What makes a good piece of music, how can you create something truly awesome?

[RyanAllen]

Hey guys

Im trying to come up with some music for my game but so far i'm having no luck making something any good at all. I'm not a complete beginner to music and i can play it well but i just can't compose anything without a clear idea in my head.
I was wondering, how do you create a good piece of music? (I'm talking about music similar to final fantasy games, tales of etc...)

 

[Fido]

You need to start with a clear theme in mind.  If you are going for something peaceful, think of something peaceful, such as a slow trickling waterfall or stream, and maybe trees blowing in a spring breeze, whatever strikes your fancy.  It also helps to watch or listen to water you are drawing your inspiration from.  Let the feeling of the leaves swaying in the breeze consume you and just play, eventually something will come to you.

That's basically how I was taught.

 

[Kaoii]

Playing music and writing music are two completely different skills - I had to learn that too when I started composing. Too often I would play a few chords on the keyboard and just end up getting caught in some massive speed run with no recognizable melodic structure at all.

Its up to you to find what place or state of mind gives you the best source of inspiration - it is different for everyone. Personally, I just think of what I'm trying to write and then think of what I would want that kind of theme to sound like in a game. After that it just comes naturally. Composing is a skill that has a learning curve just like learning to play any instrument. It'll start rough and you'll gradually get better and better.

Remember that Nobuo Uematsu, the composer of most of the Final Fantasy series, had no musical training before he started. If you analyze his style throughout the Final Fantasy series, many themes sound very similar. Celes's opera theme and Aeris's theme are a good example. Uematsu also used recurring melodies throughout the series.

You'll find that every successful composer and band has a series of cliche melodies that seem to appear in many of their songs. I have a lot of things I use consistently myself. This all adds up to your personal style, which you probably have already developed somewhat by playing an instrument. Nobuo Uematsu just happens to have a style for almost every genre of music known to man, from pop opera to heavy metal.

It seems I haven't directly answered your question, however. A good piece of music does not depend on melody; I can think of many good pieces in Final Fantasy X composed by Hamauzu that were everything but melodic - he used dissonance to create powerful effects. All that matters is how the music is presented and if it is memorable. If it is memorable, you have a winner. Just remember that some pieces are more memorable than others.

 

[moog]

Listen to everything and anything, even nature. It sounds stupid, but trust me it works. Also, envision how the area or part of the game looks or feels. Music does more than provide a listening environment for the player, it TELLS the story where words cannot. Look at FF games, they give a feel to the characters and story.

Also, try making your own special style up. Like Kaoli said, Uematsu's work stays a constant theme, as does Motoi Sakuraba's (Star Ocean, Tales games).

Hope that helps!

 

[Gulch666]

3rds = epic, keep that in mind

and do a lot of humming, when you arent writing music and hum something you like, try hard to remember it

 

[RyanAllen]

This is very helpful guys, thank you ^_^

 

[Kaoii]

Kaoli

I'll let that slide :P

This is very helpful guys, thank you ^_^

Absolutely. If you have any more questions or need any help, don't hesitate to ask. When it comes to music, no question is a stupid one.

 

[Gulch666]

Absolutely. If you have any more questions or need any help, don't hesitate to ask. When it comes to music, no question is a stupid one.

I agree with this, I'm not a music expert or anything, cant read music, and dont play an instrument, but i can compose music pretty damn well, and i didnt get there by not asking questions to my musician friends.

altho, i am learning to play piano slowly, mostly my own songs and megaman (2,3) songs, can almost play all of magnetman

 

[RyanAllen]

How do you create something majestic/fanfareish? >_<; (Like the melody in RTP Battle 02)

 

[Anonymous]

theory and pre-planning are for the weak; if you want to make a good song just go "dah de dee de dah dah dee do do dee dah", pick out the notes on a keyboard or other musical device, and roll with it from there.

How do you create something majestic/fanfareish? >_<; (Like the melody in RTP Battle 02)

lots of brass and pomp.

 

[RyanAllen]

theory and pre-planning are for the weak; if you want to make a good song just go "dah de dee de dah dah dee do do dee dah", pick out the notes on a keyboard or other musical device, and roll with it from there.

How do you create something majestic/fanfareish? >_<; (Like the melody in RTP Battle 02)

lots of brass and pomp.

Pomp? (And i can't find any brass on Cubase SX

 

[moog]

Kaoli

I'll let that slide :P

Ah man, sorry! *sweat* Im blind as a bat and my glasses werent on lol.

Ryan, try to mix differant fanfares together to make a differant sound. That might work for you.

 

[Gulch666]

How do you create something majestic/fanfareish? >_<; (Like the melody in RTP Battle 02)

listen to epic metal intros, and make a shorter summary type version with horns and shit

 

[Kaoii]

theory and pre-planning are for the weak

I am very highly trained in music theory and I've found it helps very much.