5 BIG Mistakes people make writing music ......[and how to FIX them!]
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- čas přidán 29. 06. 2024
- The 5 BIG Mistakes people make writing music …… (and how to FIX them)! What are the 5 most common mistakes people make when writing music? Composer Guy Michelmore listens to a lot of music from songwriters and composers and here he gives you his run down on the most common mistakes he hears - AND (even better) - how to fix them! Join him as he looks at harmony mistakes, melodic car crashes, dodgy structure and much more. Working in Logic Pro x Guy has written several really really bad pieces of music. IN this video he deconstructs what went wrong and then shows you how to put it right.
00:00 Hello Everybody!
00:39 1 - Tune and Harmony are on different paths
06:36 2 - Tune is still terrible
09:10 3 - All in at once
13:40 4 - No clarity
20:50 5 - Everything is Mediocre
Check out Guy’s "How to Write Music" course!
Download our FREE guide: thinkspaceeducation.com/htwm/
- - - - How To Write Music - - - -
How To Write Music explores the fundamental skills that underpin every great piece of music whether it’s a song or a film score, string quartet or video game sounds track.
Check out the free guide here to get you started: thinkspaceeducation.com/htwm-...
I never had a musical education, but I somehow got to the point where I became a composer on a big TV cartoon. At first, the tasks they put in front of me seemed impossible, but step by step, with your video lessons, I learned how to work quickly and efficiently. We have already made half a season, everyone is happy! Thank you!
would love the story behind "somehow". I know the arts industry is more about who you know and networking with contacts than experience at times.
@@johnmcvicker6728 I believe this is absolutely true. A good example: I started out as a sound designer (I have a degree) and after mailing lists I started working with one producer.
Gradually I accumulated musical material - first 5-second jingles, then different kinds of intros and so on. Then he believed in me as a composer and started calling me to his main projects.
The movie industry turned out to be more demanding for me, that's why I'm on this channel haha:)
Which cartoon?
czcams.com/video/pY10LdEfGK8/video.html@@thomaslausen3249
How in the world
I love this guy! He honestly deserves more support
My tips:
1. Get to the point! Start with something that catches the attention. It can be small or big, complex or simple, but something that makes you ears stand up. The intro of Star Wars for instance, instantly with the opening chord you are hooked. The intro of Tristan and Isolde starts with one of the most famous chords in history. The intro of Bohemian Rhapsody starts with a haunting vocal arrangement. This also has the added benefit of clearly defining your musical idea since you already have something interesting and therefor have lots to work with.
2. Write more notes! When you hear most great pieces of music it can be easy to forget just how many different notes you hear. Take any piece by Bach, there is rarely, if ever, a bar that is identical to another. Even a simple piece like Prelude in C there is something different every bar, if a section repeats it will at the very least be transposed. Everything has variations, everything is in motion, every transition is unique. Especially with DAWS it can be so tempting to just copy paste your way through an entire composition.
3. Use dynamics! The power of dynamics can be easily overlooked if you use a DAW because it can be such tedious work. Creative use of dynamics in volume can turn a simple melody into something really interesting. Listen to Beethoven and focus on the way he writes dynamics, it is all over the place.
I came across your videos by mistake a couple of months ago,a guitarist by trade. This was so inspiring i I purchased a computer with cubase artist and spitfire plug ins. At 65 I'm having the time of my life. Thank you for the inspiration and of course fun that music brings. Haven't seen my wife for two weeks.....
I can't believe I mentioned another useful tool on your post and YT flagged me for spamming. Well let's see if this works. I recommended a site that had free instrument plugins that you could try. It starts with the word piano. And ends with the word book. And it's in the uk. And if you are a composer looking for useful tools, can be a great site. But who knows if this reply will stick. I don't consider this spamming as the instruments are free.
Pianobook?
@@ThinkSpaceEducation I mentioned it and looking into that to enhance his growth with composing and cubase - great resource, but YT apparently flagged the post as spamming. And now with decent sampler being available, may not need to get Kontakt - though that is still worth it if on budget.
I’m really new to this although I’ve been involved with music for a long long time, I’m now in my retirement and able to spend more serious time learning about orchestration and composition. I’ve written a few things over the years but never orchestrated them or really gone beyond the guitar chords and basic melody. Given this, I find your videos an invaluable resource and source of ideas, many of which I have sought to employ in my own efforts. Having recently bought BBCSO core along with a few other instruments and freebies, I’m so enjoying my new musical adventures. Thank you Guy for your insight, talent and inspiration. Oh and not forgetting humour of course! 😃
Guy is responsible for me somewhat paralleling what you wrote above. Saw his videos in 2020 and got a bit hooked. Bought Cubase, BBCSO and many more things - however, never did what I intended and that was to write an orchestral score. Hoping to get back into that soon and should be picking up a course or two on Thinkspace soon. Missed out on the deeper course that started last week.
I love your videos!! You give a wealth of information, but you are also absolutely hilarious. Keep up the great work!!!
thank you
Excellent points all and so well demonstrated. They resonate!
Great presentation. Great to hear the way you go about improving a tune.
Check out our online master's programme in Songwriting and Music Production - Mentored by world-class producers and artists - take your music to the next level thinkspace.ac.uk/postgraduate/ma-songwriting-and-music-production/
I think this is a great video. I would really love if you could make a longer video on the same idea, making it have that spark that you were talking about at the end. Thanks so much for all your videos, Guy!
I definitely love your videos Guy, so educational, and hilarious at times!
I am a number 4, say no more, thanks for the score Guy Michlemore✌😎😉
This was just what I needed, clear and actionable examples, thanks!
You got it
Brilliant as always - you make me want to go up to the studio and fire up my DAW!
Great stuff Guy - as always!
Such great advice and I know I'm guilty of at least three of these at some point. Thanks once again Guy for helping us amateurs out 👍
Youre very welcome!
Great advice, especially the last part. It's easier to simplify a great arrangement into a simple tune like twinkle little star without losing quality. But it's harder to transform a bad tune into something impressive. The early stages are crucial, as the foundation determines the overall outcome.
I like the idea of taking great music, delete layers of arrangements and fat and look at the bare bone notes. A lot might be learned from doing that.
Very true!
Thank you for the Great tutorial!
You’re so funny, as usual. On a serious note 🎶 I learned a lot and got ideas I can develop further, thx for sharing!
Am in the middle of Guys Learn Music Theory course at the moment. Would recommend it. Starts from the very basics . If you have no knowledge of theory (which I hadn’t really) Its very good.
Thanks a lot, Guy, for this very useful and simultaniously very entertaining video. You presented this tips so generic that I can imagine them to be applicable as well to orchestral music as well to pop or rock. In their song "With or without you" U2 obviously applied your tips. Bono most likely subscribed to your channel. Especially "do the basics extremely well" and "don't bring in everything at once" make this song a great example for a successful use of your tips.
Coincidentally I was at a gig last night and contemplating the reason why the support act and headline act appeared in that order. There was nothing specifically wrong with the support act, it was just that they weren't as good as the headliner and for many of the reasons mentioned here. The guitar solos (yes, guitar solos; remember them?) were safe. The lyrics were a little stilted and awkward. The songs structures were mostly very predictable. There was nothing specifically wrong with it. It's just that the headliner did it better.
Thinking about what I was thinking about as the support act were performing I would add one immediate mistake to Guy's list: doing everything in groups of four. The first instrument plays for four bars and then a second instrument comes in and they play together for four bars and then another one comes in and we have three instruments playing together for four bars, and so on until your brain melts.
Bring instruments in when they sound good but NOT for the love of crumb cake every four bars. I know some people think Pachelbel got away with it but if you listen to Canon in D there is more going on that allows him to tie most of the movement to the chord turnaround. And it's a work of genius so it can override the rules.
So don't think in fours. Have leading notes. Delay the start by a beat or two. Syncopate. Bring in a lead instrument while the previous lead drops in to a supporting role. Overlap. Throw in a 2:4 from time to time. I am just starting out on my journey into composition but this has helped me improve many of my earlier attempts.
Now to apply some more of Guy's ideas.
Really helpful tips, particularly about bringing in everything at once, guilty? Cheers Dave
:)
Yep, I'm definitely a candidate for 1 and 4, and 5 goes without saying! It's not that my melodies fight with the chord progression so much as I can never remember what the chord progression actually is and I tend to wander off, so the marker track with the chords noted is a good idea.
With 4, it can be hard to let go of a part you really like even though you know it's fighting everything else or might be sitting in the someone else's seat. It's your baby and difficult to move, amend or throw out entirely, but you know you're going to have to eventually.
5? My music's mediocre at best but there's so much satisfaction in learning and improving each time - something this channel has helped me with enormously, so thank you for that.
I would be happy if any crematorium were playing just one of my compositions ;) Oh, Guy. You made me laugh again. :)
Ha! Go on corner the market in emotional but somehow bland music - you could make a killing...... (poor choice of words)
I love your piano technique at 5:35 :-D
Taking notes !
Great tips Guy, thanks! Also that Autoharp sounds great! What library is that?
Your composition sounds like the music in SPYRO love it!!
8:45 It has an identity alright... It's a variation of "the final countdown", hahaha. great video as always.
That’s what I thought too, followed by the Gauntlet arcade game theme.
😄@@ajclarke9189
Circle of Fifths has entered the chat
Gotta luv it!
It's funny you keep mentioning a crematorium when the project I'm currently working on is about a sci-fi crematorium spaceship. If you have any more tips on writing crematorium music I'd love to hear them! XD
appreciate all the tips, the fighting ideas thing is my biggest problem , i have pretty strong adhd so it probably makes it even worse for having too many cluttering ideas. I watch a composer who streams that has adhd tho and he is really really good at it. so i know i can do this once i figure out a method that works for me. , i play metal guitar and drums mainly and learning all this is taking long. I know my theory now pretty good at least and learned some advanced orchestration techniques from watching LSO videos, just need to actually do more music now lol, learning art and game dev now leaves me having to make time slots for everything i do
At the moment I am at the start of my musical journey, so everything I write is bad. However every new piece I write is better than the last becuase I learn something new with every project.
Could we have zombies next time perhaps? Dracula rising out of his coffin maybe. I couldn't figure out what you meant by what sounded like "peck room". Maybe a church yard setting with crows in the trees .....
Some good points anyway.
Thanks
Another element of adding space for your fourth example would be panning -- e.g., you could pan the autoharp hard left, and the guitar hard right, leaving "apparent" space in the middle for e.g. the choir or piano.
Yes that works but a good arrangement lies at the heart of all of this
Shout out to Great Uncle Jehoshaphat!
i knew i’d like some of the stuff you put up as being bad. ha ha. great video tho. a reminder, if nothing else, to stop adding.
the other thing that came to mind was the question ‘do orchestral string players deride and balk at vst strings as much as i do at the very word ‘guitar’ being associated with that abomination you called the indie guitar?’.. horrific.
cheers for another great personable video.
Guy writes only for the crème de la crematorium
Ha ha ha
There are two types of melodies that I hear a lot.
The type that begins with one note repeated a number of times in a rhythm, and the type that plays a simple broken chord pattern to start off. Usually a note, a note below it, and then a note above. The rhythm, and how the melody answers this opening phrase is what makes it unique but I've heard the exact same start in melodies over and over and over
Crematorium music : thanks for the chuckles.
First, I must admit I am extremely reticent about commenting but this is a very helpful video. I also admit that I tend to WAY TOO MANY NOTE every song I write (should I admit I want to make every instrument be important so no feelings get hurt? 😜) so I truly appreciate your clarification on how to simplify arrangements. Thank you. (And I must also admit that one of the first songs I wrote a million years ago is so crematory...and I thought it just sounded Medieval 😂).
You are in good company. Even Mozart was accused of using too many notes..... 👍
😄 LOL I love Mozart! I can't tell you how many times I've watched Amadeus! Maybe too many notes are never enough - kinda like chocolate 😁@@Birkguitars
@14:54 Gregory House had an epiphany
Thanks Guy, this confirmes that I do right by feeling when arranging covers for our little band. Looks also to me that the song "blood like lemonade" by Morcheeba that our singer would like ro sing is another example that needs sunglasses. But how comes it got over 10 mio views? I'd welcome your comment on this. Thanks
Next Career goal. Get into the Crematorium Music industry 😁😁😁
You were playing many of my musical efforts for sure. From the get go, it has no genre, except for some old church hymn. Still not so bad
Id say if only a smidge of musical history and a particular aesthetic is injected, it can go a long way . All the math and music theory will not help, It has to be referential and contemporary in some way, I figure.
It absolutely eludes me at my late age
nice
:)
Is it ok to hear melodies as a conversation structured with rhythm? Always love your videos and lessons! 👍
Yes of course
Could you do a review of SWAM String Sections? How does it compare with a good string sample library?
Interesting
Did you say "Steve Wright, put your hand down"? As in Steve of Brookside/Grange Hill/Jimmy McGovern stuff?
I write a lot in a homorhythmic-esque style which is fine but I know there is a lot more that I can be doing but I just struggle at doing it.
Damn getting melodies to fit with different parts
crematorium music omg i lost it 🤣😂 Guy always cheers me up when i'm down, and upper when i'm up
To quote Roger Rabbit- “thankth, I needed that”
Do you use the chord track in Cubase to mark out chords instead of marker track?
I normally don't bother as I know what Im playing but it does work
I heard the crematorium composer had to knock it on the head as he was suffering from artistic burn out .........
Their name is Clemence. Clem Atorium.
Am thinking that the melody would work better in swing time with triplets. Of course it would be better suited to a New Orleans Jazz funeral.
Nice idea
Me: This song is fire!
Guy: Did somebody say fire???
🔥
Small thing I noticed: The PEACE sign on the backdoor?
To stop birds flying into the glass! But it send a message to the birds
Back to the NI S88 mkII ?
S61 is for my mobile rig - 88 in the studio. The Mk3 will really comeinto its own when the instrument developers get NKS2 compatibility in there which they are already doing
@@ThinkSpaceEducation thanks!
I'm a fulltime composer for Krematorium waiting room music and I feel very offended by this video!
First one feels like most chinese folk songs :D
Guy...are you going for the S88 Mark III?
Maaaayyyyyy be
I am...😁
Hello ^^
Hello
PS. Hope you haven’t given up on Cubase
All that gear and we start with a pair of the worst '80s General MIDI patches! 😲
Spitfire LABS. I just wanted some plain free sounds
Crematory is a bit depressing... I'll propose myself to write music for bakery oven, 🤔😂
Good idea - wholesome wholemeal tunes
Thank you Guy!
I suspect a lot of these mistakes come from software that does looping? That gets you thinking: "Aaah, I could add another instrument and then another..."
I've noticed you don't use Ableton... Maybe for that reason?
It never hurts to rip-off something from JS Bach for an initial motif ...he did it all the time.
Genre: Spyro the Dragon 🐉👍
I was writing bad pieces before you were born!
Ha!
After watching this I'm going to pioneer the genre of crematorium house.
All My music is bad but I still do it for my own pleasure.
Good! Enjoy it
Try to avoid repetition. Hallelujah, hallelujah. That's twice in 5 seconds. Please make way longer musical lines. Whiter shade of pale starts with 16 measures. Not bad...!
Anyone else get Spyro The Dragon vibes from this?
I remember Spyro!
@@ThinkSpaceEducation Stewart Copeland the drummer of the Police produced the music for spyro
I don't want to brag, but my music is really big in crematoriums
The Hans Zimmer of Cremation ....
crematorium funny moments
Clickbait this one…
OK may be a bit next week - YOU'LL BE SHOCKED WHAT HE DID NEXT!!!!