Topic started by rjay (@ 206.152.113.140) on Thu Aug 24 12:45:43 EDT 2000.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.
Composing Secrets - Tracks and Instruments
Most songs have the following structure:(you can
think of them as parallel tracks)
1. Melody
2. Bass
3. Chord/Accompaniment
4. Drums
5. Percussion
Melody is sung by the singer or could be the
'solo' played by an instrument, when singer
is taking breath. In most music,
melody states the theme of the song/composition
and carries the emotion. All the other tracks
should provide a context to what is says or
reinforce and enhance it.
Human voice, flute, sax, trumpet, and synthetic
sounds serve well as melody instruments.
Drums set the basic pulse and rhythm and there
are many drum kits: acoustic, jazz, techno(used
in ;chandralekha - Thiruda; for example), power
(pottu vaitha kadhal thittam) and many many more.
Bass is usually played by a double bass - huge
violin, plucked like a guitar, or with a guitar
itself. With electronics, synth bass sounds are
generated from keyboard itself(kadalikkum pennin
kaigal - has a wonderful synth bass sound
in its intro.) Slap, Electric, Fretless,
are a few more common sounds. I will get you
recordings of these in isolation.
Accompaniment or backing is usually provided
by piano or guitar class of instruments.
And there are two types: block chords, where
you play the whole chords and hold them,
versus arpeggio and broken chords where
you strike the notes one after another.
In most western music, piano and guitar
are 2 pieces of the five piece orchestra
(voice, piano, guitar, strings, drums)
Strings typically provide counterpoint,
but can also play accompaniment.
My definition, Counterpoint is nothing but alternate melody
which either responds to the lead melody
or plays against it. Examples to follow.
Percussion is the name given by westerners
to all non-western beat instruments! ;)
Shakers, Morocos (chicku chiku) and sticks
and claves and others are examples.
Even bongos (from Africa) and our Tabla are
named percussion, but they are actually
drums because they can play alone and provide
rhythm without the drums.
We can proceed learning in two ways:
(i) We will explore the General midi sounds
128 instruments (16 categories and 8 in each)
and one drum kit. We will take each sound one
by one and learn to identify it and see what
its unique value is and how it has been used
in TFM. I can upload audio demos.
(ii) We can later see the song structure along time
axis (measures) - in terms of intro, theme, break, pallavi
, charanam structure and learn how orchestration
is effectively varied to serve the needs of
the listener at each position.
Basically, tracks and measures are the two
dimensions to understand a composition.
As an aid we can pull apart some famous songs of your choice to see how they are put together. And I can take one of my own compositions and share what thoughts and decisions guided its creation.
Game?
Here is a link to the tutorial that RJay has prepared:
Melody Making Exercise.
Responses:
- Old responses
- From: rjay (@ 156.77.105.121)
on: Mon May 19 18:02:57 EDT 2003
What makes tunes boring or interesting?
---------------------------------------
1. Quick resolutions make tunes boring. Postponed resolutions make them interesting.
2. Variety of phrase rhythms (chandams) make a tune more interesting.
Point one was covered a little bit early.
Let us take point two.
See MSV's tune chandam:
Pallavi:
Nilavai paarthu vaanam sonnathu ennai thodaathae
Nizhalai paarthu bhoomi sonnadhu ennai thodaathae
Anupallavi:
Nadhiyai paarthu naanal sonnadhu ennai thodaathae
?
See that same chandam is used for all four lines and see a resolution in the pallavi itself.
Take another MSV hit:
Anbu nadamaadum kalaikkoodamae - Aasai mazhai megamae
Again you will see all four lines using same pallavi.
While there are plenty of songs in which MSV has used varied phrases, these examples probably were dictated by Kannadasan having written lyrics first.
Lyrics writers who hail from the traditional marabu school, see such an artistic freedom writing to fixed chandams. Most of the folk songs and most of the traditional songs are written to fixed meter. MSV and KVM had to tune a lot of these songs.
How does one create interest in such a case. There are two factors: (i) interest created by melody (ii) catchiness of lyrical content.
When you hear Nilavai paarthu vaanam sonnadhu,
the lyrics make the song so good too, while the same melody may not be AS successful with mediocre lyrics.
Ilaiyaraja typically uses a three part pallavi:
Poththi vachcha mallai mottu
Poothirukku vetkathai vittu
Pesi pesi raasiyanathae
Maaman perai cholli Cholli
Aalaanadhae Romba
Naalanadhae
The first part is usually longer one.
It is often repeated and unresolved.
The second part is shorter and presents a fresh contrasting theme.
The third part rounds of by a progressive coming down and the real resolution is only here.
See Devadai poloru penningu vandhanal.
Or Aayiram thaamarai mottukkalae
Rahman gets a little bit more complicated, he
varies phrase chandams even more in some songs:
Nenjinilae Nenjinilae
There are all kinds of counter examples:
See MSV's irandilondru nee ennidam sollu's wild patterns.
See Ilaiyaraja's Janani Janani for unvarying chandam.
See Rahman's Oorvasi Oorvasi for unvarying chandam.
There are other factors too, for instance, lullabies, sad songs tend to restrict variety of phrasing, you dont want to wake up the kid!
So once you get comfortable tuning a single phrase lyrics, you can move on to pick two phrase rhtythms - one for pallavi and a different for anupallavi.
- From: Biju (@ 136.181.195.25)
on: Mon May 19 18:32:25 EDT 2003
rjay,
Amazing !!
You have the great GIFT of expressing your thoughts in language.Please continue your good work..
- From: kiru (@ 192.138.150.249)
on: Mon May 19 19:38:38 EDT 2003
rjay..all this tension-resolution, phrases/chantams are pretty interesting. Keep continuing.
(BTW, going back to the previous argument why we dont see that many composers/lyricists. I think too many orchestra's back home are concentrating only on faithfully reproducing the song, they dont even want to vary the interludes. Similarly, the lyrics. When I was in high-school, my friend used to write alternate lyrics (practice setting lyrics to a given chandam) for film songs..hoping for a break in movies, through his uncle who worked with vairamuthu in a city college, I dont know why many dont try this. that he is a genetic engineering scientist in the US is a different matter :))
- From: satsona (@ 203.199.192.162)
on: Tue May 20 03:17:12 EDT 2003
rjay, your break up of the songs is very interesting & informative!!
kiru
>>>>>>(BTW, going back to the previous argument why we dont see ..............many dont try this. that he is a genetic engineering scientist in the US is a different matter <<<<
even i had the same opinion abt 4-5 years back. But as i interacted and saw people in Chennai, i felt i was wrong. It is not that few people are trying to compose or write lyrics. there are innumerable people of that kind here in chennai doing it , but to reach to the people as Raja or Rahman, it certainly requires much more perseverance than just making tunes or expressing in words. (as rjay put it for a genius)In that struggle, some give up, while some become complacent enough to just do it for their self-satisfaction.It is very tough in this field to get proper recognition, as all amateurs will know when they approach different producers or audio companies to exhibit talent. few of these would be lucky enough to reach the level of releasing cassettes, but even then it depends how the public welcomes the talent.So getting a break in Movies or Serials is not all that easy...esp. with such competition,more so in Chennai.
And btw, I appreciate a 'Made genius' more than a 'Born genius', bcos, the contribution & effort of the individual is more for a Made genius,while i can call a Born genius lucky to be one(Of course he/she has to express it, otherwise we won't know if it is a genius:)
cheers
- From: Sridhar Seetharaman (@ 67.83.146.59)
on: Tue May 20 07:42:24 EDT 2003
Hey RJAY,
My mother happened to write a devotional song y'day. She wanted me to compose a melody in Madhyamavathi. I just tried RJAY's exercise. It
works.
Pallavi
-------
Sa...............................Ri
Arutpadham Tharuvaai Angayarkanniyae!
Ri.........................Sa
Ammayin Appanin Arum perum Thunaiyae
Anu Pallavi
-----------
Ri..................................
Porutpadham Thandhu Enai Aatkollvaai
Ri..........Ni.........Sa.........
Potraamarai Kulam Vaaz Poonkodiyae
I started the charanam with Pa and went up.
More later.
- From: Sridhar Seetharaman (@ 67.83.146.59)
on: Tue May 20 07:50:14 EDT 2003
Alignment messed up.
Pallavi
-------
Sa...............................
Arutpadham Tharuvaai Angayarkanni
Ri
yae!
Ri.........................
Ammayin Appanin Arum perum
Sa ......
Thunaiyae Anu
Pallavi
-----------
Ri..................................
Porutpadham Thandhu Enai Aatkollvaai
Ri..........
Potraamarai
Ni.........
Kulam Vaaz
Sa.........
Poonkodiyae
I started the charanam with Pa and went up. More later. What I realized is that it is very difficult for me to stay on a note for a long time. Looks like my brain is conditioned so much by other music, I had to prime myslef with just singing each note for a while.
We can add colors later once we have this skeletal melody. I tried singing the skeletal melody for a while and automatically my subco took over gave the required embellishments.
- From: rjay (@ 156.77.105.123)
on: Tue May 20 12:16:07 EDT 2003
Good Sridhar. Venture into other notes too...
I like the economy of the Suprabhatam's three note tune. You can learn a lot from there.
See how it goes Sa Ree Sa Ree Sa Ree Sa Ree Saaaa
And then the Lower Nee is introduced.
The interest element is created by a simple skeleton but complex phrasing. That is the clue.
And lots of MD have been inspired by it - Prelude to Ilayaraja's Kadhal Mayakkam (Pudhumaippen),
Sriranga ranganathanin, Prelude to Marghazi Poovae.
Originally music started with only using three notes, the Sa and Ri and Ni. All the rest got slowly added one by one.
By restricting to these three notes, we learn the basic rules of tuning a lyric. How to use the limited notes carefully and create and keep interest.
- From: rjay (@ 156.77.105.123)
on: Tue May 20 12:22:56 EDT 2003
Biju
Thanks for the kind words.
Kiru
Writing fresh lyrics to existing songs is a nice way for lyric writers to practice their skills. If there was one exercise, that would be it!
Same way composers can retune existing songs in new scales and feels.
Like Satsona points out, most people give up
when they realize that 'production for commercial audience' is not fun. It is real hard work.
At the same time, ARR and Raja go through phases where after lots of effort they give up and then the last piece falls in! Raja says once he became an assistant and starting making enough money to sustain, he started composing tunes with freedom. Same way, ARR gave up movie aspirations and started making money in ads and his creativity was in a way liberated from the pressures.
Every creative individual has to create his or her own inner sanctuary where his creative part can feel confident and oblivious of any other thing.
Satsona
If you find a born genius, ask him if he is one, he may not agree!
List all pages of this thread
Post comments
Forums: Current Topics - Ilayaraja Albums - A.R. Rahman Albums - TFM Oldies - Fun & Games
Ilaiyaraja: Releases - News - Share Music - AR Rahman: Releases - News - AOTW - Tweets -
Discussions: MSV - YSR - GVP - Song Requests - Song stats - Raga of songs - Copying - Tweets
Database: Main - Singers - Music Director's - Lyricists Fun: PP - EKB - Relay - Satires - Quiz