I am an early advanced piano player and an early beginner comppser ( i do not know if i can call myself a composer but anyway) and these videos are helping me A LOT . Thank you;)
PURE GOLD! How are these videos not the most popular videos on the net?? Now, I would say the idea of slowing down toward the end sounded like a good idea but combined with a falling melody, it made for an anti-climactic ending. I think a few more 16th notes in a sequence would have been justified to get us to that bottom. THANK YOU for the great work!
Wonderful! I learn a lot from your channel, so much knowledge! also I love the casual little pieces of music that you create during the lessons;) Great musician, great knowledge and great teacher:)
A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme. If you value this channel and would like to help us continue to share and develop the content please consider supporting us as a level 1 Maestro by clicking here ruclips.net/channel/UC8yI8P7Zi3yYTsypera-IQgjoin Alternatively you can express your support for the channel by clicking on the Super Thanks button beneath any of our videos. Thank you.
I like this very much, however I don't agree with your statement at 2:30. Using only harmony notes makes things sound more predictable and less interesting in my opinion, whereas the upper-structure notes (9, 11, 11+, 13 etc) can add a lot of colour to simple progressions and give a much more surprising twist to your melody. Miles Davis called these the 'butter notes', and for a good reason.
I agree with you. It’s not a claim I’m making but I’m encouraging people to be clear about which are the harmony notes so that those ‘butter notes’ can always relate to them.
Brilliant video thanks for making this quality content! My one piece of constructive criticism would be that I’d like to also see examples of the techniques used in very well known pieces of music as well as the examples used to make the short melody for this video. But that’s only a mild criticism, overall the video is brilliant, thank you.
There's not a right way or a wrong way...it just depends what I want to do. Sometime i'll apply lessons....such as when playing from the C7 into the F Major chord. i know I can use different modes over the C7..mix b2,6 mix b2 or mix b6. I could simply play the 3, 5, b7, b2 of the C7 But Im doing to do this instead.... mix #2, #4 or Mix #4....The Gb/F# ( note) Im going to use the b7 ( Bb) of C7 to Harmonize with the Gb it'll be a Gb maj7 chord...it just depends how play it or what I want it to sound. Im going to use the F Maj/D min as my target to play into ... to harmonize into the F Major (Not the key....just the chords) I might play the E note..maj 3of C or....... b7/#6 of Gb Maj Gb lyd #6..the so call N6 chord after the F TONIC....( Major or min) I know I can also make it dominant. diminished or augmented Dont expect people to know the different scales or modes I know. it might sound like passing notes to C7 to some people...it depends how I play it. I apply what I learn and make use what I learn. Practice applying it and listen for the different sounds. i can also see the Bb min as lyd b3 to F harmonic MAJOR Im use to playing between Harmonic MAJOR and Harmonic min over the same root. Bb dor #4 to F Harmonic min.
Take a look through our videos in this playlist. We have some that explain how to add interesting harmony and chords to a melody. Thanks ruclips.net/p/PL5j5H06QkhxEQ3H0yacP_A3pjUviYCTl9
Often I don't write chords or melody first. I just start by making sure the voice leading is beautiful and polishing even what's barely there yet, I write stuff in for ANY voice, on any beat/measure even if its only a few notes and other stuff isn't written yet but those notes need to be there. Then while listening back I hear notes in my mind that are missing from anywhere and I write them in. After a little while I notice the whole thing is done and written for every voice. Somehow the melody still comes together perfectly even if the last two notes of it were written first and fragments of it came to exist at different times for different reasons while doing the voice leading.
@@MusicMattersGB I don't think what I'm doing is different from what others are doing, it's just 4+ part writing all the voices at the same time so you get chords and melody at the same time except the motif is encoded into the voice leading because it's part of the way the melody arises...same for the inner voice melodies and bassline. Also I think it's common for people to be writing stuff randomly instead of linearly or sequentially, and also it's common to not use a hard coded progression at the time when the progression is being created. I mean obviously it's fairly common to "write" a progression instead of "using" a progression.
Ok. The focus here was on how to write a decent melody from a particular chord progression. The accompaniment in a finished version is unlikely to be as bald as the chords are stated - you could arpeggiate it or present it in some other texture and then you would drive out the consecutives. The point here is to make the chord basis as clear as possible in order to write a melody that works so people can see how the melody relates to the chords.
@@MusicMattersGB Of course, you're right. I was just a bit jarred by how you seemed to emphasize that the note "wanted to go" up when standard voice leading is the reverse. A leap of a fourth (I think it was a fourth) isnt huge so there isnt a big impetus to reverse. I love your videos. I'm very much an amateur, and your quiet, methodical style of teaching is very helpful. Right now, I'm looking at Bach, and wondering what his method of composing might have been. To produce so much, he must have had a method, I just cant work out what it was. You look at the opening 4 bars of the B-minor mass, for example, and its, wow, where did that come from? I wish he had put videos up on youtube like you :)
Those two points are related. I don’t think Bach followed a method. He was absolutely instinctive. That’s also the point about voice leading - there’s advice and then there’s the reality of the moment when a note really does want to move up or down.
@@MusicMattersGB I'm convinced Bach had a method, simply because of the volume of music he produced; Having a method isnt a sin, your videos show methods of e.g., 4-part chorale writing. Of course, music is more than just method, but a lot of it is method, and a method he must have had.
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I love these videos. They help reinforce ideas I've stumbled on as an amateur. Plus, you seem like the nicest guy in the world.
That is so nice of you. See www.mmcourses.co.uk for much more.
You make my life much easier understanding music. Thank you for all your videos :D
That’s really kind. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk including our 24 online courses and details of Music Matters Maestros.
Beautiful melody! Thanks for the video!
A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
Will I get some sleep tonight? Maybe not. Is it your fault? Totally. Awesome videos. Thanks again
That’s great. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our 25 online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme. Sweet dreams!
I am an early advanced piano player and an early beginner comppser ( i do not know if i can call myself a composer but anyway) and these videos are helping me A LOT . Thank you;)
That’s great. Much more to assist you at www.mmcourses.co.uk
"It's not going to set the Thames on fire..." - lol! I enoyed this video. Thank you!
That’s great. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our 25 online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme.
PURE GOLD! How are these videos not the most popular videos on the net?? Now, I would say the idea of slowing down toward the end sounded like a good idea but combined with a falling melody, it made for an anti-climactic ending. I think a few more 16th notes in a sequence would have been justified to get us to that bottom. THANK YOU for the great work!
😀
Awesome work. Amazing step by step explanation..... Really helps a lot... And you, are the best online tutor.... Love your videos...
Thank you, that's very kind. See www.mmcourses.co.uk for much more.
Wonderful! I learn a lot from your channel, so much knowledge! also I love the casual little pieces of music that you create during the lessons;)
Great musician, great knowledge and great teacher:)
That’s most kind. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme.
I'm a little late on this one, but thank you for this! It's helping me tremendously!
Excellent. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
Thank you so much for this explanation.I found it extremely helpful in understanding a topic I am unfamiliar with.
A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme. If you value this channel and would like to help us continue to share and develop the content please consider supporting us as a level 1 Maestro by clicking here ruclips.net/channel/UC8yI8P7Zi3yYTsypera-IQgjoin Alternatively you can express your support for the channel by clicking on the Super Thanks button beneath any of our videos. Thank you.
I like this very much, however I don't agree with your statement at 2:30. Using only harmony notes makes things sound more predictable and less interesting in my opinion, whereas the upper-structure notes (9, 11, 11+, 13 etc) can add a lot of colour to simple progressions and give a much more surprising twist to your melody. Miles Davis called these the 'butter notes', and for a good reason.
I agree with you. It’s not a claim I’m making but I’m encouraging people to be clear about which are the harmony notes so that those ‘butter notes’ can always relate to them.
Brilliant video thanks for making this quality content! My one piece of constructive criticism would be that I’d like to also see examples of the techniques used in very well known pieces of music as well as the examples used to make the short melody for this video. But that’s only a mild criticism, overall the video is brilliant, thank you.
That’s kind. We have plenty of videos on the channel that analyse these elements of actual pieces.
Thanks for using the tonic f as F7 chord going to Bb minor. Very good idea.
😀
There's not a right way or a wrong way...it just depends what I want to do.
Sometime i'll apply lessons....such as when playing from the C7 into the F Major
chord. i know I can use different modes over the C7..mix b2,6 mix b2 or mix b6.
I could simply play the 3, 5, b7, b2 of the C7
But Im doing to do this instead.... mix #2, #4 or Mix #4....The Gb/F# ( note)
Im going to use the b7 ( Bb) of C7 to Harmonize with the Gb
it'll be a Gb maj7 chord...it just depends how play it or what I want it to sound.
Im going to use the F Maj/D min as my target to play into ...
to harmonize into the F Major (Not the key....just the chords)
I might play the E note..maj 3of C or....... b7/#6 of Gb Maj
Gb lyd #6..the so call N6 chord after the F TONIC....( Major or min)
I know I can also make it dominant. diminished or augmented
Dont expect people to know the different scales or modes I know.
it might sound like passing notes to C7 to some people...it depends how I play it.
I apply what I learn and make use what I learn. Practice applying it and listen
for the different sounds.
i can also see the Bb min as lyd b3 to F harmonic MAJOR
Im use to playing between Harmonic MAJOR and Harmonic min over the same root.
Bb dor #4 to F Harmonic min.
😀
Fantastic! Thank you!
A pleasure. See www.mmcourses.co.uk for many more resources.
You blow me away. As soon as I heard that melody, my heart soared. Great job man
Thank you, that's very kind. See www.mmcourses.co.uk for much more.
i use chord pluse and finale when i learn your lesson
your leason very easy to understand
That’s great. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
thank u for ur efforts..thats amazing..i learned a lot
That’s great. Thanks. See www.mmcourses.co.uk for our 24 online courses and details of Music Matters Maestros.
Could you do a video on coming up with an interesting chord progression over an already composed melody?
Take a look through our videos in this playlist. We have some that explain how to add interesting harmony and chords to a melody. Thanks
ruclips.net/p/PL5j5H06QkhxEQ3H0yacP_A3pjUviYCTl9
Top notch teaching
That’s most kind. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
I make beats. My peers wont be here lol sucks for them. You're the best
That’s most kind. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
Your piece was very good!
Most kind. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
Often I don't write chords or melody first. I just start by making sure the voice leading is beautiful and polishing even what's barely there yet, I write stuff in for ANY voice, on any beat/measure even if its only a few notes and other stuff isn't written yet but those notes need to be there. Then while listening back I hear notes in my mind that are missing from anywhere and I write them in. After a little while I notice the whole thing is done and written for every voice. Somehow the melody still comes together perfectly even if the last two notes of it were written first and fragments of it came to exist at different times for different reasons while doing the voice leading.
If it works for you that’s great.
@@MusicMattersGB I don't think what I'm doing is different from what others are doing, it's just 4+ part writing all the voices at the same time so you get chords and melody at the same time except the motif is encoded into the voice leading because it's part of the way the melody arises...same for the inner voice melodies and bassline. Also I think it's common for people to be writing stuff randomly instead of linearly or sequentially, and also it's common to not use a hard coded progression at the time when the progression is being created. I mean obviously it's fairly common to "write" a progression instead of "using" a progression.
Absolutely. I often do the same. It works when one is a really fluent writer and can juggle various aspects of a composition simultaneously.
Very helpful. Thank you!
A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
Great video! Thx!
Thank you. Much much more available at www.mmcourses.co.uk
You are awesome! great videos!
That’s very kind. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our 25 online courses and of our Maestros programme.
Wonderful
You’re most kind. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme.
So you don't worry particularly about parallel unions/octaves in the melody and harmony, i.e. E natural to F then E flat to D a bar later?
Ok. The focus here was on how to write a decent melody from a particular chord progression. The accompaniment in a finished version is unlikely to be as bald as the chords are stated - you could arpeggiate it or present it in some other texture and then you would drive out the consecutives. The point here is to make the chord basis as clear as possible in order to write a melody that works so people can see how the melody relates to the chords.
thank u sir
A great pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our 25 online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme.
Sir is this is a 4 bar melody?.. amazing video!!
Yes. Thanks for your kind words.
Sir, can u guide us to make a jazz melody out of just 7th chords, if u are free sir :)
Sure. We have a video coming soon that will assist with that.
@@MusicMattersGB is it out yet? 😅
6:25 Damn cockroaches :-) But seriously, thanks for your interesting videos!
Brilliant. Much to help you at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme.
:P
😀
Um, voice leading, bar one.. after a leap, reverse direction is the normal
“Normal” is the key word. Sometimes there are good alternatives and this voice leading tip is a good one but not regarded as a rigid rule.
@@MusicMattersGB Of course, you're right. I was just a bit jarred by how you seemed to emphasize that the note "wanted to go" up when standard voice leading is the reverse. A leap of a fourth (I think it was a fourth) isnt huge so there isnt a big impetus to reverse. I love your videos. I'm very much an amateur, and your quiet, methodical style of teaching is very helpful. Right now, I'm looking at Bach, and wondering what his method of composing might have been. To produce so much, he must have had a method, I just cant work out what it was. You look at the opening 4 bars of the B-minor mass, for example, and its, wow, where did that come from? I wish he had put videos up on youtube like you :)
Those two points are related. I don’t think Bach followed a method. He was absolutely instinctive. That’s also the point about voice leading - there’s advice and then there’s the reality of the moment when a note really does want to move up or down.
@@MusicMattersGB I'm convinced Bach had a method, simply because of the volume of music he produced; Having a method isnt a sin, your videos show methods of e.g., 4-part chorale writing. Of course, music is more than just method, but a lot of it is method, and a method he must have had.