How to Write Big Band Jazz

[@AlexMoukala]

This is the first Jazz track I ever write, so what I explain here are the absolute basics of the genre. You'll surely find much more informative videos here on KZbin from other people! However, I thought it'd be fun to walk you guys through the process that I followed while sketching this. I'll keep on working on this track a bunch as there's still quite some work to do, so in case this video does well, I'll make more tutorials about it!

[@taiga2805]

Please More Jazz stuff!🔥😻

[@estevonba]

A few questions I would like to ask you. We can discuss on a different forum if you wish. The classes you have taken or classes you found out where better that you wish you would have taken. I know you list classes but was wondering where I should start and what can maybe be skipped for now that I may learn along the way. Even when it comes to piano basic and chords (unless that was self taught).

[@bouchouchamoez7298]

yessss please mooooore big band jazzz songs

[@aswinjohn1259]

Please make more jazz stuff🔥🎺🎷🎹🎸

[@djprofessork.3172]

When are you gonna upload the final version? Would love to hear it!

[@andresito957]

I love the fact that you recommend The Incredibles as a point of reference; that movie is probably the first time I was like "WOW, I need to listen to jazz music"

[@AlexMoukala]

Freaking amazing music, I'm glad I grew up with that one. The Incredibles 2 also has some insane music

[@pedrosilvaproductions]

Oh and monsters Inc!!!

[@hatered6434]

I know right, half way through the video I felt a really strong 'The Incredibles' vibe and then when I saw it mentioned at the end it blew my mind hah

[@fruitygranulizer540]

tracks like these have always sounded like pure magic. breaking it down like this really helps me wrap my head around the composition. thank you so much man, you're seriously a gem

[@MahtiGC]

i still can’t wrap my head around this 🤣

[@superblondeDotOrg]

@@MahtiGC Because using a chord like CMaj/D literally makes NO sense.

[@MahtiGC]

@@superblondeDotOrg isn’t it like a cmaj9 with D being the bass note?

[@superblondeDotOrg]

@@MahtiGC It still should be a prepared dissonance and orchestrated with correct doublings, plus Jazzers would never play the 5th in CMaj9/D, and may also leave out the 7th, so it would not be "play the C Major chord and just add another note like D on the bottom". Just one of the many facepalms in this video. It seems most of these DAW-composers are pulling music out of their ass, and listeners are at first fooled by the fancy-sounding VSTi.

[@ly_filmmusic]

And the next video is "Do THIS When Writing Orchestral Metal" Great composer compose all style of music. Congrats, this is awesome !

[@johnbach2380]

Persona 5. You're a good man with good tastes.

[@rizzbod]

big band jazz is my most fav genre, but i find it hard to make, thnx to you who just made it a little easy for me

[@jj8703]

probally one of the first times i've actually paid attention to a music tutorial vid, you earned a sub my guy

[@TheReal4th]

So that others don't get the terms confused, the C major chord with a B is a major 7th, with a Bb we just refer to it as C7 or a regular 7th chord. C minor 7 is different.

[@RamboDorsh]

Yeah...really hoping this was a mistake, and you know this. C minor 7 definitely doesn't have an E in it, like you play here. also, @4th, I'm not sure what is a "regular 7th chord," the chord containing C E G Bb is a DOMINANT 7th chord.

[@TheReal4th]

@@RamboDorsh What I mean by "regular" is it is the most basic 7th chord. People just call a C dominant 7th chord C7 for short.

[@saxophonerman1239]

I still think referring a dominant 7th as regular can cause a lot of confusion as well. In a lot of ways major 7ths is more of the basic chord because it’s the most diatonic upper structure in a chord and the major scale works over it well. Major 7ths are just as common as dominant 7ths. I’ve also heard major 7ths refereed as regular 7ths aswell. When I was starting out on jazz I would get them confused lot.

[@PoipoleMujigae]

Doesn’t Cmin7 have Eb instead of E?

[@JimBaker-ks4io]

He clearly doesn't know a thing about music theory that's it

[@mountnofficial]

this is so insane, holy damn. you must feel sooo proud. This can go straight into a movie scene.

[@appo038]

That's not that funny, when you was slowly getting to this level many years

[@mountnofficial]

@@appo038 wdym?

[@appo038]

@@mountnofficial I didn't have sex for two weeks

[@ileryon4019]

@@appo038 ???

[@fuiiprod]

@@appo038 what are u smking

[@tonyfarina1310]

Love the" Swing More "software program.I have used it on two tunes already in Reaper and it is a must tool if you want to produce big band jazz that sounds authentic.I would love to hear any future tutorials on this genre from you as there is not much out there.

[@tonyfarina1310]

@Devi Loc Beats I have used it in about a dozen tunes already from funk,Bossa Nova,Samba ,swing and even Xmas songs.It is a good investment.I also combine it with other VST plugins I have that are Kontakt based,because I use a 16 track template.I intersperse instruments from Fluffy Audio,Orange Tree and others along with Swing More to produce the sound I am looking for.

[@Hxs28]

Orchestration and jazz, soul/funk is what I am looking for - this project sounds amazing.

[@SatonsClutch]

This is mental. So this got suggested to me this morning. didn't have time to watch it so I opened it on another tab and went to work. I came home and watched it. Now the mental part is I literally listened to the incredibles soundtrack on the way to work! (referring to the writing at the end of the video) Furthermore, I have listened to this particular persona 5 song on repeat for upward of 70 hours in my lifetime. Great work on the composition, keep it up, I'm simply remarking how relevant this video suggestion was to me this day...

[@bufcek5982]

Love it! Man you need to make more jazz stuff!

[@sayan1667]

I was searching for a library like this my whole life. I love that you see music the way i see it, man! Thank you, thank you, thank you very much! I’m so excited 😁

[@adnanerochdi6982]

its been since u had 1k since a watched an fl studio orchestration tuto from u and here u are now almost 80k and you have come a long way your english is so fluent now! 👌great job buddy i always receive notifications from you till this day

[@TwoLitYT]

This is sick! I absolutely love these types of videos. Thank you so much. I feel hella inspired, in fact im gonna go into FL right now

[@Estel-z1c]

You are on another level. If i could be half as talented as you, i could die a happy man. This is honestly amazing.

[@jameshosking4985]

The tutorial is superb. But the fit is on point! I only just noticed your necklace halfway through. Loving it

[@tokzick]

Absolutey incredible. Im going from orchestra to big band at the moment and this is the PERFECT tutorial for it.

[@laurant4282]

Your FIT is on FIRE!

[@CRZYSND]

ya like jazz?

[@Arcadian_Gaming]

CRZYSND ya like smoooooth Jazz

[@therapeuticmusic4978]

@@Arcadian_Gaming same

[@oimflen5507]

Did you really make jazz first time? It sounds VERY cool, very humanising. Lots of patterns and different instruments. Seriously, if somebody turned this music, i would think that isn't FL. To my mind, you are talent. You inspired me for creating similar music. Thank you!

[@jk_lol9266]

this is so awesome haha. I got so hype once you added the trills to the sax

[@Scyriate]

I hear that Beneath the mask remix in the background and I'm instantly vibing

[@AbriElMusic]

very amazing Alex, perfect for great feelings and good vibes! congrats Alex

[@mathewaw]

I just downloaded fl studio yesterday, and started to watch your tutorials, it's amazing and really helpful, Thanks man, also your work is just awesome. Keep up the good work !

[@GamingWithJumbo]

4:30 how do you view all notes?

[@thebassmentsoundtbs]

this is amazing, beautiful and fresh

[@CMajr-Dublin]

I love your creativity man. You make it look so easy. Nicely done. Exactly what I was looking for. Just the background music which is distrusting 😅

[@enesitsme]

I wanted to see the velocity of the notes when the big band started playing. Great music!

[@05mryoyo]

This dude is INCREDIBLE ! Massive support from Morocco ! I'm Amazed!

[@xMTLKx]

holy f*** that was amazing ! The instruments sound insane as your writing !

[@lawsonmadlener]

Hi Alex, Nice video, and thanks for spreading the love over to this genre. You might want to check out some resources on 4 note voicings and ii Vs which will help your arrangements sound a lot fuller and jazzier. Basically, when you're voicing chords, you want to include the 3rd and 7th always, and then usually move the root to the 9th and the 5th to the 13th. This spreads well for trombones and trumpets, as you usually have 4 of each in a big band. You could do something like (for a C7): Bass: C Trombones: Bb D E A Trumpets: E A Bb D. Another trick that really helps makes things sound jazzy are altered chords, but in order for those to work you need to make sure the alteration fits the scale correctly. Chord+scale relations are super important, and it makes fancy chords super simple once you realize how they're formed. Hope this is helpful! :) Lawson

[@Liaaaannnn]

OH MY YES PLEASE!!!!Make more tutorials I am aiming to mesh something like this and electronic sounds maybe weird rythms and playing with the tempo but there are almost none tutorials on this its amazing!!!

[@swingtodivine]

Bruh, I missed 10 seconds and had to start all the way over... This is TOO good!

[@XXROCKANDROLLPOWERXX]

Bro subscribing just because of the hat. The hell man it looks gorgeous

[@christiana.guevara4947]

Hey Alex. Great video! That part where you heard the trumpet vibrating, it’s called (shake) where the trumpet players either shake the horn or use a quick lip trill to make that effect. (I’m a trumpet player, film/tv and video game composer ). Awesome arrangement! Keep making great music!

[@thutoseboko4076]

Shake? I know it as Vibrato bruv.

[@BVK.]

​@@thutoseboko4076it's just a fancy name, just like how you call... Uh... I don't have any examples in my head at the moment.

[@mariedouglas]

Great video for composers who write for multiple genres, to get a launch pad for a jazz sound. Thank you!

[@oscarmike1131]

Love Swing and Swing More. Love the pizzicato bass they have. Would advice doubling the pitched percussion like xylophones, glass marimbas and glocks with alto and bass flutes. Works wonders

[@rishbob0]

big whiplash vibes from this video! really good work

[@sebastianaquino7454]

Please bring this music back. The peak of music.

[@rumar4u]

Alex, try 6th's next time in Jazz and check out most used Jazz scales :)

[@jasonsavory9748]

If you want to step up your jazz harmony game I’d be happy to collaborate next time (I’m a jazz guitarist first, composer second)

[@gilman8662]

Here you are, spotted you again this time on KZbin. Nice one man

[@Ayr0music]

BIG FLOW!! haha love it and the composition crazy good!

[@方文-g9h]

Thats really awsome. I was believe nobody could compose big band with DAW. Really thanks for ur sharing.

[@thejohncenafan100]

dope, would love to hear the finished song!

[@alyctro8158]

You're an unreal master

[@PeterReidJones]

Great demo in the style, man! And ahhh fun, the mariachi vibe - super fun to pull off!

[@waynemiller6070]

Good energy, with the music piece and your personality. You are very likable. BTW I like the necklace.

[@Shadow_Shinigami]

THIS SOUNDS ABSOLUTELY INSANE!!!

[@jls_beatz]

this is a masterpiece i absolutely love it man. ur a genius i swear

[@peshtiwarbotanimusic]

I love this! Definitely a genre I will tackle when I have defined and developed my orchestral music more :).

[@AC-nh3hw]

This looks really awsome, but way beyound my baby beginner level. Gonna save this one and circle back around once I've leveled up a bit. Gonna check out some of your other videos as well.

[@Anonymous-hf8nx]

Impressive! Also really like the hat 😁

[@GTORT]

Dude not a bad video! Swing is dope because of it's emphasis on phrase writing rather than playing it note by note, which I think the intention of the product is more geared towards speed writing, but that's just my opinion. My personal favorite jazz vst is Mojo 2, but that's just for all the hors, and a close second is Straight Ahead due to its auto chord technology. Just some others to check out if you got the time. Once again, great video. Love that vibraphone

[@HossamMubareklComposer]

you're awesome man, thank you

[@thegoodgeneral]

Love the Vivi doll!

[@gobenmusic336]

I learned so much from this! Thank you for being easy to understand AND Entertaining!

[@CaeSharp]

Word

[@chefallen520]

one thing for sure. It swings and you def/ feel it. I have heard a few other things, tonight, that had good sounds but no swing.

[@jonkrindz7934]

this super sweet! made with soul sounds soo real like an actual band.:))

[@sleepyxboy]

What an amazing piece:)))

[@timfunk2493]

I Love the "Jazz Hands" while composing Jazz!!

[@epiclauren4757]

THATS PERSONA 5, I freaking love you dude!!!

[@DanielSmith_19]

I really liked the video. Especially being a highschool kid in my last year and having to compose something simple for marks. Thank you so much!!! Also, damn you look cool. Where can I get a hat like that?😂 Also, Might I just say... I play sax myself. I don't mean to tell you how to do your job, but I think you can do a lot more the saxes. They're a flexible instrument as far as technique and range go. So yeah. Just for future reference I guess. I'd totally listen to this track though. Awesome job. Edit: First!!!

[@AlexMoukala]

I'd be very much startled if I nailed all that a saxophone can do on my first ever Jazz attempt, without ever trying to play a Saxophone in my life! You hit the nail on the head though generally speaking: one thing I'm definitely looking forward to in my music right now is to practice instruments more as a way to get a deeper understanding in what makes them sound the way they do, and what sounds they can produce. I'm aware of many of such features on a few instruments, but learning to play them would give me a much deeper understanding for sure

[@DanielSmith_19]

That's awesome! I'm looking forward to more of your videos. I love listening and watching you compose. It's inspiring.

[@Struktur.d.M]

@@AlexMoukala you didnt answer about the hat !!!

[@Theomcgaugheybass]

An important thing about every pitched note is how in jazz there is no median between connected and short notes, aka staccato and legato. It is always short, short accented, long or long accented.

[@jasoncole8937]

Damn this is fire ! Would love to see more jazz stuff. Love how even your outfit fits the genere

[@simonbusshart1463]

just incredible and great taste!

[@mlaumusic]

Looking stylish, Alex!!! Love it!!!

[@user-or5yf1rw4n]

Nice tutorial and nice song my dude! Love your work!

[@josiah513]

Nice track for a first time with swing music!

[@WangleLine]

nice hat :D

[@KaffeMedBulla]

I love your hat

[@ZacharyDial]

This is truly insane. I want to go on a badass adventure and take over New York when listening to this. 😂

[@WhyJustWhy-oe9dz]

Great job man! Gives me Madagascar vibes

[@ludvigandre964]

You make me happy, thanks man!!

[@drewskywalkerpa]

this really is great, motivating me to go hard cuz although its an expensive library, its cheaper than just one sax, and it sounds like it was recorded by real players, probably worth ut, let me get the skills down w stock logic sounds first, thank u bro!!!

[@noreaction1]

C major 7? (Drake shakes finger). E minor over C? (Drake points in agreement)

[@glodchips1097]

Aged like fine wine

[@camollover234]

​@@glodchips1097 lmfao

[@noahshighlightreel]

@@glodchips1097I was about to say

[@Bloogly89]

In Alex's words... This is super fricken funky!

[@Inksploded]

Love the persona music notes in the thumbnail

[@musicplaylists59]

nice, i particularly liked the bit where the trombone was interacting with the bass line.

[@mythsqueuemusic]

Love your stuff Alex been watching you since 12k subs lol

[@prodbyfzo]

WOW... This guys is awesome.

[@kubache1193]

Valuable content man! Thanks!

[@neverknowsbest1717]

Brooooo I been lookin for something like this for so long!

[@charlottemcmillan9668]

Useful! Oh, and nice hat!

[@orfeasmusic6677]

More jazz video please, really liked this

[@kouadioangebasile8530]

love this channel

[@8bitheroes86]

I recently had a go at making a jazz track featuring some brass elements, although i wouldn't say it was big band jazz, the brass played more of a supportive role. It seems like a really fun style to work with though and would like to dive deeper.

[@sakurahertz]

I love how the camera shakes everytime you play a chord 🤣

[@ZachFBStudios]

You drop a first draft like it's my lifes work 😄

[@Civv17]

This is some awsome tutorial !!

[@ethio-gugs]

real magical talent

[@princepeachfuzz]

Awesome video, freaking inspirational, thank you, much love 💕

[@anyosa]

Tutorials from this genre would be awesome is really complex to understand

[@cloey_b]

LOVE IT!!!!

[@tollltikke1929]

you are a genius bra... thanks for the tutorial!🤗

[@gauthierf]

Amazing ! I loved cuphead's soundtrack and it reminded me a lot of it. However, and I know it's a rough, these trumpets really need to pop more. Will we get the final result when everything will be done ?

[@TVGrubLive]

Amazing sound!

[@sanjaycolaco]

Nice composition.