Posted
like adding certain chords at the end or shifting chords up or down? some pages say I should end with a cadence but how is that done in synfire?
Sun, 2018-11-18 - 00:01 Permalink
This depends on style, but there are general "idioms in the language of music", if you will.
There is no end without a beginning. That is, end your song in a similar way you built it up at the beginning. For EDM, which often builds up by introducing individual instruments, that may suggest you introduce the end by letting all instruments have a re-appearance in short interchange, where they stand out individually, only to join in a final bang. Harmony-wise a cadence (aka "well-known chord changes") could also help.
One thing is for sure. Crafting a powerful ending (as opposed to a gradual fade out) is more work than other parts of a song.
Best ever tutorial: Listen carefully to music you like and see how others did it.
Thu, 2018-11-22 - 22:26 Permalink
Hi snare!
Chords are part of a big family. They can have very different degrees of relationship. In order to make good choices when choosing chords, a good knowledge of this family is very helpful. Here's a good way to learn about the family and its structure:
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Fri, 2018-11-23 - 14:23 Permalink
Basically the Synfire or HN2 Palette offers you enough choices. Just click around and listen what sounds good to you. The most classical cadence is an ending with V - I (or: 5-1, or: Dominant -> Tonic). The palette indicates those functions (check the View menu). You can even hide chord names and surf on functions only to not get distracted by chords names.
Also depends on your style. Some songs just run 4 chords forever, doing the build up and ending merely by instrument arrangement and mixing (on/off). That's typical for club tracks.
For a start, surf any chords and always end on 5-1 and you'll get a feeling for that cadence.
You can also end on the opposite gender, e.g. end on C Major in C Minor key or vice versa.
Endless possibilities. The palette is your friend.
Fri, 2018-11-23 - 17:57 Permalink
how would create a chord ending following the colors?
IMO you could start ignoring the Palettes, for now, and using some of the built-in templates under the Harmony parameter.
Just select the Harmony parameter box on the right, go to Template, click and choose any of the "popular progressions" in major or minor and start practicing with it.
I don't know what kind of songs you write: pop songs are modal, while music for marching band is tonal and commonly adopts an ending turnaround quite different from pop music... :-)
