Building a Progression

I guess i was just wondering what something is called, so i can research it some more.

Its in a hiphop progression. Like a dre track. You have a bass line thats 1 bar......but its in a two bar loop. One bar goes up, then the next is exactly the same loop, except like a few notes that makes it go down(makes it feel differant, makes it tonic to the beginning of the first bar).

WHAT IS THIS CALLED?


Is it called a progression, or what? like I wanna learn, how to make a 1 bar loop i already have, into this. EXAMPLE: i compose a 1 bar synth line, then i want to use that to build the second bar, making it exactly the same, but it transposes/changes, or whatever to give it that progressive feel.

Like the two bar loop repeats, but it feels like it builds into itself.
ya know? please help if i sound confusing, sorry, im confused....im not talking chords though, im talking about the meldoy.

well when you do that your usually only changing the last few notes to make it a bit different then the first. i do that a lot. it becomes natural after a while. thats just how things go when coming up with a melody or bassline. how do you usually do it?


not sure what its called, srry

yeah.

I usually just come up with a riff-usually 1 bar, maybe 2....then i play it, then i try to play it again with a variation.Basically i was just wondering what its called, so i can see if there are any "secrets" or tips, ya know?

i guess i sort of answered my question, but. Like i just do 1 bar melodies, then repeat it with a differant ending, or diffearnt beginning or something like you said.

Ive also learned that i find tonic keys first. Basically going off of the 1 chord and 5 chord tonic rule. EXample:in major scale, the c and g are the most tonic notes. Then i start with the c for the beginning of my melody, and some how the last note of the melody ends with the g; then loops back to the beginning.

then sometimes ill transpose the scale up to say major scale in key of A....well the same tonic relationship with c and g in key of A is A and E. Then i just do the same deal.Most of the time though, ill first mess around with a few keys, then sort of figure out from there which are the tonic keys that should be used in the frame of the little riff i came up with.

When i use the tonic notes like that...ill i have to remember is the set of notes...i dont remember any scale or nothing. then i just start with one note, and end with the second with just about any notes in between, as long as it sounds good.

I also learned since asking this question, that its all about rearranging the melody like a pattern. Like comming up with a basic melody, then just chopping it up, and rearanging it with differant timing, and going from there.

so you play your melodies more then sample? thats coo'. i play 4 bar melodies in 8 bar sequences so I can have more change-ups with the melody.

well, i do both.

I mean, i love to sample....but i also like to make west coast ish, and i use my synth and composing for that shit...ya know.

when you do the 4 bar melodies, how do you do the bass lines? do they follow the melodies, or are they shorter?

This is why we need a music theory section..so cyrus go to the suggestion part and add to the thread. As far as your question go. Im no pro but you want to end your first half of your melody on on a 2nd, 5th, or 7th of the scale(cmaj= d,g,b)to create tention and end the second part of your melody on a note of the underlining chord. Im no pro and im still learning thats rule i have learn.

cyrus wrote:well, i do both.

I mean, i love to sample....but i also like to make west coast ish, and i use my synth and composing for that ****...ya know.

when you do the 4 bar melodies, how do you do the bass lines? do they follow the melodies, or are they shorter?

well the bassline usually has to follow the same notes as your melody so the notes dont clash. you know? they just wont sound right if it dosnt go along with what you were playing. especially the bass. it depends on what kind of track im making. not sure what you mean by shorter, but i always try to be creative with my basslines. sometimes i do really simple 2 or 3 note basslines and sometimes my fingers will jump around and play something funky with a lot of notes. it really depends on how you want your track to come out. the bass has a lot to do with the feel of your beat.

but my basslines usually follow my melodies. you dont have to play the exact note thats being played in the melody at the same time. you can jump around, but stick with the same ones and you should be fine