time stamps (this just seems like a primer on how to make very simple, basic, potentially catchy melodies as opposed to the best possible creative melodies) 0:36 tip 1: simple is better (easily digestible) 2:41 tip 2: many great melodies use/orbit around chord tones (I don't fully agree with this lol) 3:39 chord demo 4:39 chord tone melody demo 6:18 tip 3: "good" melodies use primarily step-wise motion (I also don't fully agree with this LOL) 10:35 tip 4: repetition is key 13:17 motifs 16:00 tip 5: Vocalize your melodies (a very good tip, actually. best tip of the video that is mostly always applicable without all the caveats)
@@beckst3r i think finding exceptions to the rule and different ways of varying around the chord to be more interesting, personally but maybe it is stronger with the chord tones, it just shouldn't stick solely to that
this dude right here is legit....i produce and write metal, but the principles shared in this video apply perfectly to my genre....these are some very good tips NOT to be overlooked by any aspiring musician/producer....
i really wanna hear some of your music if possible! you are 100% right by the way because I create 'Trap' beats but have been following this channel religiously over the past few weeks. hope you're keeping well - and if you have a music link where i could hear some of your work that would be cool af 💪🏽🔊
@@trapbeatproducer hey man nice reply! yeah for sure I'll share some....and so should you...i am setting up my soundcloud and social media for the band...
I really appreciate how he stresses the importance of understanding the basics of what you actually want to achieve even before explaining how to get there. Great teaching skills ngl 🔥
I've been writing songs for ages, and as you were talking I realised that I have ended up adhering to many of these rules just from simple trial and error over time. That said, I thought your complicated melody was great! Although I definitely agree that breaking it down into chunks and motifs and (slightly) repetitive bits would help... :) Great video, thumbs up!
So grateful i found your channel..Your content is incredibly helpful. I love how you don't make content for the sake of making content. You also dont regurgitate every other video on the subject. Your brutal honesty approach has unstuck me from bad habits and writing ruts. Thank you so much
does anyone else know any other youtube channels like this guys? Like ones that aren’t centered around a bunch of random esoteric mixing tips but instead look at the production side of things more holistically?
Didn't particularly care for the Peter McKinnon intro but when you got to the actual information part you did an incredibly good job explaining and showing information, I appreciate this tutorial.
Hi , Thanks for this video 🙏🏼😊🙏🏼 . I have a question . You just said as tip 5 " Humming your melody " . Is that ( and also all of the other tips ) just for vocal melodies or the arrangement ( instrumental melodies ) ?
Awesome video...You are quick to each piece of info and you don't ramble on and on like some....Very efficient use of an 19 min video. Felt shorter. Great job.
One more tip. Melodies have fraises. Fraises are typically around 7 tones or words with a clear ending. Ending meaning there is a rest after a couple of notes. Listen to songs you like and identify how long the fraises are. You will find patterens. :) hope this helps someone
Does whistling count for vocalizing? I've created a few melodies that way. I get the stepwise part, but I tend to use a lot of thirds, too, which are inevitably chord tones.
Your first point is exactly what film score producers struggle with ino. Compared to music like Leia Organa theme or jurassic park theme melodies, there is no soul in modern film scores
Thank you so much Nathan I am forever grateful for your channel. This was is a video I really needed I didn’t have a clue how to make melodies but know thanks to you I do. Thanks to you I do I hope you have a great day :)
Just pulled out my phone to record another idea :) Thanks for yet another helpful (PRACTICAL) tutorial with not hard rules but guiding guardrails to keep up out of trouble.
these are the music composition 101 : motif - pattern , steps on scale tone , leap on chords tone . thanks for sharing to peoples, however, there is a music theories mistake regarding to qualities of music intervals: C to A , Do to La is Major 6 not Minor 6 . the formula of intervals is 1 to 6 , invert it become 1 to 3 ( C to A = 6, invert A to C = 3 ) Major 6 become to minor 3 ( opposite) when you invert it Major become minor, minor become Major. Perfect interval remain perfect . IE. perfect 4 interval invert it still remain perfect 5 , IE: C to F = perfect 4th, invert it F to C = (perfect) 5th. IE: C to High C is perfect 8th, invert it C to same C is 1 still (perfect 1) perfect interval is 1, 4, 5,8. the total add up number is 9 , root position + invert position is equal to 9 , Major become minor , minor become Major , Perfect interval remain perfect, when you invert it. Ie: C to B = Major7th , invert B To C = 2th , 7+2=9, C to c = 8th, C to C = 1, 8+1= 9. this Music theory basis from Classical music theories. this video is meant to TIPS people how to music composition not the Music theories. Great video , Thanks for sharing!
Really so happy I found your channel, Ive wanted to make music for years but lost confidence many times🥲 your channel makes me feel like I can actually make this my job one day as long as I keep learning - sophia
I have two questions. First, let me just say that ok loving this context, been following along for a little while now and I’m focusing hard core on production as a result and less on mixing. Would love for you to hear the results of my first track (since listening to your advice) when it’s finished. Q1: I’m planning on following your example and sending my next track off to a mixing engineer, instead of DIYing it. Would you consider de-essing a production or mixing responsibility? I find that I’m terribly lacking skill with a de-esser and end up with either too harsh of an s or it sounds like my esses are missing entirely and I have a lisp. Q2: Do you have a mixing/mastering engineer you recommend? Considering Mr Mix and Master, but not sure yet.
Thanks so much! De easing is a mixing engineer's job for sure. Any correcting stuff is something a mixer will do 100% As far as recommendations... I have my guy I use but he's not cheap. $500/song for mix and master. I'd recommend if you're just starting to try to personally connect with some in the $200 range to start out and just get experience to know how to communicate with a mixer. Honestly FB groups aren't a bad place to ask around. The Make Pop Music group is probably the best for this kind of thing - a LOT of high quality pros in there
The notes you say don''t sound good would work well if you had lyrical content that was unsettled. It would create the feeling the lyrics were trying to communicate. Prosody.
My mentor suggests creating a melody with a simple nursery type of melody rhyme and rhythm, especially for the chorus. He says, Will 20, 000 fans Want to sing the chorus back to you?
Great video as usual Nathan! I started writing songs two years ago. I already do these things intuitively, but it’s so nice to hear you explaining why these techniques work so well. Love your channel! Thank you so much for all the great lessons!🙏
Thanks for the info and inspiration. I really like #5. Vocalize! I typically will just start blurting out a melody or something that is primarily just gibberish. Not a single word is used. most of the time, I will hear a gibberish banter fall from my lips and it triggers a memory or a reminiscent momentary visual of some sort, and its beautiful. Perhaps it may be a gibberish 2 or 3 syllable instance that has the shape of a certain word. I love it. a little quirky, and hard to do if you're not in the car or somewhere you know you're alone or if you have lower self confidence, as its easily understood that its hard to understand how you can blurt out absolute nonsense and sound so ugly, yet, create moments of bliss. How can Gibberish be this powerful?!? I Love it and sometimes its that gibberish banter that somehow makes the hard times easier. Not to say the hard times get easy, but the hard times can still be good times. Sorry, wasn't trying to be a rambler lol!
Paradox of music theory, learn all your keys, scales, triads, arpeggios, 7th, 9th, 11, 13th, suspended, etc. only to discover the best songs you love had simple lovely lines. *You should still learn it all so you can create BETTER simple melodies :)*
time stamps (this just seems like a primer on how to make very simple, basic, potentially catchy melodies as opposed to the best possible creative melodies)
0:36 tip 1: simple is better (easily digestible)
2:41 tip 2: many great melodies use/orbit around chord tones (I don't fully agree with this lol)
3:39 chord demo
4:39 chord tone melody demo
6:18 tip 3: "good" melodies use primarily step-wise motion (I also don't fully agree with this LOL)
10:35 tip 4: repetition is key
13:17 motifs
16:00 tip 5: Vocalize your melodies (a very good tip, actually. best tip of the video that is mostly always applicable without all the caveats)
why don't u fully agree with tip 2?
@@beckst3r i think finding exceptions to the rule and different ways of varying around the chord to be more interesting, personally
but maybe it is stronger with the chord tones, it just shouldn't stick solely to that
@@beckst3r Bc you basically can't have any scales in the melody then. Also sometimes you want dissonance to make the listener a little on edge
this dude right here is legit....i produce and write metal, but the principles shared in this video apply perfectly to my genre....these are some very good tips NOT to be overlooked by any aspiring musician/producer....
i really wanna hear some of your music if possible! you are 100% right by the way because I create 'Trap' beats but have been following this channel religiously over the past few weeks.
hope you're keeping well - and if you have a music link where i could hear some of your work that would be cool af 💪🏽🔊
@@trapbeatproducer hey man nice reply! yeah for sure I'll share some....and so should you...i am setting up my soundcloud and social media for the band...
You're one of the new channels I found that's been really helpful!
YES! Love hearing that! Thanks so much!
I really agree!
sorry I’m late 🤭
I really appreciate how he stresses the importance of understanding the basics of what you actually want to achieve even before explaining how to get there. Great teaching skills ngl 🔥
Finally somebody teaching music, you're right with this mixing tutorials.. I watched them two or three years I don't even know anymore..
I actually love the #4-3 motion on 9:17 😂
That suspension and resolution can sound good at times - but if you play the 4 without resolving - not so good
I've been writing songs for ages, and as you were talking I realised that I have ended up adhering to many of these rules just from simple trial and error over time. That said, I thought your complicated melody was great! Although I definitely agree that breaking it down into chunks and motifs and (slightly) repetitive bits would help... :) Great video, thumbs up!
You had some half steps in the step-wise, but GREAT, simple video! Thank you!
Half steps and whole steps are both steps. Diatonic (meaning in the key)
@@NathanJamesLarsen Not trying to be a critic, still learning. Great video!
Not at all - but half and whole steps are both still considered "steps" and not leaps. Just clarifying!
The most helpful information for songwriters I herd Yet
If I'm honest this is one of the best channels out here in TH-cam. The quality of this channel definitely deserves a million subs. God bless Brother.
Oo..I actually love the gross out of chord note. I'm a sucker for modal melodies. The repetition concept is the best single tip imo.
always learning alot from you sir . upcoming music producer in Uganda, thanks
I actually learned a lot from you:), and can you please make a whole dedicated video on how to make a song like LAUV.
Search Makenpopmusic on yt u will get your beloved results totally accurate
@@dr.bindakumari3562 ya i've seen that
Yo the information you shared in this video is immensely helpful, thanks!
Hey Nathan, you are such a huge influence on me. I make beats all the time and sometimes I use some of your melodies to make beats
Awww snap! Nice 🔥
Love the channel...the best part is that it's not about the software...it's about the theory.
You are by far the best teacher on music producer youtube
So grateful i found your channel..Your content is incredibly helpful. I love how you don't make content for the sake of making content. You also dont regurgitate every other video on the subject. Your brutal honesty approach has unstuck me from bad habits and writing ruts. Thank you so much
Wow, I’ve recently started watching your videos and it’s nice to see you’re a Nebraska boy just like me!
Go Big Red!!
Nathan - could you do a short vid on making sure instrument input levels into logic (from Audio interface) are at proper volume? TY
magnificos videos , gracias por compartir sus conosimientos
dude you are so good at teaching. your methods with your expressions made grown up people impressed like a kid in kindergarten :'), thank you...
does anyone else know any other youtube channels like this guys? Like ones that aren’t centered around a bunch of random esoteric mixing tips but instead look at the production side of things more holistically?
Thanks for the tips, really helpfull for my songwriting
For sure! Happy to help!
Awesome tips Nath as always! Please do more music comp stuff, it's 🔥🔥
The orbiting chord tones tip was groundbreaking
I'm understanding so much more!
Didn't particularly care for the Peter McKinnon intro but when you got to the actual information part you did an incredibly good job explaining and showing information, I appreciate this tutorial.
Do you have a perfect octave overtone in your voice? Interesting sound when you vocalize your melodies...
Thanks for helping us as always
From: South Africa
Absolutely! Thanks for checking it out!
Same here from South Africa helpful, all his videos
So much fun, watching your videos! Thank you!
Best channel for tutorials on TH-cam acc.
Could you make a video where you just make a full song and it’s not edited so we can see everything you do?
Thanks so much! You should check out my live streams that's what I do!
Great tips and ideas. Going to start recording my vocal ideas. Thanks!
Hi , Thanks for this video 🙏🏼😊🙏🏼 . I have a question . You just said as tip 5 " Humming your melody " . Is that ( and also all of the other tips ) just for vocal melodies or the arrangement ( instrumental melodies ) ?
Great info! Thank you sir
This Pro.......
he is a legend
I think the melody is the most important part of the song and it is what you remember after you hear it.
Thanks for your channel and tips. Finally something really practical!
Learning so much from your channel, thank you!!
Underatanding couplets same as writing lyrics forming a stanza..makes easy to understand how a melody works✌️☺️
Awesome video...You are quick to each piece of info and you don't ramble on and on like some....Very efficient use of an 19 min video. Felt shorter. Great job.
I needed this !
Im currently experiencing writer’s block and it’s terrible
I will use your tips on my project now. Your channel is very usefull for me. Thanks a lot :)
Greatly tutorial Nathan. Just the content i need to improve my writing skills
One more tip. Melodies have fraises. Fraises are typically around 7 tones or words with a clear ending. Ending meaning there is a rest after a couple of notes. Listen to songs you like and identify how long the fraises are. You will find patterens. :) hope this helps someone
Strawberries melodies sound delicious. Coulis au fraises on top of it all.
At 7:52 I did learn something new. "A" is a minor 6th in C major. Where did you study harmony?
I have a degree in music composition - so I took 4 years of music theory. To say I'm a theory nerd is an understatement
@@NathanJamesLarsen Think you missed the point Nate.
Yup. That's embarrassing. LOL Ya, A flat is a minor 6th. Reading that obviously went over my head. Turns out people make mistakes ;)
@@NathanJamesLarsen No problem, I've made tons of mistakes myself, in my lifetime. There should be an award for people like me :-)
@@daveking-sandbox9263 haha! That come framed??
Does whistling count for vocalizing? I've created a few melodies that way. I get the stepwise part, but I tend to use a lot of thirds, too, which are inevitably chord tones.
Great tips and talk about melody writing. Keep it up!
Thanks a bunch!
very well and easy to understand explanation, thanks a lot
Your first point is exactly what film score producers struggle with ino. Compared to music like Leia Organa theme or jurassic park theme melodies, there is no soul in modern film scores
Man… i just love this channel, thank you 🎹🎼
great stuff man
You write really catchy melodies
This is the most helpful info I've seen for writing good melodies. Thanks for this.
This was very helpful!! Thank you!
I would be the guy that plays an endless melody line that cannot be remembered. now I realised that.
Haha! Been there too
The moment at 10:40 really won me, I have a dorky sense of humor too
Thank you so much Nathan I am forever grateful for your channel. This was is a video I really needed I didn’t have a clue how to make melodies but know thanks to you I do. Thanks to you I do I hope you have a great day :)
Bro you make Masterpiece videos .. really really Helpful Thanks 🙏
Just pulled out my phone to record another idea :) Thanks for yet another helpful (PRACTICAL) tutorial with not hard rules but guiding guardrails to keep up out of trouble.
Thank you, this is one thing I was looking for.
Thank you Nathan🙏
What Piano are you using in this Video?
this is one of the best youtube channel i have ever found❤️❤️
these are the music composition 101 : motif - pattern , steps on scale tone , leap on chords tone . thanks for sharing to peoples, however, there is a music theories mistake regarding to qualities of music intervals: C to A , Do to La is Major 6 not Minor 6 . the formula of intervals is 1 to 6 , invert it become 1 to 3 ( C to A = 6, invert A to C = 3 ) Major 6 become to minor 3 ( opposite) when you invert it Major become minor, minor become Major. Perfect interval remain perfect . IE. perfect 4 interval invert it still remain perfect 5 , IE: C to F = perfect 4th, invert it F to C = (perfect) 5th. IE: C to High C is perfect 8th, invert it C to same C is 1 still (perfect 1) perfect interval is 1, 4, 5,8.
the total add up number is 9 , root position + invert position is equal to 9 , Major become minor , minor become Major , Perfect interval remain perfect, when you invert it. Ie: C to B = Major7th , invert B To C = 2th , 7+2=9, C to c = 8th, C to C = 1, 8+1= 9. this Music theory basis from Classical music theories.
this video is meant to TIPS people how to music composition not the Music theories.
Great video , Thanks for sharing!
Stepwise motion was essential to me
Really so happy I found your channel, Ive wanted to make music for years but lost confidence many times🥲 your channel makes me feel like I can actually make this my job one day as long as I keep learning - sophia
So cool dude and informative. No nonsense padding here! Thanx.
I have two questions.
First, let me just say that ok loving this context, been following along for a little while now and I’m focusing hard core on production as a result and less on mixing. Would love for you to hear the results of my first track (since listening to your advice) when it’s finished.
Q1: I’m planning on following your example and sending my next track off to a mixing engineer, instead of DIYing it. Would you consider de-essing a production or mixing responsibility? I find that I’m terribly lacking skill with a de-esser and end up with either too harsh of an s or it sounds like my esses are missing entirely and I have a lisp.
Q2: Do you have a mixing/mastering engineer you recommend? Considering Mr Mix and Master, but not sure yet.
Thanks so much!
De easing is a mixing engineer's job for sure. Any correcting stuff is something a mixer will do 100%
As far as recommendations... I have my guy I use but he's not cheap. $500/song for mix and master. I'd recommend if you're just starting to try to personally connect with some in the $200 range to start out and just get experience to know how to communicate with a mixer. Honestly FB groups aren't a bad place to ask around. The Make Pop Music group is probably the best for this kind of thing - a LOT of high quality pros in there
U are so helpful man♥️
Thanks 🙏
The melody at 11:58 really sounds like Without You by Avicii! Anyway cool video, very helpful!
Super helpful
I’m using vocalize to make my melodies ideas I thought I’m only me doing that and I never thought that is truly exist in the music theory 😂
Nathan, your videos are the best. Subscription on your channel was one of my best choices 😉 Thank you so much for what you doing ✌️
vocalization tip 💯
¡Great video! Regards from Spain :-)
Thanks Jaime!
This was great!
Wish I found your channel sooner
Awesome too
nice thumb !
What song is playing the background?
can anyone name the tracks playing in the background?
From Nigeria ✌️♥️
good stuff. love the channel. you got a sub!
The notes you say don''t sound good would work well if you had lyrical content that was unsettled. It would create the feeling the lyrics were trying to communicate. Prosody.
As always, great content 👍
When is the next live BTW? 🤔
Thanks! My computer has been having MAJOR issues with live streaming so I am working on finding a solution soon. Kept having overload issues
That was helpful thanks ✨
Love it thanks!! 🙏🔥😎
this is dope
Your beard is majestic and godlike
Like a descendant of Thor from Asgard 🪓 💪🏽
You're Awesome 🔥
Did you go to Full Sail?
Nope. Nebraska University
Thank you
oh i like you😌🔥🔥
Awesome!
My mentor suggests creating a melody with a simple nursery type of melody rhyme and rhythm, especially for the chorus. He says, Will 20, 000 fans Want to sing the chorus back to you?
Bro really giving us the CHEESE 🧀. Imma make it cause of your awesome vids 😎
Juice Wrld is great for melody inspiration imo
I struggled a little bit understanding the first tip since that depends on what kind of music you make...
As I said these are principles - gotta do what works for the scenario but for pop music (which is what I mostly talk about) it is 100% true
Great video as usual Nathan!
I started writing songs two years ago. I already do these things intuitively, but it’s so nice to hear you explaining why these techniques work so well. Love your channel! Thank you so much for all the great lessons!🙏
Thanks for the info and inspiration. I really like #5. Vocalize! I typically will just start blurting out a melody or something that is primarily just gibberish. Not a single word is used. most of the time, I will hear a gibberish banter fall from my lips and it triggers a memory or a reminiscent momentary visual of some sort, and its beautiful. Perhaps it may be a gibberish 2 or 3 syllable instance that has the shape of a certain word. I love it. a little quirky, and hard to do if you're not in the car or somewhere you know you're alone or if you have lower self confidence, as its easily understood that its hard to understand how you can blurt out absolute nonsense and sound so ugly, yet, create moments of bliss. How can Gibberish be this powerful?!? I Love it and sometimes its that gibberish banter that somehow makes the hard times easier. Not to say the hard times get easy, but the hard times can still be good times. Sorry, wasn't trying to be a rambler lol!
Paradox of music theory, learn all your keys, scales, triads, arpeggios, 7th, 9th, 11, 13th, suspended, etc. only to discover the best songs you love had simple lovely lines. *You should still learn it all so you can create BETTER simple melodies :)*
9:15 I actually liked that. Wouldn't be that difficult to make it work. I like weird shit
14:20 thats future rave