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So my problem at this time is...I seem to come up with chord progressions that sound really good, but when it comes to making a melody to go over my chords...nothing. I've played guitar for years but was always a rhythm kinda guy. Should I focus more on learning scales? Improvisation? Sorry if this sounds confusing but I'm getting kind of frustrated right now. Thanks for the help.

A good starting point I find is using the notes in the current chord your playing, but limiting yourself to just them can be a little boring sometimes, so you can through in the odd other note from the key you're in (or not). A nice little trick is to use notes from the next chord before you play it, it gives you a clue to where the song is going harmonically.

Will try that tonight thanks. What are your thoughts on only using minor keys instead of major? I've heard that isn't a lot of major chords used in dubstep, is this true?

Craft-D 88 wrote:What are your thoughts on only using minor keys instead of major?

I write using both, but I am more into minor keys, especially when making dubstep. What is really good for writing dark stuff is the locrian mode, using the first two notes to give you a semitone bassline, and you can use the tritone every now, and again, if you want some more flavour.

Craft-D 88 wrote:I've heard that isn't a lot of major chords used in dubstep, is this true?

Yeah thats true, though I wouldn't right them off.

99/100 times I use major chords. I love how they create a sense of conflict with the bass or balance the song out from all the dissonance elements in my tracks. It's really hard to force a melody that you will be happy with (it's super easy to bs one that everyone else will love though Freestyle a few lines and sing a few scales for girls at parties and you'll be walkin home with a few pairs of panties and a pocket full of numbers). I find it's easier to wait until I hear a melody in my head, then hum it out into a recording device (I use my phone). When I go home and play it out on piano, I experiment with different chords underneath. I feel it's easier and more beneficial to do melody before chords because you can make sure you have a solid, memorable melody and compliment it with the perfect (or even better: more creative, unexpected and/or unique) set of chords! That's just my take on it though. That's what works best for me. There are honestly no set of rules in music. Ever.

If you don't stress as much and open your mind/heart/soul to your emotions, the music will just flow through you.

August Rush (2007): "The music is all around you, all you have to do is listen."

Melodies before chords sounds like something I should try. Thanks a lot

actually i find it much easier to throw in a melody after chords and I`m surprised that if you are able to make a decent progression, you cant make a melody after that. If I play a c on itself, its plain and ordinary but if there`s a chord under neath it its much more interesting...also you get a sense of direction when you have to follow your chord progression. For example if I would have to follow from Cmaj to Dmaj there are certain notes i have to avoid, so that kind of narrows it down. Practicing scales is very helpful too, but dont just go up or down the scale, play patterns like 1,3,2,4,3,5 etc...

as far as melodies go, just try this: draw a line of 8th notes for 8 bars and loop it, and move sections of them up or down, you should form a melody in your head and once youre comfortable with it, put some rhythm into it by resizing and removing some of the notes. works sometimes when sitting there with a digital pencil and a blank box isn't as inspiring.