The Secret to What Chords Work - Putting Tunes and Chords Together
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- Опубликовано: 24 авг 2024
- How do you decide what chords to put with your tune, or how to write a tune to a chord progression? It can make all the difference between a killer tune and a damp squib. Join composer Guy Michelmore, making the most of his lockdown isolation, to write some music and explore this crucial question! Spitfire Labs comes to the rescue on the sound front with some wonderful completely free sounds to inspire your creations.
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Guy is the type of teacher you always wanted to have in 6th grade music class. He has a genuine love and respect for the art, and his enthusiasm for it is contagiously intoxicating.
Your energy, enthusiasm and love for music is amazing!
Euphoria ...plus looks like hes in Hawaii lol
I feel like Guy is the missing 4th member of Top Gear
Like James, but with Richards personality lol
I was thinking the missing member of Monthy Python - has that vibe to him.
Some say he has a RUclips channel about composing music with the sounds of Ferrari
bloody same sentiments
For certain 😂
I just love it when people of all ages record themselves having fun making art.
Guy Michelmore, a person of all ages.
It comes to all of us and so fast lol. Music is brain food at any age
@@___xyz___ a GUY of all ages
I remember being so sad as a child when our music teacher told us there was a finite number of musical notes.
Then I heard jazz and got over it. 😄
Thanks for another great video, Guy.
Yes I get fed up with people saying that in a pseudo wise kind of way. Good observation!
@@laurencelong Dont go there! Stick to 12 TET
Yule Tide it is difficult to be sure.
Going to 19 TET can yield some interesting results, but it's still a finite number of tones with infinite ways (just as with 12 TET) to sequence and combine those tones. Infinity = infinity no matter how you slice and dice it.
@@ConwayBob Interesting, this 19 TET. I checked it out, and it would take some serious getting-used-to. Good point, though.
Dear Mr Guy Michelmore !
My name is Vu Vo (but you can call me Vince) - a 30 year-old-Vietnamese-grown-man just decided to go all in electronic music production because of the love for it (and also for the potential to go big 'cause here in Viet Nam we don't have that many well-rounded music producers). To make it clear, i have zer0 knowledge about music theories to begin with and it hurts me so much. So in search for a decent amount of insight for this matter, i stumbled upon your channel, which is like hitting the jackpot, i reckon .
Learning music theories from scratch at the age of 30 is considerably late because the brain have other tons of thing to deal with at this point and when it comes to learning to play an instrument after the theories, it's even harder when thy hands are quite stiff now. But then i look at the kids flying on the guitar/piano with no efforts, it makes me want to put all of my engery into learning this more than ever.
Today, i decided to write you some words to show you my appreciation and gratitude for your work, you are a real genuine person who really "teaches". Your sense of humor makes it very easy (even for people have the same ground as mine) to digest those lessons. You really make me believe i'll one day achieve my dream and i cannot wait to see it. I thank you !
Yours, sincerely !
For me as an "occasional couch composer" one of the most tricky things is to find chords for a tune and then to add some variations to the tune and the chords, so that the musical piece doesn't become a boring repetition.
Also, sometimes I struggle to find chords that aren't too sweet. It's a mystery that sometimes you have to fix not the chord that sounds too sweet but the chord before it, so that it feels like you approached from a different side, and suddenly it sounds good and not cheesy at all. But then, after you have changed the chord before, it doesn't fit well with its predecessor, and now you have to fix that, too.... and so it goes back and forth, and you get mad and want to pull your hair out just to stop rewriting your chords again and again to find that "spot on" feeling for the entire song.
So, for me it would be very beneficial to have a tutorial that does the following:
- start with a tune in some "standard" boring scale
- add those standard boring chords to make it sound musically right, but maybe too sweet and boring
This far I'm able to get myself. But the next steps are a major (pun intended) issue:
- very slowly and in details look at every boring chord and explain what can be done there to make it sound less boring without messing entire phrase of the melody
- very slowly and in details look at the revised fragment and explain what can be done to make it last longer without being boring. I mean some kind of chord development, when the tune stays the same but the first time when you play it, it feels unfinished at the end and then you play the same tune again but with different chords, and now it feels complete and resolved.
Do his course "how to write music". It's cheap and very good.....im following it right now!
This ,what camel said 👍
Im here just to cheer long post!
I don't know if this is useful to you, but personally I like to start with an interesting progression and take it from there. I often get a bit bored if the chords are too standard (obviously there are MANY exceptions to this), so I try to have that in the bag from the start when I write my own music.
I just improvise for a while until I find some chords that jump out at me, then try to build on that. Once I'm happy with the chords I start working on melody.
If you try doing things in a different order, I think you can surprise yourself with what you come up with.
This guy is more understandable, simple, easy to grasp, makes complicated topics easier than Rick Beato.
Don't feel bad, I find Beato's channel to generally be hot garbahj.
That intro is exactly why we love Guy so much.
Eccentricity with a purpose and proud of it.
Melody/musical coherence is a lot like a conversation. It's the vocabulary you have in a specific harmonic context and an awareness of that context,, Or in order to take part in a conversation you have to:
a) be aware of the language spoken (Stylistic awareness, and the vocabulary that might go with that)
b) be aware of the topic of conversation (Harmonic and tonal awareness, which kinda implicates the mood of the conversation)
c) be aware of the setting (in a posh conversation you might choose different wording than in a more laid back atmosphere)
d) Know what you want to say, and find the best way to say it in a given context....
You need to "talk" to develop it.. In other words like a child learns a language, by trying stuff and mimicking others, till you discover what makes sense and why..
It's just experience and understanding of harmonic principles (to be used as handles not as a defining truths).. good luck on your journey
You sir are a musical treasure. For us plebs toiling on the edge of the world of music this stuff is wonderful. Folks like you are a conduit to the universe, the place where the wonders of music come from. My sincere thanks!
I use the "rules" to build a list of things to try next. There are so many chords, and knowing each one by name makes it easy to try them out one at a time.
I will say that it's really important to look up or better yet figure out the chord progressions in songs you like. I've recently discovered the wonderfully dramatic IV-iv change because I recognized it in a Fleetwood Mac and a Relient K song and decided to look each one up. Very different styles of music. Now that I know how it sounds, in context with music I like, I recognize it when I hear it and I know how to make it happen when I want that sound.
What a joy it would be to grab a few beers from the shop and make your way round to Guys , cheers me up no end , not to mention the way the tutorials are delivered ..
Your joy for music and humor is such a gift for the community. Never change.
22:50, I would love a video discussing your mixing techniques!
thank god i'm not the only one that was busy and not had time to write music! Your videos are amazing, as well as you! Take care
Great little workshop. Nice goldfinches in the garden there. My favorite garden bird.
"Go make your self a cup of tea it always helps" Could not agree more!
Wow I looked at Pianoteq and I have infinite respect for ANYONE bold enough to use SCRIABIN as the primary demo for the VI!
I was looking for dense and nuanced works because it’s easy to play some spare consonant Mozart and sound good but if it can tackle the sonorous dissonance, cluster harmonies and erratic dynamics- wow.
Very interesting thank you Guy!!
This inside look is so valueble. Also, experiencing your seemingly endless energy and the way you describe music makes it so much more fun to learn. Huge appreciation for the time and dedication you put into this channel, Guy!
Simple yet outstanding demonstration
Came because of the contrast between the thumbnail and the title of the video. Stayed because of the energy
I love his fry, phlegmatic British sense of humor! He probably went to the same music school as James May and they were ass buddies :)
I watch these videos to try and make me conscious again on how I write melodies. I recently started these 1 minute (mainly) film score composition tricks. And someone asked when I tipped on the perfect 5ths why I went from C5 to A5 and then jump up an octave to land and relive on Ab5. My reaction was that I wanted the rather moody WW2 melody end with a bit of hopefulness and a surprise. And that’s what I heard in my mind and I basically broke out of one mode into another. And it works because the melody shared some notes of the Locrian and Phrygian scales. And call it intuition, I knew it would shock the listener because it’s not expected but because of that it doesn’t sound ‘off’. But I really had to analyse how I went from C Ionian to an Ab. Because if you follow those “strict guidelines” you’d be trapped even with a I VI progression and that 6, especially being very ambiguous because it was a perfect 5th makes you wonder if it’s an Aminor or an Amajor until the melody resolved on a C making it an Aminor; these ambiguities are (especially) in film very useful as you don’t want the music to already spoil the plot.
But ambiguity is hard to teach (for me at least, because I’m not a teacher).
But the older (more experienced and exposed to more sophisticated music I guess) you have been exposed to more and you intuitively know what works or not, how ambiguous you can be or how Mickey Mouse disney like you need to write your score. But to explain this to relative beginners is, I think, very hard. Hoe do you explain rules only to break them yourself :)
I am finally getting the melody to Parting Glass and to Foggy Dew down. I feel good about that.
Firstly, love this channel so much
Secondly, I love my add9 chords (you called it a nine chord even though it had no 7)
Thridly, I learned about FX Channel this semester and it saves a lot of space my making one channel for the reverb and sending it out to everyone else. Really cool.
Stay safe Guy.... lots of love from the US
You sir are just hilarious, the “old geezer playing” moment just got me.. you feel to me very young, actually! And this content is great, so thanks!
Yeah, the jokes really show he's young at heart!
What a natural presenter !
Omg I need this man in my life.
Signed,
My Muse & I 🎵
I was going to stop this video and I am glad I didn't. I enjoyed it. Thais for sharing. I hope you and your family are safe these days.
"For every rule, there are 450 exceptions"! 👍 So true!
I look forward to your videos not only because of the inspiration, but simply for the company. You are a fantastic person. More people like you, please!
I'm just getting to know my Yamaha EW410 and your joy is inspiring!
You sir deserves this huge number of subscribers. What an inspiring video :)
I discovered your channel yesterday. You are absolutely mad!!! I love it!!! And as you said at the end "obviously", I subscribed. Regards and I'm asking for more.
3:30 "pre-school hell" 😂😂😂 I needed that today.
Now all I have to learn is; What in the world is keeping my left hand from doing what it's supposed to do? Thanks Guy more wonderful education for an old geezer!
You said it. My left hand on the keyboard is essentially playing octave bass lines. Probably my upbringing as a violinist, i never really learned why to do with the left hand on the piano. I did try for a while to actually learn some technique but it always evaded me.
I feel your pain!
When I get down into the technical weeds of my DAW, it kills my musical creativity. I find computers and software quite frustrating in general so I have to try to keep it simple when writing music. I have the best success by starting with a drum or bass track then adding guitar and then vocal. I like to complete the song with just three or four tracks then add "flourishes" during final mixing. If I try to do too much at once it kills the flow. Maybe I'm just not a good multi-tasker lol. No matter though as I write music to entertain myself. If others like it, it's a very pleasant bonus. Keep rockin' Guy. Cheers from Arizona, USA.🎸🎶🎶🤘
yes techno has a habit of that .. buried in a million choices and options and suddenly the idea has lost its way
and now you gotta pick your kid up and remember to pay that bill ! Artist retreat is the answer . like the pros do
You're so right David. Thankfully I'm retired now and have fewer things biting at my creativity. Now if I only had talent...
Sonic Ox go back to basics. Shut down the computer unless it’s providing inspiration. Just you, a couple of basic instruments, a recording device, even your phone, and a notepad. Stuff will flow. I’ve felt the tech fog many times, gone back to basics on guitar and avoid the tech when trying to be creative. Exception to this can be if you have a buddy who wants to run the tech in the background while you keep creative flow going.
Top guy. Brilliant video. Full of hidden treasure, beefy bits, and bits of egg.
Hello Guy
I woke up a little moody this morning, then I watched your video with a good mug of hot coffee, and now I'm sitting all excited and full of energy at my keyboard and DAW! 😀
Thank you sir!!
I *did* see the grass grow. The best part was the grass watching *me* grow. True story!
One word comment: Ayahuasca!
You're a busy little bee, aren't you! Always active - gushing fun and enthusiasm. We like it indeed... we like it alot!
I’m a massive EE fan and brand new to music theory so this video really spoke (sang) to me!
I want to be you when I get old, and I'm 65! I love your outlook on life:) Please keep making videos!
I love this guy called Guy! thanks for the guidlines
That Thai for beginners book is THE BEST one to learn, I tried many but that one is THE BEST.....if you also apply it. It was my foundation for learning Thai without further schooling.
"Pre-school HELL."
yeah lol
i think thats when you're tired and waiting for the bus in the cold at 5:45 in the morning and all you have to do is poop
So, like an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical tune?
LOL
I laughed at that way more than I should have
Your intros are so good! 😂 Glad your quarantine is as busy as the rest of ours. I have to say, you have honestly one of my favorite personality of all the musicians / producers on youtube and it has taken me far too long to find your videos!! Keep it up 😊
I've dyscalculia and I mention this because it impacts my learning when it comes to mathematics and music but you make your videos in such a way that I can understand and follow. I appreciate that a lot. You don't leave me confused and anxious. Thank you.
I too have dyscalculia, it stopped me from going to grammar school, it literally ruined my life, and of course impacted my life negatively, in many other ways.
What a pleasure to spend half an hour in such good company!
I love to watch your process. I like to write music on the guitar but your principles and techniques work for any instrument. You are a wonderful instructor. Thank you for these great videos.
Your dog is a great actor. Also, nice tune. That Labs Dulcimer is pretty cool.
It's amazing to me how you can make something out of nothing in just a few minutes. I've written and recorded 23 songs and most of them came to me in the dream state of just waking up. I'd hear a song in my head, just upon awakening, and say, "What the hell is that?" If I was lucky, I'd go to the piano and record them on a cassette recorder (I'm an old-school geezer), listen to them later, and decide if they were worth fleshing out. Many of them were rubbish and not worth pursuing, but some had enough merit to work on and refine. Many times, though, I would lie in bed and say, "I'll remember that one". Of course, it's gone forever in an hour if you don't record it in some fashion.
You’re connected.
The reason he has so much energy is because he has dedicated most of his life to mastering instruments, music and sounds. You can't ever be depressed with good mind altering progressions.
That is patently false but ok.
TacticsTechniques&Procedures Patently - clearly; without a doubt.
So clearly and without a doubt music doesn't change a person's mood or state of mind? K.. so patently
Miguel Moreno Why are so many famous musicians so depressed then, why does so much classic music come from depression and suffering
Definitely true for me 😊👍
@@marLamaDeo because they havent mastered the trade, their production suck and they spend more time on their degenerate addictions
9:12 how on earth, that was amazing.
i-VI-V Harmonic minor sound, it's not unusual.
On top of the strictly musical knowledge taught on these videos I am learning a lot just by observing the workflow of Mr. Michelmore.
simply brilliant! thanks for all the laughs and the knowledge you share
need more people in the world like him!!! 100%
Really enjoyed several of your video tutorials and yes I am inspired Guy
I am a wheelchair user from Kinross Scotland
I write songs but I would love to write proper music
Wonderful ❣️
Love how you bring a whimsical fun expression to teaching music
In other words....."Experience". After learning the rules, put the rules in the sub conscious, and find out through experience, work, practice, etc. what works....and never stop digging into the craft to find the secrets hidden in there.
But maybe most important of all.......please tell us where you find your unlimited energy. If you bottle it up, you could be king of the world, if you're into that sort of thing........come on now, let us in on your fountain of youth.......the world will thank you. Oh, excellent video by the way :)
Great! Now I can perform East Enders in cinematic style over my new production!
Retrospective Recording WHAT !?!? Thank you for that !
‘Don’t get excited, just live with it.’
-Guy Michelmore 2020
This is wonderful ❤❤❤ you are amazing teacher glad I found these videos
I love this guy!!! SUCH A GREAT VIRTUAL TEACHER! Coming from a 15 year old foreign languages teacher!!
This is by far the best video I have watched so far. I am new on music, and on this quarentine period I fell in love with it, and I feel like studying a bit of it would improve my basic skills.
Yes I went all the way over here just because I was confused with the chords and there shapes and how to make something sound good out it.
I love that I found this channel and you Guy. Not only are you obviously an incredible teacher through your experience I find such value and inspiration in how relatable you are. To see you go through things that I swear in the moment I'm the only one experiencing really teaches me perspective. I'm also extremely grateful you do it all with such a dry self deprocating sense of humour. Really makes me laugh...relatable!! Music is suppose to be fun after all when you're not pulling your hair out going over the same twenty seconds of derivative drivel that your ego tells you will actually go somewhere. It's in those moments lately I don't feel so alone knowing there are composers like you out there setting a great tone ... Pun intended :)
I love your sense of humor!!!
Just brilliant .. never tire of watching this man 🌝
Such a joy to watch and hear you at work. I've learned so much watching your videos.
Cheers Guy:) thoroughly enjoyed your session and your humour of course keeps it real and relaxed. Have an awesome day!!!
I taught myself to play organ then modified it to a piano style, I played all my Songs in the Key of"C" or "C MINOR" using the pointer system of manufacturing any chord, and I've had a Wonderful Ride, until my hearing, went Off Key playing an "E" above middle "C" my ear picked it up as a "B FLAT" Below middle "C"music has been my greatest joy, I was taught at primary school, how to listen to instrument in an orchestra which provided me with a career selling Piano's and Organs! always protect your ears, once your hearing is damaged the sound you used to hear, you can never get back I'm unable to hear music it is all distorted! enjoy your music and enjoy your life!
Very tragic tale, I'm really sorry for your loss. I too didn't use my PPE when I should have - it wasn't the 35 years of boilermaking that toasted my hearing but the 45 years of wind noise riding motorcycles (I think anyway). Wore my earplugs at work but didn't want to restrict what I could hear on my bike so....anyway, I can relate. Soon it won't matter any more 🤣
F sharp in a C major chord works in Indian music. Scale C D E F sharp G A B C Raga Yaman for example. And a flat semitone in a C minor chord works fine in Raga Bhairavi.C D flat E flat F G A flat B flat and top C.
15:38, what a nice little serendipitous moment for the bass :D
Thank you for making me feel like making some music today. I love this piece you created here. How do you decide on naming your pieces?
Super effective method, thanks!
"like youve just sort of dropped into some kind of pre-school hell" youre literally a genius
I'd forgotten how much I love to watch Guy work. :)
I love your sense of humour Guy! Awesome video.
Broooooo u just dropped the knowledge on my dome piece for real for real
It is finished. Fantastic!
I like your English and mimics so much, as I appreciate your advises and courses ! Thank you
At the same time I watched the grass grow, I realized my music theory knowledge has grown too! Thanks a lot for your videos!
Thanks Guy! Everything you post is helpful and as always entertaining..
This was awesome! Love your joy and childlike delight in being creative
สวัสดีค่ะ Thank you for your inspiring VDO. I love your positive energy.
ขอบคุณค่ะ
Thanks your explanations are very helpful and fun.
Guy, I'm lost for words 🤣🤣 This must be the greatest intro to a video I've ever seen hahaha. Yes i appreciate the rest of it of course but the intro....
proper geezer! my hats to you sir.
I enjoy every minute to your lessons 👍💪♥️
Thanks for the enjoyable lesson
I have a comp degree and actually for some reason REVERSE ENGINEERED counterpoint and harmony through the WTK listening along with sheet music and just asking:
How does he do that and that and that and figuring it out one by one just staring at the score.
I remember my first epiphany was when I noticed that the notes on the beat (or first and third spots) were part of the harmonic progression chord and the off notes (“the second and fourth spots“) we’re moving between them and not part of the chord.
It was painful but I think it MASSIVELY exercised my composing muscles, by mid first year of composition during the jury the profs told me I already knew everything they would tell me and only needed the degree if I wanted to teach!
(I kept going because it was fun! I conducted my first new music ensembles and classical performers and worked with other composers and actually many of them asked for me to tutor them.
The good composers hated me and called me
“Mozart” snarkily but a prof paid me $350 for one page of my notation and had it framed. Ego boost much?
Anyways never mind me I’m just some guy, my point was that I learned and I believe you can also learn by simply being VERY MINDFUL of what happens when you play a chord transition.
How does it affect the musicality (progressions, motifs, counterpoint etc) and the emotive content (happy sad worries glad) and also just FEEEEEEEEEEEEL
the chord or notes together imagine they are peoples are they a Romeo and Juliet or a Gumby and Pokey?
In other words I let my mind play with it. I kept music theory active where needed but I ENGAGED with the nuances of the tones and it taught me a “pallet of relationships” for chords and note melismas.
I haven’t watched the vid yet probably brilliant just wanted to say- the secret of chords and melody is really your particular form of fitting them together.
You make the chords work. You.
Sir, I'm stuck in Prague and I'll tell you that your videos are marvelous @ very educative and helpful
I found this quite helpful and informative. I also appreciate your focused yet open minded approach to usage of the information.
As a totally amateur and self taught musician I find your videos fascinating. I don't read music but can write it down a bit if I have a theory book to hand (it's a chore!) so really do everything by ear. If I compose a melody I use chords rather like adjectives - they are for me wholly subservient to the mood I'm trying to convey rather than any technical or musical 'rules' so I think your guide is excellent. I'm in awe of great 'proper' musicians but very occasionally they say nice things about something I've done and want to know how I did it. Sadly, I have no idea.
I completely agree with what you say at 25:10 ... we are not mathematicians, music comes from the soul not from formulas (Xenakis says the opposite) ... at least the ones I like the most!
By the way, I like channels like yours, where we learn in a relaxed way. Good job!
Brilliant as always, love the Les Dawson homage at 8:30 :)
Very enjoyable vidio. I like your tune too. Thanks for sharing.
Love your humor mate, totally works for me! You're a natural!
quarantine brought me back to youtube to learn some new stuff, so getting back to music. great video. thanks, subd.