ELECTRONIC MUSIC COMPOSITION+ ARRANGEMENT
ELECTRONIC MUSIC COMPOSITION+ ARRANGEMENT
MODULE
C
11 LESSONS
X
5 HOURS
OVER
3 MONTHS
WITH
3 TUTORIALS
WRITE MEMORABLE,
ATMOSPHERIC MUSIC.
TRANSFORM YOUR CREATIVE IDEAS,
INTO POLISHED, PROFESSIONAL QUALITY
COMPOSITIONS.
Welcome to our Composition and Arrangement course, designed specifically for music producers.​​
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We will explore a concise, stripped down system of music theory, built from the ground up to fulfil the needs and expectations of the contemporary music producer.
The course has been designed with accessibility and simplicity in mind, so topics covered during each weeks lesson can instantly be put into practice to start sequencing great sounding tracks, without the need to learn and practice a traditional instrument.
THIS PROGRAM AIMS TO:​
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Develop and refine your songwriting abilities, create cohesive bass lines, melodies and chord progressions.
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Equip you with the skills and understanding necessary to structure your tracks effectively and achieve professional quality results.
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Help you develop healthy creative habits and maintain a consistent production routine. ​
We will investigate the importance of
production & compositional choices in the arraignment process.
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How choice of instrumentation, audio processing and structural automation can contribute to the flow of the piece.
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The importance of choosing and making effective use of an appropriate musical scale to create chords, melodies and bass lines that evolve musically throughout the duration of track.
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Effective methods to convey emotion and atmosphere infuse your tracks with a sense of intensity, euphoria, melancholy, tranquility and everything in between.
You will learn techniques and concepts that will empower you to assemble your ideas into an engaging and dynamic piece of music. ​​​
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You will learn how to evolve a track with progressive subtlety.
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Construct satisfying transitions between sections.
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Build tension during breakdowns.
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Anticipation during a build up. Excitement from a impactful drop.​
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​We will look at ways that you can stay motivated and proactive: ​​
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Regularly creating new ideas, trying out new techniques, all while developing your music production skills, songwriting ability and sense of musicality.
We will explore a number of exercises you can use to break through procrastination and strategies you can use to optimise your creativity and think positively about your creative process.
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COURSE
SUITABILITY.
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Improve the quality of your songwriting skills to produce tracks that are unique and memorable.
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Make better use of timbre, tone and dynamics to create more engaging & satisfying song structures.
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Have an in depth understanding of how songwriting and production choices make a track appealing to Dj’s and fans.
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Select sound palettes that compliment the vibe and emotive quality of the track.
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Create rhythms that emphasise the emotive quality of the chords, melody and bass to create a naturalistic synergy.
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Create variations within a core musical theme, to break up repetition or surprise the listener at key moments.
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Optimise their workflow for a more efficient Idea to finished track pipe line.
ADVANCED
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Feel confident taking ideas into the arrangement phase.
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Have high quality, more fleshed out ideas which effortlessly translate into the arrangement process.
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Improve the effectiveness of their breakdowns, transitions and drops.
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Understand how to remain within, or deviate from genre norms.
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Work effectively with repetition to avoid monotony.
INTERMEDIATE
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Learn the fundamentals of writing electronic music.
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Learn fun & creative methods of generating ideas.
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Learn the fundamentals of music theory, without the need for extensive piano lessons.
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Understand how to work effectively within musical scales, to create effective harmonies, catchy melodies and satisfying bass lines.
BEGINNER
LESSON
STRUCTURE.
CRITICAL
LISTENING
During a typical ‘critical listening’ lesson we will make a case study of a notable piece of classic or contemporary electronic music, which we will analyse, break down and rebuild to recreate a close approximation of the track.
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The chosen songs cover a wide range of electronic genres, catering to the tastes of the class group as much as possible.
We will identify the creative and compositional choices, the sound selection and techniques utilised, how those elements are arranged and progress throughout the structure of the piece.
ARRANGEMENT
TECHNIQUES
During a typical ‘arrangement techniques’ lesson We will examine fundamental principals and advanced production techniques essential in the arrangement process.
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We will learn about a comprehensive repertoire of these techniques and develop confidence in how and when to apply them.
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We will learn strategies to develop musical ideas in the session view that will more effectively transition into the arrangement creating a more comprehensive basis for a song.
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Form a basic vision for the finished piece and move proactively towards that goal, making sure to avoid wasting time passively listening to a partially arranged piece and instead understand where to focus your attention.
CREATIVE
HEALTH
Throughout the course we will look at ways to help maintain a healthy relationship with regular creative practice. How we can feel motivated, develop healthy creative habits, be mindful of skill progression and connect with a sense of accomplishment.
We will look at time efficient creative strategies in the form of short exercises that can fit into a busy schedule. These are designed to keep your creative juices flowing, exercise and strengthen your creative ability and maintain creative momentum.
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Students are encouraged to share their progress in the class for group feedback, to help build confidence to present their work in public.
COURSE OUTCOMES.
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Songwriting Skills:
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Vocals and Lyrics: Craft compelling lyrics and vocal melodies that are both memorable and resonate with audiences, tailored specifically to electronic music genres.
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Harmony: Gain proficiency in creating chord progressions and harmonies that are evocative and Compelling.
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Melodic Construction: Create catchy and memorable melodies that fit into the broad harmonic context of a piece.
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Bass Lines:
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Idea Generation.
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Nurture a healthy practice of regular idea generation and songwriting development.
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Identify the key components and variations required to translate into a basic song structure.
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Gain complete confidence in your arrangement skills.
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Turn ideas into fleshed out professional quality songs.
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Maximise productivity during arrangement sessions.
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Advanced Arrangement Techniques:
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Master the art of arranging electronic music, focusing on the use of dynamics, space, and layering to build interesting and engaging compositions.
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Establish a clear vision of the finished piece.
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Increase productivity during arrangement sessions.
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Confidently identify areas that require work.
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Rhythmic Density:
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Effectively use interlocking rhythmic layers to create contrast throughout the song structure.
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Use of Motifs and Themes: Use recurring motifs and themes to create cohesion and narrative throughout a piece of music and even a collection of tracks on an EP or album.
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Instrument selection and tonal/dynamic function:
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Develop skills in selecting and combining sounds:
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Select a sound palette that fits the emotive theme of the piece.
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Choose sounds that are genre appropriate.
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Select complimentary sounds that that combine together cohesively.
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Utilise timbre and dynamics to create effective contrast between sections of the piece.
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Understand the role that volume envelopes play in rhythm and groove.
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Structural Variety:
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Explore various song structures from the traditional verse-chorus, to more experimental and progressive formats.
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Become familiar with genre norms, and DJ friendly structures.
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Fills and Edits
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Become familiar with a variety of techniques that you can use to create subtle variety in periods of sustained repetition.
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Create intricate fills and breaks that lead into gratifying transitions.
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