[originally posted to cohost]<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Loops get a bad rap for being “basic” and “boring” and “easy,” but they are a highly effective tool for crafting music! I just think the wrong kinda advice gets thrown around (i.e. the same one piece of advice…). Effective Loop Usage is something I think about often, but I haven’t seen a lot of people talk about (maybe people do talk about this… idk, hopefully this is still helpful tho!), so whether you are writing your own loops, using premade ones, or using a mix of both, hopefully this can help you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So what’s the common advice I hear? Something along the lines of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n a quick and easy way to build a song is to take a lot handful of loops, layer them, and add an remove them every 4 or 8 measures! something should always be changing every 4 or 8 measures!<\/p>– a lot of music tutorials<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n A common thing many beginners do is to start with a single loop, and keep adding loops till you reach a “peak,” then remove them one by one until you return to where you began, creating a sort of “arch” form. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Is this a wrong way to make a song? Not at all! Is it the most effective? Not always. Music built this way tends to be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Music that has these characteristics tend to feel… “amateurish?” “Not as good?” It’s not *always* bad (hey if you like it, you like it), but maybe there’s some more interesting options!<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, how do we use loops in a way that feels organic? Has a sense of direction? Is less predictable\/cliche? And how do we do this without just… writing a bunch of new stuff?<\/p>\n\n\n\n There’s two parts to this problem: <\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. The clunky nature of simply adding and subtracting loops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. A lack of form\/heirarchy<\/p>\n\n\n\n For now, let’s just address the first problem! All it takes is three easy steps!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Apply Spackle<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Add some Paint<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Break it up<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If there’s on thing you take away from this it’s APPLY the SPACKLE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was advice that my composition professor passed on to me. Just as you use spackle to hide breaks and holes in a wall, it helps to blur the lines between sections in a composition. Sure, jarring transitions are still fun sometimes, but smooth transitions are usually more satisfying and lead to a more cohesive piece of music overall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While this advice was mostly referring to the gaps between sections in a large-scale form, I find this advice works well on a smaller scale (i.e. loops!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n How do we apply the spackle<\/em>? It’s easy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Make the changes happen before and after<\/em> the transition points. Both sides of the transition point should be balanced<\/em>, more or less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Make changes happen at different times<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just as spackle is applied on all sides of a crack or hole, your changes should happen around<\/em> your transition point!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s some quick examples to explain!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s an example of how we can layer loops one-by-one in a more effective way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the “no spackle” example, everything just comes in on the down beat. Not bad! But feels kinda stiff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the “with spackle” example, the bass and the melody have a little pick up, and the drums have a lowpass filter to make them sorta fade in. Feels way more organic, almost like a band playing together (how often do band members just abrutly start\/stop playing?). Notice that the “spackle” doesn’t even have to be much (it can just be one note sometimes)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
STEP 1: APPLY the SPACKLE \u2661(>\u1d17\u2022)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
“Building Layers” example<\/h3>\n\n\n\n