Musical Architects - Produce Your Professional Song In Logic

How do you start a song? There are many ways but for this course, we will start the writing and arranging process by building a basic chord structure and then explore ways to make them more interesting.

Understand the basics of major and minor keys and how to record 4 basic chords as a starting point.

How can we make even basic chords more interesting? We will make them more emotive by a) widening the voicing, b) adding passing notes and suspensions to the topline, and c) making the other voices more melodic - especially the bass.

Once we have a melodic chord progression we can split the voices into new instruments & sounds like an orchestra would.

We can arrange not only MIDI instruments like this. In this lecture, we will do the same with acoustic instruments.

Like a good band, a good rhythm track is tight. We will cover how to build a solid groove with the key drum elements (Kick, snare, hihat) and then make it sonically more interesting by breaking it apart into smaller components.

The key to aligning our drums and making them rhythmically tight is understanding the GRID and the sub-divisions of beats.

Step programming a basic beat with all the fundamentals utilizing the grid.

Like we did with our chords, we will split the drum pattern into multiple tracks so we can change or layer the single drum sounds and create a more enticing and unique drum sound that fits our style.

To make our groove stand out we need to add some details, some unexpected sounds, and patterns that go against the basic walls we built. We can borrow ideas by listening to other music and styles as well as existing loops.

We will cut out small elements of existing loops to add that other dimension, finesse, and depth that makes our beat unique.

The sounds you use are the colors you paint with. Let’s look at techniques and tools to create our own unique sound palette that sets your music apart.

We cover 3 methods to create your custom sounds:

· Part 1: Resize your sounds by cutting, splicing them into segments

· Part 2: Recycle and transform segments by adding FX

· Part 3: Reverse sounds

How to use percussive sounds to create your custom impact sounds.

How to resample non-drum elements to create your custom atmospheric sounds.

Cleaning up our first section and choosing the best parts.

Why do we need tension and release in music? Understanding the purpose of contrast in music and how we can create it through dynamics and harmonic changes.

Writing a pre-chorus that takes us away from the tonic (the chord that defines our key) so it creates contrast and a longing to resolve it.

Writing a chorus in the relative key (major to minor or vice versa) is a technique that has been used for hundreds of years because it creates a big change in mood, i.e. contrast. Using some arranging techniques like doubling acoustic instruments to create a fuller sound.

What if it's too dark or bright? Creating an alternative version with different chords and different timbre to change the mood.

Also: Cleaning up the parts and checking the groove.

What is the most effective structure for our song? Different styles require different structures and amounts of variety. Let's turn our sections into a full song.

Let's look at some efficient global editing tools to swiftly edit whole sections of songs.

Understanding the power of mutation. Know how to derive new ideas from existing ones. Finding new surprising combinations by using solo and mute.

Laying out an alternative structure using a bridge instead of a chorus.

Let's choose a structure and layout for the full song. Modifying each section to create variety and contrast. Keep it interesting with breaks and “connectors”.

Learn how to make sounds react to each other like members of a good band who listen and “vibe” with each other through side-chaining.

Before we get practical let's look at a brief overview of how side-chaining works and what it sounds like.

A practical, step-by-step guide to using side-chaining with compressors. Add "glue" and clarity, especially in low frequencies, or make it pump.

Side-chain with gates is not as common as with compressors, but you can create very cool and unique rhythmical effects. Let's break it down.

Let's bounce (mix-down) a rough version of our song so we can listen outside and also write our melodies over it without being distracted by too many tracks and parts.

What is the function of a Melody and how do we create one? Even if you have written many songs before, knowing which notes sound resolved and which create tension can give you new ideas in coming up with hooks and themes.

Setting up a new project to work on the melodies and vocals without distraction.

Yes, you can write from your gut but there is power in understanding how melodies are built. Let's break it down: Step#1: Building the Cornerstones of a Melody. Understanding which notes are resolved.

Correct but a bit boring. Let's add some color: Step#2: Fill in the gaps with passing notes and suspensions.

More colorful but still not hooky. To make it memorable we need: Step#3: Adding rhythm to the melody.

Here is an even better way to come up with natural-sounding melodies and great hooks: Extract the rhythm of some lyrics to come up with the rhythmical patterns for the melody or to fix melodies that don't flow well.

The best way to find out if our song works is to create a scratch vocal track. It's often a waste to spend too much time trying to get a stellar vocal performance before we know if the basic shell of our house is holding up. (key, tempo, structure, overall vibe, etc.). It allows us to sit back and listen to the song in context and see if anything in the music has to change before we proceed.

Let’s not overthink it and simply record some basic vocals starting with the verse and Chorus.

For the bridge I wanted to show you a different, more intuitive approach…

Vocals can be complicated and messy but there are efficient editing techniques that save you hours in the editing process. Here is how to clean up vocals step by step and save different Song Alternatives.

Editing and aligning layered vocals so they feel like one unit.

What is the most effective vocal sound to connect to the listener? What tone does your vocal need to create that personal, human connection?

One of the most effective techniques used in mixing is to use busses and Track Stacks to save CPU power and make it sound more cohesive. This is a good time to see how busses work.

A good (vocal) sound starts with the right frequencies. Every voice and microphone is unique. Learn and apply EQ and DeEssers to treat your vocals.

Compressors are a bit challenging to understand and to hear at first. Here is what they do, what they sound like, and a simple approach on how to use them on single tracks and busses. Using Multi-pressors instead of compressors and EQs.

Vocal Tuning: some hate it, some love it. In the end, it's just a tool and you can use it correctively or creatively. You decide. Here is how I use it in this song.

This is fun for me because adding effects is like adding those special spices to your dish. This is where our song becomes 3-dimensional. Let's look at how we can blend multiple reverbs to create real depth to our vocal sound.

Did you ever shout across a canyon? So you know what an echo sounds like but how can we use it creatively in combination or instead of reverbs? Let's explore...

Let's compare 3 different vocal production styles from acoustic and personal to more powerful and bright to electronic and out there. Same vocals, different effect chains. What is yours like?

Breakdown #1: Acoustic Version

A more intimate and closed sound.

Breakdown #2: Alternative Version

A more polished and big sound.

Breakdown #3: Electronic Version

Treating vocals as instruments: A combination of untreated and hyper-tuned and vocoded sound to create new textures.