input (Cubase has it, Ableton has it and I'm sure Logic and other major DAWs have it too) and start to play the in the scale of your choice right away.

So you only need to know how to play basic chords in C maj / C min and transpose them from there to any scale of your choice. Much easier then to have to know how to play chords in each of the major and minor (and pentatonic, blues etcetera) scales, even though I have total respect for musicians who have all this knowledge memorized.

No scaler or any other extra plugin needed, just a minimum understanding of music theory (eg. what scale do I end up with if I tranpose C maj by +3 semitones). You can actually 3 notes up from the root note on your keyboard and it will tell you!

 

The C major chord family

G ( C E G ) GT Terz Quint
Dm ( D F A ) GT Terz Quint
Em ( E G H ) GT Terz Quint
F ( F A C ) GT Terz Quint
G ( G H D ) GT Terz Quint
Am ( A C E ) GT Terz Quint

Typical rock / pop chord progressions

1= C 1234|1234|Dm 1234|1234|F 1234 |1234|C 1234
2= C 1234|1234|F 1234|1234|G 1234 1234|C 1234|1234
3= C 1234|Em 1234|Dm 1234|C 1234|C 1234 |Em 1234|F 1234 |C 1234
4= C 1234|F 1234 |Dm 1234|G 1234|C 1234 |Dm 1234|G 1234 |C 1234
5= Am 1234|F 1234|G 1234|Am 1234|G 1234|F 1234|C 1234

Triads

C - E - G
D - F - A
A - C - E

 

Last edited: Aug 25, 2021

Actually, the dashes represent semitones but I missed one more dash between F and G. Plus, the backendof the forum interprets them as longer -- and shorter - dashes instead of seprate ones.

 

Oh it all makes sense now, thanks!

 

CP has been around awhile from the time when there wasn't a lot of choice for this kind of software, but I still find it useful for creating rough guide tracks. Make sure you learn how to set arrangement points so you can turn things on and off. I only export the parts I like (chords consist of 3 elements), and one or two chord parts are usually all you need to kickstart a new song idea. It's also great for quickly auditioning the different chord variations so you can add some flavor to basic chord progressions. The bass isn't all that great unless you only want root notes, but I sometimes export it as a starting point to get a feel for the low end, and of course everything sounds better when used with VSTi's. Regarding Scaler, it's definitely on another level, but the simplicity of CP is very appealing and they can happily coexist alongside each other.

 

Last edited: Aug 27, 2021

Maybe more important than learning a particular instrument to the nth degree is to learn many different styles of playing and to explore different genres, even ones you don't particularly like: I always felt that a great advantage of my working in a club band is that I became proficient in styles of music I had no real interest until then, such as reggae, pop, dance music etc., (I was a typical rock/metal guitar player). That's where my musical education took place and theory really had nothing at all to do with it. Now, I find I'm able to produce tracks in any of these styles I played in bands for many years. I also learned that when you break down most songs they consist of relatively easy to play components and that also helps when composing your own music. I don't feel that I'm locked into any particular type or style of music, it's all just open to me, the feel of the music will lead it towards a particular genre naturally.

I did it by playing the clubs but another way would be to just study these different genres at an instrument level, see how all these little simple parts make up an often complex whole; learn how to play with the same feeling, like reggae - the technique isn't difficult but to play with the same feel takes time and practice. Once it's in your trick bag it remains there, to be taken out whenever you feel like using it.

 

You're absolutely right and that's a habit I already have, I'm in to many genres all which are nothing like the genre I make. Do you have any advice on how to see the "bigger picture" of a song? It's easy to break it down into its parts just using your ear and any melodic instrument. But to understand how to parts fit together I have no idea.

This thread may help you then, if you're tired of making progressions this way.

What you said you do is practically what I do now and what I want to avoid. Pretty much just playing any random chords until I find something that sounds good, then I'd come up with a progression this way. Then either record the midi into my daw (horribly) or just click in the notes of the chords I improvised on the keys since you don't need to quantise this way. Brute force describes it perfectly. Most of the time using this method I can barely come up with a chord progression anyway. I'd just end up clicking in some chords and give up on using the midi keyboard.

This is precisely the problem that caused me to make this thread.

I can't pick up major or minor chords by ear though, I mean I've never tried. Don't see how it would help with composition, I just know what sounds "good" or appropriate and what doesn't.

 

To me it looks like you are still looking for what you really want to do later. It's always easier when you've decided on a genre of music. You skip the self-discovery and make big pieces of it. This is difficult or even impossible without prior knowledge.

Which genre / style do you want to do?

It's really better to leave MIDI whole. The quantization should be left out, it makes your music very static and lifeless.
The drum beat can be quantized and drawn in. You need more game practice and you take more time.

Start with the rhythm - find a piece that you like. Then find out what style or genre it is. Then find a drum sample or bongo congas or a bass etc and create the first track. Then load a piano VSTi for example or a guitar VSTi and play a few notes or chords. This is how you develop a feeling for it. The brain has to process these tones first and when you have found suitable tones and the tempo, you practice these parts and so on and on.

I wanted to ask which D.A.W (Digtal Audio Workstation) you are using?

(Please delete and forget my following comment - I have to get rid of this, I don't know any great artists who make music with FL Studio. If you want to get rich and famous - retrain on Logic, Cubase, Studio One or Ableton. )

 

Last edited: Aug 27, 2021

I'm making EDM specifically Progressive House right now. I'm a beginner at making music, I just made my first beat like last week. But I've been learning theory and production way before I put it into practice. But I want to learn Pop, that's what I want to make mainly.

Thanks for the quantization advice I just need to get better at playing keyboard and then it won't be a problem.

There is a lot of stigma about using FL Studio but it can do anything the other DAWs can do. That being said I did plan to learn other DAWs anyhow. For some reason FL isn't seen as professional and it is not being cracked regularly anyway.

Yep mood is really important for making good music (all the drugs used by musicians...). Groove is also important too for ideas you're right. I read that the best melodies have good rhythms rather than good melodic interval jumps.

Oh I don't have the privelege of using a grand piano. I'm using a cheap plastic midi keyboard. Thanks for that advice, I'll try to just freestyle rather than try and force myself to make a "hit" progression/ melody. In most interviews I've seen with hit producers they all said they didn't aim to make a hit, they just come randomly.

 

Steven Slate will teach you his super secret piano chords with the Steven Slate Piano Secrets VST Plugin for only 3 monthly installments of $199.95

Save 10% if you pay in full at time of purchase.

What are you waiting for? ORDER NOW!!!

 

I just thought of these books and links:

The Ultimate Guide to Drum Programming by Sam Matla
https://www.edmprod.com/drums-guide/

Drum Programming: A Complete Guide to Program and Think Like a Drummer Taschenbuch – 1. November 1991 von Ray F. Badness
https://www.amazon.com/Drum-Programming-Complete-Program-Drummer/dp/0931759544

260 Drum Machine Patterns Taschenbuch – 1. November 1987 von Hal Leonard Corp (Creator)
https://www.amazon.de/Drum-Machine-Patterns-Rene-Pierre-Bardet/dp/0881888877

 

Thank you for providing links to books and other resources. Have you got any good resources on pop production that you can suggest?

 

Hello @user1293435134, here are some Books for You:
Everything I know is from books.But I don't know if other people read at all.

How to make Pop Music in 2020(Beginners Guide)
https://recording-voice.com/how-to-make-pop-music-in-2020beginners-guide/

Switched On Pop: How Popular Music Works, and Why it Matters
https://switchedonpop.com/book
https://www.amazon.com/Switched-Pop-Popular-Music-Matters/dp/0190056657

How Music Works by David Byrne.
https://www.amazon.de/How-Music-Works-David-Byrne/dp/1936365537

The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory
https://www.amazon.de/Song-Machine-Inside-Hit-Factory/dp/1622319621

The Secrets of Dance Music Production Taschenbuch – 1. Dezember 2016 von David Felton
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0956446035/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_MfcsAb4BGAZ3H

Arranging Concepts Complete: Comb Bound Book (Dick Grove Arranging Series)
https://www.amazon.com/Arranging-Co...rd_wg=r2Rdt&psc=1&refRID=J6EP7Y2QBK0QNXAETW1K