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I finished a dubstep track recently and I don't like the melody I made. Everything is in key and fits with chord progression and all the other elements in the track.
The problem is that the melody is not catchy and not "good enough". Are there some techniques for making good and catchy melodies or do you just need to try and fail until you come up with something great?

Not really a fan of the drop but this is my fav. melody:



Oh yeah and this one:




I know things like this were already discussed before. I used the dsf google search and I didn't find anything helpful.

Do what everyone does, search up tutorials, theory and just tweaking ish. You'll wind up getting it at some point. Its not just about making a good melody its about finding out who you are.

Honestly, I do it by trial and error... I normally "hear" a melody in my head to go alongside chords or a bassline I have, then I just attempt to recreate it and improve it

mthrfnk wrote:Honestly, I do it by trial and error... I normally "hear" a melody in my head to go alongside chords or a bassline I have, then I just attempt to recreate it and improve it

Soundcloud

These melodies are dope as fuck.

I haven't found any secrets so far. For every melody I make that's halfway decent there are like 20 crap ones. You should carry some staff paper with you at all times so that if you get inspired at random times you can write your melodies down before you forget them!

Add9 wrote:I haven't found any secrets so far. For every melody I make that's halfway decent there are like 20 crap ones. You should carry some staff paper with you at all times so that if you get inspired at random times you can write your melodies down before you forget them!

How do you write a melody on a piece of paper?
I just hum it on the way home..

I swear Dodge and Fuski just google "circus music midi" and edit some stuff Especially on this one after the drop - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5As6Byz4Uc

This is a good site for downloading midi files of melodies from songs;

http://www.nonstop2k.com/

Load them into your sequencer, have a listen and watch how the notes interact with each other. Then use the concepts to try and write your own. If you haven't got any musical background, it can be quite trial and error whilst you train your ears.

I'd also recommend piano lessons.

Seriously.

wub wrote:This is a good site for downloading midi files of melodies from songs;

http://www.nonstop2k.com/

Load them into your sequencer, have a listen and watch how the notes interact with each other. Then use the concepts to try and write your own. If you haven't got any musical background, it can be quite trial and error whilst you train your ears.

I'd also recommend piano lessons.

Seriously.

Seriously, not everyone can afford piano lessons.

@Brothulu: I know that fuski is composing when it comes to melodies. c(:

You'd be surprised. I reckon there are enough musicians on Craigslist or Gumtree that would happily run you through the basics of chords and whatnot for a few bucks if you're prepared to dig.

Icetickle wrote:How do you write a melody on a piece of paper?

I can just about read sheet music at a push, noway I could right it like that.

I just draw a piano roll, and write it on there.

wub wrote:This is a good site for downloading midi files of melodies from songs;

http://www.nonstop2k.com/

Load them into your sequencer, have a listen and watch how the notes interact with each other. Then use the concepts to try and write your own. If you haven't got any musical background, it can be quite trial and error whilst you train your ears.

I'd also recommend piano lessons.

Seriously.

http://www.vgmusic.com/ the same but with video game music

3za wrote: I just draw a piano roll, and write it on there.

This. You don't even have to know the notes, only rough lengths and if you want it to be higher, lower or the same as another as you can get all the specifics done when you can hear it

Brothulhu wrote:

wub wrote:This is a good site for downloading midi files of melodies from songs;

http://www.nonstop2k.com/

Load them into your sequencer, have a listen and watch how the notes interact with each other. Then use the concepts to try and write your own. If you haven't got any musical background, it can be quite trial and error whilst you train your ears.

I'd also recommend piano lessons.

Seriously.

http://www.vgmusic.com/ the same but with video game music

10,003, brostep remixs of mario [worms voice]INCOMIMG!!![/worms voice]

3za wrote:

Brothulhu wrote:

wub wrote:This is a good site for downloading midi files of melodies from songs;

http://www.nonstop2k.com/

Load them into your sequencer, have a listen and watch how the notes interact with each other. Then use the concepts to try and write your own. If you haven't got any musical background, it can be quite trial and error whilst you train your ears.

I'd also recommend piano lessons.

Seriously.

http://www.vgmusic.com/ the same but with video game music

10,003, brostep remixs of mario [worms voice]INCOMIMG!!![/worms voice]

The worst offender -

wub wrote:You'd be surprised. I reckon there are enough musicians on Craigslist or Gumtree that would happily run you through the basics of chords and whatnot for a few bucks if you're prepared to dig.

Can't find them in Serbia. And I don't really have a problem with chords anymore. I probably could learn something new when it comes to chords but that is not my problem at the moment.

Icetickle wrote:

wub wrote:You'd be surprised. I reckon there are enough musicians on Craigslist or Gumtree that would happily run you through the basics of chords and whatnot for a few bucks if you're prepared to dig.

Can't find them in Serbia. And I don't really have a problem with chords anymore. I probably could learn something new when it comes to chords but that is not my problem at the moment.

Fair enough, assumed you were uk or USA, my bad

Icetickle wrote:

mthrfnk wrote:Honestly, I do it by trial and error... I normally "hear" a melody in my head to go alongside chords or a bassline I have, then I just attempt to recreate it and improve it

Soundcloud

These melodies are dope as fuck.

Honestly the main lead only sounds good because of the synth I used which glides and has loads of pitch bends... on it's own it sounds like random plucky notes
I like to use glides and bends a lot because they can make a simple melody more interesting and more "real" imo.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL ... 6npfJI7Qmi These might help if you haven't seen them, I watched a few of his production ones a while back and they were quite good

mthrfnk wrote:

Icetickle wrote:

mthrfnk wrote:Honestly, I do it by trial and error... I normally "hear" a melody in my head to go alongside chords or a bassline I have, then I just attempt to recreate it and improve it

Soundcloud

These melodies are dope as fuck.

Honestly the main lead only sounds good because of the synth I used which glides and has loads of pitch bends... on it's own it sounds like random plucky notes
I like to use glides and bends a lot because they can make a simple melody more interesting and more "real" imo.

Brothulhu wrote:http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL ... 6npfJI7Qmi These might help if you haven't seen them, I watched a few of his production ones a while back and they were quite good

How do you pitch bend and what is that anyway?

@Brothulu: Gonna check that out for sure!

Melody here is dope as fuck.