[Having Trouble Soloing Over F# and A Chords?]

What you have to do is listen to how it sounds. Listen to how E sounds in relation to A, and then notice that C in relation to F sounds the same way. Music is about relationships and context. It doesn't matter so much that it changed to a specific key (F) so much that it *did* change (regardless of what specifically it changed to) and that your ear is able to register said change.

 

The thought process should go like so:

 

"I hear E (major) in relation to A (minor) as a dominant to tonic relationship (because E is a fourth down from A). I now hear the same kind of relationship with two different notes that are not E and A. I also notice that the new tonic chord sounds major. Therefore, it has changed to a major key, the key is what that new tonic is."

 

Being able to correctly identify that he changed to F major is something you did through both hearing (it *sounded* like the new tonic) and analysis (reading the score, or in your case, the piano notes he was fingering). You can't study music or do ear training without the latter part. It's an important step, so if you're wondering how to get out of that, stop wondering and embrace it. "Reading" music (whether notation, tabs, or watching the notes people play) is just as important to developing the ear. You have to internalize how the notes are functioning in order to recognize constructs as "oh this has a specific sound or color, it must be that [insert music theory explanation] trick I learned from that one song".

So in the case then of identifying keys and seeing dominant tonic relationships, you just have to do it a lot, and listen (and read) examples of melodies/songs in order to internalize it the same way.

 

To give an example, I know exactly how to identify when a song changes key to its relative minor just by hearing it. It wasn't hard to learn how to do that, I just noticed it had a particular sound, and so when a certain song did it, I worked it out on my keyboard (the "reading"), said "oh, it's changing to relative minor by doing V/vi -> vi (so in C major, that's E major to A minor, which is, yes, a chord that doesn't belong, called a secondary dominant, used for the purpose of moving to a new key).

 

And now, whenever I hear it in a song, I can say out loud "that song just went from V/vi to vi." Similarly, you are developing the same mental framework, just doing it for "that song just went from V to i (or I)".

 

I understand that, i remember the relationship between intervals because of certain songs their used in (learned that in college). For example, a I-V sounds like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, I-III sounds like Kumbaya, I-IV is Here Comes the Bride etc. What i was getting at was just being able to know the key itself by hearing it. Listening to a note and being able to say "that's an F#". Is there any technique to learning that or is it really just a case of familiarising yourself passively over a long time just by working with a lot of music?

[Having Trouble Soloing Over F# and A Chords?]

Noticed from his hands that the key change was to F, making the dominant a C. I can't quite grasp how people are able to know what a note is just by hearing it though, it's easy enough when you see somebody play it :/

[Having Trouble Soloing Over F# and A Chords?]

@Neblix - I could tell it was in the minor but couldn't identify the key. What methods would you recommend to help with ear training?

[Having Trouble Soloing Over F# and A Chords?]

So what your saying is in order for it to actually sound like an F# Dorian it will have to begin and most likely end on F#, to go in conjunction with what Nabeel was saying about Tonal centre?

[Having Trouble Soloing Over F# and A Chords?]

Is F# Dorian not the same as C# Minor? I was checking online and they seem to be the exact same scale on the guitar neck?


I'm finding it a bit tricky to understand. So if my verse section is revolving around the F# (which it is) then that's my key. But my chorus section starts on B and moves to F#, A, E, B (every 4 bars), so would that mean i'm in the key of B? Now i couldn't use B Major because there is an A# in that scale and my chord progression doesn't have that. However B Natural Minor has all the required notes. Did i figure that out correctly?

[Having Trouble Soloing Over F# and A Chords?]

Modes are basically asking you to shift your hand to the next note in the original key while retaining the intervals of the original key, and use that as your "new" key, so F# Dorian is E major starting on F#. (Personally, I found it confusing too that "F# Dorian Mode" means it's the Dorian mode in which you start on F#, rather than the Dorian mode of F#, which starts on G#.)

 

 

Notice how its four sharps are F#, G#, C#, and D#, which implies the Ionian mode (or original key) is E major.

 

It would help though if you showed us the actual piece.

Ah yes i think i was getting something confused there. I understand now how to figure out my selection of possible modes. I've discovered that E Maj actually works very well over what i have, so would that mean it's likely the key is actually in E? I don't know why it wasn't sounding right before, i must have been playing something wrong. My next section goes B, F#, A, E, B, so E Maj is looking like the likely key, right?

I would send it but it's in a Guitar Pro file, not a DAW. The main parts are really just the F#, A, F#, E - F#, A, F#, B and then B, F#, A, E. The bassline plays the same as the rhythm so it's nothing that requires a lot of thought. My brain just sucks.

[Having Trouble Soloing Over F# and A Chords?]

I'm confused as to why it's F# Dorian that works. I must not be grasping modes properly, i thought if you are in the key of F# then the Dorian mode of that key should be G# because that's the second degree of the F# Maj scale?

I'm using this chart for the time being until i have things better memorised https://fenixnest.net/_Support/Images/Music/Circle5ths/Circle5ths_Modal.jpg

It says that F# Dorian belongs in the key of E, but i've tried E and it doesn't work either. I am confusion.

 

I've tried F# Minor and it works but not with the whole piece itself since everything sounds very upbeat.

[Having Trouble Soloing Over F# and A Chords?]

I'm in the middle of writing a piece and one part moves between F# and A power chords, and moves to B on every 8th measure. I figured G Major would be the right choice for soloing because of the F# but it just doesn't work. I found C Major works quite well, but i don't understand how because there is no F# in C Major :S Also i figured that would mean the relative A Minor Pentatonic would work too but it's not even close. F# Pentatonic works perfectly though. It's all very confusing, can somebody tell me how they would approach this? Am i missing something very obvious?

[Recommend Me a New Audio Interface]

The time has come to ditch this piece of crap i've been using and get something that actually functions. For the past three years i've been using a Line 6 KB37 and have experienced driver problems when it comes to using it as my primary sound card. The device will crash and i won't be able to get any audio from ANY of my sound sources without restarting my computer, BUT i can't even restart the computer correctly because the "windows logoff sound" is unable to play. so it just hangs there trying to shut down for eternity. I'm done with it. It also looks like Line 6 are done with it as well as it's been discontinued and people still haven't got it working since 2011.

WHAT I NEED

My budget is £150 but i'd like to keep it as far below that as possible

It NEEDS to be able to function as both my primary sound card and my ASIO in FL Studio.

The connections i need are one for my guitar, a midi keyboard, left and right studio monitors, microphone and i'd prefer a USB over firewire. Also volume control for my speakers separate to the volume control for my headphones.

I'm sure all this stuff is probably standard on all interfaces, but i've only ever used my KB37 so i'm not 100% sure.

So any recommendations? Thanks.

EDIT: Forgot to mention it has to be Windows 7 64bit compatible

[Feedback on a Piece of Game Audio Please]

Sorry gonna bump this once to see if anybody else can give me some criticism. Thanks.

[Feedback on a Piece of Game Audio Please]

Thanks for the kind words The drums are samples from a Megadrive collection if i remember correctly. I wanted them to sound retro, however they are bugging me a little also. I just don't really know what to do with them.

[Feedback on a Piece of Game Audio Please]

It's my first piece of serious game audio. It's for a roguelike 8bit style horizontal scrolling space shooter, so this will be the main tune throughout the game apart from on the bosses. I didn't want the music to sound too 8bit, more modern but with 8bit style elements.

Just let me know about how i've done so far with overall composition, mixing, levels etc. Thanks.

https://soundcloud.com/verdisproductions/level-music

[OCRA-0045 - Sonic CD: Temporal Duality]

Great work! But man, i'm so disappointed. The few US tracks i really wanted to hear aren't on the album

Stardust Speedway Good/Bad Future and Tidal Tempest Good Future (let me know if they are on it and i've missed them)

Stardust Good future was crying for a Snappleman or Sixto version

[Can Drivers affect an Exported MP3?]

Not knowing about these enhancements has been really screwing with me. I would listen to remixes on here to give me an idea of the quality and volume level i'm looking for, and they'd always sound extra bassy and punchy, and i could just never reach that level without distortion. Now i know why Listening again with it off the tracks sound waaaaay more normal. This is a problem that's been plaguing me ever since i started, i'm so glad it's finally resolved. I knew it would be something stupid.

[Can Drivers affect an Exported MP3?]

Those audio enhancements are hit-or-miss even with professionally-produced stuff. The best way to evaluate the quality of your mix is to compare it to a similar reference track that you know is mixed well.

Sound advice (pun intended ). Surely if they're hit-or-miss then there is really no point in them existing in the first place.

[OCR Notation Composers]

I used to do all of my writing in notation, especially back when I was studying music theory. I wrote a lot of songs on staff paper during that period, and I still use it from time to time for writing down melodies that I think of while I'm away from an instrument or computer.

This thread's really intrigued me. I've used notation software before (Guitar Pro), but with software you can hear what you're writing. Being able to understand what you're writing on paper without the notes being played to you however i think is amazing. Can you explain any methods you used to help you memorise what each note sounds like? I can recognise intervals ok but individual notes is a different story.

[Can Drivers affect an Exported MP3?]

EDIT: Ok i've figured out it's because my soundcard has some Dolby Advanced Audio on it, i switched it off and everything's normal. Although this brings up another question; because the Advanced Audio wasn't enhancing my music but making it worse, does that mean my mixing is bad? Or are these audio enhancements a hit or miss even with commercial music?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm having a few troubles. When i'm mixing i'm either using my audio interface driver, or my ASIO4ALL if i'm not at my desk. I've got a fading in intro section and it sounded fine while i was playing it on my ASIO driver. I exported it to an MP3 and it sounds like the fade in doesn't even exist, it's extremely loud and when more instruments come in it gets quieter and muddier. I know that MP3's lose some quality but this seemed strange. I went back in FL and switched to my Primary Sound Driver and it sounded exactly like it did in the MP3.

I have to turn the levels down sooooo much on Primary Sound to stop them being far too loud, and when i switch back to my ASIO i can barely hear them.

This is really confusing me...why does my MP3 export as though i'm playing in primary sound instead of ASIO? Iknow that when i play back the mP3 in media player it will be using my laptops primary sound, but i thought the ASIO sound would be imitated so to speak when it's exported. I'm no seasoned mixer, so i hope this makes sense.

[F-Zero Aeropolis Spelled Incorrectly]

http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01887/

The stage name for the above remix has been listed as Aeropolice when it should be Aeropolis. Just thought you should know

[Pokemon GYM Theme [Orchestrated]]

I'd appreciate it if you guys could let me know if any or all of my points are correct, and correct me if i'm wrong anywhere so i can improve.

I've never been a critic on this site yet, i'm still learning after all, but i reckon an important part of the learning process is being able to describe what i hear in a piece and recognise things that could be improved so i'll give it a go.

Firstly the arrangement is pretty much an exact replica of the original theme, try and add variations to the melody, switch up the chord harmonies, customise the chord progression to add an entirely new feel to the song. You'll notice a lot of the YES voted remixes on here will sound vastly different to the original pieces, but you can still hear the source material in them.

Secondly you need to make your instruments sound more real. A useful tip is to make every note have a different velocity so it sounds more human. It feels like there's a lot of empty space in the mix, orchestras should sound really full. You should maybe add more instruments and pan them to fill it up a bit more. There's also a lack of bass. I'm not saying everything needs bass, but's it's appealing in most music. I love the piano part at the end, it was pleasant.

As for mixing i'm not seasoned enough to pinpoint any problems with it. I can mix, but probably not well. I think the piano sounded like it needed some of the low frequencies cut, but i'm not 100%.

[I Have Never Played a Final Fantasy Game. Which One Should I Start With?]

You're right, i did. I'm tired

[I Have Never Played a Final Fantasy Game. Which One Should I Start With?]

Thanks for all the replies, they've been really helpful. I can't decide between XI and XII. I'm leaning towards XI, i enjoy SNES RPG's like Secret of Mana. Plus i've loved the stuff i've heard on Balance & Ruin and it would be cool to hear the originals in action.

On the other hand i've had XII on Steam for a while now but not got round to playing it. I know it's meant to be the big daddy that everybody has to experience at some point in their life and it's one that i am 100% going to play (i've payed for it after all).

I only really have enough free time at the moment for one of them, it's a tough decision

EDIT: I meant VI and VII

[I Have Never Played a Final Fantasy Game. Which One Should I Start With?]

That's right, not a single one,it's just a series i've never got round to experiencing. I've noticed that there is a large FF fan base on here along with a lot of the OCRemixers themselves and i'm feeling it's about time to give it a go.

Am i correct when i say that there is no continuing story throughout the series, each game has completely different characters in a completely different world? Do i need to play them starting from 1 and working chronologically or can i start on any one in the series without losing out on any story?

[Do You See Drum Loops as Cheating?]

Thanks for the great opinions guys. Mixed opinions but i'd say about 90% are in favour of loops.

The problem with loops is that other music people might recognize the loop and judge you for it.

Yeah that's pretty much the problem that was in my head, but you're totally right about slicing beats. It's something i've never tried, i've been creating my drums from scratch. I'll start cutting up loops and messing with them.

[Do You See Drum Loops as Cheating?]

I don't use them personally, not anymore anyway, because i did feel like i was cheating. I get a similar feeling from using synth presets, so i try to change them even if it's only slightly. I don't know if i should feel guilty about using synth presets though, after all it's technically no different to playing any other instrument.

Drum loops however are small compositions themselves, so the work is taken out of it. I was just watching a demonstration of Spectrasonics Stylus RMX, and it made me think how easy it would be to just take one of these incredible loops and pass it off as your own (not commercially of course). I mean how long will it be before computers will be able to compose EVERYTHING for you? Maybe they could even mix and master your track at the press of a button O_o It's a scary thought that makes me worry about the future of music.

What do you think? Are drum loops a bad thing? Is composition becoming too easy?

[FL Studio 101 - 90+ Minute Video Course]

Bought and watched the 90mins last night. This is a great package that demonstrates every aspect of FL you need to start composing. I've been using FL for about two years now and these lessons introduced me to some new functions i'd never noticed before.