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Make new chord progressions & melodies (even without music theory)

Unlock Your Musical Creativity: A Simple Guide to Starting a Song with Chord Progressions and Melodies (Even Without Music Theory!)

Hey everyone, in my latest YouTube video, I dive into a super effective way to kickstart a new song, focusing on creating melodies, scales, and chords, even if you don't have a deep understanding of music theory. It's all about getting those creative juices flowing!

 

Discovering Chord Progressions with Autochords.com

I start by introducing you to a fantastic tool: autochords.com. This website is a game-changer for generating awesome chord progressions. In the video, I show you exactly how to use it. You can pick your desired key (like C major, for instance) and then explore different chord styles – from "cliche" to "alternative," "grungy," or even "energetic." Autochords.com then gives you a bunch of great chord progression options to play with.

Bringing Your Chords to Life in Ableton Live

Once we have our chord progressions from autochords.com, I take you over to Ableton Live to put them into action:

  • Building the Chord Progressions: I walk you through how to insert a MIDI clip and input the notes for each chord. The neat trick here is that you can simply mouse over the chords on autochords.com to see their individual notes (like C-E-G for a C major chord, or E-G-B for E minor). It makes it incredibly easy!

  • Crafting Your Melody: Next, I show you how to duplicate your chord track and rename it "melody." The key insight here is to use the notes from your existing chords to create your melody. This ensures everything sounds harmonious and intentional.

  • Adding a Solid Bass Line: To give our song some depth, I demonstrate how to duplicate the chord track again for a bass line. I then show you how to select only the bottom note of each chord and drop its octave to create a powerful and rich bass sound.

I wrap up the video by encouraging you to explore autochords.com for yourself. Experiment with different chord progressions and use them as a springboard to build your own unique melodies and bass lines. It's all about hands-on creation!

You can check out the full tutorial right here: YouTube Video

Happy music making!

Ben Ang

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