Pop music assignment

Sentimental · 09-13-2012, 05:09 PM

I have an assignment for next thrusday to make a pop track, i dont have a clue were to start! the we are only allowed to use 2 chords, i dont know any chords, dont know how to write lyrics or even arrange a pop song, can anyone help i give me any videos, pdfs or webpages with some info, anything would be brilliant!

Empty Reach · 09-13-2012, 05:16 PM

Really getting right into it

I thought they'd wait a few months so you could use what they've taught ye in assignments

Inertia · 09-13-2012, 05:23 PM

Just make something that sounds good and is pretty straight-forward?

Br/ainfu+ked · 09-13-2012, 05:24 PM

do what I did google music theory and then google music chords, you could even use wikipedia, or you could use books

I'll give you two chords

E major-

E-G#-B

A major

A-C#-E

Sentimental · 09-13-2012, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Empty Reach

Really getting right into it

I thought they'd wait a few months so you could use what they've taught ye in assignments

So did i haha! We talked about pop music for a 1 hour lesson then were giving this, at least i have a full week to research and fuck about

Sentimental · 09-13-2012, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Br/ainfu+ked

do what I did google music theory and then google music chords, you could even use wikipedia, or you could use books

I'll give you two chords

E major-

E-G#-B

A major

A-C#-E

Thanks!, tho i dont have a clue what way to put the MIDI, like do you put it as a pad, as an arp, or whatever, hopefully i can sort something out

Br/ainfu+ked · 09-13-2012, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I<3HouseMusic

Thanks!, tho i dont have a clue what way to put the MIDI, like do you put it as a pad, as an arp, or whatever, hopefully i can sort something out

you could get a guitar tuner and play individual notes on your midi key board in order to find the note intervals, or you could arrange it via piano roll,

you should play with the octaves to get the best sound, I guess the third i.e. c# note for a major would sound better in the 6th or 7th octave, but it really depends on the sound, the tuning isn't always going to be exact, what looks like c5 might actually be e5 when playing stuff,

so you should arrange shit according to the interval, so the arppegiated notes c5 g4 d6 on a daw's piano roll, could play any major chord, so just go in interval's and fake your way through music theory
when making a track

ghyt wembpang · 09-13-2012, 06:17 PM

You could do your own damn work instead of asking people on a forum to do it for you.

chords are rock bottom music theory shit. and arranging pop is piss simple, and also something that a minute on google can edumacate you up on fully. Or even better, ask your teacher for help, that's kinda what they are supposed to be there for. If they won't give you a hand they're a piss poor fucking teacher.

and... if you put notes in as an arp, then that's an arp and not a chord now isn't it?

how have you been making music without at least a basic grasp on any of this sort of thing? jeegus.

Empty Reach · 09-13-2012, 06:22 PM

tough love

Sentimental · 09-13-2012, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghyt wembpang

You could do your own damn work instead of asking people on a forum to do it for you.

chords are rock bottom music theory shit. and arranging pop is piss simple, and also something that a minute on google can edumacate you up on fully. Or even better, ask your teacher for help, that's kinda what they are supposed to be there for. If they won't give you a hand they're a piss poor fucking teacher.

and... if you put notes in as an arp, then that's an arp and not a chord now isn't it?

how have you been making music without at least a basic grasp on any of this sort of thing? jeegus.

i hit keys until it sounds good to my ear, iv never learnt what a chord is lol

Sentimental · 09-13-2012, 06:28 PM

And if you read the OP i asked for a video or a website that could help, i didnt ask anyone to do my work

ghyt wembpang · 09-13-2012, 06:38 PM

you said basically 'i dont' know what I'm doing help me internet!' that's not how you learn. take some initiative. get on google. go buy a music theory book(almost certainly a better resource than 99% of shitty youtube videos). Ask your teacher since that's what s/he is paid for.

you learn by working. not by having shit handed to you. so get off the forum and go do some damn work.

scyn · 09-13-2012, 06:50 PM

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Should be enough to get you started.

neyus · 09-13-2012, 07:03 PM

dont forget that it cant be longer than 3:10-20

Sentimental · 09-13-2012, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghyt wembpang

you said basically 'i dont' know what I'm doing help me internet!' that's not how you learn. take some initiative. get on google. go buy a music theory book(almost certainly a better resource than 99% of shitty youtube videos). Ask your teacher since that's what s/he is paid for.

you learn by working. not by having shit handed to you. so get off the forum and go do some damn work.

I have theory books and ive read the first bit of one of them but its all note values and names and the grand staff and time signatures, nothing about chords etc yet.

Ive been through some google results and i couldnt really find anything good.

I listened to a conor maynard track (god help me) and kind of got an idea from dancey sounding chords, which ever these chords are:

A4, C5, E5 (2 bars) and then G4, B4, D5 (2 Bars) on 8ths and gap of like.. 3 32nd notes inbetween is the notes

Evelon · 09-13-2012, 07:38 PM

When I was your age I could probably come up with a two chord pop song with lyrics in realtime (yes, we had improvisational classes when I studied music. It was awesome. More rewarding and healthier than most of the music theory classes).

Like people have said before - just get to work.

Br/ainfu+ked · 09-13-2012, 09:04 PM

^that is only music class I've taken, everything else I learned for free via internets

Artifiseer · 09-13-2012, 09:16 PM

Yeah, I hate to be an ass, and sure we all have to start somewhere, but a 2 chord pop song? Anyone could come up with that in a few minutes by improvising. It's pop song for CLASS, not the charts, all you really need is 2 and a half minutes of non-sense lyrics that rhyme, sang over top of those two chords repeating (maybe adding inversions for variety) and a simple melody and bassline, based off of the chord pattern.

To be fair though, your teacher should have taught you basic theory before giving you an assignment that requires that knowledge.

Dugg Funnie · 09-13-2012, 09:21 PM

start the melodic phrase with an octave jump or minor 7th, basically doesn't matter after that. DO NOT try to make your own sounds, this is the major leagues now, you WILL use presets, understood? good.

Now, sidechain EVERYTHING to the kick drum to one degree or another. Now copy your 8 bar loop a few times, add some filter sweeps. done.

A++ 200% + extra credit.

Whammy.

Blingley · 09-13-2012, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I<3HouseMusic

Ii dont know any chords, dont know how to write lyrics or even arrange a pop song.

Don't worry. You have specifically the skillset needed for making pop.