I make some electronic music but I never learned the musical theory, I just want to know if the scale is something important when you compose and how to use it ?
Thank you
What about scale in music production ?
What about scale in music production ?
Hello everyone,
I make some electronic music but I never learned the musical theory, I just want to know if the scale is something important when you compose and how to use it ?
Thank you
I make some electronic music but I never learned the musical theory, I just want to know if the scale is something important when you compose and how to use it ?
Thank you
Re: What about scale in music production ?
It is most helpful when trying to decide notes when you intend to lean more towards consonance and dissonance in harmonic relation to another note.
That kinda sums up scales, well, intervals. But scales are a convenient set of intervals with notes that have characteristic harmonic relationships with one another, thus either giving a piece a flavor, or making it sound more or less favorable to what you're aiming for.
That kinda sums up scales, well, intervals. But scales are a convenient set of intervals with notes that have characteristic harmonic relationships with one another, thus either giving a piece a flavor, or making it sound more or less favorable to what you're aiming for.
Re: What about scale in music production ?
thanks for your answer So the scale allows you to create an ambiance is that right ? And when you use the midi effect "Scale" in Ableton, do you have to put this scale on your all clips (Lead, Bass, Pads...) ?
So the scale allows you to create an ambiance is that right ? And when you use the midi effect "Scale" in Ableton, do you have to put this scale on your all clips (Lead, Bass, Pads...) ?-
jestermgee
- Posts: 4500
- Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:38 am
Re: What about scale in music production ?
The scale midi effect simply rounds off keyboard input to the scale output so you "can't" hit a note out of scale. Useful when you don't know scales.
If you want to play your other instruments in scale easily you can place it on all tracks but it is only for the input of notes. Once you have them sequenced the scale utility does nothing so when you move to compose a bassline or synth you could simply copy your first MIDI track to another instrument and start setting up the notes with mouse and keyboard OR simply play notes in at the same note the scale selected.
Find a scale example for the different types and print it out so you can see it. I'm certainly no scale expert but I started to understand a lot more when I got Push.
If you want to play your other instruments in scale easily you can place it on all tracks but it is only for the input of notes. Once you have them sequenced the scale utility does nothing so when you move to compose a bassline or synth you could simply copy your first MIDI track to another instrument and start setting up the notes with mouse and keyboard OR simply play notes in at the same note the scale selected.
Find a scale example for the different types and print it out so you can see it. I'm certainly no scale expert but I started to understand a lot more when I got Push.
Re: What about scale in music production ?
I guess ambience is a way to put it.
The scale kind of defines a rule, graph, skeleton with which to work from as a reference. If it becomes clear, then any decisions you make musically in the piece will tend to be thought of in relation to that scale.
If you abruptly set the mood to be a certain scale, you can immediately fuck around by breaking away from it and coming back to it. Scales are really convenient for yeah, the mood or ambience.
But the reason why a scale is important probably has to do with consonant and dissonant relationships between intervals. Either directly from note to note, or in a macroscopic way, from part to part.
So if you learn a scale. Find the notes that are part of one. Identify them up and down the keys, they're usually the same every octave. And the. Find which notes of the scale sound nice or which sound meh. In two different scenarios. Either both notes played at once, or. Going from one note to another, to another. There is a ton more to think about than that.
And then. Another convenient thing to do with a scale is to use it for one instrument, when you add another you can usually harmonize the two pretty well together by using the same scale.
Either way. Whatever inspires you to create!!!! To try things!
The scale kind of defines a rule, graph, skeleton with which to work from as a reference. If it becomes clear, then any decisions you make musically in the piece will tend to be thought of in relation to that scale.
If you abruptly set the mood to be a certain scale, you can immediately fuck around by breaking away from it and coming back to it. Scales are really convenient for yeah, the mood or ambience.
But the reason why a scale is important probably has to do with consonant and dissonant relationships between intervals. Either directly from note to note, or in a macroscopic way, from part to part.
So if you learn a scale. Find the notes that are part of one. Identify them up and down the keys, they're usually the same every octave. And the. Find which notes of the scale sound nice or which sound meh. In two different scenarios. Either both notes played at once, or. Going from one note to another, to another. There is a ton more to think about than that.
And then. Another convenient thing to do with a scale is to use it for one instrument, when you add another you can usually harmonize the two pretty well together by using the same scale.
Either way. Whatever inspires you to create!!!! To try things!
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TomViolenz
- Posts: 6854
- Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 6:19 pm
Re: What about scale in music production ?
As usual very good advice!yur2die4 wrote:I guess ambience is a way to put it.
The scale kind of defines a rule, graph, skeleton with which to work from as a reference. If it becomes clear, then any decisions you make musically in the piece will tend to be thought of in relation to that scale.
If you abruptly set the mood to be a certain scale, you can immediately fuck around by breaking away from it and coming back to it. Scales are really convenient for yeah, the mood or ambience.
But the reason why a scale is important probably has to do with consonant and dissonant relationships between intervals. Either directly from note to note, or in a macroscopic way, from part to part.
So if you learn a scale. Find the notes that are part of one. Identify them up and down the keys, they're usually the same every octave. And the. Find which notes of the scale sound nice or which sound meh. In two different scenarios. Either both notes played at once, or. Going from one note to another, to another. There is a ton more to think about than that.
And then. Another convenient thing to do with a scale is to use it for one instrument, when you add another you can usually harmonize the two pretty well together by using the same scale.
Either way. Whatever inspires you to create!!!! To try things!
But to the OP: in electronic music scale has much less of an importance than in all other types of music. You can just as well vary any other parameter you like, in a pattern you like, it doesn't have to be pitch (scale)...
Re: What about scale in music production ?
Hmmm well first thank you very much for your answers, so if I conclude, do I have to say that Scale allows you to harmonize your different instruments between each other and to create a kind of ambiance ? 
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Dragonbreath
- Posts: 561
- Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:34 am
Re: What about scale in music production ?
A scale is selection of notes that sound "good" together. Intrusments in the same song should usualy be playing in the same scale. The scale device in ableton forces all notes to correspond to the scale of your choice. So putting a scale device on all your instruments prevents you from making "mistakes", that is from a straight theoretical point of view. So if you dont know theory, the scale device is good crutch to you started to make sure your different parts fit together. Some styles of music will introduce dissonant notes, "off scale" in certain areas to create tension and resolution in the song. Blues and jazz come to mind amongst other.
Every scale is a different "flavor" so yes differnt scales can bring differnt "ambience" if you will.
Every scale is a different "flavor" so yes differnt scales can bring differnt "ambience" if you will.
Re: What about scale in music production ?
And if I want to study music theory about scale, have you got anything to recommend me ?
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Dragonbreath
- Posts: 561
- Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:34 am
Re: What about scale in music production ?
Get a good book or read up online. Privates classes with a well trained musician would probably help. Learn an instrument. Piano or guitar.
Re: What about scale in music production ?
I learned scales on a guitar which is easier in many ways than a keyboard (I think) in the sense that a particular scale pattern keeps the same shape when played in any key, where on a keyboard, the scale's ~apparent~ shape changes when you change keys.
Good luck! Welcome to music! Yay neuro-plasticity!
-S
Good luck! Welcome to music! Yay neuro-plasticity!
-S
http://www.semuta.com
Ableton Suite 9 : Push : Maschine : Komplete 8 Ultimate : Sugar Bundle : Diva
Ableton Suite 9 : Push : Maschine : Komplete 8 Ultimate : Sugar Bundle : Diva
Re: What about scale in music production ?
The thing about learning theory about scales, is that it makes even more sense in the context of overall tonal theory.
I always get lost in the order for which to start learning these things. I think a good place to start is learning how to count the steps or tones to build a standard major scale. The nice thing about the major scale is that there is one version, and it is universally accepted as The major scale.
So look up what's referred to as whole-step and half-step intervals. Also look up whole tones and semitones. They both are the same idea, but uses interchangeably depending on the writer and maybe the context.
The other thing to learn is what a 'diatonic' scale is. And intentionally use that when you figure out scales.
Last tool that'd be extremely helpful is some kind of touchable 'keyboard' that makes sound.
The keyboard can be on a touch device like phone or whatever, or a physical keyboard. The important part is to be able to:
1. Figure out how to construct the same Kind of scale from any starting key using tones and semitones.
2. Be able to name off the notes you hit based on an understanding of a 'diatonic' scale.
3. Confirm that your built scale is correct by 'hearing' for it. It will sound the same every time, just starting and ending on a different pitch. A few big giveaways are the first three notes you press, and the last note leading into the note you started off with. Really listen to they feeling of resolution.
So if you want to do it yourself, you can study that stuff and it'll make it super easy to learn everything else haha
I always get lost in the order for which to start learning these things. I think a good place to start is learning how to count the steps or tones to build a standard major scale. The nice thing about the major scale is that there is one version, and it is universally accepted as The major scale.
So look up what's referred to as whole-step and half-step intervals. Also look up whole tones and semitones. They both are the same idea, but uses interchangeably depending on the writer and maybe the context.
The other thing to learn is what a 'diatonic' scale is. And intentionally use that when you figure out scales.
Last tool that'd be extremely helpful is some kind of touchable 'keyboard' that makes sound.
The keyboard can be on a touch device like phone or whatever, or a physical keyboard. The important part is to be able to:
1. Figure out how to construct the same Kind of scale from any starting key using tones and semitones.
2. Be able to name off the notes you hit based on an understanding of a 'diatonic' scale.
3. Confirm that your built scale is correct by 'hearing' for it. It will sound the same every time, just starting and ending on a different pitch. A few big giveaways are the first three notes you press, and the last note leading into the note you started off with. Really listen to they feeling of resolution.
So if you want to do it yourself, you can study that stuff and it'll make it super easy to learn everything else haha