Modular Composing | Episode 01 | Key concepts
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
- First of all, I don't think I can teach you composition. What I can do, is share the key concepts you could use to fill your box of tricks. Second, this video is about modular composing, which requires different skills compared to composing regular music. You don't have to worry about sound design when you compose for piano ( but you'll need to practise for many years to be any good). With a modular, you can only play one note at a time and you're completely responsible for both the creative process and building your own instrument from scratch.
Getting to know your modules can also take many years but it's not necessary to learn how to play with 10 fingers and/or read music notation. However, it definitely helps to have a basic understanding of notes and scales unless you're into composing abstract art. Composing - in my book - is combining sounds into an experience you'd enjoy and maybe even share. There are no rules and there's no genre police in modular. It's about telling stories, painting pictures and making sculptures. It's about you.
Nice tips! As a trained musician, I'd like to suggest an idea what could be a useful concept: looking at those gaps (the semitones). Instead of referring to a certain scale as "sad" (minor) or "happy" (major), you can look at the gaps and where they occur in the scale. So, play all 7 white keys starting at C. Then, start at the next note (D) for the next "mode" and so on (E, F,...). This results in the 7 modes of the C major scale. When the gaps or semitones are placed more at the end of the mode, the "brighter" it'll sound. The more they're at the beginning of the mode, it becomes "darker". You can think about these modes as different flavors of bright- or darkness, from the darkest (starting at a B) to brightest (starting at F). You don't need to know any note names etc to use this in your compositions. It simply might give you some extra inspiration.
Thanks so much for this explanation and the use of 'brightness'.
@@CinematicLaboratory My pleasure ;-)
geusens .. yes, I used to think that a Bminor key was different, than a Cminor key, .. but, no .. just a semitone apart, in pitches .. the character, or flavor of the key, is the same. Modes are useful, .. after using them a bit, .. I think anyone will remember their uses, for their own needs. I've been dinging around the double harmonic major modes, or keys .. darker, exotic, mid-eastern characteristics, .. more fun .. :)
@@kenswanson1093 I work with functional harmony and chord scales. Every note in a scale gets a note number, which refers to the interval between root and those note. If you start thinking like this about notes and scales, the root note doesn’t really matter. And that is - I believe - a good thing when composing with a modular synth. Like yourself, I also enjoy working with non-western scales. The modular is extremely good for those kind of compositional ideas and explorations, if you’ve got a capable sequencer.
@@kenswanson1093 I always found it funny to compose in the key of E# (which is F) but then I learned it actually exists. And a double sharp like C##. Then I decided to just noodle.
Excellent! Please make more composition-focused videos. That is what really matters.
Thank you!
Your videos was one of the main sources of inspiration for me. Good work as always!
wanted to say how much i appreciate your videos. you go into detail in a fun way. straight to the point. and always sounds great. since ive found your channel, i know put more thought into what i patch. also, i like this video here!! thanks!
This is a great breakdown of important techniques for any level of musician. VERY WELL DONE!
Just want to thank you for your time, it is one of the best videos about modular I ´ve ever seen, congrats!
Hej! Great impressive work! Getting the story out of you and telling is key max more than technical perfection! Keep story-telling! With your visuals it’s a referent class!
Great Video.
Fantastic! One of the best videos from you! Congrats!
I record stems for each track on modular to Zoom L12 mixer and import to Ableton Live 11. Works great. So modular drum then bass and melody.
Less is more plus you can always add some plugins in DAW to complement the modular stuff. Best of both worlds.
I was about to sign up for an advanced composition course (online) at Berklee. Your list of key ideas (contrast, mood, expression, tension, and so on) just saved me a thousand bucks.
Wow, thank you for sharing. It's not my intention to compete with educational institutions, but I believe it's easier to learn composition by studying your catalog of favorite music, find some songs which have 'sparse and simple' arrangements and then try to translate parts to a modular or DAW. Songs like 'sound and vision' from Bowie on just the 'white keys' learned me a lot. As I wrote in the video, there are just 12 notes in an octave. When you use a scale, you're left with 7. So I always feel it comes down to storytelling and if your favorite music doesn't have lyrics, watch movies and TV shows and find out which music you can almost 'feel' like it's an actor. Then go steal and borrow, and eventually something new comes out, which is 'totally you'. Musicians have the privilege to make the music they love. Have a great journey!
And thanks for mentioning my recent comment to you. 😃 ( I buy the same modules and can't begin to get close to what you produce. Is it me? Yes, its my limitations.)
Great Video !!!
Thanks !!!
Good points sir!
Great video. Should be a very educational series.
Ah great video ! Really inspiring ! Thanks 🙏🏻
This is an outstanding video, very inspiring.
A shout out to Nile Rodgers and Ennio Morricone in one video? Well done!
Great video, Some greaat tips in there.
So many sequencers… so little time, looking forward to the next video 😂
Nice tips and music! This is a true masterclass!!! Fot those who might not know it, this book will also be of interest and a great read: Making Music: 74 Creative Strategies
for Electronic Music Producers by Dennis DeSantis
Interesting to see your comment about Nile Rodgers and CHIC because they're playing at the festival I go to this summer, should be fun.
I saw his Pinkpop performance and he's still going strong. People loved it. When I heard him play on Daft Punk's Get Lucky for the first time I knew it was Nile. Nobody can play like him.
Great video ! By your fault I have a Loquelic Iteritas wich sounds so great and now I need to free 6HP in my rack for this Manis 😅
Make sure you check out lots of videos about Manis. It's extremely brutal compared to loquelic and you'll either love or hate it. I can only make it sound good with utilities like an ADSR, filters and reverb. Then it's just totally awesome.
I have one case that I am very happy with an consider it finished in the sense that I won't replace any modules in it. ATM I'm slowly working on a case 2. The sequencing/melody making in case 1 is Pams new W, Steppy, Bloom and Harmonaigh in that order, and for my second case I plan to get the Vector five12. The reason for this is that in my case 1 the melodies are somewhat random or chance based, see what's happening and taking it from there kind of thing. What I want and think the Vector can do for me is to make more planed compositions. So, have you or anyone here any experience with Vector or any other sequencer good for such a thing?
I am working on episode 02 but it will take a while. The Vector is the only 'big' sequencer I am not familiar with. What I do know is that every single sequencer out there has it's pros and cons and none of them is perfect. The best sequencer is still the DAW and a midi to CV converter...
@@CinematicLaboratory Yes probably. what appeals to me most is to see what keys I punch into it. Anyway, thanks for audially and visually beautiful input.
I recently got a 512 Vector and it's everything you'd hope for in your comment.
@@CinematicLaboratory I just bought the five12 secondhand myself : )
Your videos on the making of a new studio have in common with your other videos that they are very pleasant to watch, beautifully filmed but somehow simple. So maybe this guy who is also good with film and who makes beautiful eurorack videos might interest you:
Wac-Lounge: "Organic electronic mood music from Japan. All tracks are made using modular synthesizers, Korg volca, and sometimes cassette tapes, VHS video tape and reverse playback of reel to reel."
czcams.com/channels/9kmvGivGZMQib9uL9lVPVw.html
Ahhhhhh! FREAK OUT! Le Freak, say Chic.
Happy days are always back when I play their first albums.
@@CinematicLaboratory My aunt would always play Chic at our cookouts when I was a kid. Really brings back awesome memories.