After about 3 months of constantly watching all your tutorials, I gotta say that I honestly never thought I would be able to learn so much from a FREE UA-cam channel. Your skills are beyond amazing and you explain in such a clear and amazing way. I am looking forward for more great videos and content from you! You are the best. By the way can you please make a video about how to maintain correct (curved) frequency spectrum for epic/orchestral music as you describe in your videos? I struggle with this topic. Thanks!
I've been composing for a year now: I've learnt a lot of theory and orchestration techniques and composed a lot of songs/ideas. However, my biggest problem has been the randomness of my music. Usually it's so hard to make a song sound coherent, and even if I have ideas I struggle to make them sound like they have a particular function in the song. Of course there are times when it feels like a song "writes itself" and everything goes effortlessly, but that's rare. But after watching this video I feel so enlightened! This technique makes so much sense, since now I can arrange my thoughts in a rational way. This was so helpful, thank you so much!
Just realised, I already do this but it’s all in my head... perhaps I should write it down too. I also tend to use imagery and scenes in my head and hold them as visual queues while composing. This will work too though
In short, the essence is this ... Find yourself a motivation. Picture, video or something like that, feel, penetrate, think what you can emphasize and what this video or film or image wants to convey and based on this - create music! Anyway, thanks, Alex! I think ur channel one of the best FL Studio Tutorials channel on UA-cam. But I wish you to be humble and do not be arrogant... its for future! :)
This seems like something worth trying. I have a project folder full of damn near nothing but intros that hit a brick wall and never go anywhere. I really appreciate your videos, thanks.
A very nice excercise indeed! Also, I must say that even you said you knew nothing about music, you have followed a very similar path to the ones who study music (like me). I mean, music studies don't make the musician, they are only a guide. You followed the steps that should be followed and that's why you progressed so fast. Your concept of the orchestration is very similar to the one which is portrayed in the books, the same about variation in melodies, harmony, etc. So, knowing your method, it's perfectly clear why you have learned so much in so little time. It's that devotion to study music and your energy what makes you progress. And it's very nice that you share your energy and methods (which are actually very similar to the ones that you follow when you study) with us. So thank you for your videos!
I've just started composing a month ago and this channel is basically the holy grail for orchestral music. Now, when I listen to music I find myself counting the instruments and following individual melodies and harmonies unintentionally, something I haven't done previously.
This perfect video title has brought me to this classroom. I haven't seen this channel before. What's up fellow musicians! Liked and subscribed after pausing at the first second of your video cuz.. I just know I'm about to get what I need. Really happy to find your channel!
This exercise may have genuinely saved my future as a composer. I've gone to school for theory and composition but the issue is that I've only ever learned how to write in a vacuum. I can write a melody, I can do counterpoint, I know all these different methods and techniques, but I DON'T know how to put it all together into an actual song. I just get stuck, then I give up. It's because I've never actually studied writing full songs, so of course I get stuck. Thank you, I'm going to use this a lot
Great exercise and advice Alex. Always important to remain humble, step back and analyze our own and the music from the composers that inspired us all to start composing in the first place.
An absolute THANK YOU!! You're totally heaven sent, you have amazing musical skills and your compositions are great, and what's more you are helping many many people totally FREE and in a clear and easy to understand way. My tunes always felt messy, incoherent, and sometimes "disembodied", but now I'm getting the hold of it, thanks a lot!
This is exactly what I needed. I play piano and I can make large compositions but when I'm using a DAW, I always get stuck in these loops. I'm gonna use this advice to start breaking this habbit when producing digitally. Thanks😊
I have definitly had problems with the "I want to write (insert genre here) music" with nothing specific and end up starting over a million times and finally get a mediocre rather dull result that is sometimes kind of confusing. Will try this thanks
Very helpful! I haven't tried analyzing too deeply on things I don't like! Surely I'll dissect music I don't like, and maybe I might find something I like, and keep a couple things I like about it!
Totally agree with everything you talk about in this video. I feel the exact same, i love to listen over and over again to music produced by Hanz zimmer trying to understand more and more whats going on in the music. cant get better until you really study the best in the buisness. thanks man for the great info as always. cheers
You, sir, are a brilliant and thank you for sharing your very relevant experience! I am also self-taught. I don't do a lot of orchestral music yet - mostly electronic, also because you can get away with a lot more without having professional libraries. Nevertheless, watching your videos I was able to apply your methods to my work (well, hobby) and I have improved a lot! So, thank you very much!
A video that's not too long. Cool! Now I must say that people whining about anyone doing covers and suggesting or telling this is not original are just idiots and that's a perfect way to determine if someone has even a slight knowledge about what they are talking about. Doing covers is not so easy either and that's a great way to learn.
Great advice, talking as a pure hobbyist i can see the sense in it. I personally wouldn't study epic music but 'Strauss Ein heldenleben' - but im a pretensious fool! :)
Somehow I thought making music just by ears is more efficient and in some cases it can be most powerful than using music theory. But in other side, using music theory for making music was more faster but it can be pretty boring because u can predict what is about to going on. All i want to type is, making music by ear can be mind-blowing, and making music by music theory can be bringing powerful impact. It's just my opinion (pls don't hate)
Thank you for sharing this wonderful piece of advice from your experience. I use a dry erase whiteboard when mapping ideas. I am going to integrate this tab,e you have shared into my process and enjoy the flow! Salutations from Pennsylvania, USA!
"If you can read sh!t music..". :-) Sorry, I couldn't resist - says me with the biggest accent of all. Seriously, this is a very helpful video. I spend far too much time finding an instrument patch that I like, doing something with it, trying to find another and then the melody or idea I'm working on is lost. Doing a top-down plan is a great way of creating some structure to adhere to.
Great video Alex! I think I should mention something This method you talk about, of using this idea "backwards" when composing to define the structure and mood of the song, is usually how I go about when starting any song. Rather than just trying to make something "cool", I try to imagine and go for a specific mood. The problem is I sometime get a bit to attached to that original idea, and when I can't execute it like I originally imagined (which wil inevitably happen, especially when I'm doing something too complex or above my level), I end up getting stuck or abandoning the song because I'd rather not change it from my original idea. The method is really great, just thought I should say this, since it can be a problem, especially for perfectionist people (actually made me remember one of your videos on that subject). That said, would the best solution simply be composing with a flexible/open-minded approach, and not be afraid to change my original vision a bit if needed? Until I'm actually good enough to create what I envisioned... Would love to hear your opinions on this! Thanks a lot, keep up with the great content!!
It's true, that can happen as well. Every method or approach has its own pros and cons which are easily dealt with if you know what they are. In this case, it's up to you to choose. If you're free to diverge from your original vision and no one is stopping you, do it. If you have to score something very specific for a client, you might not have the same freedom to change the main idea behind the piece. In that case you might simply have to accept the fact that it won't sound as bright as you imagined it, and just write the track anyways.
Nicely put! Sometimes it's hard to accept that the song is not going to sound like how you imagined it, but "happy accidents" can happen if you keep an open mind while composing and you end up with something awesome, albeit different from the original idea. I guess that's a good exercise to keep perfeccionism under control. Still, I was talking about specifically this method of writing down your ideas for the song before you start composing. This exercise of analysing other songs is invaluable, even if you do it simply for study (not necessarily for building a song with the same structure).
As always next helpful video from you :) I did some analysis, but my way is to play on midi keyboard what i hear and simultaneously record this. Because i prefer notes. But now i see i have too much interest in notation. I see with audio analysis can do something useful :) So thank you :)
u r so inspiring .... u give stems and midi files... so cool... but can we also get the data of modulations and other articulations u made or in one word can we get the fl studio session itself...? tq soo much for showing this huge depth can be attained by computer alone... tq soo much great wish to meet u one day in future ... tq for everthing....
Very nice tutorials, definitely keep up the exceptionally insipirational good work! I have a question: What is a "Stinger"? I can find info online on intros, bridges, buildups etc. but cannot seem to realize what the characteristics of a Stinger are, and how to recognize it in a song. Thank you in advance if you'll have time to answer this!
Stingers are usually the conclusion of an epic orchestration, those 4-5 seconds where everything goes super intense. Example: ua-cam.com/video/tJ9wi_eoQpA/v-deo.html (at around 2:15)
Thanks. That s what I needed. What about the structure? This should be a typical trailerstructure but what about the other orchestral sytles? Greetings from Germany.
You can apply this to any genre. It'll be your job to figure out the sections of a structure and name them in a way that make sense to you, then draw the table and do the exercise.
I always get stuck after intro, so very interesting topic you've got here ! One question: how do you know what chord progressions you hear, if you've got no theoretical knowledge (like me) ? Guess the answer is practice...:)
I can never tell the exact name and that's a bit of a hindrance there. However, I can hear the distinct notes that make up the chords so that's how I find my way through them. I'm not sure that's ideal though, I should definitely fix that flaw.
Does anyone have a good method to do this system on Logic Pro X? Logic doesn’t have a good way to modify sections with colors like this. I am also willing to use another DAW to do this. Any ideas?
After about 3 months of constantly watching all your tutorials, I gotta say that I honestly never thought I would be able to learn so much from a FREE UA-cam channel.
Your skills are beyond amazing and you explain in such a clear and amazing way. I am looking forward for more great videos and content from you! You are the best.
By the way can you please make a video about how to maintain correct (curved) frequency spectrum for epic/orchestral music as you describe in your videos? I struggle with this topic. Thanks!
I've been composing for a year now: I've learnt a lot of theory and orchestration techniques and composed a lot of songs/ideas. However, my biggest problem has been the randomness of my music. Usually it's so hard to make a song sound coherent, and even if I have ideas I struggle to make them sound like they have a particular function in the song. Of course there are times when it feels like a song "writes itself" and everything goes effortlessly, but that's rare. But after watching this video I feel so enlightened! This technique makes so much sense, since now I can arrange my thoughts in a rational way. This was so helpful, thank you so much!
Just realised, I already do this but it’s all in my head... perhaps I should write it down too.
I also tend to use imagery and scenes in my head and hold them as visual queues while composing. This will work too though
In short, the essence is this ... Find yourself a motivation. Picture, video or something like that, feel, penetrate, think what you can emphasize and what this video or film or image wants to convey and based on this - create music! Anyway, thanks, Alex! I think ur channel one of the best FL Studio Tutorials channel on UA-cam. But I wish you to be humble and do not be arrogant... its for future! :)
You are like THE Jedi Master for music composers
This seems like something worth trying. I have a project folder full of damn near nothing but intros that hit a brick wall and never go anywhere. I really appreciate your videos, thanks.
Story is key, i always used to write out a small story for my music on paper, thanks for this outline to keep it more origanized.
I have more files of 8 bar loops than anything else...I’m an 8-bar Master XD
Haha, most of us have been there Colin!
You'll get out of the habit with time, study and practice.
Alex Moukala Thanks for the encouragement bro! Cheers!
Sounds familiar to me :)
Same
A very nice excercise indeed!
Also, I must say that even you said you knew nothing about music, you have followed a very similar path to the ones who study music (like me).
I mean, music studies don't make the musician, they are only a guide. You followed the steps that should be followed and that's why you progressed so fast.
Your concept of the orchestration is very similar to the one which is portrayed in the books, the same about variation in melodies, harmony, etc.
So, knowing your method, it's perfectly clear why you have learned so much in so little time. It's that devotion to study music and your energy what makes you progress.
And it's very nice that you share your energy and methods (which are actually very similar to the ones that you follow when you study) with us.
So thank you for your videos!
I've just started composing a month ago and this channel is basically the holy grail for orchestral music. Now, when I listen to music I find myself counting the instruments and following individual melodies and harmonies unintentionally, something I haven't done previously.
Hello Alex! Your music is AMAZING! It helps me to study and kinda motivates me, thank you so much for everything. Best wishes from Sweden
This perfect video title has brought me to this classroom.
I haven't seen this channel before. What's up fellow musicians!
Liked and subscribed after pausing at the first second of your video cuz.. I just know I'm about to get what I need.
Really happy to find your channel!
You are dropping absolute gems. Thank you
I did Alex Moukala's system. Never done this before. It worked 100% as described. Thank you Alex
Thanks for the info Alex! This helps a lot! Cheers from Canada!
This exercise may have genuinely saved my future as a composer. I've gone to school for theory and composition but the issue is that I've only ever learned how to write in a vacuum. I can write a melody, I can do counterpoint, I know all these different methods and techniques, but I DON'T know how to put it all together into an actual song. I just get stuck, then I give up. It's because I've never actually studied writing full songs, so of course I get stuck. Thank you, I'm going to use this a lot
"Walking on shoulders of giants" I liked that phrase!
- Isaac Newton 1676
Alex... ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT... surprised to see someone doing things similar to what I do.
Great exercise and advice Alex. Always important to remain humble, step back and analyze our own and the music from the composers that inspired us all to start composing in the first place.
An absolute THANK YOU!! You're totally heaven sent, you have amazing musical skills and your compositions are great, and what's more you are helping many many people totally FREE and in a clear and easy to understand way.
My tunes always felt messy, incoherent, and sometimes "disembodied", but now I'm getting the hold of it, thanks a lot!
So Insightful. Thanks Alex
Thanks for the lesson Alex. I missed these talks.
Much love from Zambia.
This is exactly what I needed. I play piano and I can make large compositions but when I'm using a DAW, I always get stuck in these loops. I'm gonna use this advice to start breaking this habbit when producing digitally. Thanks😊
👍Wow man. That third wheel analogy was so profound.🙏 To me the gist of whole video. Thanks
You are a great teacher. Fantastic advice
I have definitly had problems with the "I want to write (insert genre here) music" with nothing specific and end up starting over a million times and finally get a mediocre rather dull result that is sometimes kind of confusing. Will try this thanks
Excellent video! Many, many thanks!!!
i appreciate you, and your channel so much thanks dawg
Very helpful! I haven't tried analyzing too deeply on things I don't like! Surely I'll dissect music I don't like, and maybe I might find something I like, and keep a couple things I like about it!
Needed that help/motivation. Will try it out on your tracks. Tnx for the advice and keep up the good work👍
Totally agree with everything you talk about in this video. I feel the exact same, i love to listen over and over again to music produced by Hanz zimmer trying to understand more and more whats going on in the music. cant get better until you really study the best in the buisness. thanks man for the great info as always. cheers
You, sir, are a brilliant and thank you for sharing your very relevant experience!
I am also self-taught. I don't do a lot of orchestral music yet - mostly electronic, also because you can get away with a lot more without having professional libraries. Nevertheless, watching your videos I was able to apply your methods to my work (well, hobby) and I have improved a lot! So, thank you very much!
A video that's not too long. Cool!
Now I must say that people whining about anyone doing covers and suggesting or telling this is not original are just idiots and that's a perfect way to determine if someone has even a slight knowledge about what they are talking about.
Doing covers is not so easy either and that's a great way to learn.
Hey I even don't know Music theory, greaat tutorial!
This video inspires me. Thanks again Alex!
Great advice, talking as a pure hobbyist i can see the sense in it. I personally wouldn't study epic music but 'Strauss Ein heldenleben' - but im a pretensious fool! :)
Somehow I thought making music just by ears is more efficient and in some cases it can be most powerful than using music theory.
But in other side, using music theory for making music was more faster but it can be pretty boring because u can predict what is about to going on.
All i want to type is, making music by ear can be mind-blowing, and making music by music theory can be bringing powerful impact.
It's just my opinion (pls don't hate)
finally some practical advices
Very good video, i can use that to analasy my own music and know what need of what not. Great tips!
This is genius . Thank you so much.
Thank you Sir ❤
Thank you Alex, you are GREAT!
Love it! This is like having a Master Plan 😉
This is really good advice
Thank you for sharing this wonderful piece of advice from your experience. I use a dry erase whiteboard when mapping ideas. I am going to integrate this tab,e you have shared into my process and enjoy the flow! Salutations from Pennsylvania, USA!
"If you can read sh!t music..". :-) Sorry, I couldn't resist - says me with the biggest accent of all. Seriously, this is a very helpful video. I spend far too much time finding an instrument patch that I like, doing something with it, trying to find another and then the melody or idea I'm working on is lost. Doing a top-down plan is a great way of creating some structure to adhere to.
Great video Alex!
I think I should mention something
This method you talk about, of using this idea "backwards" when composing to define the structure and mood of the song, is usually how I go about when starting any song.
Rather than just trying to make something "cool", I try to imagine and go for a specific mood.
The problem is I sometime get a bit to attached to that original idea, and when I can't execute it like I originally imagined (which wil inevitably happen, especially when I'm doing something too complex or above my level), I end up getting stuck or abandoning the song because I'd rather not change it from my original idea.
The method is really great, just thought I should say this, since it can be a problem, especially for perfectionist people (actually made me remember one of your videos on that subject).
That said, would the best solution simply be composing with a flexible/open-minded approach, and not be afraid to change my original vision a bit if needed? Until I'm actually good enough to create what I envisioned...
Would love to hear your opinions on this! Thanks a lot, keep up with the great content!!
It's true, that can happen as well.
Every method or approach has its own pros and cons which are easily dealt with if you know what they are.
In this case, it's up to you to choose. If you're free to diverge from your original vision and no one is stopping you, do it.
If you have to score something very specific for a client, you might not have the same freedom to change the main idea behind the piece.
In that case you might simply have to accept the fact that it won't sound as bright as you imagined it, and just write the track anyways.
Nicely put! Sometimes it's hard to accept that the song is not going to sound like how you imagined it, but "happy accidents" can happen if you keep an open mind while composing and you end up with something awesome, albeit different from the original idea. I guess that's a good exercise to keep perfeccionism under control.
Still, I was talking about specifically this method of writing down your ideas for the song before you start composing. This exercise of analysing other songs is invaluable, even if you do it simply for study (not necessarily for building a song with the same structure).
Hi Alex! Thank you very much for your video, very useful!
From Russia with love!
But analyzing other people music is fun ! at least for me. Great content as always !
Hell yes! You gave me this tip, and it did wonders! :D
This is gold!
This is so helpful. Thanks bro!
great video well spoken at the end there.
This is one of your best video bro!! Cheers
"you'll never understand how much I learned by rewriting final fantasy music" Same here Alex, SAME HERE.
As always next helpful video from you :)
I did some analysis, but my way is to play on midi keyboard what i hear and simultaneously record this. Because i prefer notes. But now i see i have too much interest in notation. I see with audio analysis can do something useful :) So thank you :)
Thanks again, Alex!!! :)
thanks man
It is a true pain to do it haha! You are a strong man Alex :)!
I´ll get back to studying a piece I´ve been procrastinating because it is hard :p
Brilliant
Thanks man!!!
Threw out my last 4 pieces, I am stuck. Gonna watch...
u r so inspiring .... u give stems and midi files... so cool... but can we also get the data of modulations and other articulations u made or in one word can we get the fl studio session itself...?
tq soo much for showing this huge depth can be attained by computer alone... tq soo much
great wish to meet u one day in future ... tq for everthing....
I can also learn English from you, your English is very deep
7:43 "as 'Time' goes.." lmao, I C what you did there.
Very nice tutorials, definitely keep up the exceptionally insipirational good work!
I have a question: What is a "Stinger"?
I can find info online on intros, bridges, buildups etc. but cannot seem to realize what the characteristics of a Stinger are, and how to recognize it in a song.
Thank you in advance if you'll have time to answer this!
Stingers are usually the conclusion of an epic orchestration, those 4-5 seconds where everything goes super intense.
Example: ua-cam.com/video/tJ9wi_eoQpA/v-deo.html (at around 2:15)
Thanks. That s what I needed. What about the structure? This should be a typical trailerstructure but what about the other orchestral sytles? Greetings from Germany.
You can apply this to any genre. It'll be your job to figure out the sections of a structure and name them in a way that make sense to you, then draw the table and do the exercise.
I always get stuck after intro, so very interesting topic you've got here ! One question: how do you know what chord progressions you hear, if you've got no theoretical knowledge (like me) ? Guess the answer is practice...:)
I can never tell the exact name and that's a bit of a hindrance there.
However, I can hear the distinct notes that make up the chords so that's how I find my way through them.
I'm not sure that's ideal though, I should definitely fix that flaw.
@@AlexMoukala Thanks !
Does anyone have a good method to do this system on Logic Pro X? Logic doesn’t have a good way to modify sections with colors like this. I am also willing to use another DAW to do this. Any ideas?
I also analyse alot . But my philosophy is different
I appreciate the video but your lean approach really would do great with Ableton imo
2:01 and i'm dead
Actually, I think doing this is really fun. Am I doing it wrong? XD
Its so incredible how i did the same already xD wtf
Steal like an artist
Yes!
I wish i could put 100 likes ))) thanx!