Using Existing Sections to Inspire New Melodies

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Module 8-5.pdf

Let’s discuss of using existing to inspire new melodies

A lot of producers struggle with making sections that relate to one another.

You’ll want every section to make sense with what comes before and after it.

The main way sections will relate is melodically.

For example, your verse and chorus might have the same chord progression or lead melody, making them melodically connected.

If two sections don’t melodically relate, they likely won’t sound good together, and the listener will be thrown off.

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In this module, I’m going to go over a specific technique that I use to generate sections that melodically relate.

The technique is to write the chorus melody over the verse, then move it to the chorus.

If it makes sense when played with the verse, it’ll sound natural when it follows it.

This is especially useful in genres that have a chord progression playing in the verse but not in the chorus.

The result will be a chorus melody that is rooted in the same chords as the verse.

Let’s look at an example of this.

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VIDEO TEXT

We’ve got a track I’m working on. I had a solid verse and pre-chorus but was struggling to come up with a strong chorus.

I wanted the melody to be different from the verse melody, but I still wanted it to feel like it naturally flowed from the verse.

What I did was, with my verse looped, wrote another melody on top of the existing verse.

Let’s listen to how that sounds.

Next, I took my 2nd verse melody and moved it into the chorus.

Let’s hear what that sounds like.

Now, let’s listen to the full track and hear how the two sections sound together.

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Sounds pretty good right?

Although the lead sound and lead melody in the chorus are quite different from that of the verse, the two sections still sound good together.

Why does this technique work?

Well, even though our chorus doesn’t have a full chord progression playing, the melody playing is rooted in the verse chord progression, as I wrote it over the verse.

So although there is no chord progression in the chorus, the melody is fixed to the chords in the verse, making fit well played after the verse.






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