r/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Stuck writing chord progressions

Hello! I am a newly graduated musician. I am trying to write new music, but i constantly get stuck in the same place.

I always try to create music with elaborate chord progressions because i really like playing songs like that.

For example Les Champs-Elysée by Joe Dassin, Nobody knows when you're down and out, or the jazz classic All of Me

But i constantly get stuck in making progressions that loop nicely, and then making a few alternate progressions for bridges and choruses.

I dont like making simple 3-4 chord pop progressions because i dont find them enjoyable to play.

I find myself constantly stuck in the same loop, where i make a nice progression, but dont know how to continue. How can i break this cycle?

My last song attempt had a chord progression that went from E -> E7/D -> A/C# -> Am -> E, in the key of E, or Am (im not sure yet) which isnt that elaborate but it sounds nice.

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u/BasicMatter7339 — 3 days ago

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u/AutoModerator — 4 days ago

Recording drums with MIDI pads: Do notes need to start at Bar 1?

Hey everyone! I've used FL Studio before, but I'm learning hip-hop beatmaking with my Novation FLkey 37.

I recorded a kick-and-clap pattern live at 142 BPM. It sounds smooth and natural when looping, but my first kick starts slightly after the beginning of Bar 1 in the Piano Roll.

A few questions:

  1. Timing: Is that okay if the groove sounds good, or should I move the notes to align with the grid?
  2. Moving notes: Is there a way to move kick and clap notes together across separate Channel Rack instruments without changing their timing relative to each other?
  3. Best practice: How do you correct timing after recording drums live with MIDI pads without ruining the groove? Should I quantize, manually adjust, or leave the notes alone?

I'm trying to learn the best workflow without unnecessarily fixing a groove I already like.

I've attached a Piano Roll screenshot for reference via link. https://ibb.co/kggHMCRh

Thanks!

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u/Reasonable-Ad-6180 — 3 days ago