Trying to make something Jean Michel Jarre could have made.

[tavasti]

What about using in melody those extra notes you would put to chord, but not adding them to chord?

Its worth a try

But I do not know any chord from the top of my head.
I just understand enough of chords, that I can use the scale and chord tools in LMMS.

Most common chords are 'pick every second note in scale'. Picking 3 notes, like 1-3-5 will give you triad, 1-3-5-7 wil give you 7th chord. You can go on, move those notes one octave up-down, skip some of the notes. Sure, when picking more than 3 notes will result jazzy chords, so listen what you get and like. For picking notes for melody that won't go that bad so easily. And for melody, try putting one note between those chord notes.

HTH

[Gps]

You totally lost me there, a second what ?

In C minor the second is D. In G minor the second is A. In F the second is G.

If you use four note chords like Cm7 it'll end up sounding more jazzy than Jarre. Could be good.

A pattern Jarre is using is 1 2 3 5. In C minor that's C D Eb G. In G minor G A Bb D. In F major F G A C.

Hope that helps.

Yes it does

[Gps]

What about using in melody those extra notes you would put to chord, but not adding them to chord?

Its worth a try

But I do not know any chord from the top of my head.
I just understand enough of chords, that I can use the scale and chord tools in LMMS.

Most common chords are 'pick every second note in scale'. Picking 3 notes, like 1-3-5 will give you triad, 1-3-5-7 wil give you 7th chord. You can go on, move those notes one octave up-down, skip some of the notes. Sure, when picking more than 3 notes will result jazzy chords, so listen what you get and like. For picking notes for melody that won't go that bad so easily. And for melody, try putting one note between those chord notes.

HTH

I will play a bit with this, sounds easy enough to remember.

[Gps]

While just placing notes to form chords of which I have no clue if they even exist, I made a happy discovery.

I can probably just form chords from notes that sound nice together, by just listening how it sounds.
( Probably having the scale marked to make it a bit easier )

I started with a 4 notes chord lmms knows, but I did not like at all, how the Jarre strings sounded in that chord.

I then started to move the notes further apart, and that worked.

This is for me very good news, because when I started to make music on the pc, people asked if I was tone deaf.

Lucky for me, my kind of tone deaf could be fixed by training. Me not giving up, has brought me to today.


Found this vid, sounded like what I needed and it was.
Its not entirely new to me, but I needed a refresher.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipCTIabddmo


Also found this interview with Jarre about Oxygene IV
( people returning the record because they thought the white noise was a problem )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs6kNV0c6gE&t=1s

I love the twinkle in his eyes when he hits the case of that one synth.

To make something Jarre could have made, I need to think more of making nice sounds, then making music.

[tavasti]

I started with a 4 notes chord lmms knows, but I did not like at all, how the Jarre strings sounded in that chord.

LMMS has also 'mark scale' feature.

[Gps]

Oxygene4 is inspired by this song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjxNnqTcHhg

surprised about that.

Origenal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSRCemf2JHc&t=51s

[Gps]

I started with a 4 notes chord lmms knows, but I did not like at all, how the Jarre strings sounded in that chord.

LMMS has also 'mark scale' feature.

Using that already

[Gps]

Been listening to Jarre allot since my last reply in this topic, and noticed something interesting.

Some parts hardly qualify as music, because its more just sound, were music pops out of.


I am starting to under stand 7th chords, all though part of me wants to start to rant about who came up with those names.

It uses 4 notes, now why would some like to call that a 7th

I know it's called a 7th, because the 7th note in the scale is added, with some exception like with a diminished ? chord.
Then the 6th note is added which brings me back to my rant, why somebody would wanna call it a 7th.

On the bright side I finally starting to really understand all chords in LMMS.
Like the sus something add9

I do feel, that if I want to progress with my music, It's time to go beyond triplets.


I think my ears are trained well enough by now, to just try and see how it sounds. Add a 2th 7th or what ever, and listen.

Also working on a Vangelis Alpha cover, were I got totally stuck on how the track build up works.
Looking at a midi file of the track did not help much, but as always never surrender never give up.

It's usual from these struggles, were I learn the most.

Found this piano tutorial, which might solve my Alpha problem, around 1.51 the first roadblock, that transition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJnV3eYW1mY

[jeanette_c]

Hey @Gps, I have just listened to test3 and the thing that immediately struck me is that you holds the chords very long, slowing down the progress. I expected the chords to change in double time. I am an impatient listener. Maybe a mix could work with the first or lat chord double the length of the others. Otherwise you're on a Jarre way. As you said, add some sweeps and effects, you could also try a nice phaser on your strings or add another string layer with a phaser to create a more airy texture, if you like airy.

[merlyn]

I am starting to under stand 7th chords, all though part of me wants to start to rant about who came up with those names.

It uses 4 notes, now why would some like to call that a 7th

If you want you can call C7 'chocolate cake' and call G7 'banana pie'. But if you do that don't expect anyone to understand what you're talking about or expect to be able to read a chord chart.

Before you investigate chords you should have learned intervals. The naming of chords would make more sense because chord names build on the language established in naming intervals.

[Gps]

Hey @Gps, I have just listened to test3 and the thing that immediately struck me is that you holds the chords very long, slowing down the progress. I expected the chords to change in double time. I am an impatient listener. Maybe a mix could work with the first or lat chord double the length of the others. Otherwise you're on a Jarre way. As you said, add some sweeps and effects, you could also try a nice phaser on your strings or add another string layer with a phaser to create a more airy texture, if you like airy.

Interesting and yes, something to look at, shorten the chords.

I am quite happy though, I have come a long way, from people asking if I was tone deaf , to were I am now.

Big thanks to the LMMS forum, who helped me to train my ears, And for some while I had to use the scale tool.

Will never forget watching this vid, were the first 6 times, I did totally not under stand why the person said no.
I did not hear it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhkwmABRtp4

Edit:
After looking and listening to my track, I have to say you are right, but its not just the chords are being too long, the "problem" is also that all chords are the same length.

I think my track has potential of something nice, I really like it but it also makes me feel a bit sleepy. (boring)

[Gps]

I am starting to under stand 7th chords, all though part of me wants to start to rant about who came up with those names.

It uses 4 notes, now why would some like to call that a 7th

If you want you can call C7 'chocolate cake' and call G7 'banana pie'. But if you do that don't expect anyone to understand what you're talking about or expect to be able to read a chord chart.

Before you investigate chords you should have learned intervals. The naming of chords would make more sense because chord names build on the language established in naming intervals.

With intervals you mean the distance between the keys / notes ?

[merlyn]

Simple Version : In a root position seventh chord the interval between the lowest note and the highest note is a seventh.

With intervals you mean the distance between the keys / notes ?

Yes. You could learn them by rote but It's better to relate theory to a sound and you could do that by working with what you already know.

What intervals are in a C major triad?

C - E -- major third
C - G -- perfect fifth
E - G -- minor third

Doubling the C by adding another C on top gives more intervals :

E - C -- minor sixth
G - C -- perfect fourth
C - C -- octave

Adding an E on top gives

G - E -- major sixth

That's seven intervals -- there only are twelve, so only five to go.

[Gps]

Thank you, but I had to start LMMS and place a mayor chord to fully grasp it.

Got a bit confused at first, because I was also counting the keys, not in the scale. ( like c sharp (or d flat) )

[Gps]

Last night I had a funny problem.

I think I had made a diminished chord and could not resolve it.

Nothing I tried, sounded right after that chord.

In my mind I was hearing the answer though. Something to investigate and probably watch some vids on how to use diminished chords