5 Melody TIPS the PROS Use

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This video I'm sharing 5 melody writing tips that the pros use that you can take and implement in your own songwriting!
My Studio Gear List:
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I personally purchase my gear from Sweetwater and have for over 12 years -- these are affiliate links, meaning you can support my channel by using Sweetwater. The reason I trust Sweetwater is because they have the BEST customer support I have ever seen, two year warranty, free shipping, and they have they best reputation in the industry. You will never see me recommend buying pro audio gear from Amazon
Check out Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/MPRz3
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Lacie External Drive (storing sample libraries): imp.i114863.net/Xg2Bo
Logic Pro X: (use the app store)
Komplete Audio 6 (audio interface): imp.i114863.net/jNJbe
Presonus Eris E5 (monitors -- you'll need to buy a pair): imp.i114863.net/kyJ6z
Komplete Kontrol S88 (the BEST MIDI keyboard the link is the newer generation): imp.i114863.net/mLode
Lauten LS-208 Mic: imp.i114863.net/MPReJ
Avantone Pro CV-12 Mic: imp.i114863.net/d25dM
Shure SM58: imp.i114863.net/2oVmz
Audio Technica ATH-M40X (headphones - I have 2 pairs): imp.i114863.net/BNRL1
Novation LaunchPad X (also compatible with Logic Pro X): imp.i114863.net/0gRaM
Sample Libraries I HIGHLY Recommend:
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Native Instruments Komplete Ultimate (this is the BEST bundle you can buy): imp.i114863.net/OkyDz
Arcade: output.com/products/arcade
Signal: imp.i114863.net/Qa2DA
EastWest (Hollywood Orchestra): imp.i114863.net/PemxY
Spitfire LABS (free): labs.spitfireaudio.com/

[@nofilterpedris]

I actually love the #4-3 motion on 9:17 😂

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

That suspension and resolution can sound good at times - but if you play the 4 without resolving - not so good

[@rajobratadas8799]

You're one of the new channels I found that's been really helpful!

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

YES! Love hearing that! Thanks so much!

[@faxegameplay9918]

I really agree!

[@squalley]

sorry I’m late 🤭

[@gaspergerm7424]

I really appreciate how he stresses the importance of understanding the basics of what you actually want to achieve even before explaining how to get there. Great teaching skills ngl 🔥

[@bobwilliams1676]

The most helpful information for songwriters I herd Yet

[@thescream1868]

this dude right here is legit....i produce and write metal, but the principles shared in this video apply perfectly to my genre....these are some very good tips NOT to be overlooked by any aspiring musician/producer....

[@trapbeatproducer]

i really wanna hear some of your music if possible! you are 100% right by the way because I create 'Trap' beats but have been following this channel religiously over the past few weeks. hope you're keeping well - and if you have a music link where i could hear some of your work that would be cool af 💪🏽🔊

[@thescream1868]

@@trapbeatproducer hey man nice reply! yeah for sure I'll share some....and so should you...i am setting up my soundcloud and social media for the band...

[@user-tv7jx9pw1q]

Finally somebody teaching music, you're right with this mixing tutorials.. I watched them two or three years I don't even know anymore..

[@franklynebenezer7652]

If I'm honest this is one of the best channels out here in KZbin. The quality of this channel definitely deserves a million subs. God bless Brother.

[@bluemarlinrecords7176]

So much fun, watching your videos! Thank you!

[@matthewpritchard6109]

I've been writing songs for ages, and as you were talking I realised that I have ended up adhering to many of these rules just from simple trial and error over time. That said, I thought your complicated melody was great! Although I definitely agree that breaking it down into chunks and motifs and (slightly) repetitive bits would help... :) Great video, thumbs up!

[@DanielDeakin]

Awesome tips Nath as always! Please do more music comp stuff, it's 🔥🔥

[@paulfear1625]

So grateful i found your channel..Your content is incredibly helpful. I love how you don't make content for the sake of making content. You also dont regurgitate every other video on the subject. Your brutal honesty approach has unstuck me from bad habits and writing ruts. Thank you so much

[@erikmarques1475]

Thanks for your channel and tips. Finally something really practical!

[@jess4drums13]

Great info! Thank you sir

[@insanecomicdude]

This is the most helpful info I've seen for writing good melodies. Thanks for this.

[@theidriselijah]

Yo the information you shared in this video is immensely helpful, thanks!

[@echelonworks]

Oo..I actually love the gross out of chord note. I'm a sucker for modal melodies. The repetition concept is the best single tip imo.

[@ellle8485]

Man… i just love this channel, thank you 🎹🎼

[@ussimocomedybrothers5890]

Thanks bro this is so helpful

[@ALEXAWRIGHT]

Learning so much from your channel, thank you!!

[@writewithangel]

Thank you so much Nathan I am forever grateful for your channel. This was is a video I really needed I didn’t have a clue how to make melodies but know thanks to you I do. Thanks to you I do I hope you have a great day :)

[@deandre9132]

Thank you, this is one thing I was looking for.

[@fancha831]

great stuff man

[@reedauav9102]

U are so helpful man♥️ Thanks 🙏

[@Multi-Waves_Sketchbook]

The orbiting chord tones tip was groundbreaking I'm understanding so much more!

[@loverman76]

very well and easy to understand explanation, thanks a lot

[@baerlux]

this is one of the best youtube channel i have ever found❤️❤️

[@lukedingerson1176]

Hey Nathan, you are such a huge influence on me. I make beats all the time and sometimes I use some of your melodies to make beats

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Awww snap! Nice 🔥

[@MarkFreedmanNY]

Great tips and ideas. Going to start recording my vocal ideas. Thanks!

[@Axel-qj8rr]

Thanks for the tips, really helpfull for my songwriting

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

For sure! Happy to help!

[@cgraffrun7661]

You are by far the best teacher on music producer youtube

[@LouveniaMusic]

This was great!

[@thomaslamo3829]

Wow, I’ve recently started watching your videos and it’s nice to see you’re a Nebraska boy just like me!

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Go Big Red!!

[@guddy19]

Super helpful

[@ROQSTAR]

Great tips and talk about melody writing. Keep it up!

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Thanks a bunch!

[@wileygee]

So cool dude and informative. No nonsense padding here! Thanx.

[@BricksandFun]

I will use your tips on my project now. Your channel is very usefull for me. Thanks a lot :)

[@reedauav9102]

Awesome too

[@redientzmusic]

dude you are so good at teaching. your methods with your expressions made grown up people impressed like a kid in kindergarten :'), thank you...

[@deadnicetv7720]

Greatly tutorial Nathan. Just the content i need to improve my writing skills

[@fernandonieves1385]

magnificos videos , gracias por compartir sus conosimientos

[@StreetLegendzEnt]

Love the channel...the best part is that it's not about the software...it's about the theory.

[@niu64]

I think the melody is the most important part of the song and it is what you remember after you hear it.

[@dansteinbok7955]

You write really catchy melodies

[@prod.da9247]

This Pro....... he is a legend

[@NilanjanNeelSarkar]

Awesome!

[@shalala1O1]

That was helpful thanks ✨

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Love it thanks!! 🙏🔥😎

[@abrac.a5024]

this is dope

[@Gamernutritionfacts]

does anyone else know any other youtube channels like this guys? Like ones that aren’t centered around a bunch of random esoteric mixing tips but instead look at the production side of things more holistically?

[@Sophiasidae]

Really so happy I found your channel, Ive wanted to make music for years but lost confidence many times🥲 your channel makes me feel like I can actually make this my job one day as long as I keep learning - sophia

[@mansoorjawid9037]

Bro you make Masterpiece videos .. really really Helpful Thanks 🙏

[@katlehomoloi8020]

Thanks for helping us as always From: South Africa

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Absolutely! Thanks for checking it out!

[@moreetlhomphochiba2189]

Same here from South Africa helpful, all his videos

[@rawzeenofficial9729]

Thank you

[@zdzmusic7216]

You're Awesome 🔥

[@TaiTanUG]

always learning alot from you sir . upcoming music producer in Uganda, thanks

[@emrekaanyilmaz7375]

vocalization tip 💯

[@HaharuRecords]

Underatanding couplets same as writing lyrics forming a stanza..makes easy to understand how a melody works✌️☺️

[@jimboggs1041]

Just pulled out my phone to record another idea :) Thanks for yet another helpful (PRACTICAL) tutorial with not hard rules but guiding guardrails to keep up out of trouble.

[@healxo]

time stamps (this just seems like a primer on how to make very simple, basic, potentially catchy melodies as opposed to the best possible creative melodies) 0:36 tip 1: simple is better (easily digestible) 2:41 tip 2: many great melodies use/orbit around chord tones (I don't fully agree with this lol) 3:39 chord demo 4:39 chord tone melody demo 6:18 tip 3: "good" melodies use primarily step-wise motion (I also don't fully agree with this LOL) 10:35 tip 4: repetition is key 13:17 motifs 16:00 tip 5: Vocalize your melodies (a very good tip, actually. best tip of the video that is mostly always applicable without all the caveats)

[@beckst3r]

why don't u fully agree with tip 2?

[@healxo]

@@beckst3r i think finding exceptions to the rule and different ways of varying around the chord to be more interesting, personally but maybe it is stronger with the chord tones, it just shouldn't stick solely to that

[@kunchenliang8772]

@@beckst3r Bc you basically can't have any scales in the melody then. Also sometimes you want dissonance to make the listener a little on edge

[@Smartstartup1]

Nathan, your videos are the best. Subscription on your channel was one of my best choices 😉 Thank you so much for what you doing ✌️

[@ashandesilvaguitarist]

good stuff. love the channel. you got a sub!

[@SunsetLights]

I needed this ! Im currently experiencing writer’s block and it’s terrible

[@dubsbarry9963]

Nathan - could you do a short vid on making sure instrument input levels into logic (from Audio interface) are at proper volume? TY

[@RogerRamjet]

Great!

[@ryanperrault8174]

Awesome video...You are quick to each piece of info and you don't ramble on and on like some....Very efficient use of an 19 min video. Felt shorter. Great job.

[@anthonywinters7603]

Didn't particularly care for the Peter McKinnon intro but when you got to the actual information part you did an incredibly good job explaining and showing information, I appreciate this tutorial.

[@jaimomo65]

¡Great video! Regards from Spain :-)

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Thanks Jaime!

[@E.L.Wilsson]

Great video as usual Nathan! I started writing songs two years ago. I already do these things intuitively, but it’s so nice to hear you explaining why these techniques work so well. Love your channel! Thank you so much for all the great lessons!🙏

[@adamhydari7013]

Best channel for tutorials on KZbin acc. Could you make a video where you just make a full song and it’s not edited so we can see everything you do?

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Thanks so much! You should check out my live streams that's what I do!

[@shashankmish]

I actually learned a lot from you:), and can you please make a whole dedicated video on how to make a song like LAUV.

[@dr.bindakumari3562]

Search Makenpopmusic on yt u will get your beloved results totally accurate

[@shashankmish]

@@dr.bindakumari3562 ya i've seen that

[@DodaGarcia]

The moment at 10:40 really won me, I have a dorky sense of humor too

[@kristiandobriyev9324]

The melody at 11:58 really sounds like Without You by Avicii! Anyway cool video, very helpful!

[@kenrichard5]

You had some half steps in the step-wise, but GREAT, simple video! Thank you!

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Half steps and whole steps are both steps. Diatonic (meaning in the key)

[@kenrichard5]

@@NathanJamesLarsen Not trying to be a critic, still learning. Great video!

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Not at all - but half and whole steps are both still considered "steps" and not leaps. Just clarifying!

[@suhailfares4679]

This was very helpful!! Thank you! I would be the guy that plays an endless melody line that cannot be remembered. now I realised that.

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Haha! Been there too

[@kurosachi208]

oh i like you😌🔥🔥

[@rafaelmendes4100]

Stepwise motion was essential to me

[@whitewidowja]

As always, great content 👍 When is the next live BTW? 🤔

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Thanks! My computer has been having MAJOR issues with live streaming so I am working on finding a solution soon. Kept having overload issues

[@gstyle11]

Thank you Nathan🙏 What Piano are you using in this Video?

[@reedauav9102]

From Nigeria ✌️♥️

[@earthlightsmusic2743]

Does whistling count for vocalizing? I've created a few melodies that way. I get the stepwise part, but I tend to use a lot of thirds, too, which are inevitably chord tones.

[@TomSarracino]

nice thumb !

[@Piano_Albert]

One more tip. Melodies have fraises. Fraises are typically around 7 tones or words with a clear ending. Ending meaning there is a rest after a couple of notes. Listen to songs you like and identify how long the fraises are. You will find patterens. :) hope this helps someone

[@CrazyBaloney]

Strawberries melodies sound delicious. Coulis au fraises on top of it all.

[@yosoysoloyo4024]

Do you have a perfect octave overtone in your voice? Interesting sound when you vocalize your melodies...

[@killuazoldyckhunter]

12:16 this reminded me of Avicii's "Without You"

[@fkfalkkevin]

Your first point is exactly what film score producers struggle with ino. Compared to music like Leia Organa theme or jurassic park theme melodies, there is no soul in modern film scores

[@RobinDamronII]

I have two questions. First, let me just say that ok loving this context, been following along for a little while now and I’m focusing hard core on production as a result and less on mixing. Would love for you to hear the results of my first track (since listening to your advice) when it’s finished. Q1: I’m planning on following your example and sending my next track off to a mixing engineer, instead of DIYing it. Would you consider de-essing a production or mixing responsibility? I find that I’m terribly lacking skill with a de-esser and end up with either too harsh of an s or it sounds like my esses are missing entirely and I have a lisp. Q2: Do you have a mixing/mastering engineer you recommend? Considering Mr Mix and Master, but not sure yet.

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Thanks so much! De easing is a mixing engineer's job for sure. Any correcting stuff is something a mixer will do 100% As far as recommendations... I have my guy I use but he's not cheap. $500/song for mix and master. I'd recommend if you're just starting to try to personally connect with some in the $200 range to start out and just get experience to know how to communicate with a mixer. Honestly FB groups aren't a bad place to ask around. The Make Pop Music group is probably the best for this kind of thing - a LOT of high quality pros in there

[@trapbeatproducer]

Your beard is majestic and godlike Like a descendant of Thor from Asgard 🪓 💪🏽

[@bubbagump6037]

Bro really giving us the CHEESE 🧀. Imma make it cause of your awesome vids 😎

[@binaryzodiac4606]

Wish I found your channel sooner

[@allisonpenn7870]

My mentor suggests creating a melody with a simple nursery type of melody rhyme and rhythm, especially for the chorus. He says, Will 20, 000 fans Want to sing the chorus back to you?

[@athomesongwriting]

The notes you say don''t sound good would work well if you had lyrical content that was unsettled. It would create the feeling the lyrics were trying to communicate. Prosody.

[@jeremytodd77]

lol you crack me up dude 😂

[@Hesinsky]

I’m using vocalize to make my melodies ideas I thought I’m only me doing that and I never thought that is truly exist in the music theory 😂

[@polin2000]

these are the music composition 101 : motif - pattern , steps on scale tone , leap on chords tone . thanks for sharing to peoples, however, there is a music theories mistake regarding to qualities of music intervals: C to A , Do to La is Major 6 not Minor 6 . the formula of intervals is 1 to 6 , invert it become 1 to 3 ( C to A = 6, invert A to C = 3 ) Major 6 become to minor 3 ( opposite) when you invert it Major become minor, minor become Major. Perfect interval remain perfect . IE. perfect 4 interval invert it still remain perfect 5 , IE: C to F = perfect 4th, invert it F to C = (perfect) 5th. IE: C to High C is perfect 8th, invert it C to same C is 1 still (perfect 1) perfect interval is 1, 4, 5,8. the total add up number is 9 , root position + invert position is equal to 9 , Major become minor , minor become Major , Perfect interval remain perfect, when you invert it. Ie: C to B = Major7th , invert B To C = 2th , 7+2=9, C to c = 8th, C to C = 1, 8+1= 9. this Music theory basis from Classical music theories. this video is meant to TIPS people how to music composition not the Music theories. Great video , Thanks for sharing!

[@ShillyBears1]

Juice Wrld is great for melody inspiration imo

[@peanutbutter4414]

What song is playing the background?

[@rishitmahapatra9537]

can anyone name the tracks playing in the background?

[@Sexena.69]

14:20 thats future rave

[@MrBillyJames]

Thanks for the info and inspiration. I really like #5. Vocalize! I typically will just start blurting out a melody or something that is primarily just gibberish. Not a single word is used. most of the time, I will hear a gibberish banter fall from my lips and it triggers a memory or a reminiscent momentary visual of some sort, and its beautiful. Perhaps it may be a gibberish 2 or 3 syllable instance that has the shape of a certain word. I love it. a little quirky, and hard to do if you're not in the car or somewhere you know you're alone or if you have lower self confidence, as its easily understood that its hard to understand how you can blurt out absolute nonsense and sound so ugly, yet, create moments of bliss. How can Gibberish be this powerful?!? I Love it and sometimes its that gibberish banter that somehow makes the hard times easier. Not to say the hard times get easy, but the hard times can still be good times. Sorry, wasn't trying to be a rambler lol!

[@daveking4974]

At 7:52 I did learn something new. "A" is a minor 6th in C major. Where did you study harmony?

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

I have a degree in music composition - so I took 4 years of music theory. To say I'm a theory nerd is an understatement

[@anjoha59]

@@NathanJamesLarsen Think you missed the point Nate.

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Yup. That's embarrassing. LOL Ya, A flat is a minor 6th. Reading that obviously went over my head. Turns out people make mistakes ;)

[@daveking-sandbox9263]

@@NathanJamesLarsen No problem, I've made tons of mistakes myself, in my lifetime. There should be an award for people like me :-)

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

@@daveking-sandbox9263 haha! That come framed??

[@satwikjain6455]

God damm you are too funny 🤣😂😂😂