Could anybody give me some tips or examples of songs on how to use certain instruments? Like I was working on a beat today and I opened up and tweaked a flute sound that I liked so I tried to create a melody with it. But nothing good was coming from it. I couldn't get a nice sounding melody with it. This happens when I use other instruments too (besides a piano) like sometimes a sax for example, I just can't get anything and when I do get something decent, it just sounds akward. I'm not 100% sure on where each instruments role in a composition is. I ususally get a piano as the foundation and then just build it around it with other instruments that compliment it, but I want to expand. Hope I made sense with this..
Learning to use certain instruments
- Thread starter nonie
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warzone round 1 voting begins in...
instruments like the flute or the sax are jazz style instruments... If u have any knowledge of jazz or blues then you would understand what im sayin.... u need to play those instruments very smooth and make them the side dish of your track... they add something special... especially me i love the sax.... it adds that extra missing link to your beat... dont try to get all creative with them unless u are trying to bust solos but with main melodies you should use them as a additive to what u already have.... FEEL ME!?
yeh seol i got the same problem . i'll load up a piano for example and try make a main melody with it but it just never sounds right , never has that right feel about it , doesn't make the genre of music im trying to create even though the instrument im using are used in the genre regularry.
O
open mind
Guest
read some stuff about music theory keys scales n shit like that. it will help.
snoopaliciouS
Member
ill o.g.
Whatup y'all. I'm new here. I got the same prob too, but i've found this nice site.
http://www.pianonanny.com/1.html
Online piano lessons. Free. No 'want more lessons, buy it now!' things. Beginner, intermediate and advanced lessons. (Y)
http://www.pianonanny.com/1.html
Online piano lessons. Free. No 'want more lessons, buy it now!' things. Beginner, intermediate and advanced lessons. (Y)
bigdmakintrax
BeatKreatoR
to emulate one must listen first, and very carefully....my advice is, this, go listen to some live bands and music or get some old acoustic records, and just marinate on that, playing in bands and hearing the different instruments helps me out but I dont use a lot of instruments or even try to use a sax much, see and this is where you might have gotten and advantage from playing in a school band because you get to hear, the different instruments naturally played alonq with the voicings and intonations....
thedreampolice
A backwards poet writes inverse.
I try to add the inconsistencies of live instruments. For example if I am working on a bass part that is sampled from a real bass, I will pull out my real bass and record some string noises and such. With flute you will need to add breath and add in places where the performer would have to breathe. I also agree learn some music theroy, I took a few years of it in college and it has been very helpful.
Thanks for the input everybody, but I'm gonna do what bigD said. I think he understood my question right, it's not really a matter of scales, it's just the way they're used in a musical piece. Maybe it's the quality of the sound, but I'm gettin it from Sampletank. But back to bigD, you have any good names that I could check out?
hollaatroy
Beatmaker
ill o.g.
I used to have the same prob. What I noticed is that I was over using the instruments. Instead of the tracks sounding more like boom/bap, they were sounding too melodic b/c in between the drums and scratches, I had it chocked full with instrument melody. But that's a good start. Take that melody, and keep only the best parts, which might be 1 out of 3 bars, or maybe even just a few of notes. You will start to notice that instead of the track sounding like it was built around the instruments, the instruments will sound as if they accompany the track. My absolute best tip for you, the best possible advice, as good as gold........listen to other well produced tracks and producers (ie. Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, even Chad Hugo) and listen to how they use their instruments. They only use the instrument where it is absolutely needed. You will start to develop an ear for good production. Good luck.
bigdmakintrax
BeatKreatoR
Sorry Seoul I will hit you up with that info, I been in Chicago all week I wish I had time to hook up with some Illmuzik peeps but I was in Classes.
static
static yessir
ill o.g.
Seoul P said:
i use to play the flute.....dont ask. i thought it would get me chicks(being as how most chicks play flute) but all the girls wernt "attractive".
what i can tell you thats relivant is that flute melodies sound good when swung. meaning play it in a swing mode.
i use to play sax. its similar to the flute on fingering. that sounds good either way its played to me.
i now play snare for my highschool. i doubt you need help there.
gutair doubt you nee it there.
but the flute can be a great instrument. if i ever use it in a beat id HAVE to play live.
start tryin to find vst's that either sample live sounds or sound great. or start playin em ya self
hope that helped