As it turned out, now you can create music not only in a DAW program, but also on some online resources that are equipped with samples and loops. Of course, this will not allow you to create a full-fledged track and work it out thoroughly, but taking notes or drafts (especially on the road) is quite enough!
1. soundation.com
Sounding is a powerful online studio with professional features (such as recording, virtual instruments/synths, built-in effects and over 700 free samples and loops). Basic features are available for free, while more advanced ones require the purchase of a monthly subscription!
2.
Audiotool is a complete daw program right in your browser. Everything is done with great love for detail. The created tracks, samples and presets are stored on the Audiotool servers and are accessible from any browser. Allows you to publish (“share”) a track directly to SoundCloud, Youtube or Facebook.
3.
A complete program in your browser. It adapts both to PC and tablet/phone. You can create music together with friends in real time via the Internet (there is an internal top chat of created tracks). Unlimited project creation + 780 samples and loops + 190 virtual instruments for free.
4.
Looplabs is a collaborative cloud music studio that allows anyone, regardless of technical skill or ability, to quickly and easily create professional music anywhere, anytime, with anyone.
5.
Turns your browser into a fast and flexible music production studio with built-in synths and live effects. These are the best on this moment online music production platforms. It is difficult to single out the features of each site, due to the fact that they offer approximately the same functions and effects. Choose the most convenient service for creating quick notes!
Update 2018:
The relevance of online services is growing and the number of available platforms is increasing. This still does not allow you to do high-quality work purely on the side of the Internet resource, but for beginners, drafts and just “play”, they will be quite enough! +6 more sites to your collection!
6.
PatternSketch is a free online drum machine. The sequencer and drum kits give you the ability to create entire rhythm tracks. Share your creations with your friends or invite them to collaborate directly from the platform. PatternSketch even lets you export your track to WAV, OGG, or MP3.
7.
Type something in Typatone and it will turn every letter into a beautiful sound. Switch to the tool to find what you like best. The site has many options. Open multiple tabs and create a polyphonic melody. Or even turn any text into music by copying it to Typatone. Feel free to experiment with how your name sounds! Typatone is free to use, but exporting (saving a track from the site) costs $1.
8. Text To Speech
Text To Speech opens the whole new world vocal samples for your tracks. Enter text or add a track you've recorded. Then export the audio file to MP3 for free.
Text To Speech is an amazing way to do some robotic vocals like Daft Punk's. Throw in some effects and you have irresistible vocal distortion.
9.
Online Sequencer is a free sequencer right in your browser. Choose from 13 instruments and place them on a track to create a melody. If inspiration strikes, this is a great way to take notes or sketch out a song. The platform allows you to export your creation as a MIDI file. This file can then be placed into your DAW program.
I will tell you about how easy it is to pick up beautiful melodies for your tracks. How are harmonious leads, sequences, riffs created? There are some secrets and tricks that greatly facilitate the process of selecting melodies for new compositions. They always work, and that's what I'm talking about in the video.
Watch the video version of this lesson
What are the types of melodies? Most often, in electronic music There are several types of melodic transmission and they have their own names. Let's look at some of them today.
Sequences. Sequence.
A sequence is a small melody that repeats. A looped melodic section that repeats to different chords. Most often, sequences can be played at different scales, but they can also repeat a melody by playing each cycle of repeats from one stage.
Leads. lead.
Leads are a category of timbres. Lead is a solo melodic element, derived from the word "leader". Usually monophonic, playing the main theme of the piece. Most often, this is the brightest and most memorable part of the melody. You can imagine the lead as the leading part of the whole harmony. Leads are leading against the background of other melodic elements of the track, composition. It can also be presented as a visiting card of the entire composition, track. Tracks and famous compositions are easily guessed from it.
Riff. Riff.
Very incendiary part of the track, composition. Most often, riffs are used in electric guitars. Riffs differ from leads in a brighter, richer sound. The riffs are a very intense part of the melody that is hard to miss in a track. Riffs are often even brighter in sound than leads.
Pad. Pad.
In another way, it is called "lining" for music. This is a background melodic accompaniment of a track, composition, song. As such, the pad is not a direct melody, but it is directly involved in creating harmony for the track, and therefore its sound greatly affects the effect of the perception of leads, sequences and riffs. It is a harmonic element, polyphonic. Gives volume to the composition. More often, the pads prescribe a chord progression that sets the main harmony.
As you understand, all these elements that set the harmony for your tracks should build with each other as accurately as possible, "not mess up", and even cause a pleasant perception from the given harmony. And what if, say, you don't have music education, and you want to combine these elements of music as effectively as possible? You can use proven algorithms and schemes that greatly facilitate the process of selecting melodies for your tracks without creating a lot of unnecessary falsity and disharmony in them.
Now, check out the following cheat sheet on creating harmonic melodies. By the way, you can download it by clicking on the picture. Below I give an explanation of how to use it.
Click on the picture and download the cheat sheet in JPG format will begin.
If you take 7 steps - 7 notes that make up your music (do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si) - then they will always have more stable and less stable steps. Steady - these are the notes that you always want to listen to in a melody, using them in a melody always sounds pleasant, harmonious. And unstable - they cause us not very pleasant sensations, and we want to hear them least of all. In a word, the ratio of stable notes to unstable ones is different. If we create a melody only from unstable steps, then it will be such a crap that it will not seem a little to you! But if you create a melody only from stable steps, then it will be a very harmonious sound, which is well listened to, however, perhaps this melody will not have enough "pepper". That is why it makes sense to use all the notes-steps, but in different proportions, something more, and something less.
So, let's figure out which notes and steps are stable and which are not. If you look at the cheat sheet above, you will find the three most stable steps there - these are 1, 3, 5 (they are marked in green). If you make a melody in the key of C major (C maj), then these will be the notes "do", "mi", "sol". However, in other keys it will be different notes. For example, in the key of "G-maj" (G-maj), these will be the notes "sol", "si", "re", since for this key the note "sol" will be the first step. And in the key of "fa # minor" (F # min), the first step will be the note "fa #", and accordingly, stable notes here will be "fa #", "la", "do #". And on the same principle with all other tonalities. I hope this is sorted out.
Move on. We found the 3 most stable steps-notes, they should be the most in the melody. These are the ones you most often need to prescribe in your leads, riffs, sequences. However, you won't get far on three notes, the melody will sound boring. Therefore, for these three notes, we will call on two more less stable steps-notes - these are 2 and 6. In the key of "C major" - these will be the notes "re" and "la" (indicated in green on the cheat sheet). We have 5 notes in our arsenal. By the way, these 5 notes will take you quite far. Even if you write a melody using only these steps, then your melody will already sound beautiful, harmonious and build with chords by default.
We still have 2 more notes-steps that are unstable - these are 4 ("fa") and 7 ("si") (indicated in red). They can also be used in a melody, but so few so as not to spoil our melody.
Ideally, the ratio of all note-steps in a melody you write should be as follows: more than 50% of all notes in the melody must be stable steps, and by the residual principle all other notes-steps. Only then will your melody build beautifully, not mess up, and evoke pleasant emotions.
Now I will tell you about a very easy way create a harmonious and quite beautiful melody in 5-10 minutes. Try using the pentatonic scale. The fact is that the “pentatonic scale” consists precisely of those note-steps that are the most stable. The pentatonic scale itself literally means "five tones". This means that you need to play not 7 notes, as we are used to, but only five. And these notes will be 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 steps - the most stable and most harmonious steps.
The pentatonic scale is actively used in modern electronic music. Although she came to us from antiquity. The pentatonic scale can always be heard in Chinese, Japanese, and also Tatar, Bashkir and Chuvash music. Some folk songs and melodies of these peoples still use the pentatonic scale as the main mode for creating musical works.
Now try the following. Create a chord progression from this cheat sheet. After that, put a lead melody on it according to the following scheme: write (play) any white keys on your instrument in random order (i.e., at random), but do not use steps 4 and 7. Those. do not write the notes "fa" and "si" in the melody. Scatter all other notes as you like. If the chord progression is 4 chords, repeat your melody on the last two chords. You should get the following, the first two chords are played by your recorded melody, and on the last two chords it is repeated one-on-one. And listen to what happened. The melody will build with your chords as it is written in pentatonic scale. In it, you can start the melody on any note of the fret (from any of the five steps), and end on any of the five notes.
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In this article, we will look at some important aspects concerning the composition of melodies and the elements of which it consists.
What is a melody?
Everyone defines a melody based on their views on music in general. Someone understands a melody as any monophonic line (which is theoretically true), someone means something bright, memorable by a melody, and someone only a vocal line.
Each composer must form a strategy for working on a melody, based on their priorities, but an undoubtedly important quality is the ability to compose catchy or, if you can call them that, melodies (if we talk about non-academic music).
Any well-written melody contains many interrelated elements, each of which determines the level of its emotionality and simplicity or complexity. To create light images there is no need to use complex elements, just as when writing a symphony it is absurd to use simple melodies (unless this helps to express the intention).
The Italian composer, pianist, conductor and music teacher F. Busoni gave a very good definition of a melody, which helps to understand what elements a melody consists of.
“A series of repetitive ascending and descending intervals, which is segmented and set in motion by a rhythm that contains and conveys mood, which can be independent of the words of the text as expressiveness and independent of the accompanying voices as a form, does not change its essence from the choice of absolute pitch and tool "
It is no coincidence that the similarity of form and melody is highlighted.
A good melody is always perfect in form. Therefore, the first important element must be called musical syntax. It is followed by the missed Busoni, but a very important component -.
It can be said that, abstractly, the melody already exists in the presence of only these two elements.
However, it becomes full-fledged only with proper meter-rhythmic design.
The same intonation, but under different metrical conditions, is capable of expressing opposite images.
The melodic gift has always been highly valued and is still an indicator of talent. However, many do not correctly understand the very essence of the melodic gift.
To create a melody means to be able to create the necessary musical construction from one grain of musical intonation. Common mistake novice composers (and since many moments of these arts are connected) jumble of melodies and musical intonations. As a result, the listener cannot get hooked on any of them and loses the essence in this over-oiled mess.
If we compare composers from different eras, we can come to a conclusion that is paradoxical at first glance - the intonations used 200 years ago and today are the same. This fact tells us that it is not the intonations themselves that change, but the ways of development, development. The intonation of the big second has millions of variations in the works of various composers.
Two excerpts from the work of completely different composers. The grain of each theme is the intonation of a descending major second:
McCartney Yesterday
Rodrigo aranjuez part2
The methods of development and shaping are completely different here - hence the different melodies, style and everything else.
In addition, these two examples are a vivid manifestation of two types of melodic principles - vocal and instrumental.
The vocal line, as a rule, is very melodic and relies on. The vocal melody is inseparable from the word and is closely interconnected with it.
Many composers try, if not to accurately convey, then at least to preserve the rhythm of poetry (music borrowed many rhythmic elements from poetry). Vocal melodies in general are not characterized by wide leaps, complexity of form and development.
The very type of vocal melodies, in turn, makes it possible to single out two more types of melodic development (or the nature of the melody):
- Cantilena
Cantilena is the melodies of wide breathing. They are characterized by melodiousness and melody. An example of a modern cantilena:
2. Recitative
Recitative melodies are built on the frequent repetition of a note and, as a rule, have a narrow range.
In music, you can find whole constructions consisting of two or three notes. A classic jazz example of recitative rhythm is One Note Samba. Black Sabbath recitative example (Paranoid song):
In addition to these factors, the genre beginning of the melody still plays an important role.
Elements such as marching, danceability, songwriting greatly influence the style and figurative structure of the melody. Each of these genres is realized differently in the composer's work, somewhere explicitly, and somewhere only in the form of a hint.
Thus, an important factor which must be taken into account when creating a melody is its type (cantilena, recitative) and genre.
Therefore, the best exercise for a composer is to create melodies different types and genres without any other restrictions (which will be imposed over time).
AT modern world with rapidly developing computer technology and a society that keeps pace with all the new products, the question often arises, how to write music on a computer? Most often, creative individuals, both professional musicians and those who have independently mastered musical literacy, choose a computer as a tool for creating their musical masterpieces.
It is really possible to write high-quality music on a computer, thanks to a huge number of various programs created specifically for this purpose. Below are the main steps for creating compositions on a PC using special programs, of course, they must be able to use at least on entry level.
Stage one. Idea and sketches of the future composition
At this stage, the most creative work is carried out without any restrictions. From scratch, the basis of the composition is created - the melody, it needs to be given depth and beauty of sound. After the final version of the melody is determined, work should be done on it. In the future, the entire structure of the work will be based on the work done at the first stage.
Stage two. "Dressing" the melody
After the melody and accompaniment are ready, you should add instruments to the composition, that is, fill it with colors to enhance the main theme. It is necessary to write melodies for bass, keyboard instruments, register a percussion part. Next, you should choose the sound for the written melodies, that is, experiment with various instruments, you can work on different tempos. When the sound of all the prescribed instruments will sound harmoniously and emphasize the main theme, you can move on to mixing.
Stage three. Mixing
Mixing is the imposition of all prescribed parts for instruments on top of each other, mixing their sounds in accordance with the synchronization of the playing time. The perception of the composition depends on the correct mixing of instruments. An important point at this stage are the volume levels for each part. The sound of the instrument should be distinguishable in the overall composition, but at the same time not drown out other instruments. You can also add special sound effects. But you need to work with them very carefully, the main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise you can ruin everything.
Stage four. Mastering
The fourth stage, which is also the final one in the question of how to write music on a computer, is mastering, that is, preparing and transferring the recorded composition to any medium. At this stage, attention should be paid to saturation so that nothing affects the general. None of the tools should stand out from the others, if something similar is found, you should return to the third stage and refine it. It is also necessary to listen to the composition on different acoustics. The recording should be of approximately the same quality.
It does not matter at all what program you will use to create music on your computer, as there are a great many of them. For example, the professional music creation program FL Studio, the leader in popularity among musicians. Cubase SX is also a very powerful virtual studio, recognized by many famous DJs and musicians. On the same level with the listed virtual recording studios are Sonar X1 and Propellerhead Reason, which are also professional studios for recording, editing and mixing compositions. The program should be chosen according to the individual needs and capabilities of the musician. Ultimately, high-quality and popular works are created not by programs, but by people.
Let's listen to an example of music created with computer programs:
If you feel a craving for creating music, but do not feel the desire or ability to acquire a bunch of musical instruments, you can do it all in one of the specialized programs that are collectively called DAW - Digital Audio Workstation. A bright representative of this software segment in every sense is FL Studio, and it is on its example that we will tell and show today how to create music on a computer.
FL Studio is one of the best programs for creating music and arrangements, their mixing and mastering. It is used by many composers and musicians in professional recording studios, and we will use it to show how to create your own musical composition from scratch in any genre.
Note: The instruction presented below in no way claims to be universal either in terms of the order of the steps, or in terms of the actions performed on each of them. This is just one of many possible representations of how music can be created, necessary to show the general algorithm and aimed at beginners who have already begun to master the program.
Before proceeding with the implementation of the recommendations below, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the article presented at the link below - this will help you “get comfortable” and understand in more detail the functions and capabilities of FL Studio.
Step 1: Writing the drum part
Each composer has his own approach to writing music. Someone starts with the main melody, someone with drums and percussion, first creating a rhythmic pattern, which will then grow and fill with musical instruments. We'll start with drums.
The creation of musical compositions in FL Studio takes place in stages, and the main workflow takes place on patterns - fragments, which are then assembled into a full-fledged track, located in a playlist.
The one-shot samples needed to create a drum part are contained in the FL Studio library, and you can select the appropriate ones through the program's convenient browser.
Each instrument must be placed on a separate track of the pattern, but there can be an unlimited number of tracks themselves. The length of the pattern is also unlimited, but 8 or 16 measures will be more than enough, since any fragment can be duplicated in the playlist.
Here's an example of what a drum part might look like in FL Studio, placed from a pattern on a Piano Roll:
Step 2: Create a melody
In this set workstation available a large number of musical instruments. Most of them are various synthesizers, each of which has a large library of sounds and samples. These tools can also be accessed from the program's browser. Having chosen the appropriate plugin, you need to add it to the pattern.
The melody itself must be recorded in the Piano Roll, which can be opened by right-clicking on the instrument track.
It is highly desirable to record the part of each musical instrument, whether it be, for example, a guitar, piano, kick drum or percussion, on a separate pattern. This will greatly simplify the process of mixing the composition and processing instruments with effects.
Here is an example of what a melody written in FL Studio might look like:
How much to use musical instruments to create your composition is up to you and, of course, the genre you have chosen. At a minimum, there should be drums, a bass line, a main melody, and some other additional element or sound for a change.
Step 3: Working with the playlist
The music fragments that you have created, divided into individual FL Studio patterns, must be placed in a playlist. Follow the same principle as with patterns, that is, one instrument - one track. Thus, constantly adding new fragments or removing some parts, you will put the composition together, making it diverse, not monotonous.
Here is an example of what a patterned song might look like in a playlist:
Step 4: Processing the Sound with Effects
Each sound or melody must be sent to a separate channel of the FL Studio mixer, where it can be processed with various effects, including an equalizer, compressor, filter, limiter, reverb and much more.
Thus, you will give individual fragments of high-quality, studio sound. In addition to processing the effects separately for each instrument, you also need to make sure that each of them sounds in its own frequency range, does not stand out from the overall picture, but does not drown out / cut down the other instrument. If you have an ear (and you definitely have it, since you decided to make music), there should be no problems. In any case, there are plenty of detailed text manuals, as well as training video tutorials on working with FL Studio, on the Internet.
In addition, it is possible to add an overall effect or effects that improve the sound quality of the composition as a whole to the master channel. These effects will apply to the entire composition as a whole. Here you need to be extremely careful and attentive so as not to negatively affect what you have done with each sound / channel separately.
Step 5: Automation
In addition to processing sounds and melodies with effects, the main task of which is to improve the sound quality and reduce the overall musical picture into a single masterpiece, these same effects can be automated. What does it mean? Imagine that at some point in the composition you want one of the instruments to start playing a little quieter, “leave” to another channel (left or right) or play with some kind of effect, and then start playing again in its “clean” form. So, instead of once again registering this instrument in a pattern, sending it to another channel, processing it with other effects, you can simply automate the knob that is responsible for this effect and make the musical fragment behave like this in a particular section of the track: as needed.
To add an automation clip, right-click on the desired controller and select from the menu that appears. "Create Automation Clip".
The automation clip also appears in the playlist and stretches to the full length of the selected tool relative to the track. By controlling the line, you will set required parameters for a control knob that will change its position during track playback.
Here's an example of what FL Studio's piano fadeout automation might look like:
In the same way, you can set automation for the entire track as a whole. You can do this in the master channel of the mixer.
An example of automating the smooth fading of the entire composition:
Step 6: Mixing and Mastering
Step 7: Exporting the Music Song
After creating your musical creation, do not forget to save the project. To get a music track for further use or listening outside of FL Studio, it must be exported to the desired format. You can do this through the menu. File programs.
Select the desired format, specify the quality and click on the button Start.
In addition to exporting an entire musical composition, FL Studio also allows you to export each track separately (you must first distribute all the instruments and sounds to the mixer channels). In this case, each musical instrument will be saved as a separate track (separate audio file). This is necessary in cases where you want to transfer your composition to someone for further work (the same mixing and mastering, for example). This may be a producer or sound engineer who will bring to mind or somehow change the track. In this case, this person will have access to all the components of the composition. Using all these fragments, he will be able to create a song by simply adding a vocal part to the finished composition.
